We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-19 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a portable, license-free two-way radio setup with a wireless earpiece for hands-free talk on the move, choose Retevis RB37; if you need a desk-bound, multi-line office phone that handles several calls at once with HD voice and accessibility features, choose Plantronics Poly Edge E220.
• Retevis RB37 — biggest strength: a matched pair of FRS radios with an included Bluetooth earpiece that's already paired out of the box, plus a 2000mAh battery rated for 12 hours of use and up to 120 hours of standby.
• Retevis RB37 — biggest trade-off: the Bluetooth only works with the same-model RB37 headset, it's not water resistant, and the listed range tops out at about 2 miles.
• Plantronics Poly Edge E220 — biggest strength: 4-line keys that can support up to 16 lines, integrated Bluetooth for a mobile phone or headset, and a 2.8" color display with accessibility options like text-to-speech.
• Plantronics Poly Edge E220 — biggest trade-off: it's a corded desk phone, so it stays where you plug it in; it's built for a fixed location, not for carrying around.
• Who each pick is for: the RB37 suits church volunteers, families, event staff and campers who need cheap, license-free handheld communication; the E220 suits a reception desk, shared common area or small office that lives on multiple phone lines.
The RB37 is a two-pack of FRS business radios with a wireless earpiece in the box. The pitch is simple: you take them out, they're already paired, and touching the PTT button on the earpiece lets you talk without holding the radio to your face. That matters when your hands are full — carrying chairs at a church event, setting up a campsite, or directing traffic at a small gathering. Retevis says the earpiece links within 10 meters, which is realistic for a radio clipped to your belt and a headset on your head.
Battery is the headline number here. The 2000mAh cell is rated for about 12 hours of continuous use and up to 120 hours of standby, and it charges over Type-C, so you're not hunting for a proprietary cradle. There's also a flashlight built in, VOX hands-free operation, and 22 channels total. Importantly, channels 1–5 are set up to talk directly with other Retevis 16-channel FRS radios like the RT21, RT22, RT68 and H-777, which is genuinely useful if you already own some of those and want to mix them into one group.
Here's the honest catch. The Bluetooth is locked to the same Retevis RB37 headset — you can't pair it with your phone earbuds or another brand's headset. If the earpiece dies or gets lost, you're replacing it with a matching one. The radios themselves aren't water resistant, so rain and heavy splashes are a real risk. And the stated maximum range is about 2 miles, which in the real world means considerably less once buildings, trees or hills get in the way.
Skip it if you need weatherproofing, long-distance coverage, or the freedom to use your own Bluetooth headset.
Plantronics Poly Edge E220: Who It's For
The Edge E220 is the opposite kind of device: a corded IP desk phone built to sit in one place and handle a lot of calling. The core spec is 4-line keys supporting up to 16 lines, which is the sort of capacity a reception desk, a shared common area, or a small office with a main number and several extensions actually needs. You're not juggling one call at a time — you're parking, transferring and switching between lines.
Poly's HD Voice technology is the reason to care about the audio side. The company's positioning is about catching every word and inflection, which is the difference between a phone that's tolerable on a long call and one that makes you repeat yourself. The 2.8" color display puts features and contacts within a couple of taps rather than buried in menus. And integrated Bluetooth means you can pair a mobile phone or a wireless headset directly to the desk phone — useful if you want to take a cell call on the handset or go hands-free without a corded headset.
Accessibility is unusually well thought out here. There's text-to-speech, screen color adjustments for color blindness, and larger font settings. For a phone sitting in a lobby or a shared workspace where all kinds of people use it, that's not a checkbox — it's the difference between a phone people can use and one they avoid.
The trade-offs are structural, not flaws. It's corded, so it needs a desk, a power source and a network connection — the box includes the handset, coil cord, Cat5E cable, an integrated wall mount and a base stand. It weighs about 2 pounds and measures roughly 12.1 x 10.3 x 3.4 inches, so it takes up real desk space. It also lists 4 AA batteries, which is worth understanding before you set it up. And three-way conferencing is the ceiling on built-in conferencing.
Buy the E220 if you run a front desk, a shared office, a clinic or a common area where multiple lines and clear voice quality matter more than mobility.
Skip it if you need something that travels with you or works where there's no desk and no wired connection.
• Best for hands-free mobility → Retevis RB37. The included Bluetooth earpiece and touch PTT let you talk while moving, with the radio on your belt.
• Best for multiple phone lines → Plantronics Poly Edge E220. 4-line keys supporting up to 16 lines is a different league of call handling than a two-way radio.
• Best for battery endurance away from power → Retevis RB37. The 2000mAh battery is rated for roughly 12 hours of use and 120 hours of standby, charged over Type-C.
• Best for call clarity on long conversations → Plantronics Poly Edge E220. HD Voice is the whole point of a business desk phone, and it's paired with a 2.8" color display for quick feature access.
• Best for accessibility → Plantronics Poly Edge E220. Text-to-speech, color-blind screen adjustments and bigger fonts are built in.
• Best for mixed-brand radio fleets → Retevis RB37. Channels 1–5 talk directly with other Retevis 16-channel FRS radios like the RT21, RT22, RT68 and H-777.
• Best for outdoor or wet conditions → neither, honestly. The RB37 isn't water resistant, and the E220 is an indoor desk phone. If rain is likely, plan accordingly.
• Best for a fixed reception or common-area desk → Plantronics Poly Edge E220. The RB37 has no place in a multi-line front-desk workflow.
These two barely compete for the same buyer, so my recommendation splits cleanly. In my opinion, if your job is coordinating people who are walking around — ushers, event crew, family on a trip — the Retevis RB37 is the more useful pick, because the pre-paired earpiece and Type-C charging remove most of the friction. If your job is answering a phone that rings on several lines at a fixed desk, I'd take the Plantronics Poly Edge E220 without hesitation; the line capacity, HD Voice and accessibility features are exactly what that setting demands. Buy for the setting you're actually in, not for the spec sheet that looks more impressive.
For short-range coordination where people are moving around, yes — the included pre-paired earpiece and 12-hour battery rating suit that use. Just remember it isn't water resistant and the practical range is well under the listed 2 miles once walls get involved.
No. Retevis states the RB37 Bluetooth only works with the same-model RB37 headset, not other brands' headsets or phone earbuds. If you want to talk to a mixed radio fleet instead, you can turn Bluetooth off and use the radios directly on matching channels.
It's a corded IP desk phone designed for office and common-area use, and it needs a wired connection and power. If you want a simple plug-in analog home phone, this isn't the right category of device.
They're different product categories, so the fairest approach is to check the current price on Amazon for each and compare against your actual need — portable radios versus a multi-line desk phone. Don't pay for line capacity you won't use, and don't buy radios if your calls all happen at one desk.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.