Bluetooth earbuds and headsets

Field strength by distance

5 cm

79,600 µW/m²Computed estimate — S = EIRP / (4πd²) with EIRP = 0.0025 W, d = 0.05 m — Near-field geometry; treat as indicative. Manufacturer SAR filings are the authoritative figure at this range.sources: fcc-part15

30 cm

2,210 µW/m²Computed estimate — S = EIRP / (4πd²) with EIRP = 0.0025 W, d = 0.3 msources: fcc-part15

Mitigations, most effective first

Use wired earphones for long calls, or keep one earbud out.

Eliminates the near-head transmitter entirely.

Compare the earbud's published SAR against the phone's; the phone is usually the larger contributor.

Prioritises the dominant source instead of the most-discussed one.

Measure with

• Broadband RF power-density meter

Related records

• Smartphone (cellular uplink)

  Handsets transmit up to about 200 mW (23 dBm) on cellular uplink and are used against the head, so exposure is governed by SAR — 1.6 W/kg over 1 g in the U.S., 2 W/kg over 10 g under ICNIRP — not by power density.

  Sources & emitters

• FCC SAR limit for phones and portable devices

  1.6 W/kg averaged over any 1 gram of tissue — the number quoted on U.S. phone SAR sheets — plus 0.08 W/kg whole-body.

  Exposure limits

Sources

1. fcc-part15 47 CFR Part 15 — Radio Frequency Devices (unlicensed transmitter power limits) — U.S. Government Publishing Office (eCFR). regulation, link checked 2026-08-12.
2. fcc-eas Equipment Authorization Search (FCC ID lookup, includes SAR test reports) — Federal Communications Commission. government, link checked 2026-08-12.