5 Best EMF Meters of 2023
We are all exposed to radiation daily which is all around us whether we are aware of it or not. What if there was an easy way to tell how much radiation you are being exposed to? Drumroll please, enter EMF meters, the simple way to know how much EMF radiation you are being exposed to.
What are EMF meters, what are the best ones to buy, why do you need an EMF meter, how do you use them, and how exactly do they work? We will be answering all these questions and more in this article, so let’s dive in and talk about all things EMF detectors.
What are EMF Meters?
Since you are on this page I am going to assume you have at least a little bit of knowledge when it comes to EMF radiation. If not take a minute to read all about EMF Basics here (add the link to EMF 101).
What exactly are EMF meters? EMF meters detect electromagnetic energy in the area. Electromagnetic energy is a form of energy that is reflected or emitted from objects in the form of electrical and magnetic waves that can travel through space.
Examples of electromagnetic energy are radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, ultraviolet light, X-rays and gamma radiation.
On this page, we use EMF Meters to detect radiation, however, there are other uses for EMF meters. Another popular use of an EMF meter is by those who are looking to make a connection with the paranormal activity. We aren’t going to go into this topic but, many swear by these devices being able to “read” paranormal activity and EMF meters can be seen frequently in that scene.
Now that you have an understanding of what EMF Meters are, let’s talk about how EMF Meters work. Specifically how these meters work in regards to exposing the amount of radiation coming from a device.
How do EMF Meters Work?
How do EMF Meters work? An EMF meter or detector works through the use of highly-sensitive components that allow them to find fluctuations in the amount of electric or magnetic energy in a given area.
When EMFs are present, the meter registers a reading. The strength of the reading depends on the strength of the frequency. Many times the meter will sound an alarm when there are high levels of EMF radiation found ina reading.
There are different fields/ frequencies that can be tested when using an EMF meter, the electric field, and magnetic fields and radio frequency.
The electric field is created by differences in voltage. The higher the voltage, the stronger will be the resultant field. This will exist even when there is no current flowing. The magnetic field is created when electric current flows, the greater the current, the stronger the magnetic field. Lastly, radio frequency, also known as the RF fields are made up of electromagnetic waves, or radiation, which is the radio signal.
There may also be options such as weighted and none weight, which our favorite meter has, The purpose of the weighted version (according to TriFeilds is “the amount of energy induced into living tissue from a 100 Hz frequency at 1000 V/m, would be twice as much over the same period as a 50 Hz frequency at the same 1000 V/m strength. A frequency weighted TriField meter will indicate that the 100 Hz signal is twice the level of the 50 Hz even though their actual strength was the same.”
When it comes to the use of the standard mode your meter will measure the actual electric and magnetic field with flat frequency response. This would be more for scientific applications.
Now that you have a pretty good understanding of how EMF Meters work, let’s look into how to use your EMF meter below.
How to use EMF Meters?
How do you use an EMF Meter? When it comes to using an EMF Meter or detector it will vary based on which kind of meter you purchase.
Generally, you will take your EMF reader and draw it near to devices that you suspect are producing harmful levels of EMF radiation. Press a button to allow the reader to do its job and then view the results to determine the amount of EMF radiation is coming to form the device.
Some devices must be pointed in a certain direction to ensure accurate reading so make sure to do check your user manual of whatever device you pick to ensure you are using it correctly.
Check out this video tutorial of the TriFeild TF2. This is a great video to see how the meter works in various modes and to just get a great visual of out top EMF meter.
Do EMF Meters Detect “Dirty Electricity”?
Dirty electricity is a bit different than EMF radiation so unfortunately, EMF Meters are not known to be very effective for finding dirty electricity measurement. What is dirty electricity, you may be asking?
I won’t go into much detail but dirty electricity is leftover electricity that was not utilized due to the fact that modern electronics alter the electricity they receive from the wiring at a home. This electricity then sits in your wiring, emitting large amounts of EMF radiation.
The more technical meaning of dirty electricity is it is spikes and surges of electromagnetic energy traveling along power lines and building wiring were only standard 50/60 Hertz.
Although slightly different from EMF radiation, dirty electricity is also very dangerous. Dirty electricity comes from things like computers and dimmer switches and emits unwanted, and unsafe, electromagnetic frequencies.
Why Do you Need an EMF Meter?
Let’s talk about why we think everyone needs to have an EMF meter. Here at Honest EMF we are constantly suggesting the purchase of an EMF Meter, and for good reason. There are so many reasons why EMF Meters are important and useful but I will just list a few below.
If you have an EMF meter you will gain more knowledge on what EMF radiation looks like in your various environments. What amount of EMF radiation is coming from devices you use or are exposed to frequently.
