Cell Phone Radiation Protection – Do Air Tube Headsets Work?
Posted by Lloyd on January 28, 2013 under Cell phone protection, Protection devices | 
38 Comments to Read
Cell phones are not my thing.
But I know that some of you reading this absolutely love your cell phone.
Your cell phone is part of your life. And no matter what I or anybody else says about EMFs, RF radiation, cancer, brain tumors and so on and so forth you’ll carry on using your cell phone.
That’s your right.
So OK you’re gonna keep using your cell phone. Now how about learning to use it safely? Isn’t this the key? Being able to use this technology as safely as you can? That’s what this article’s about.
What Is An Air Tube Headset?
An air tube headset is a headset with an ‘air tube’ component. Normal headsets are a 100% wired connection.
An air tube headset has a section of hollow flexible airtube incorporated which transmits the sound from cell phone conversations and music to your ear. The peculiarity of this airtube is that it contains no metal.
It plugs into the jack on your cell phone the same as a conventional headset. Some models (as is the case for the one I am reviewing here) also have an earpiece that doesn’t contain any metal.
How Does An Air Tube Headset Work?
A conventional headset has a wire cable. Wire has metal in it. This metal conducts the radiation coming from your cell phone allowing it to easily travel up the wire and into your head.
Worse still, wired headsets can act as an antenna amplifying the radiation and increase your exposure.
The air tube headset uses hollow air tubes to conduct the sound from your cell phone using “sound waves”. The manufacturer claims a reduction in the electromagnetic fields (EMFs) that reach your head of up to 98%.
This short video explains a bit more about how this air tube headset works:
Can An Air Tube Headset Reduce Radiation?
An air tube cell phone headset allows you to put distance between you and your cell phone. It’s this distance that reduces your radiation exposure.
That’s the theory. Actually its a bit more than theory. The manufacturer has had their product tested in an EMI Test Lab, which is an FCC (United States), EMCC (Europe) and VCCI (Japan) approved testing laboratory.
Its scientifically proven to reduce the electromagnetic radiation that reaches your ear and brain area by up to 98%. FACT.
Sounds too good to be true? There are some downsides.
What Are The Downsides?
Sound quality? There are mixed reports on this. Some people claim its not good. Others say its better sound than what they get from the headset that came with their MP3 or iPod.
Durability? The air tube is a ‘tube’ and not a wire. You need to handle it with care. A tube doesn’t fold away as easily as a wire. If you kink it, it can damage it.
It’s more hassle. Cell phones are getting smaller and smaller and easier and easier to use. Using a headset adds a level of hassle to answering and making calls. Either you’ve got the wires hung around your neck or you’ve got them nearby so that you can plug them into your phone at a moments notice.
Should You Buy One?
If you do buy one, buy it for the right reasons.
An air tube headset does not make your cell phone safe. FACT.
BUT it can make your cell phone safer.
IF when you call you put a good distance between your phone and your head. AND you don’t up your cell phone usage because you’ve bought an air tube headset.
AND you do apply my cell phone protection tips when using your cell phone.
Where To Buy?
You can buy your air tube headset from Amazon.com. But make sure what you buy is compatible with your phone. The model shown here has a 3.5mm jack
Amazon sells these headsets at a competitive price and if for any reason you are not satisfied you can easily get a refund.
Conclusion
If minimizing your exposure to cell phone radiation without giving up your cell phone is high on your agenda buying an air tube headset is a good move.
Sharon Ingram said,
Dear Lloyd,
Yes, the air tube headset is a good idea for reducing a cell phone user’s exposure to dangerous radiation. But will it prevent those near the user (e.g. chidren, the unborn) from being exposed to radiation from the same cell phone?
Lloyd said,
Hi Sharon
Using an air tube reduces the emf exposure for the user…for other people that are near the user the exposure is the same….or possibly worse if using an air tube headset means you are holding your phone nearer other people when you are on a call.
Jeanne Mullen said,
Hi Lloyd,
Have you ever heard of something called a Pop Phone made by a company called Native Union? It’s an old-fashioned looking receiver with a coiled cord. I believe the whole thing is made of rubber. They claim it has been tested by an independent lab and reduces radiation by 96 -98 % . Don’t know if its too good to be true but I’d appreciate knowing what you think about it. All best.
Lloyd said,
Hi Jeanne
The Pop phone has got a nice look but like regular headsets it works on a wired connection. The air tube headset is the superior device if you are concerned about EMFs.
