Protective Clothing Against Electrosmog

Electrosmog protective clothing for high-frequency electromagnetic fields

EMF protective clothing is made from Black-Jersey or Silver-Elastic material. High-frequency testing was carried out between 600 MHz and 40 GHz, while the 40 dB and 51 dB values refer to the attenuation provided by a single layer of textile. The product range includes garments specified for use at home, while travelling, on business trips, in shopping centres and at airports.

Which garments belong to the shielding clothing category?

The Black-Jersey range includes a cap, a hooded long-sleeve top, trousers, a T-shirt and shorts. The tops and trousers are available in sizes S, M, L, XL and XXL. The cap has a circumference of approximately 56 cm and a height of approximately 24 cm. The cap weighs 100 g, while the specified weight of the Black-Jersey tops and trousers is 350 g.

• electrosmog protective cap;
• hooded top and electrosmog protective T-shirt;
• shorts and trousers;
• Silver-Elastic stretchable head covering, hooded top and trousers.

The Silver-Elastic hooded top and trousers are available in sizes S to XXL, with a specified weight of 165 g each. The stretchable head covering weighs 45 g, has a diameter of 24 cm and a length of 40 cm. It can be worn as a cap, to cover the nose, mouth and neck, or in pairs to cover the entire head.

Material composition and technical characteristics of shielding textiles

Black-Jersey is a dense cotton fabric made from 83 percent cotton and 17 percent silver fibre. Its colour is black, with a metallic sheen on one side. Its shielding attenuation is 40 dB, while its specified surface resistance is 3 ohm per square. The hooded top can be worn directly against the skin or over other clothing, while the trousers can also be worn as thin undertrousers or pyjama bottoms.

Silver-Elastic is made from 80 percent elastane and 20 percent silver and has a surface weight of 130 g/m2. Its colour is silver, its shielding attenuation is 51 dB, and its specified surface resistance is 0.5 ohm per square inch. Both sides are electrically conductive. The material is stretchable and conforms to the shape of the body, while the corresponding top and trousers are specified as HF and LF shielding garments. The silver layer is a thick metallic coating and does not contain nanosilver.

What does the dB value mean for radio-frequency electromagnetic shielding?

Shielding attenuation is a dimensionless value expressed in decibels. The measurement compares the S1 power density in front of the textile sample with the S2 power density transmitted through the sample. According to the test table, 10 dB corresponds to 90 percent shielding effectiveness, 20 dB to 99 percent, 30 dB to 99.9 percent, 40 dB to 99.99 percent, 50 dB to 99.999 percent and 60 dB to 99.9999 percent.

Attenuation depends on frequency. The horizontal and vertical polarization values of Black-Jersey are 45 and 41 dB at 700-750 MHz; 45 and 42 dB at 790-820 MHz; 46 and 43 dB at 920-960 MHz; 45 and 43 dB at 1450-1500 MHz; 44 and 42 dB at 1800-1900 MHz; 43 and 41 dB at 2110-2170 MHz; 42 and 40 dB at 2400-2690 MHz; 40 and 38 dB at 3400-3700 MHz; and 37 and 35 dB at 5150-5350 MHz. At the 20, 30 and 40 GHz measurement points, the specified values are 30 and 28 dB, 27 and 25 dB, and 25 and 23 dB respectively.

Test frequency ranges and measurement standards

Laboratory testing of high-frequency electromagnetic shielding was carried out between 600 MHz and 40 GHz, closely following IEEE Std 299-2006 or ASTM D4935-10. The measurement system used Rohde & Schwarz ZNB20 and ZNB40 vector network analysers with a measurement dynamic range of up to 140 dB. The IEEE procedure uses horizontally and vertically polarized horn antennas, while the ASTM procedure uses radially polarized TEM cells. The measurement curves represent the average of the tested production batches with a tolerance of +/- 2 dB. The diagrams identify the FR1 range of 600 MHz to 6 GHz and the FR2 range of 24 to 40 GHz separately.

