Handsfree Kits and Shields

Personal handsfree kits were developed to allow greater flexibility in phone use by customers. Some persons may choose to use these accessories to reduce their exposure to radio signals by allowing the phone to be used away from the head and body.

Various products are also marketed that claim to increase the safety of mobile phone use. These products generally take the form of shielded cases, earpiece pads/shields, antenna clips/caps, and absorbing buttons.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says about accessories that claim to shield the head from radiofrequency (RF) radiation :

Since there are no known risks from exposure to RF emissions from cell phones, there is no reason to believe that accessories that claim to shield the head from those emissions reduce risks. Some products that claim to shield the user from RF absorption use special phone cases, while others involve nothing more than a metallic accessory attached to the phone. Studies have shown that these products generally do not work as advertised. Unlike "hand-free" kits, these so-called "shields" may interfere with proper operation of the phone. The phone may be forced to boost its power to compensate, leading to an increase in RF absorption.

The World Health Organization (WHO) makes a similar statement:

Scientific evidence does not indicate any need for RF-absorbing covers or other "absorbing devices" on mobile phones. They cannot be justified on health grounds and the effectiveness of many such devices in reducing RF exposure is unproven.

If individuals are concerned, personal "hands-free" devices have been shown to reduce exposures by at least a factor of 10 by allowing the phone to be used away from the head and body.