If you are a follower of this website, you’d know just how passionately I advocate for the risks of EMF radiation.
You’d also know how strongly I believe that everyone should have an EMF meter so that they can see for themselves the real dangers of EMF.
If you are looking for a full review of the best smart meters for home use then I have written a post for you all here.
People often think of these things in the abstract – the effects of EMF, the bodily harm it can cause, etc. – but it is only when they see how high the radiation reading is in their immediate surrounding that people truly realize the gravity of the situation.
However, a lot of people (especially who are just getting into this world of radiation) write to me to ask if they absolutely need to purchase a meter, or better yet if a cheap meter can get the job done.
In this article, we will take a look at EMF meters and try to answer that exact question – can cheap EMF meters accurately predict the real danger of radiation?
My Favourite Emf Radiation Meter’s For The Home
- Trifield – EMF Meter Model TF2
- Cornet ED-88TPlus EMF/RF Detector
- EMF Meter Meterk
- Acoustimeter RF Meter Model AM-10
- HF-B3G Triple Axis HF RF
The need for EMF meters
EMF meters may seem to be unnecessary at first but once you really understand the true depth of damage that long term radiation exposure can cause, the more getting an EMF meter will make sense.
A good EMF meter can not only help you understand the kinds of radiation that your home is flooded with but also the amount of it.
Also, EMF meters come equipped with hardware that can detect any type of EMF radiation.
This allows you to easily scan your home for radiation, apply the fixes, and then rescanning to see if the fixes are working. EMF meters are also excellent testers for EMF protection items.
Things like EMF blankets and cellphone cases can be tested for their veracity of claims by simply measuring how much radiation they allow to dissipate onto your environment.
There are plenty of other use cases for EMF meters that make it a must-buy for anyone serious about EMF radiation. Honestly, if you don’t have one by now, you have no idea what you’re missing out on.
The case for cheap meters
As is with everything in life, EMF meters come in a variety of price points. Thus it is imperative for us to know what a good price is to pay for an EMF meter.
Do we buy the cheapest we can find on the market? Do we get the one that is the most expensive? These are common questions that people have.
A lot of people often ask me if they should get the cheapest one available since it’s not a versatile instrument and has very limited use.
They clearly don’t want to spend money on this instrument that they will sparingly use and thus use it as justification to get the cheapest one. I have nothing against cheap equipment.
I am in fact one of those that enjoy a good deal. However, we must know what we want out of the meter before we decide on a price point for it.
Sure there are meters available for under $10. There are also meters available that range upwards of $200.
Needless to say, the quality and precision of that two equipment will not even be comparable.
That is because with the rise in price there is also a rise in the quality of the instrument. Buying a meter for $10 that can’t accurately take measurements of radiation is a waste of $10.
Thus we first need to understand the absolutely essential things that we need from our meter in order to take our readings.
If you’re looking to buy your own meter and are on a budget, here’s a helpful checklist that might get you started in your journey to buying the perfect EMF meter for you.
Universal radiation phone case | Check price here |
Laptop EMF radiation shield | Check price here |
Anti- Radiation blanket | Check price here |
Precision
The EMF meter needs to be accurate all of the time. Now, no meter can give you 100% accurate measurements because that’s just the way real life is.
However, what you want to look out for is a margin of error that is less than 5%. Anything above 5% and things can get a little tricky, especially with shorter wavelength radiation.
If you’re not going for the absolute dirt cheap meter available, most decent ones have their margins below 5%, making them safe to buy.
Overall Usefulness
You should buy a meter that measures all radiation types. There are several out there with a lower price tag that only measures MF radiation.
Those are bad investments in my opinion since you want your meter to be as versatile as possible. Also, when you’re scanning, you’d want to know of all radiation that is present in your house.
If you have very little MF radiation but a very high degree of microwave radiation, those meters will fail to detect it, thus generating inaccurate reports. Get one that can measure all radiation so that you really get a bang for your buck.
Price point
Cost is an important factor to keep in mind. While there is no reason why you should spend extravagant amounts of money to get industrial grade EMF meters, you shouldn’t go for the cheapest ones either.
