Is it possible for tech companies to create low EMF versions of their products? At first thought, the answer is no: most gadgets connect to the internet, and all of them need electricity to operate. So, it seems impossible to control EMF emissions from these gadgets. But evidence shows that most products don’t need to emit such high levels of EMF to work efficiently. And it’s indeed possible for companies to create low EMF products.
Each year, tech companies spend millions of dollars on research and development to optimize their products for superior performance. Tech is a highly competitive industry, and manufacturers do everything they can to gain new customers and retain old ones.
Now, if we look at it from the business point of view, this is extremely beneficial. But is it also beneficial for the customers who use these gadgets?
Well, yes and no.
On one hand, we as customers get to enjoy these futuristic gadgets that add more convenience to our lives. But on the other hand, these products bring more EMF into our homes and worsen our already EMF polluted environment. This is not at all good for the user’s physical and mental health.
You can learn more about the health effects of heavy EMF exposure by visiting my EMF Health Effects page.
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This post is slightly different from others. In this one, I’m going to talk about a few companies that have managed to design products that emit extremely low amounts of EMF without affecting the gadgets’ functionality. And while I’m at it, I’ll also answer some of the most frequently asked questions about EMF.
So, let’s begin.
Why Worry About High EMF Emissions?
Electromagnetic fields or EMF is energy created by the combination of electricity and magnetism. It doesn’t need any wires or cables to move from one place to another; it simply uses the air to travel. Your cell phone is the best example of EMF in action. You can make a phone call, connect to the internet, send messages wherever you go. All network sources and electronic gadgets emit EMF. They’re of different types, but their impact remains the same.
If you want to learn more about EMF types, you can visit my post “EMF in simple words.”
Now, the concept of EMF is fairly modern on the evolutionary scale. And because of this, our bodies haven’t built any defense mechanisms against its ill effects. Research studies confirm that prolonged EMF exposure can cause health problems ranging from sleep disorders to chronic diseases like cancer. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies non-ionizing EMF as a Group 2 carcinogen, also translated as “possibly carcinogenic.”
Many EMF experts around the world, however, are not satisfied with this classification. They firmly believe that non-ionizing EMF should be put on the list of Group 1 agents. This list consists of viruses like HIV, HTLV-I, chemical substances like Acetaldehyde, and ionizing radiation like X-rays and gamma rays.
Despite evidence and appeals, the regulations on creating and deploying EMF-emitting products are not strict. And on top of that, we now have 5G which will be an essential part of our lives very soon. The EMF in our environment is getting denser every day, and the authorities are not doing much about it. This is why high EMF emissions from gadgets and network sources are a matter of worry.
If EMF Is Everywhere, Why Get Low EMF Products?
It’s true — EMF is everywhere. But like all types of energy, EMF too has limitations on how far it can reach, and it loses its strength as it travels. This means that, even though the EMF sources outside your home like cell towers, your neighbors’ devices, and power lines will have an effect on your EMF exposure level, the impact will not be nearly as much as it would be from the EMF sources inside your home.
Common electronic devices found in homes like cell phones, laptops, tablets, WiFi routers, smart meters, basically anything that has wireless connectivity emits massive amounts of EMF. Besides that, electronic appliances like refrigerators, hairdryers, and your home’s internal electrical wiring also produce EMF.
The latter examples, however, produce a different kind of EMF than your cell phones and tablets. But they’re no less harmful to your health. I have a separate post that explains different EMF types and sources and ways to reduce your exposure to these emissions.
When you buy low EMF products instead of the standard versions, the EMF pollution in your home goes down considerably, making it safer for you to enjoy technology.
What is the Safe EMF Level?
Because of the nature of EMF and its varied effects, our current technology can’t generate an exact number on what level of EMF is completely safe for human health. The limits set by the governments around the world only take EMF’s thermal effects into account. But research studies show that the non-thermal effects of EMF can be much more harmful. Indeed, someone suffering from the non-thermal effects of EMF may not see the symptoms for years until the damage becomes critical.
What we know for sure right now is that our body has the ability to fight off the ill effects of EMF to some degree. This means the less EMF you’re exposed to, the less harm it causes to your health. And the best part is, you can lower your EMF exposure for free. You just have to minimize your tech use and maximize your distance from EMF-emitting gadgets whenever possible.