Sharon Ingram said,
Dear Lloyd,
This may not be exactly in response to your message about air tubes, but I had to share this link with you, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/9787576.stm as it is obviously related due to the wireless aspect. One wonders why the wireless-dependent parents bother having babies at all. They might as well give birth to robots!
Paul Von said,
Dear Llyod,
“A conventional headset has a wire cable. Wire has metal in it. This metal conducts the radiation coming from your cell phone allowing it to easily travel up the wire and into your head.”
“Worse still, wired headsets can act as an antenna amplifying the radiation and increase your exposure.”
I would agree that this is an important element of personal exposure principals, and may actually increase neurological damage to the user.
I know you are attempting to be helpful and considerate of cellular phone users, but the real issue is not the end consummer of this disasterous technology. The communications companies need to be put out of business, and this should be done directly and immediately.
The cellular tower systems are exposing ALL users and non-users to dangerous levels of non-ionizing RADIATION, which destroys living tissues according to hundreds of competent scientific studies.
By the time governmental agencies act, there will be hundres of millions of human beings living with permenant – catastrophic damge to their neurological systems, and many more millions will have died from autoimmune disorders.
It is imparative to stress the seriousness and magnatude of this situation, as this technology MUST BE IMMEDIATELY BANNED, and the cellular communications systems destroyed. There is no other intellegent option available, and readers need to be put on notice in that regard.
tatiana townsend said,
French government is now requiering manufacturers of cell phones to provide a safety shield for all devices.
vishwas said,
Dear Lloyd,
Just want to inform u that aginst US drone attacks the terror outfits have developed a sachet fo rthe mobile so that it cannot track the mobiles through GPRS.
Any idea what is the technique for this and is it economically affordable
Lloyd said,
Hi Vishwas
The sachet you are referring to is an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) bag. Its a specially designed sealed bag which prevents EMP current, static, microwaves, RFID snooping and even moisture damage from getting at the contents of the bag. You can buy them from lessemf.com
Connie Zimmermann said,
Thanks Lloyd for the info about the Air Tube product. I don’t see any info about how the Microphone would work though. My current headset that I use, has a mic built in to the wire. Does the Air Tube provided a mic component, or does the mic on the cell-phone have to pic up the sound? Thanks!
Lloyd said,
According to the manufacturer’s specification it’s got an integrated microphone.
George Shaver said,
I completely ended my use of cell phones in 2006, the same time I ended my use of microwave ovens. I did it strictly because of health concerns. I believed then as I still believe, that if I continued using cell phones my life would be lot shorter. This decision was not easy, as I had been in the habit of using my cell phone on a daily basis. When I stopped using my cell phone, it was as difficult for me as when i stopped cigarettes. But, i was successful in that i have not used a cell phone in over 6 years.
It was my right to excercise this option and my right to remain free from these toxic, dangerous electromagnetic radiations, EMF, RF and whatever else they call it. But, I have not remained free from that. New cell phone towers are still going up and each one beams more harmful rays making it impossible for me as an urban person to avoid this harm. These newer towers might make cell phone audio a little bit clearer, but for me, a non-user, I only pay the price.
As bad as the cell phone’s uninvited radiation is, it does not compare to the smart meter in its harmful effects on our health.
SDG&E, my utility, deployed smart meters in my neighborhood nearly two years ago. They could have chosen to use fiber optic to avoid the dangers of wireless, but they chose instead to use wireless for all their smart meters. They switched the harmless analog meter that I had always had with a smart meter without my knowledge or concent.
I have been physically sick because of this and when i enquired about it they lied to me. I am living in a condodminum and there are twelve units to my building. When i was finally given permission to opt-out, it made little or no difference because now I am surrounded by 11 smart meters instead of 12 and the radiation that i am paying to have stop with the opt out fees have not stopped the harmful radiation, in fact, it has not even reduced it enough to make any difference.
It appears that my stopping use of my cell phone did not, afterall, ended my exposure to the harmful EMF and/or RF radiation. Now, as i also end my use of the smart meter the harmful radiation is barely reduced and I’m left defenceless wholly unable to avoid exposure. Worse than any cell phones, smart meters are for me unavoidable and with my exposure nearly as bad as if i were enjoying the advantages of its use.
I am not, however, bothered by my neighbors use of their microwave ovens.
