If you’re on the market for a new cordless phone, you are probably inundated with so many choices. Just a quick search on the internet and your head will be spinning from all the bells and whistles on a cordless phone nowadays. But the two types of low radiation cordless phones are either “analog”, or digital phones that have “Eco-mode”. Analog, as long as they are low frequency, are the safest. But manufactures are not making low frequency analog phones any longer. Eco-mode enables digital phones to only emit radiation when sending or receiving a call.
As far as the safety of low radiation (Eco-mode) phones, they are just like any other cordless phone, blasting radiation at full power, while sending and receiving a call. What makes them considered “low emission” is the fact that they emit zero RF Radiation the rest of the time. Most cordless phones emit their full blast of radiation 24/7. So compared to most cordless phones, the overall amount of RF Radiation emitted is much lower.
There are hundreds of peer reviewed scientific studies linking RF Radiation to cancer. See “The 7 Worst Radiation Dangers In Your Home” for links to some of these studies. Things like smart meters, WiFi routers, cell phones, Bluetooth headsets and other wireless devices in our homes and offices are emitting RF Radiation. However there are items that can be purchased that block or shield 95% of the radiation from many of these devices.
In the below video I test a typical cordless phone with my meter so that you can see how much RF Radiation they emit. It is very eye opening, and very much worth watching. I highly recommend it!
On the Recommended Protections page of this website I talk about many of these items and list links to the best places to purchase them. I highly recommend you implementing what every you can to reduce your RF Radiation exposure.
ECO-mode reduces the RF radiation coming from your phone by about 80% or so depending on the model. When a cordless phone is switched to ECO-mode the base of the phone and your handset only communicate and send signals when your either making or receiving a phone call. This means your phone is using less power than it normally would be and that means less RF radiation heading your way.
So, while a low radiation cordless phone reduces your exposure, it does not eliminate the source of RF radiation all together. To eliminate RF radiation all together, you would need to toss your cordless phone all together and order an old school landline phone. You know that yellow corded phone you called your best friend on in 8th grade to talk about the new Michael Jackson song on the radio? Yep, that one.
While this is the safest option, it’s not realistic. I get it. I can’t imagine sitting in one spot to make a phone call. That would be tough. So, if you have to use a cordless phone, it’s best to find one with an ECO-mode setting. There are also several small things you can do every day to limit the RF radiation from that cordless phone as well. I’ll go more in depth to with those tips later on in this article. Let’s take a look at low radiation phones and what they mean for your health. Ready? Okay. Read on!
Low Radiation Cordless Phones Vs Digital (DECT) Cordless Phones
A low radiation cordless phones is a specific type of phone that emits less RF radiation than digital cordless phones. According to RF radiation experts, a typical digital cordless phone emits more RF radiation than a cell phone. So, who cares? Well, you should. Several groundbreaking studies recently revealed a shocking link between cell phone radiation and a higher risk to rare tumor growth in mice and rats.
In the U.S. Toxicology Program study, researchers exposed mice and rats to low doses of cell phone radiation over a long period of time, 10-years to be exact. Here’s what they found: male mice and rats developed a rare form of cancer in the tissues of the heart. Yikes. That’s scary stuff.
The study made headlines around the world. Many cell phone companies were quick to dismiss the findings. Even so, it sparked a national and international debate about the safety of cell phones, cordless phones and other high-tech devices. Remember, cordless phones emit more RF radiation than that of cell phone.
With that said, if cell phone exposure is linked to a rare form of cancer, then you have to think cordless phones are impacting our health in a negative way. Some experts believe full powered digital cordless phones are linked to a rise in cancer, diabetes, depression, sleep problems, anxiety and more serious health ailments.
Your standard digital cordless phone operates much like a cell phone tower. The base of your phone is constantly transmitting and sending data back and forth to the handset. All this back and forth of data, means more power is being used and more RF Radiation is being emitted from your phone and into your home.
So How Safe Are Low Radiation Cordless Phones? “Cordless phone can be more dangerous than cell phones because of the frequency of the pulse. DECT pulses at 100 Hz while a mobile phone pulses at the 217 Hz- and the lower the pulsing frequency, the stronger the biological dangers,” earthcalm.com.
So, what about low radiation cordless phones? If you put your cordless phone on ECO-mode, all that pulsating of frequency is eliminated until you make a phone call. So, the RF radiation is there, it’s just not as much as before. As I mentioned earlier, ECO-mode will reduce your RF exposure by about 70%-80% depending on the manufacturer. Analog phones are also considered low radiation options. An analog cordless phone which emits much less RF radiation than that of a digital high tech cordless phone.
How Much Radiation Is Safe?
When I first started researching RF radiation, it became very clear there is no safe level of RF radiation. Experts believe even the smallest amount of RF radiation exposure over a long period of time can add up to big problems down the road. According to Dr. Magda Havas, an expert in the field of RF radiation, digital cordless phones are the root of sleep disorders and greatly increase the risk of brain cancer in kids and adults.
In fact, Dr. Havas recently made a plea to the Canadian government to bad DECT cordless phones all together. Dr. Havas believes the RF radiation at just three meters from the body can impact brain waves and the human heart!
