Find the best all-in-one EMF radiation detector for you. With the amount of wireless devices increasing around us, it’s more important than ever to learn how to detect, measure, and eliminate as much EMF radiation as possible from your life. Fortunately, there’s an EMF meter for almost any budget. With your EMF detector in hand, you’ll be part of a growing community who understands the dangers of this electromagnetic poison and is doing something about it. You’ll be able to better protect your family and others and improve your overall health in the process.
What does an EMF radiation detector do?
An EMF radiation detector (often called an EMF meter or scanner) is a handheld device that contains one or more sensors to measure the invisible EMF (ElectroMagnetic Fields) so prevalent today that are negatively impacting the health of many people.
EMF in plain English
Before you buy an EMF radiation detector, it helps to understand some EMF basics and how it’s measured.
What is EMF?
Imagine a radio tower sending out those up-and-down radio waves… That’s a type of EMF or ElectroMagnetic Field. Did you know that sunlight is EMF? It’s just a tiny slice of the EMF pie. Most EMFs are invisible to us (i.e. radios waves, TV waves, microwaves, x-rays). So when you hear terms like ELF (Extremely Low Frequency) and RF (Radio Frequency), you can think of them as different classes or ranges within EMF.
How is EMF measured?
Right now there isn’t an EMF meter that can measure everything on the EMF spectrum. Each meter out there measures a portion of the EMF pie (different ranges of wavelengths) classified by a unit called Hertz.
Generally, the more expensive the meter, the bigger range of Hertz it can detect. It will measure the amount of EMF within its detectable a range and give you a reading on how intense it is. Since EMF intensity fluctuates and can be influenced by other sources of EMF, it’s important to take several readings at different angles and times to get a solid measurement.
What does Hz mean?
Hertz (Hz) made the most sense to me when I understood that all EMF travels at the same speed: the speed of light. It basically travels in an up-and-down wavelike motion. Every time it goes down-and-up is a cycle. Some of the cycles can be longer than football fields, while others are microscopic and take many millions of cycles to go the same distance as a longer wave takes to go up-and-down once. A 1Hz signal is an EMF that takes one second to do one cycle. The shorter the wave length, the greater the Hertz and the more dangerous it can become (i.e. x-rays and gamma rays). But that doesn’t mean that the long ones can’t hurt us. Too much of any EMF can be bad for our health.
Cycles range from thousands to billions or more per second, so you’ll often see an added letter in front of the Hz, like these:
- KHz – Kilohertz – a thousand cycles per second
- MHz – Megahertz – a million cycles per second
- GHz – Gigahertz – a billion cycles per second
For example, the GQ EMF-390 will measure RF radiation up to 10 GHz. If there is anything outside that range, it won’t be able to detect it. Currently 10 GHz is the top of the range for meters, so trying to measure a cell tower’s 5G signal is useless because 5G uses frequencies between 30 GHz – 300 GHz. Currently there is no consumer meter on the market that can measure 5G.
Most all-in-one EMF radiation detectors will give an intensity reading in up to 3 areas:
- EF – Electric Field – Measured in volts per meter (V/m)
- MF – Magnetic Field – Measured in milliGauss (mG)
- RF – Radio Frequency – measured in microWatts per meter squared (μW/m2) or milliWatts per meter squared (mW/m2) – 1 milliWatt = 1,000 microWatts
Don’t get too hung up on volts per meter, milliGauss, or microWatt/milliWatt. You only need to know what unit your meter shows and what the safe levels are. Many meters will sound an alarm when you are outside safe levels, but you need to decide for yourself what safe levels are.
What are safe levels of EMF?
The problem is that every country has different standards on what “safe” is and then they make things more complicated by giving different standards for different wavelengths (Hertz). Currently the United States FCC regulations allow “safe” levels that are up to 100 million times higher than what the Austrian Medical Association recommends.
In general, Europe is more cautious and protective of their citizen’s (especially children’s) health when it comes to EMF. In France it’s illegal to have WiFi in schools or daycare where children under the age of 6 are present. Switzerland, facing population growth issues, has the the tightest standards to protect their children. The best rule of thumb is: The lower, the better!
EMF safe zone for living and bedroom areas
Based on EMF expert Jeromy Johnson, you will want any area where you spend lots of time to be at these levels.
- EF safe zone: 0-1 V/m (volts per meter), Avoid areas greater than 50 V/m
- MF ideal safe zone: 0-0.5 mG (milliGauss), bedrooms 0-0.1 mG, Avoid areas greater than 2.5 mG
- RF ideal safe zone: 0-1 μW/m2 (microWatts per meter squared) or 0-0.001 mW/m2 (milliWatts per meter squared), Avoid areas greater than 10 mW/m2 or 10,0000 μW/m2
EMF avoidance zone
With any reading above these you need to consider doing things to bring the EMF levels back in or near the safe zones.
- EF: Avoid areas greater than 50 V/m
- MF: Avoid areas greater than 2.5 mG
- RF: Avoid areas greater than 10 mW/m2 or 10,0000 μW/m2
When can EMF hurt you?