Di said,
Hi Lloyd,
I put my mobile on speaker and that allows me to move the phone away from my head, have any studies been done on the effectiveness of this approach?
Lloyd said,
Hi Di
I don’t recall any research that has compared speaker mode exposure with ‘normal’ exposure but the studies do indicate clearly that importance of distance for reducing the effects of exposure. Signal strength falls off in proportion to the square of the distance to the source. So if you double the distance to the source, which is the cell phone to your head, your potential exposure would be four times less, since two squared is four.
Renee said,
Hi Lloyd,
Any tests/studies to compare use of the air conduction headset to simply putting one’s cell on speaker phone?
Wonder if they would be comparable regarding level of exposure…and perhaps only advantage of airtube set is for privacy’s sake?
Lloyd said,
Hi Renee
The manufacturers have researched this question. They found that radiation levels were reduced between 96% and 99.9%, see http://www.electricsense.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/emi-test-report.pdf
Olle Johansson said,
Dear Lloyd,
But should you not rather write “Now how about learning to use it possibly safer?” We still do not know if there is a safe way, and maybe not even a safer way…
Best regards
Yours
Olle
(Olle Johansson
The Experimental Dermatology Unit
Department of Neuroscience
Karolinska Institute
171 77 Stockholm
Sweden)
Lloyd said,
Hi Olle
Your input on this subject is appreciated….if I were to write “how about learning to use it possibly safer?” I would be implying that it was possibly not safer to use this headset: I believe it is safer to use this headset. People are looking for solutions to use cell phones more safely. I believe that this headset can allow them to use it more safely.
Wendy said,
Hi Lloyd,
Thanks for the info. What do you think of the cell defender? Is it for real or just a have?
thanks
Lloyd said,
Hi Wendy
Again, Ive not tested this particular product but all the chips, diodes, neutralizers I have tried have been a total waste of money…enough said.
George Shaver said,
Any time you can decrease the harmfulness of cell phones the better. I think reducing or shielding exposure is probably the most fruitful place to start with the manufacturers missing even the most obvious ways to make cell phones safer.
I understand that there is a difference in radiation exposure from one cell phone to the next of as much as 1000%. The radiation emitted by specific brands are not advertised so consumers can not take advantage of this knowledge to buy a phone of lessor harmfulness.
Consumers should demand this information and use it when they purchase their phone.
Melissa said,
Hello Lloyd,
When looking at the specific headset (smart & safe) that you link to on Amazon I see that there are many who give it a poor 1 or 2 star review. Almsot half of the customers!?
Do you have personal experience with the quality (or lack of) on these headsets? I know you can return then to Amazon if you are not happy, but I would rather save the hassle if quality isn’t good.
Thanks for you info!
Lloyd said,
Hi Melissa
This product is not perfect…there are downsides….as I laid out in my review. Amazon will refund but if you consider the potential hassle of buying it outweighs the reduction in radiation exposure you will gain from using it….that’s your choice.
Jim said,
I have been using a air tube product from dr. Mercola, but lately they don’t stock it anymore.
Any suggestion for the best one on a market? Thank you.
Lloyd said,
I don’t know if this is the best product on the market…there are downsides as I outlined in my review.
Sharon Ingram said,
Dear Lloyd,
I bought the product but, although the connection seems to fit ok, I
can’t hear anything when I use it with my Nokia BL-5CB
Any ideas why?
Best wishes,
Sharon Ingram
Lloyd said,
Hi Sharon
Sounds like a faulty headset here- you need to contact Amazon or the company you bought from about this.
Sharon Ingram said,
Thanks, Lloyd!
I didn’t it could be faulty. Thanks for the suggestion. I will send it back.
All the best,
Sharon
Paul said,
Hi Lloyd,
Above, George Shaver comments about different call phone models and/or brands having different relative levels of EMF.
Do you confirm this?
If so, do you have, or know of, a list of the various EMF levels associated with different models, brands?
Thanks,
All the best..