A lot of them are inaccurate, have no quality control, and are just unable to measure all types of radiation.
Investing your money into one that will yield consistent accurate results as well as be able to measure all ranges of radiation is ideal.
Ease of use
This is a big one for most first time buyers. Getting a meter that is simple and easy to use can do a world of good to newbies who’re still experimenting.
You shouldn’t have to have technical knowledge in order to use your meter and you should always choose one that has a simplistic interface with an intuitive design.
Additional features
Your EMF meter can come with additional features such as memory storage to store your readings and full digital reading clusters. As you might have guessed, the more features your meter has, the more it will cost.
The important thing here is to strike a balance. You don’t want features that are excessive in nature and purely there for cosmetic reasons. Buy one that has all the important ones you need and you’ll be fine.
How to check if your new EMF meter works?
This is yet another common question that people ask me when they buy their new meters. How to check if the newly purchased meter actually works? It is actually very simple to test out the efficacy of the meter. You only require two things to test this out – your meter and your cellphone.
Simply turn on your meter, switch it to RF radiation, and take a reading of the room you’re in. Make sure the cellphone (or any cellphones for that matter) is not in the room.
Write down that reading. This is your base reading. Now, bring your cellphone to your room and place it on a table (or a flat surface). Go to the corner of the room and turn on your meter with RF radiation selected. You will see an immediate jump in the readings.
Now, proceed slowly towards the phone with the meter in your hand. As you get closer you will see the reading jump up more and more. This is proof that your meter works and is accurately measuring the change in radiation levels.
What is a good budget for EMF meters for beginners?
There are a lot of EMF meter options available for you even as a beginner and thus a wide price point is also present. However, if this is your first meter I wouldn’t recommend spending too much.
I would similarly also caution against getting the cheapest one available. You must remember the main things you need from your meter while choosing one. To that end, any meter in the $50 to $80 price range would be a good buy.
Meters in that range would have their margins of error under 5%, meaning the instrument would be decently accurate and they would be versatile in measuring the different spectrums of radiation.
Thus you won’t have to buy separate meters to measure RF and MF radiation. Some of them will also have digital displays which are always a plus.
Obviously, meters at higher price points will come with more bells and whistles but those are often needless and do not add significantly to the quality of the meter.
Stay away from meters that seem too complicated and invest in those that are beginner-friendly and have intuitive designs. That way you can be assured to get the most bang for your buck.
My personal favorite EMF detection and protection products
- DefenderShield EMF Radiation Protection Blanket – Ultimate protection from wireless radiation. The only EMF radiation protection blanket with multiple layers of shielding to block up to 100% of wireless (RF) radiation from cell phones, tablets, laptops, WiFi routers, and other electronic devices, and ambient emissions in the environment. Available here.
- DefenderPad Laptop EMF Radiation Protection & Heat Shield. The DefenderPad is the ONLY laptop pad that uses multiple layers of shielding to block up to 100% of laptop EMF radiation (RF & ELF) while also greatly reducing heat! Get the latest price here.
- DefenderShield Universal EMF Radiation Protection Pouch for Smartphones – EMF shielding to block up to 100% of wireless (RF) radiation. Most pouches only block a percentage of radiation emitted from your cell phone. Shielding is within the backside of the pouch to block signals and EMF emissions going towards the body, yet does not interfere with phone connectivity. Available here.
- Copper Fabric Blocking RFID/RF-Reduce EMF/EMI Protection Conductive Fabric for Smart Meters – Very easy to cut and sew. Usage for Bags, Curtains, Tents, etc. Effective Shielding for CellTowers, Microwave Signals, Phones, and Smart Meters. Find it here.
- TriField EMF Meter Model TF2. is an AC gaussmeter, AC electric field meter, and radio power density meter in a single unit, that combines all the features needed for fast, accurate measurements of electromagnetic fields (EMF). Best price on Amazon here.
Related questions
- Is it absolutely essential for me to buy an EMF meter?
Yes, it is absolutely essential. It will help you accurately measure how much EMF you are exposing yourself to everyday which can be really helpful in knowing so that you may correct that and move towards a future without as much radiation exposure.