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WiFi radiation is not something that many people are aware of, and even fewer people do anything about. I’ve been aware of the dangers of WiFi radiation for a while now, and I felt it was about time I offered some of my top WiFi radiation protection tips.
Before I get into that though, it’s worth answering the question of “what is WiFi radiation?” as it can help to understand the basics in order to know the most effective methods of protection against it.
In this article, I cover what WiFi radiation is, whether it’s safe, and the best ways to protect against it.
WiFi radiation – what is it?
All electronic devices emit something called EMF radiation. This comes in many different forms, including microwaves, radio frequencies, X-ray, and even visible light.
Check out my article on examples of electromagnetic radiation.
Within the EMF spectrum, there are two types of radiation: high frequency (ionizing) waves, and low frequency (non-ionizing) waves. WiFi router radiation is low frequency, which is the same as cell phones, TVs, and computers.
WiFi routers emit radiofrequency radiation, specifically microwaves. They typically emit at frequencies between 80 MHz and 2.3 GHz, which will depend on the power of the device and whether it’s designed for commercial or personal use.
The amount of radiation a WiFi router emits will depend on its power, and what frequency it’s operating on. For example, a more powerful 2.3 GHz router will emit more radiation than an 800 MHz WiFi router.
One of the biggest issues with WiFi routers is that many people leave them on all the time, and we’re encouraged to put them in easily accessible locations so they have the best signal. Similarly, you can buy WiFi signal boosters that allow for better connectivity over greater distances.
Similarly, EMF radiation can pass through walls. While this is great when it comes to signal strength, this obviously isn’t very helpful if you’re trying to avoid these waves.
Along with microwave radiation, WiFi routers also emit other forms of EMF radiation, such as heat and light. This is much like other electronic devices, but we would consider these to be unwanted byproducts, simply because they don’t contribute anything to the actual purpose of the router.
The other thing worth considering, along with exposure to your own WiFi router, is your neighbors’ routers. How many times have you gone to connect a device to your network and seen several other WiFi names pop up in the list? Well this means that not only are you being exposed to your own EMF radiation, but also that of those living near you.
The bottom line is that WiFI routers give off EMF radiation. Regardless of whether this is useful frequencies, like microwaves, or less useful frequencies, like heat, the waves are bouncing around our homes and we’re being constantly exposed to them.
So, this begs the question, is WiFi safe? Is this something we should be considering removing from our homes if possible?
Is WiFi radiation safe?
A microwave oven works on the principle of blasting high-powered microwaves at food, which then agitates the water molecules and heats them up. This is known as the heating effect (of course), and exactly the same thing happens with your WiFi router.
Before you go throwing your WiFi router out the window, it’s worth bearing in mind that the router emits radiation at much lower strength than a microwave, meaning the heating effect works on a much lower scale. However, it’s still there.
Medical opinion on whether WiFi and other EMF radiation is actually dangerous is quite divided. While some scientists believe there’s nothing wrong with WiFi radiation, a growing number of institutions are finding that there might be more at stake than we originally thought.
For example, the World Health Organization found a reasonable link between EMF radiation and an increased risk of cancer (source), which has been verified by a number of other experiments. While the issue is related to the heating effect of EMF radiation, it’s not necessarily about simply making us too hot.
The heating effect of EMF radiation is believed to be dangerous because it works on the cellular level, and can cause your DNA to not form properly, which is basically the definition of cancer. Along with this, the more dangerous health risks include:
- Increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier
- Disrupting cell metabolism
- DNA chains breaking
- Disrupting the brain glucose metabolism
- Generating stress proteins
What’s more, these aren’t the only health risks caused by WiFi radiation. These are simply the ones concerned with the observable impacts on key areas like the brain and DNA replication. A number of studies have also found a link between EMF radiation exposure and the following health issues:
- Depression and anxiety
- Infertility
- Sleep issues, including insomnia and difficulty waking up
- Alzheimer’s
- Cancer in various locations
- Memory loss or trouble recalling basic information
- Leukemia
- Itchy skin
- And more
There are also plenty of testimonials online about people having various health complaints that they link to WiFi radiation exposure. What’s more, some people are very sensitive to EMF radiation, so they are generally more receptive to it than others.
