Dyson’s First Wearable Is Air-Purifying Headphone Device

Vacuum cleaner firm Dyson is entering the wearable market for the first time, with an unusual device designed to protect the user from unwanted gases, allergens, particulates, and even unwanted noises.

The firm confirmed it will launch its air ‘Purifying Headphones’ called the “Dyson Zone” in the Autumn. The wearable will deliver both “pure air and pure audio” to the user.

The futurist looking device has apparently been developed over a six year period, and is designed to “simultaneously deliver immersive sound to the ears, and purified airflow to the nose and mouth.”

Dyson Zone

Jake Dyson, chief engineer and the son of Dyson founder Sir James Dyson, unveiled the device this week.

“The Dyson Zone is a set of noise cancelling, high fidelity over-ear headphones which simultaneously deliver immersive sound to the ears, and purified airflow to the nose and mouth,” said the firm.

“The result of over a decade of air quality research and development, the Dyson Zone air-purifying headphones simultaneously tackle the urban issues of air quality and noise pollution,” it said.

It pointed out that as the world’s urban population continues to grow, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 9 in 10 people globally breathe air that exceeds WHO guideline pollutant limits.

It is estimated that more than 100 million people, around 20 percent of the European population, are exposed to long-term noise exposure above WHO guidance.

So Dyson is taking advantage of its “30 years of expertise in airflow, filtration and motor technologies and deep understanding of indoor and outdoor air quality,” to develop the Dyson Zone.

There are compressors in each earcup of the headphone, that draws air through the dual-layer filters and project two streams of purified air to the wearer’s nose and mouth, channelled through the non-contact visor.

“Sculpted returns on the visor ensure the purified airflow is kept near to the nose and mouth and diluted as little as possible by external crosswinds,” said the firm. “The Dyson Zone delivers rich, immersive audio and relief from unwanted city noise thanks to advanced active noise cancelling (ANC), low distortion and a neutral frequency response, to faithfully replicate music or audio as the creator intended.”

Air pollution

“Air pollution is a global problem – it affects us everywhere we go,” said Jake Dyson. “In our homes, at school, at work and as we travel, whether on foot, on a bike or by public or private transport. The Dyson Zone purifies the air you breathe on the move.”

“And unlike face masks, it delivers a plume of fresh air without touching your face, using high-performance filters and two miniaturised air pumps,” said Dyson. “After six years in development, we’re excited to deliver pure air and pure audio, anywhere.”

The firm apparently build more than 500 prototypes, and Dyson engineers spent a lot of time to ensure the device will be comfortable to wear, and they even used a breathing mannequin in a laboratory, as well as developing their own advanced noise cancellation system.

There is no word on whether the wearable device would be a suitable medical replacement for the traditional facemask, that has become a common sight during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Dyson Zone air-purifying headphones will be available online and in-store at Dyson Demo Stores and Dyson.com starting Autumn 2022.

Prices have yet to be revealed.