'Anti-radiation' PANTS go on sale: £24 Wireless Armour boxer shorts claim to protect your package from Wi-Fi signals
- The cotton in Wireless Armour underwear is woven with a mesh of silver
- The silver 'cage' stops electromagnetic radiation going through the pants
- Wireless Armour underwear is available from £24 ($38) - £35 ($55) a pair
- There is debate over whether smartphones have an effect on fertility in men
Carrying a phone in your pocket all day may seem harmless, but researchers have found evidence linking mobile devices to decreased fertility in men.
While the theory that phones can damage sperm is highly debated, one physician is taking no risks and has released a line of underwear that will protect his privates from radiation.
Concerned about the health of his 'little swimmers', Joseph Perkins from London has created a range of underwear fitted with silver 'cages' to protect them from the radiation.
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The Wireless Armour underwear (pictured) contains a mesh of silver woven into the fabric that shields against 99.9% of electromagnetic radiation, which is emitted from devices like smartphones, tablets and laptops. However, researchers disagree over whether this causes fertility problems or not
'Like so many people, my smartphone and laptop use has increased dramatically in recent years, which made me realise that I was exposing myself to large amounts of electromagnetic radiation, mostly centred on my groin,' said the inventor.
'With my physics background I knew there must be a way to shield from electromagnetic radiation using a simple solution.'
Described by Sir Richard Branson as 'underpants for superheroes', the Wireless Armour underwear contains a mesh of pure silver woven into the fabric that shields against 99.9% of electromagnetic radiation, which is emitted from devices like smartphones, tablets and laptops.
The mesh of silver is woven into the fabric of the pants, creating a so-called Faraday cage.
Faraday cages, named after inventor Michael Faraday, are used to protect electronics from interference by blocking the current.
For example, systems in parliament, banks and stock market servers are protected by the technology.
In the Wireless Armour range, thin threads of silver are woven in with cotton during the production stage.
This strengthens the underwear, but also makes them antimicrobial, protecting them from bacteria and keeping them smelling fresh.
Each pair has approximately 20 per cent silver woven into the fabric.
Wireless Armour underpants are available in two styles - tight-fitting boxer briefs or loose trunks.
There are then two versions of each, either a 360 model which protects from radiation in the front and back pockets, or an 180 model that only provides protection on the front of the body.
Wireless' Armour's Faraday cage fabric has been independently tested and was found to shield 99.97 per cent of Wi-Fi signals.
Physics graduate and chief executive Mr Perkins launched an Indiegogo campaign last year to fund production of his underwear range, which is now on sale.
The pants start from £24 ($38) a pair for 180 degree protection and up to £35 ($55) a pair for 360 degree protection.
In the Wireless Armour range, thin threads of silver are woven in with the cotton during the production stage. Each pair has approximately 20 per cent silver woven into the fabric. Wireless Armour's Faraday cage fabric has been independently tested and was found to shield 99.97 per cent of Wi-Fi, table pictured
Mr Perkins said: 'Wireless Armour is designed to protect the health of a wireless generation glued to their mobile devices.
'We are exposing ourselves to unprecedented levels of electromagnetic radiation and this is showing with our declining sperm counts and increasing cases of cancer.
'Although the evidence is not conclusive it is piling up. Our goal is to make protection as easy as getting dressed!'
However, there is some debate within the research community as to whether radiation from phones has any effect on fertility.
A team led by Dr Fiona Mathews, of Biosciences at the University of Exeter, conducted a systematic review of the findings from ten studies, including 1,492 samples, with the aim of clarifying the potential influence of mobile phones on fertility.
In control groups, 50 to 85 per cent of sperm had normal movement.
Wireless Armour underpants are available in two styles - tight-fitting boxer briefs or loose trunks. There are then two versions of each - a 360 model which protects from radiation in the front and back, or an 180 model that only provides protection on the front of the body. The Boxer Brief 360 prototype is pictured
The researchers found this proportion fell by an average of 8 percentage points when there was exposure to mobile phones.
Similar effects were seen for sperm viability, while the effects on sperm concentration were less clear.
Dr Mathews said: 'Given the enormous scale of mobile phone use around the world, the potential role of this environmental exposure needs to be clarified. This study strongly suggests that being exposed to radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation from carrying mobiles in trouser pockets negatively affects sperm quality.'
Despite this, Dr Allan Pacey, from Sheffield University, who researches sperm told the BBC the quality of evidence from available studies is poor.
'There have been some crazy and alarming headlines, but, in my opinion, the studies undertaken to date have been somewhat limited in scope because they have either irradiated sperm kept in a dish or they have made assessments of men's phone habits without adequately controlling for confounding variables, such as other aspects of their lifestyle,' he said.
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