Similarly, the symptoms of EMF exposure are quite vague and general, and it’s not a commonly recognized condition in most medical circles. This means that if people went to the doctor with a number of these symptoms it’ll likely get passed off as something else. This obviously also means that there’s no commonly recognize “cure” to EMF exposure.
On the flip side of this are a number of companies or scientists that swear EMF radiation, specifically that emitted by electronic devices, definitely isn’t harmful to humans. However, when it comes to this side of the argument, there are a couple of key factors to consider.
The first is that we haven’t been using this technology for long enough to know the implications of long-term exposure. WiFi routers, for example, have been around for about a decade, meaning we would only know about 10 years worth of exposure, and that’s if the studies had been started straight away.
The second big point, without sounding like a conspiracy theorist, are the potential funding parties behind this research. Telecoms giants, such as Verizon and AT&T, have a clear interest in claiming that EMF radiation has no negative impacts on health. After all, knowing otherwise would cause them a significant drop in sales.
When it comes down to whether WiFi radiation is safe, I tend to err on the side of caution and consider it to be. For example, I know people who exhibited these symptoms, and then after making lifestyle changes, they were better.
Purely through the process of elimination was it linked to WiFi radiation exposure. Therefore, I’d recommend taking steps to reducing the amount of WiFi radiation in your home.
The benefits of reducing WiFi router exposure
Aside from stating the obvious, there are a number of benefits to reducing your WiFi radiation exposure. The main benefits are mainly mental, which seems to be a big cause of concern among those sensitive to EMF radiation. If you reduce your exposure to EMF radiation, you can expect the following benefits:
- Better sleep pattern
- Easier to wake up in the morning
- Clearer head
- More energy
- The room will feel cooler
- No itchy or prickly skin
- Lower chance of radiation-related mental health issues
- Lower risk of radiation-related cancer
Whether you believe you suffer from the symptoms of EMF exposure or not, reducing the WiFi radiation in your home will have a number of positive impacts. For example, you might be experiencing some of these symptoms and not know the cause, so taking steps in this direction will surely help.
The best piece of advice I can give before listing my tips to reduce WiFi radiation exposure is to use as many as possible. Some are definitely more effective than others, but you’ll be much more likely to feel the benefit if you use a few methods.
WiFi radiation protection tips
Now that we’re aware of the potential health impacts of exposure, it’s time to get on with tips for protecting yourself from WiFi radiation. Here they are:
- Buy an EMF radiation meter
- Increase the distance from the source
- Be clever with your router placement
- Turn your WiFi router off at night
- Minimize wireless devices
- Use wired devices when possible
- Disable wireless functionality where possible
- Buy a WiFi router protection shield
- Consider other WiFi radiation blocking products
- Use EMF radiation protective paint
Now, let’s look at each tip in detail.
1. Buy an EMF radiation meter
Your first step for reducing your EMF radiation exposure is to buy a meter so you can take readings. EMF radiation is measured in micro-watts per centimeter squared, and the meter can be used to measure various devices around your home.
There are plenty of EMF radiation meters out there, so you’ll be sure to find one that suits your budget. However, I wouldn’t go too cheap because you’ll want a device accurate enough to pick up slight fluctuations in EMF radiation. After all, you want to cut it down as low as possible.
I recommend the Trifield TF2 (check prices on Amazon). Read my review.
I’ve listed this point first because it’s easily the most important. Without an EMF radiation meter, you won’t be able to see if any of your solutions actually make a difference. Therefore, I’d start by kitting yourself out with a decent EMF radiation meter and taking some readings.
2. Increase the distance from the source
There’s a negative correlation between EMF radiation exposure and distance from device. In simple terms, this means that the farther away you are, the less radiation you’re exposed to. This, of course, is simply logical.
The ideal distance for reducing WiFi radiation exposure is 15 to 20 feet, increasing this to 30 to 40 feet for children. While you’ll still be exposed to some level of WiFi radiation, it’ll be nowhere near harmful levels.
A typical WiFi router emitting frequencies around 2.3 GHz will also emit around 10,000 micro-watts per centimeter squared of potentially harmful EMF radiation. This drops to around 100 after 20 feet, which is considered an acceptable level of radiation exposure. However, if you want to be completely safe, get as close to 0 as possible.