Lloyd said,
Hi Paul
Different cell phones do emit different levels of radiation in different circumstances and even in the same circumstances. Currently there is no way of knowing what this is, the nearest thing we have is SAR (Specific Absorption Rate)…..which is which is supposed to tell us how much radiation is being absorbed by our bodies when we use our cell phone…..cell phones have SAR levels shown in the user manuals and there are various websites listing these….the only problem is SAR is a flawed measure, see http://www.electricsense.com/1133/cell-phone-sar-totally-misleading/
Michaela said,
Hi Lloyd,
I looked everywhere on your site but couldn’t find a recommendation on the use of pagers etc. Due to my line of work I’m on call many weeks of the year, 24/7 which means at night I currently sleep with my cell next to me because we don’t have a landline. From everything I’m reading on your site I take it that switching to a landline is the only way. What are your thoughts on pagers? Are they safe? Reason I’m not keen on getting a landline is that I don’t see myself talking much on it if it’s stationary and the additional monthly cost is a budget issue as well. I often have to multitask while I’m on the phone so I need the mobility. Cordless home phone is not an option based on your info cause it’s just as toxic. In addition if I use the landline phone for the on call period during the nights my whole family will wake up by the time the phone rings thru the house a few times and I get up to answer it. Thus my idea for a pager. Any thoughts around this? FYI – I posted this inquiry to other colleagues who are in the same line of work and many of them have the same dilemma so we’d love to get your insight! Thanks much!!
Lloyd said,
Hi Michaela
A basic pager picks up a signal and then either beeps or vibrates, so its a receiver only. This is safer than a two-way pager which allows you to send a reply, its an emitter/receiver, like a cell phone. Pagers come in all shapes and sizes, in the US they commonly work in the 900 MHz band.
My understanding (I have a friend who is a fireman) is that pagers can be switched off, in which case they are perfectly safe to have on your person (to be verified). Bottom line: a pager is less harmful than a cell phone….you are not holding your pager against your brain for long periods of time. Avoid sleeping with the pager next to your head.
louise said,
Hello Lloyd, Please could you tell me if you believe that a q-link can help a school child of approximately 11 years old. We are talking here of schools with wifi, where each child’s laptops emits three times the radiation of cell phone towers, multiplied by 20 to 30 laptops in each classroom. Rooters in the classroom are on 24/7. And our children are forced to sit in these classroom for 6 to 7 hours a day, everyday, relentlessly, being bombarded with lethal levels of radiation. If it were my child, no way would they go to school. But I have relatives who are desperate and do not know what to do. Can a Q-link protect their child? Both against WiFi and against cell phones. Cell phones, as in other people’s cell phones all turned on and poluting the space these children occupy.
Thanks Lloyd.
Louise
Lloyd said,
Hi Louise
I’ve tried the Q-link and lots of other pendants and harmonizers….these devices are not the answer. For EMF protection I suggest you share my free report with your relatives, I talk about what works and doesnt.
Your relatives need to take a stand against their childs school….its criminal the damage some schools are inflicting on our children with WiFi, see http://www.electricsense.com/2726/wifi-in-schools-gives-off-3-times-as-much-radiation-as-cell-towers/, http://www.electricsense.com/4608/how-to-stop-wifi-from-being-introduced-into-your-kids-school/
Paul Von said,
Dear Louise,
Please comprehend the final comment as posted by Lloyd above. It IS a malicious and criminal act to subject developing children to this technology. The companies who produce these products need to be shut down- Period. The long term damage being done to children and adults who work in these environments is lethal and inexcusable.
Please understand the potential consequences of ignoring the obvious.
louise said,
Thank you for that,
I have actually seen the video last October, and that is what got me investigating the whole issue of WiFi in schools.
Personally, I think that all schools with Wifi are breaking the law. The law states that schools act as ‘locum parentis’ for children and are duty bound to ensure a safe environment. All schools with WiFi are producing the opposite of a safe environment. They are producing a lethal environment, and destroying our children in the most covert way imaginable. Furthermore, there are other laws being broken here. That of the Conventional Rights of Children, that of the Workplace protection Act, etc.etc.
Is it not possible to get lawyers involved and start criminal proceedings against the perpetrators?
steven said,
Lloyd,
Perhaps the combination of an air tube headset and a pong case could be a good combination…
What also can be a good ‘trick’ is to redirect your mobile phone calls to your fixed land line. You’ll have the pay for the redirecting though.
Paul Von said,
Dear Louise,
Thank you so much for comprehending the seriousness of this situation. I don’t know where you are located, but this is a universal problem in countries who have no protective policies in place. B. Blake Levitt’s page is a good source of information regarding wi-fi, cell-tower exposure issues. If there is anything I can do to help you, Lloyd, or readers of this page, please contact me.
The children are being robbed of their future…
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