With every inch you add between the EMF source and your body, you’ll move to a safer, healthier life. This means doing things like not carrying your cell phone in your pocket and using your laptop on the table instead of your lap.
Similarly, you should reduce your gadget usage to the bare minimum. I also recommend turning off wireless devices when not in use or switching these devices to airplane mode.
I have written an in-depth post on safe EMF levels, which also contains tips on how you can make minor changes in your habits to reduce your EMF exposure.
Low EMF Products
As I’ve said in many of my posts, “the best EMF protection is always free.”
Minimizing tech use and maximizing distance from electronic gadgets is the optimal way to ensure lesser EMF exposure. However, the fact remains that not everyone can simply stay away from their gadgets or turn them off when not in use. This is why I recommend using EMF shielding products (like the ones SYB makes and sells) and low EMF products like the ones that I’m going to talk about below.
Please note that this post is not sponsored by any of the companies that I’ve mentioned in the upcoming sections of this post. I’ve included them because these companies have put their time, money, and hard work into designing products that don’t put their customers’ health at risk.
Mudita Low EMF Phone
2021 iF Design Award winner Mudita is an electronic gadgets manufacturing company specializing in cell phone production with ultra-low SAR value. (If you’re unfamiliar with the term “SAR,” do check out my post “What is Specific Absorption Rate?”.)
Mudita’s mission is to develop humane products, putting their customers’ well-being before massive revenue generation. Continuing this mission, they’ve built a new feature phone that has amazingly low SAR value.
Now, according to EMF experts, SAR does not accurately assess how safe the device is in terms of the user’s EMF exposure. I have explained the reason for this in my SAR post, which is linked above. However, the reason why I believe that Mudita’s feature phone is safer than other phones on the market is because of its patented technology.
This phone has two antennae, and it switches between them automatically depending on the range. It packs a unique code that looks for a new frequency match every time there is network fluctuation and changes the antenna depending on circumstances.
To put it simply, let’s say that you are in an area where you don’t have a strong 4G network. Now, in this case, standard phones increase the EMF emission to connect with the tower to catch a stronger signal. But the Mudita Pure, instead of increasing its EMF emission, changes the frequency and switches antenna if the frequency matches better on the other one. This way, you’ll get a strong signal without being showered with EMF.
Pros & Cons of Mudita Low EMF Phone
Mudita Pure has all the features required in a cell phone, like calling, messaging, Bluetooth, music, alarm, calendar, and a super smooth operating system. On top of that, it has an E-ink display which is easy on the eyes.
The only downside of “Mudita Pure Minimalist Phone” is that it doesn’t support products similar to .ipa and .apk applications as it doesn’t connect to the internet.
The reason behind this is to eliminate constant distractions from your life and help you spend more time in the real world. However, the company has stated that they’re working on a feature that lets you use internet messaging and GPS with simple maps.
Offline by Choice
Statista.com says that 86% of smartphone users check their phones while talking to their friends and family. Bankmycell.com says that an average smartphone user taps, swipes, and clicks their phone an average of 2,617 times per day.
Looking at these statistics and the number of cell phone users on the planet, it is safe to say that majority of the world’s population is addicted to smartphones. Experts say that users are not even doing anything important on their phones most of the time. It’s the addictive features that bring smartphone users back time and again to mind-numbing screen interactions, by giving them a false sense of achievement.
Mudita’s cell phone will help you get rid of this addiction. And even if you have to do something important on the internet, you can always use your laptop or computer and turn it off when you’re done.
Being offline is hard, especially when the online world seems way more riveting. But you can surely give it a try. And there’s no doubt that you’ll like the results.
Low EMF Cordless Phone
The second item on my list of low EMF products is Gigaset’s ECO DECT Cordless Phones. These phones use ECO technology that reduces the power consumption and transmission power of DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) phones.
Manual Radiation Reducer with ECO
Even though cordless phones emit less radiation than your average smartphone, the amount is still harmful to your health. The ECO mode in Gigaset phones lets you reduce the radiation emission by almost 80%.