3. Be clever with your router placement
As I’ve mentioned, we’re told to put WiFi routers in accessible locations in order to get the best signal. For some people, this might mean putting them in a sitting room or bedroom, or as close to the places where they spend most of their time in their home.
However, this is arguably the worst thing you can do. Along with distance being important, exposure time is also key. For this reason, you’ll want to try and keep your WiFi router away from the rooms in which you spend most of your time.
While this won’t completely reduce WiFi radiation in your home, it should at least reduce your exposure time, and at lower levels. Whatever you do, don’t sleep with a WiFi router in your bedroom. This is where you’ll spend most of your time, and your body is more sensitive when it’s asleep.
4. Turn your WiFi router off at night
This might seem like a no-brainer, but simply turning your WiFi router off when you’re not using it is an ideal way to reduce exposure time. The best time to do this, of course, is when you’re sleeping.
Say for example that you sleep 8 hours a night. Turning your WiFi router off during this time automatically reduces your exposure time by 8 hours, which is great. Sure, it won’t cut out your neighbor’s WiFi signals too, but at least you’re removing the strongest one by turning yours off.
If you want to make this even easier, just connect your WiFi router to a timed switch. This means you don’t even have to go near the router to turn it off, which might not seem like a big deal, but if you’re doing it twice a day every day, then you’re exposing yourself to plenty of unnecessary WiFi radiation.
Read all this in detail in my article : Health benefits of turning off WiFi at night.
Another top tip to go with this one is to turn off your cell phone’s mobile data. While you might keep your cell phone in your bedroom (which you shouldn’t), at least turning off its data means it won’t be sending and receiving microwaves all through the night.
5. Minimize wireless devices
This might seem like another obvious point, but reducing the amount of wireless-enabled devices in your home will drastically reduce the amount of WiFi radiation you’re exposed to.
Obviously, the sticking point here is that so many devices nowadays have WiFi connectivity built in, which is often the only way to use them too. WiFi baby monitors, for example, emit constant radiation, which is particularly hazardous for a baby.
Wherever possible, opt for “older” versions of technology without WiFi connectivity. This might be possible in some aspects, but more difficult in others. For example, you can easily get rid of your wearable tech, but it might be harder to cut out something like a laptop or tablet.
Similarly, if using wireless devices like a tablet or laptop, don’t put them in your lap (RELATED ARTICLE). Having that much EMF radiation pumping into you for long periods is in no way helpful. Instead, consider sitting the device on a hard surface, ideally elevated away from your body, and also consider an EMF blocking surface cover.
6. Use wired devices when possible
While this might be similar to the point above, the emphasis here is to swap out WiFi connectivity for a hard-wired Ethernet cable instead. This is a much more direct way of getting signal, and also offers better connectivity and faster download speeds.
The simplest switch will be things like your computer or smart TV. However, you’ll also have to bear in mind that it might be difficult if you’re trying to connect devices over long distance, but it’s entirely possible. Avoid simply moving your WiFi router closer if possible, as it’s best to keep your distance from it.
However, Ethernet cables also give out EMF radiation, but not as bad as a WiFi router. To combat this, simply buy a shielded Ethernet cable, which will cut out the worst of the radiation. Also, you can now buy adapters for connecting tablets to an Ethernet cable, so consider investing in one of these if you use your tablet a lot.
7. Disable wireless functionality where possible
Even if you’ve connected your device to an Ethernet cable, keeping the WiFi enabled means it’ll still be searching for networks. You can either do this by simply turning the function off, or you can download software that’ll permanently disable it.
Finding ways to bypass the device’s internal software (such as downloading third-party software) is probably the only way you can be confident you’ve actually done it. A common problem with Apple devices is that they somehow manage to maintain connectivity when the functions are disabled.
8. Buy a WiFi router shield
The best way to effectively reduce EMF radiation is to use a Faraday cage. This is essentially a metal structure that’s earthed, and so cancels the effect of an electromagnetic field. The metal cage needs to be continuous around the structure, and this will be the best way of conducting unwanted radiation.
WiFi router shields (see this one on Amazon) are becoming much more common as people wake up to the dangers of EMF radiation.
There are plenty of options to choose from, so make sure you do your research into them before you make a purchase. You can make your own, but I don’t see the point when there are so many functional devices on the market.
These WiFi router cages block out up to 95% of unwanted EMF radiation, while still allowing the device to function normally. Of course, this means that you’re still being exposed to a level of EMF radiation, but it’s nowhere near the same levels as before.