The ability to know what items are the most dangerous will allow you to be able to learn how to lower your exposure to dangerous levels of radiation through the use of an EMf meter. This could be simple solutions like moving high radiating items in lower-traffic areas of your home or work or utilizing airplane mode on your devices and ditching Bluetooth.
One of my favorite things about having an EMF meter is the ability to test out EMF protection gear and items you purchase. This allows you to make sure they actually work to protect you from EMF radiation.
I love that this gives you as a consumer a really good understanding of how your protection products work. There are very few times when we as the purchaser can actually test out products this way unless you happen to have a lab in your backyard, which I am guessing most of you do not.
So whether you are interested in learning more about your EMf protection products capability or just want to bring more awareness to which devices are emitting dangerous levels of EMF radiation, and EMF Meter is a must-have! There are some really great quality, affordable meters. Check out which meters we think are the best below!
Best EMF Meters of 2020
While searching for the best EMF Meters we took into consideration six factors to help ensure you are getting the best meter possible. These factors are accuracy, cost, user-friendliness, ability to measure various types of EMF radiation, and additional features and any cons.
You will notice that the meters are not ranked by price, just because it is more expensive doesn’t make it necessarily better. We took the factors listed above into considering and wanted to give you the opportunity to pick which would be the best fit for you.
1.) TriField EMF Meter Model TF2
The TF2 is a follow up to Trifield’s very popular 100XE model that had an analog needle display but still had similar functionality. The TF2 brings some needed modernization and is an overall fantastic EMF meter. This is our number one choice for EMT Meter and for good reason. Check out all the details on the TF2 below!
- Accuracy– This device is very accurate. The magnetic setting uses a 3-axis sensor. The benefit of this is you are able to get accurate readings regardless of which way you’re pointing the meter.
- Cost- The TF2 is very competitively priced when it comes to EMF readers, especially for how good the features are on this meter. Trifield meters are known to make high-quality products so and are known to withstand the test of time.
- User-Friendliness- This meter now has a new LCD display which offers much more information than the 100XE was able to, making this new meter more user-friendly. An additional feature that users enjoy is there is now an audio output. This helps you hear the EMF radiation around you audibly as well as visually.
Overall this device is very simple to operate making it a great option for beginners and you don’t even have to compromise with accuracy.
- Measurability of various types of EMF radiation- The TF2 can measure all three major types of EMF radiation, including Magnetic, Electric, and Radio Frequency/Microwave radiation.
- Additional Features- The TF2 has some pretty neat features like the new weighted mode is specifically designed to measure EMF radiation in the human body.
Cons– We could only find 2 really cons for the TF2 EMF meter.
1.) Audio And Backlight Buttons We found these features were quite inconvenient to access. You must remove the battery cover in order to get to them. Although this helps to maintain a simple appearance it is a bit frustrating for those who are needing access to these two buttons.
2.) Weighted Mode You may notice we mentioned this feature as a cool one but since most of you who are reading this are not looking to use an EMF reader as a professional the weighted mode is decently confusing and frankly unnecessary. So unless you know what you are doing we suggest you leave this mode for the professionals!
2.) Advanced GQ EMF-390
The Advanced GQ EMF-390 EMF reader was designed to be convenient above all other things which are a big part of why we ranked this as our number 2 choice. For many people, user-friendliness is a top priority, because if you don’t know how to use your EMF reader it is not going to do you much good. Check out our thoughts on the Advanced GQ EMF-390 EMF reader below!
- Accuracy- The multi-sensor function is essential to being able to deliver an accurate picture of the electromagnetic field.
- Cost– The Advanced GQ EMF-390 is definitely fair priced and lower than many options out there. If you are looking for a less expensive EMF meter this one is for you.
- User-friendliness– Overall we would say this device does the job when it comes to its ease for the user. The display could definitely use some improvement.
- Ability to measure various types of EMF radiation- The Advances GQ EMF-390 has the ability to read all three axis Electromagnetic Fields, Electric Field, Radio Frequency (up to 10Ghz) and a bonus feature RF Spectrum Power Analyzer(six bands up to 2.504Ghz).
- Additional features- This EMf reader includes a built-in alarm feature which is both an audible noise and a visual effect, Thankfully it’s possible to disable the sound if you get tired of hearing it.
- Cons- We think the layout could be better on this EMF reader to make it more user-friendly as it’s not a very high-resolution display.
3. Cornet ED88T EMF Meter
The Cornet ED88T is a very popular meter and preferred by many professionals over meters and detectors like the Trifield TF2. However, this meter is not as user-friendly. Check out all the details on the Cornet ED88T EMF Meter below!