Anytime you are outside the ideal safe zone you are putting yourself at risk. The longer you are in it, the greater the risk. Think about sunlight… 15 minutes of direct sunlight can give you a sunburn, and getting too much sun over your life can lead to skin cancer. But a lot depends on how long you’re out in the sun, whether or not you wear sun screen, and how sensitive your skin is. The same goes for other EMF.
Depending on the intensity, amount of time exposed, and our sensitivity some experience side effects right away (i.e. irritability, low energy, itchy skin, insomnia, headaches), while other people won’t notice any difference until years later. Fortunately, once you know where your EMF problem areas are, you can take simple steps to cut your EMF exposure down to safe levels and rest easy.
Features of all-in-one EMF radiation detectors
Keep these features in mind while shopping for the EMF radiation detector that’s right for you.
- Danger zone alert/alarm
- Detectable range (the Hz frequencies it can detect)
- Measures one or more:
- Electric Field
- Magnetic Field
- RF (Radio Frequency)… Sometimes called HF (High Frequency)
- Single axis or triple axis sensor
- * Every EMF detector comes with at least one sensor (some have several sensors). A single axis will measure the intensity coming from one direction, but EMF emits in many directions. In order to get a more accurate first reading, some EMF detectors have a sensor that measures from 3 directions (X, Y, and Z). If you have a single axis sensor, take several measurements at different angles to get the best overall reading.
Small Budget EMF Meters
In general, steer clear of small budget meters because they are only good for identifying hot spots for electric and magnetic fields… Meaning that they won’t measure RF. Their readings are often inaccurate, showing levels much higher than what a professional meter would indicate… Causing people to freak-out when things may be fine. Please save your money until you can get one of the recommended meters.
If you really want one for fun, the two highest rated are the KKMoon and Meterek meters, which you can usually pick up for under $30. There are plenty of EMF detectors ranging between $30-$100, many of which have improved features and will measure RF, but I have yet to find one worth recommending. Again, it’s best to save up and get started with one of the all-in-one meters below. Then if-and-when you are ready to invest in professional meters you’ll better understand how to operate them.
Best all-in-one EMF radiation detectors
Any one of these is an excellent choice to identify major problems in your home. Keep in mind that no all-in-one meter will out-perform a professional meter. So, if you are especially sensitive to EMF you will want to consider investing in professional set of meters or hire an expert. Professional meters are more sensitive and accurate because they are designed to detect one type of radiation: EF, MF, RF, or EMI which means you’ll need a set of meters to cover all your bases. A full set can run upwards of $1100.
For beginners, one of the three reviewed below will be great for getting started and not breaking the bank.
#1 Choice: GQ EMF-390
- Detection Range: Up to 10 GHz
- Measures: EF, MF, RF
- Pros: Tri-axis, alarm, realtime measurement, spectrum analyzer, largest Hz detection range, internal memory and data logs (can be output to a spreadsheet), auto identification of likely EMF source, and rechargeable battery.
- Cons: For some the amount of data it provides can feel a bit overwhelming.
>>Check current price on Amazon
GQ EMF-390 Summary: With the highest range of RF detection at the lowest cost, the GQ EMF 390 is my first choice when it comes to all-in-one meters. It shows all the kinds of EMF on one screen with alerts and realtime changes. The spectrum analyzer is incredibly helpful. The company has great customer service too. If you want to save a bit of cash you can buy the GQ EMF-380 v2. The only difference is that the 380 v2 range is limited to 8 GHz detection.
#2 Choice: Cornet ED-88TPlus
- Detection Range: Up to 8 GHz
- Measures: EF, MF, RF
- Pros: One of the more accurate all-in-one meters, realtime measurement, data logging, hard-zipper case
- Cons: Higher cost, small screen is sometimes hard to read, single axis sensor, quality of materials feels light and somewhat cheap, realtime measurement is a little laggy, and requires a battery.
>>Check current price on Amazon
Summary: While being one of the more tried and tested all-in-one meters, it’s cost and small screen moved it to number two on my list. Still a great choice for getting started.
#3 Choice: TriField EMF Meter Model TF2
- Range: Up to 6 Ghz
- Measures: EF, MF, RF
- Pros: Ease of use, tri-axis, weighted measures.
- Cons: For the simplicity you don’t get any cost savings and miss out on all the added features. Need to be careful of hand placement when holding because it may affect readings of some fields. No alarm.
>>Check current price on Amazon
Summary: I like lots of information, but that’s not for everyone. That’s why I included the TriField TF2 on the list. If you like things simple and straightforward, then you may want to pick this one up. Still, it’s difficult to justify this when you can get so much more for less with the GQ EMF-390
Parting thought
The best time to get an EMF radiation detector is today! In order to protect yourself from this invisible pollution and pinpoint problem areas/devices inside and outside your home, you’ll need to have an EMF detector handy. With you’re meter you’ll likely be surprised how powerful your WiFi is, use these tips to cut back your WiFi radiation while you wait for your meter to arrive.
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