When it comes to WiFi router shields, most models will fit most routers. However, always check the fine print to make sure that it’s compatible with your router. Obviously the shield needs to close completely to create the desired effect, so don’t buy one that’s too small.
While it’s slightly off topic, if you do start looking at WiFi router shields, consider covering other problematic household devices too.
Smart meters are a major cause for concern in the EMF radiation world, particularly because of their wireless capabilities. As these are becoming more common in homes, it can be worth investing in a shield for yours.
9. Consider other WiFi radiation blocking products
While there are definitely things you can do to cut out the WiFi radiation from your own router, there’s not really much you can do about your neighbors’ routers (aside from asking them to turn it off). Therefore, it’s worth installing other EMF radiation blocking measures in your home.
The worst situation for this is obviously living in an apartment. If this is the case, then you’ve theoretically got WiFi radiation coming at you from all angles. This means you’ll have to be much more savvy with your EMF radiation blocking.
The first place I’d start is with an EMF shielding bed canopy (read my guide). These work on exactly the same principle as a Faraday cage, and create an earthed metal frame around your bed. They’re usually made from mesh, so are metal and therefore conductive.
The reason I recommend this one first is because you spend plenty of time in bed, and arguably for working people, it’s probably where you spend most of your time while at home. So I’d start here, and then work towards protecting other rooms in your house, in order of how often you use them.
You can also buy plenty of products like EMF shielding curtains or mats, whether this is for the floor or a table. Some are definitely more effective than others, so be sure to do plenty of research to find out which would be best for you. This will depend mainly on the number and location of WiFi radiation sources.
10. Use EMF radiation shielding paint
One of the most effective methods of reducing any type of EMF radiation, including WiFi radiation, is to use EMF blocking paint, such as YSHIELD (Amazon link). These paints are ideal for large-scale EMF blocking products, and allow you to block radiation from entire rooms at a time.
Read my review of the YSHIELD which includes a usage guide.
Unlike other blocking methods, which rely on metal, EMF shielding paint uses carbon. This obviously makes it much more suitable for painting onto walls, but will need to be painted over because it’s not the most attractive color.
The major downside to this option is that EMF shielding paint is pretty expensive, and you’ll need at least 2 coats to get good coverage (I’d recommend at least 3). You’d be lucky to get this out of one can of paint, so be prepared to spend a bit of money.
Also, another major downside is that EMF blocking paint doesn’t discriminate between frequencies: it just blocks them all. This of course means you won’t get WiFi signal in a room that’s painted with the stuff, although this might not be a bad thing if that’s what you’re trying to block in the first place.
The bottom line with EMF shielding paint is that it’s a powerhouse at blocking EMF radiation, but this also includes the useful frequencies. However, if you’re concerned about the health implications of WiFi radiation, and other forms of EMF radiation, then it’s definitely your best bet.
Some final thoughts
Realistically, it’s going to be almost impossible to find a workable balance between WiFi radiation exposure and retaining best functionality of your devices. However, this means you need to think carefully about which is more important, and to seriously consider the potential health implications of EMF radiation.
So, on that note, here are some final tips to get the most out of your WiFi blocking methods:
- Don’t underestimate the value of your EMF radiation meter. It’s this device alone that’ll tell you whether you’ve actually done anything, and taking before and after readings is incredibly helpful.
- Indirectly, working on things like your home’s dirty electricity will drastically reduce your exposure to EMF radiation.
- Clean electricity means devices function more efficiently; therefore they release less unwanted radiation.
- Buy yourself an EMF blocking case for your cell phone, laptop, and tablet. Considering you’ll be carrying these devices with you, it can be helpful to reduce your exposure while out and about.
- You can also buy EMF shielding products for your computer, which are helpful if you’re spending more than an hour a day sat in front of one. Consider installing these at home and at work.
WiFi radiation is definitely something that we should work to protect ourselves against. After all, we’re still unsure of the long-term health impacts, and we’re now exposed to these devices more than ever.
Hopefully, using several of these WiFi radiation protection tips will reduce your overall exposure, leading you to feel happier and healthier. If I’ve missed out any protection tips that you think are helpful, let me know in the comments.
Thanks for reading! Check out all my recommendations for EMF protection.