Besides reducing radiation, the ECO mode will also reduce your phone’s power use, due to which the charge on your cordless phone will last much longer.
So, if you use cordless phones, Siemens Gigaset ECO DECT is a fantastic option.
Is it Possible to Make Low Radiation Smartphones in 2023?
Considering the features companies have been equipping their smartphones within the past few years, it seems rather impossible to make a low EMF emitting smartphone. This may be why cell phone companies are producing phones with higher SAR values.
But if that’s really the case, why are there phones in the market with similar features and specifications but with lesser SAR values?
See, developing a low-EMF smartphone isn’t about reducing its features or making the phone dumber. It’s about optimizing the phone to emit less EMF when not needed. And one way to do that is to focus more on the phone’s “Transmission Power Control” system.
Transmission Power Control is a system that allows a phone to act according to the network strength. This means if you’re in a network-dense area, your phone won’t emit much radiation. And similarly, if you’re in a low-network area, your phone will increase its emissions to serve you with reliable connectivity.
Since the SAR regulations have a high bar, cell phone companies don’t really have the incentive to make their phones emit low EMFs. So, most companies don’t really focus on TPC, which, in turn, results in phones emitting high volumes of EMFs even in network-dense areas.
So, is it possible to make low EMF phones in 2023? Absolutely. But do companies have any reason to do so besides helping millions of people protect themselves from EMF-induced health problems, which they don’t really seem to care about? Well, right now, no.
Low EMF Hair Dryers
Hairdryers may not connect to the internet or a cell network, but that doesn’t eliminate them from the list of EMF-emitting devices. This is because anything that operates using electricity emits ELF-EMF, or extremely low-frequency EMF. It’s different from what your cell phone produces, but prolonged exposure can be equally harmful.
You can learn more about ELF and its health risks by visiting my post on managing ELF.
Shieldlife’s EMF Freedom Hair Dryer, with its patented EMF shielding technology, is one of the best low EMF hair dryers on the market. The interior of this hairdryer is coated with a copper-infused barrier that captures the ELF-EMF and grounds it, protecting your body from its effects.
You can read more about how EMF shielding works in my post “EMF shielding materials.”
Independent laboratory testing for Shieldlife’s EMF Freedom Hair Dryer also confirms that their device produces 2000% less EMF than standard hairdryers.
Low EMF Baby Monitor
Baby monitors are a tremendous help to parents with young children. They let you keep an eye on your infant from a distance, allowing you to better take care of them and, at the same time, take some much-needed rest.
But these devices have wireless connectivity, which means that they produce a massive amount of EMF, exposing your infant to harmful radiation.
I’ve already discussed in an earlier post how babies are more vulnerable to EMF’s health effects.
This is why Bebcare created baby monitors that are designed with their patented DSR (Digital Safe Radio) technology that emits up to 94 to 97% less EMF than average baby monitors.
Their ultra-low EMF baby monitors have won awards like Mom’s Choice Awards – Gold Award, and the National Parenting Products Awards – NAPPA Awards. They’ve also been named the safest baby monitor available on the market by Mothering Magazine.
Final Thoughts
These are just a few examples of companies putting in extra effort to ensure their customers’ safety. What these examples show is that creating low EMF versions of products really is possible.
So, the question is, why don’t more companies do it?
The answer is simple. This is challenging work, which requires years’ worth of research and testing, as well as massive investments. Without government regulations compelling safer product designs, the vast majority of companies are not willing to incur that expense. (Just like car manufacturers weren’t willing to install seat belts until the government made them.)
Since the tech companies won’t put much effort into their customers’ well-being, the responsibility of ensuring your and your loved ones’ safety falls upon you. There are a few things that you can do to ensure this.
First, do your research before buying electronic gadgets. Check to see if there are any low EMF versions of the same product. And always ask yourself if you absolutely have to buy this product. The fewer EMF sources in your home, the safer you’ll be.
And secondly, educate yourself about EMF, its health effects, and ways to protect against it. This is important because, armed with this knoweldge, you can ask better questions to the sellers, analyze products, and make an informed decision.
To make this easier, I have built a page with a collection of posts to help you learn about EMF and start living healthier and with less EMF exposure. So do give it a read.