“During real time monitoring of the heart some individuals experienced an irregular heart rate or a rapid heart rate that occurred only during provocation and not during sham exposure (when the radiation was off). This is the first study showing such dramatic and repeatable results.
The sympathetic nervous system up regulated and the parasympathetic nervous system down regulated during exposure, which is the typical “flight-or-fight” stress response. Feelings of anxiety as well as pain or pressure in the chest were associated with the rapid or irregular heart beat among some of the participants tested.” Dr. Magda Havas.
Did you catch that first part? The test subject clearly had irregular heart beats when they were exposed to radiation levels similar to that of a cordless phone. When the radiation was turned off, the heart beat went back to normal. It appears reducing your exposure levels makes a big difference. Low radiation cordless phones reduce your level of RF radiation but the exposure is still present.
So, you have to ask yourself, how much radiation am I comfortable with? How much RF radiation am I willing to expose myself to in exchange for the freedom that comes with a cordless phone? I think if you make a lot of small changes around your home, with a low radiation cordless phone part of that equation, you are going to be better off than you were before. Other small changes to reduce your RF radiation exposure include: keeping your cell phone out of your room at night, using a WIFI router guard, buy a smart guard meter and purchasing a HF High Frequency Analyzer.
A HF High Frequency Analyzer measures the amount of RF radiation being emitted from various sources in your home. Once you know how much radiation is in your home, you can take steps to reduce that exposure and hopefully improve your health.
Buying A Low Radiation Cordless Phone
If you can’t go without a cordless phone in your home, you have lots of options. A quick search on Amazon will reveal dozens and dozens of options. If you want to greatly reduce your RF radiation exposure, make sure the phone you purchase has the ECO mode setting available. The phone may also be labeled ECO mode plus or Intelligent ECO mode.
They all pretty much mean the same thing, just labeled slightly different. Again, this option means the cordless phone base is not transmitting energy or emitting radiation while its not in use. The price range of this type of phone varies from $15 to well over $100, depending on the complexity of the phone and how many handsets you need. When you purchase a low radiation cordless phone, more often than not the ECO mode setting is not factory set.
This means you will need to manually set the phone to ECO mode before you even make your first phone call! If you need help setting your phone to ECO mode consult the manual. It’s usually as easy as flipping switch. For a complete list of ECO mode phones, check out my most recent blog. In that blog, I’ve done all the research for you, taking a closer look and reviewing 12 low radiation cordless phones on the market right now. If you have any questions, please contact me and I can point you in the right direction.
Low radiation cordless phones are a safer choice than the popular DECT digital phone available today. However, there is no safe level of RF radiation. That’s why I need to make the argument for a landline phone as well. Yes, I know landline phones aren’t as fancy as the cordless phones and they limit when and where you can make a phone call, but they don’t emit any radiation.
Yes, you read that correctly. Landline phones plug directly into the phone jack don’t use electricity to operate. So, not only do they produce zero RF radiation they will work when the power goes out. That’s why I’m an advocate for landline phones. You can add one to your emergency kit, along with the flashlights and extra candles.
Personally, I think installing a landline phone is kind of nostalgic. It brings back memories of the good old days. Plus, landline phones are really inexpensive. A quick search of Amazon and you’ll find a simple, basic and colorful array of landline phones all for under $20.
Plus, if you’re worried about that cord, you can buy an extra-long cord so you can navigate the entire house while talking to grandma Betty in Belize. For more information about the benefits of landline phones check out my most recent blog post about the old school technology. Many experts and doctors believe using a landline phone is a great idea and may improve your sleep and other health issues you may be facing!
Okay, I’m off my soap box. Now, back to those low radiation cordless phones. If you purchase a low radiation cordless phone and you use the ECO mode setting, you will reduce your exposure by about 80%. But, what if I told you there are other ways to cut down on your RF radiation exposure. Listen up. Experts in this field of study recommend keeping all cordless phones, regardless if its in ECO mode out of bedrooms.
By keeping the phone out of your room, you are not exposed to harmful RF radiation while you sleep. RF radiation has been known to cause sleep insomnia and other sleep issues. Keep the cordless phone, especially the base, out of there! Also, unplug the base of your cordless phone at night as well, regardless of where its plugged in. According to some experts, the handset on a digital cordless phone can emit radiation for several days, even if the phone is turned off. Who knew?
With that said, don’t full charge the handsets to reduce the RF radiation exposure. Also, keep conversations short and sweet. Less time holding up that phone to your ear, means less RF radiation breaking through the blood brain barrier and causing all sorts of problems. If you need to have a really long conversation, put the handset on speaker phone or plug in that landline phone!
There is no safe level of RF radiation. By making small changes now, such as replacing your digital cordless phone with a low radiation cordless phone, you are taking a step in the right direction. My best advice is to make small changes every day to reduce your exposure right now. Some experts believe we won’t fully see and feel the full health effects of all this RF radiation exposure for a few decades. I don’t want to wait that long to find out if my health is in jeopardy. How about you?
Please see our related article entitled Are Low Radiation Cordless Phones Safe? Also please see our article entitled 12 Examples Of Eco Mode and Analog Cordless Phones.