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Do you really need cell phone insurance? The answer depends, of course, on a number of different factors including which cell you have and how likely you are to lose or damage your cell - not to mention how many cells you're talking about.

If you favor top of the line trendy models, or have children who do, cell phone insurance could be a worthwhile investment. That doesn't mean, however, that you need to pay over the odds for it. There are many reasonably priced options for cell phone insurance cover.

Why insure my cell phone?

"I'm always careful", you might be thinking. "I won't leave it behind anywhere." According to last year's crime statistics, there are over 10,000 cell phones stolen in the UK each month. Another 3,500 or so get left behind on buses and trains or in cafes, and an astounding 1,200 are dropped down toilets or knocked into sinks. In all, about 15,000 cell phones are reported lost, stolen or damaged each and every month.

And the cost can put quite a dent in your budget. While you may have got your cell free with your phone plan, the phone corporations won't replace your cell for free or for £29.95. If you want to continue using your contract minutes - and you will be responsible for paying out the remainder of your contract - you'll need to fork out the full price for a replacement phone. In addition, you could be liable for any call charges if your cell was used before it's loss is discovered. The cost of losing your cell phone can easily top £500. Have you got a spare £500 sitting around?

Do I really need cell phone insurance?

Perhaps not. cell phone insurance can cost you anywhere from £25 to £150 annually, depending on the insurance carrier that you choose. If you can reasonably replace your cell phone for less than that, then cell phone insurance is probably not a worthwhile expense for you. If you hae a replacement phone - perhaps left since your last upgrade - and your cell provider still supports it, you may be fine without cell insurance. In most cases, though, you'll find that it can be worth the expense - especially if you shop around for competitively priced cell phone insurance.

techniques for getting the best value cell phone insurance

1. Don't automatically accept cell phone insurance when you purchase your cell. Those tend to be the priciest premiums of all.

2. If the salesperson or web site promises "Free cell Insurance" with all phones or with selected phones, be sure to check the details. In many cases, the cover is free for the first month. After the first month of cover, the regular premium will be tacked onto your cell account charges, where you may not even realize you're paying it.

3. Speaking of not realizing - are you already covered? If you've had the phone a bit and are just now thinking of insuring it, check the itemized details for your last account statement to be sure you're not already paying for insurance.

4. Shop around the independent insurers. You can get economy cover for a cell worth up to £150 for as little as £2.49 per month - less than half what most of the major insurers are charging.

5. Consider an increase to your home and contents cover if you have many electronic and cell devices that you carry with you. You can extend your contents insurance to cover your cell devices, including your phone, PDA, PSP and other electronics when you take them out of your home.

6. Got a family of cells? Nearly 80% of the phones reported stolen or lost belong to teens. If you're insuring more than one phone, look for a corporation that will cover multechniquele cells on one policy.