“The Lion’s Den”
Can these underpants protect against cell phone radiation? An expert says so
Silverton founders Richard Getz (left) and Constantin Ricken in the “Lion’s Den”
© Bernd-Michael Maurer / RTL
In the “Lion’s Den”, the founders of Silverton presented boxer shorts designed to protect sperm from electromagnetic radiation. Sensible protection or total nonsense? We asked an expert.
In the start-up show “The Lion’s Den” there are always bizarre inventions to admire. The Düsseldorf start-up Silverton adds another one in the current episode. In the TV show, the founding duo Richard Getz and Constantin Ricken present boxer shorts that are designed to protect men’s intimate areas from electromagnetic radiation.
For this purpose, silver fibers are integrated into the underpants, which should have a shielding effect against the rays of smartphones, laptops and other electrical devices. On the Silverton homepage they advertise their product as a sperm protector “for tomorrow’s family happiness” and attest to a “laboratory-tested protective effect of 99.9%”. Excerpts from all kinds of scientific studies are presented that say something about reduced sperm count and mobile phone radiation. Incidentally, seven boxer shorts cost 249 euros.
Expert advises against
What about the self-proclaimed saviors of the crown jewels? We asked Tristan Jorde from the Hamburg consumer center for an assessment. The environmental consultant has been dealing with the subject of electrosmog for years and takes a critical view of radiation exposure in everyday life. But he doesn’t think much of the boxer shorts with radiation protection: “They stir up fear. Nobody has to protect their genitals against electromagnetic radiation with such underpants,” says the consumer advocate.
It is true that silver, like other electrically conductive metals, can actually shield radiation. Nevertheless, he considers the boxer shorts to be a marketing gimmick. He doubts that the underpants have any appreciable protective effect, even if you carry your cell phone in your pocket all day. “Most of the radiation occurs when you’re on the phone anyway, and you’re holding the cell phone to your ear and not in the front of your genitals.” He considers the radiation on the head when using the phone to be more alarming than the cell phone in your pocket.
In addition, it remains unclear exactly which materials are in the Silverton boxer shorts and whether they could also have other, undesirable side effects, says Jorde. For those who really want to reduce radiation exposure in everyday life, the expert recommends downsizing rather than upgrading. Means: Switch off unnecessary sources of radiation in the household and only use smart devices that have a real use. The verdict of the consumer advocate on the supposed miracle underwear is: “I would classify it in the group of ‘products that the world doesn’t need’.”