In the independent RF transmission attenuation test of Silver-Elastic, the documented result is 51 dB between 470 and 960 MHz, 52 dB between 1450 and 2690 MHz, 51 dB between 3400 and 3700 MHz, and 48 dB between 5150 and 5350 MHz. At the higher measurement points, the documented values are 40 dB at 20 GHz, 38 dB at 30 GHz and 37 dB at 40 GHz. The test was carried out on a single-layer sample.

How should you select EMF protective clothing and the correct size?

Select the garment type according to the intended use: a cap, stretchable head covering, T-shirt, hooded top, shorts or trousers is available. The size must be determined using the size chart of the specific garment. In addition to the S to XXL size range, the cap and stretchable head covering have fixed dimensions.

When selecting a material, the different structures of the cotton-containing Black-Jersey and the stretchable Silver-Elastic must be considered. Black-Jersey is black and has a metallic sheen on one side. Silver-Elastic is silver-coloured, conductive on both sides and designed to fit closely to the body. It can also be worn underneath outer clothing. We recommend checking the attenuation curve, material composition and care restrictions before making a selection.

Washing and care requirements for silver-containing clothing

Both material types can be washed using a gentle cycle at 30 C. Tumble drying, bleaching and dry cleaning are not permitted. TEXCARE detergent without enzymes or bleaching agents is required for washing.

• Black-Jersey can be ironed without steam at setting 1;
• Silver-Elastic must not be ironed;
• silver products may discolour over time and may already show discolouration when new;
• the service life of silver fabrics depends on how frequently they are moved;
• the attenuation of silver-containing textiles may decrease as a result of movement and washing.

Conventional detergents containing enzymes or bleaching agents, high temperatures and machine drying are not included among the permitted care procedures.

Which benefits and limitations should be considered for electromagnetic shielding?

Benefits:

• nominal HF attenuation of 40 dB or 51 dB at 1 GHz;
• laboratory and independent RF transmission tests between 600 MHz and 40 GHz;
• multiple garment types and sizes from S to XXL;
• conductive textile structures containing silver fibres or a silver coating.

Limitations:

• attenuation depends on frequency;
• silver products may discolour;
• movement and washing may reduce the attenuation of silver textiles;
• the materials require specific washing and drying conditions.

In addition to garment type, size and material, the frequency-dependent measurement results and intended wearing conditions must therefore also be considered.

Electromagnetic shielding in everyday use

The Black-Jersey hooded top can be combined with the trousers, while the T-shirt can be combined with the shorts. The Silver-Elastic top and trousers can also be used as a thin clothing layer or as sleepwear.

What are the most common questions about EMF protective clothing?

• Which electromagnetic fields do the attenuation values apply to?
  The products have measurement results for HF, or high-frequency electromagnetic fields, between 600 MHz and 40 GHz.
• What do the 40 dB and 51 dB values indicate?
  Unless otherwise specified, they indicate the shielding attenuation measured at 1 GHz through a single layer of textile.
• Can shielding clothing be washed?
  Yes, using a gentle cycle at 30 C and TEXCARE detergent without enzymes or bleaching agents.
• Can conductive textiles be ironed?
  Black-Jersey can be ironed without steam at setting 1, while Silver-Elastic must not be ironed.
• Which sizes are available?
  The tops and trousers are available in European sizes S, M, L, XL and XXL, while the headwear products have separately specified fixed dimensions.

Before ordering, the size, material, attenuation value and care instructions of the specific garment must be checked together.

Summary of shielding clothing selection

The electrosmog protective clothing category includes Black-Jersey garments with 40 dB attenuation and Silver-Elastic garments with 51 dB attenuation. The range includes caps, stretchable head coverings, hooded tops, T-shirts, shorts and trousers. Technical selection is based on size, material composition, frequency-dependent attenuation and the required care procedure.