Dyson headphones scrub the air

Zone. © Dyson.

Dyson, the British company known for its vacuum-cleaners, has been working on the Zone, a noise-cancelling Bluetooth headset with a built-in air purifier. The stated purpose of the device is to make living in urban areas more comfortable by mitigating air and noise pollution. The added benefit is that you wander the streets looking like a post-apocalyptic character while drawing general concern and amazement.

The Zone’s filtration system offers several settings for varying degrees of physical exertion. There’s even a setting that uses accelerometers to automatically adjust the airflow, which will come in handy when you’re leaping up the stairs or racing to catch a bus and need a burst of O2. The company claims that the Zone can filter up to 99% of particulate matter pollution, but that the filters are not reusable and need to be replaced after about a year, depending on use and ambient pollution levels. Dyson hasn’t yet announced the price or detailed specs such as weight or battery life.

⇨ Ars Technica, Sam Machkovech, “Not an April Fool: Dyson announces apocalyptic filter-headphone combo.”

⇨ The Verge, Chaim Gartenberg, “Dyson’s bizarre new headphones have a built-in air purifier.”

2022-03-31