Expensive, but groundbreaking. New headphones with air purification function enable much more than just listening to music. On the streets, "Zones" is supposed to help people breathe clean air - even if the surrounding air is rich in pollutants. Is this our future? (Image: Dyson)
After being delayed from its planned launch in the UK and the US, among other countries, Dyson's new air-purifying headphones could now be on sale soon - with a futuristic design to remind us that the air around us is far from clean. The so-called "Zone" headphones could come to Germany around next summer. The manufacturer has not yet announced the price at which the product will be offered. However, it could be around 900 euros.
First introduced in March 2022, "Zone" is the first air purifier for mobile use that combines active noise-cancelling headphones with an air purification device. The Dyson "Zone" therefore looks less like traditional headphones. The air purification unit sits in front of the mouth and nose, making it look more like an innovative motorbike helmet. Without the air purification unit, on the other hand, "Zone" looks like normal ANC headphones. However, they weigh unusually much for such a product - almost three times as much as normal ANC headphones, even when the air purification unit is removed.
The "Zone" uses electrostatic filters to capture 99 per cent of particle pollution down to a size of 0.1 micrometres. In this way, the "Zone" is said to remove allergens as well as fine dust from the air we breathe - and at the same time, carbon filters enriched with potassium trap the acid gases that are most responsible for air pollution. Zone is designed to help owners breathe clean air, including in environmental zones where air pollution levels reach critical levels. The air purification function can be set to three levels and, depending on the purification power, the frequency changes, requiring the headphones to be recharged. However, the manufacturer has not yet given any information on how much the available purification levels differ in performance.
Will such devices be developed and used more and more in the future? It is true that it is still essential to work on technologies that can actively contribute to the fight against air pollution. But it is also important to find solutions to cushion the negative consequences of air pollution for the environment and - as in the case of the "Zone" headset - for health already now. Against the backdrop of advancing global warming and the still worrying air pollution in many places, it is in a way not surprising that companies are also increasingly focusing on products of this kind.
In the meantime, although not at an affordable price, the Dyson Zones could already make a difference in our daily lives and help us breathe cleaner air.