Accuracy– The Cornet ED88T is the next best meter for detecting Radio Frequency radiation, besides using an Acoustimeter. This meter is very accurate.
Cost– The cost is pretty comparable to other EMF readers, especially for how good of quality and accurate it is.
User-friendliness– Definitely not the most user-friendly EMF reader available. There are only a few buttons making it unclear what they do. We found that when first using the device it was more confusing than other devices we tried like compared to the ease of the Trifield TF2. In addition, the user manual that comes with the Cornet ED88T was not very helpful in showing you how to properly navigate the device.
Ability to measure various types of EMF radiation– The Cornet ED88T measures all three types of EMF radiation, including radio frequency, magnetic field, an electric field. This, in my opinion, is one of the most important features of a good EMF meter, as you’ll want to know the measurements of all three.
Additional features– Our favorite feature is its Reading History. While you’re using the meter, it displays the last 30 readings, so you can look back and find spikes after scanning a room or a home. We find this really helpful while getting readings from things that have a tendency to pulsate, like Smart Meters.
Cons– There was really only one major concern for us about the CornetED88T and that is this device is not very user-friendly. Having a user-friendly device is pretty important and the Cornets user manual is also pretty hard to read so unless you already know what you are doing, this device could stump you a bit.
4.) Latnex HF-B3G Radio Frequency Meter
The Latnex RF Meter is actually not an EMF reader but an Acoustimeter. This means that it only detects radio frequency radiation. This is a great option for someone who is looking for an Acoustimeter to go with the Meterk (listed below).
Accuracy– The Latnex does have a triple-axis radio frequency detector (the ball on the top of the device) which allows you to get accurate readings regardless of the orientation of the device.
Cost– This device is very reasonably priced. Great budget-friendly option (especially when paired with the Meterk.
User-friendliness– Simple display and 7 nicely labeled buttons, and a very detailed user manual this device is very easy to use.
Ability to measure various types of EMF radiation– The Latnex only has the ability to detect radio frequency so this is not a good option for someone looking for a meter reads all fields.
Cons– Our biggest issue with the Latnex frequency meter is it only reads radio frequency radiation. While useful we think there are better options for reading EMF radiation out there. However, if an Acoustimeter is what you are after, this is the one to buy.
5.) Meterk EMF Meter Electromagnetic Field Radiation Detector
The Meterk made it on our list because it is the best budget-friendly reader on the market. You’ll notice when you check the price on this meter it falls FAR below the other meters we’ve talked about in this article. This meter is ideal for someone with little experience, that does not feel like spending a significant amount of money on an EMF meter right away.
Accuracy– The Meterk is accurate however the sensor that is located on the right-hand side must be pointed towards the source of the radiation to obtain an accurate reading.
Cost– This EMF meter definitely is the least expensive meter that works pretty well and the best benefit of purchasing this reader.
User-friendliness- The Meterk EMF Meter is really easy to use. There is full range buttons and a very simple to understand LCD screen. We like that the entire green screen turns red where the readings get too high as well as an audible alarm when the reading shows a dangerous level of EMF radiation. This alarm has the option to be turned off.
Ability to measure various types of EMF radiation– The Meterk only has the ability to read magnetic and electric field radiation. It does not have the ability to read not radiofrequency radiation.
Additional features– Very sleek design that is small and easy to carry around.
Cons- We found 2 main cons for The Meterk EMF Meter.
1.) No RF Reading – This is without a doubt the biggest negative for the Meterk device. Although the ability to read radio frequency is pretty important in looking for an EMF reader this could still be handy when used with an Acoustimeter (like the one we discussed above), which reads RF, but not electric or magnetic radiation.
2.) Not Tri-Axis – Many of the EMF meters on our list have tri-axis capability. This means they will get an accurate reading regardless of orientation. You could definitely still have accurate readings while using this device, you just would need to be much more intentional with how you hold the meter while trying to get a reading.
Final Thoughts On EMF Meters
There are many good EMF Meters out there which can be really overwhelming, especially if it is your first-time purchasing something like this. We hope this article was able to help you learn more about EMF readers and find the perfect one for you.
With that being said, I believe the Trifeild TF2 is a fantastic product for a really reasonable price. I would say if after reading the article you are still unsure which EMF meter is the right one for you, I’d go with the TF2. It is simple to use, very accurate, competitively priced and reads all radiation fields.
As we discussed above having a quality EMF meter is without a doubt one of the most important tools you will ever own for the fight against EMF radiation. We highly encourage you to get one and begin using it to educate yourself on the EMF radiation being emitted all around you, not to evoke fear but so you can better protect you and your family.
Have additional questions? Leave a comment below and we will do out best to help!