Radiation From Galaxy Buds – Should You Worry?

With the rise of wireless earphones, I’ve often wondered about radiation from Galaxy Buds and similar designs. If you’ve thought the same, here’s a quick answer:

Galaxy Buds use radio frequencies (namely Bluetooth) to communicate with your phone. While these levels of EMF radiation are fairly low, their close proximity to your eardrum and brain is definitely a cause for concern. This is particularly true if you use them a lot.

In this article, I’ll look at why wireless earbuds like the Galaxy Buds are a cause for concern, and what you can do about it.

Also read: Emf Radiation From Airpods – Should You Be Worried?

Radiation from Galaxy Buds and Wireless Earbuds

Wireless earbuds are, in my opinion, a solution to a problem that never existed. I don’t see anything wrong with wired headphones, other than that they get tangled in your pocket.

But what do we know about the health impacts of Galaxy Buds and other wireless earbuds? In short, not a lot. The technology is very new, meaning little or no research has been done on them.

We do know that these earbuds use Bluetooth signals to communicate with your smartphone. Bluetooth is a radio frequency, which is one form of EMF radiation that’s been linked to a number of health problems.

To measure the impact of EMF radiation, scientists use something called the specific absorption rate (SAR). This measures how much radiation is absorbed by a body and is given in watts per kilogram (w/kg).

America’s FCC has stated anything under 1.6 w/kg is considered safe, but there are some flaws with this measurement.

Mainly, it’s done on a basis of 6 minutes of peak activity (such as a phone call), which is less than you’d be exposed to if using Galaxy Buds or other wireless earbuds.

Speaking of, wireless earbuds have a combined SAR of nearly 1.1 w/kg. While this is below the limit, we must consider their proximity to your brain and ears.

A cellphone is held against your ear, whereas Galaxy Buds are inserted into the ear canal.

Your eardrum is a very thin and sensitive membrane that can easily be damaged. Similarly, it’s easily penetrated by radiation. Even the difference of a few millimeters inside your ear canal can make a big difference.

So, the 2 biggest concerns for Galaxy Buds and other wireless earbuds are:

• The technology hasn’t been tested yet. Like everything else, it advances faster than science can check its safety.
• Earbuds are often worn for hours at a time, much longer than the 6 minutes tested for during SAR tests.

When it comes to radiation from Galaxy Buds, the jury is still out as to whether this is a big cause for concern.

I’d say possibly yes, particularly due to how close they get to your ears. Where does this leave us?

Well, there are of course plenty of ways you can avoid the issue of using wireless headphones, even with iPhones.

How to Avoid Radiation from Galaxy Buds and Wireless earbuds

If like me, you’re understandably concerned about EMF radiation from wireless earbuds, it’s worth making switches while you can.

Of course, some phone models are moving away from wires entirely, even with their chargers. But while ports of some kind exist on phones, it’s worth taking advantage of them for your headphones.

Here are my top tips for avoiding radiation from Galaxy Buds and other wireless earbuds.

1. Switch back to wired headphones

This might seem obvious, but it’s clearly the easiest way to avoid excess RF radiation being pumped into your brain.

Replacing Galaxy Buds with wired headphones won’t be difficult because Samsung phones usually still have 3.5mm jacks (for now).

For iPhones, you’ll need to buy special wired headphones (Amazon link). These use the lightning charger port and work just as well as any other wired headphones.

From the Galaxy S20 onwards, Samsung are also dropping the headphone jack. So if this is something that concerns you, opt for older phone models or move away from the brand’s flagship model.

2. Use airtubes

If you’re concerned about EMF radiation from even wired headphones, the next best option is to use airtubes (my top picks).

These are earbuds where the speaker is located halfway down the cable and is connected to the buds using hollow tubes.

The sound travels along the tubes to your ears, meaning the sound is still great but you don’t get any radiation in your ears.

Just be aware that the sound quality might not be as good as you’d get from other models of headphones, particularly with the bass.

The speakers are a bit too far away to give you a truly immersive sound experience.

Also, these might still not be suitable for people with electromagnetic hypersensitivity because the speakers will sit on your chest instead of in your ears.

3. Limit your use

Arguably the easiest way to avoid radiation from Galaxy Buds and other wireless earbuds is to simply limit how much you use them.

If you listen to music a lot then I’d definitely recommend making the switch back to wired. The same is true if you use them for making calls.

I’d say any length of time using wireless headphones isn’t ideal, but try to limit yourself to no more than 30 minutes a day.

Doing so will largely avoid the main dangers of EMF exposure.

Samsung, among other manufacturers, claims its buds’ SAR is well below maximum levels. But then again, these products haven’t been around long enough for us to truly understand their impact.

Therefore, I’d recommend steering clear of them if possible.

Some Final Thoughts

I hope this article has given you some useful information on radiation from Galaxy Buds. The biggest issue I’ve found is their proximity to your ear canal and brain, which isn’t exactly where you want radiation to be.

I can definitely say I’ll be sticking to the old-school method of wired headphones just to be on the safe side. The best advice I can give is to carefully think about your exposure levels when using headphones.