dyson launches its bizarre combo of noise-canceling headphones and pollution mask

futuristic noise-canceling headphones with a built-in air purifier

British technology company Dyson launches its first wearable product: a pair of futuristic noise-canceling headphones with an unorthodox addition of a built-in air purifier. As if it came directly from a sci-fi movie, the product takes shape as a set of over-ear headphones with a mask-like gadget that crosses over the user’s mouth and links from ear to ear.

Dyson Zone’s purpose is to tackle the issues of both air and unwanted noise pollution, making life in urban areas more comfortable. Though it seems to function as an ordinary mask, the visor has no contact with the face of the person who wears it but creates a gap in between where clean air can be collected and breathed in.

Update: Dyson has announced that the mask headphones will start to hit the market in January 2023, first in China then in the UK, US, Hong Kong, and Singapore as the months go by (ideally by March). The price starts at 949 USD with two years of warranty.

all images by Dyson

dyson’s purifying headphones deliver pure air and pure audio

The Zone is the company’s first wearable purifier and the result of over a decade of air quality research and development. The team at Dyson (see more here) came up with this idea in response to increasing concerns about air and sound pollution in urban areas. Therefore, they opted for a product that supplies purified air to the mouth and nose while relieving noise pollution through its active noise-canceling technology. In fact, the Zone sucks in air through each earpiece utilizing a pair of tiny compressors. Then, the air is filtered and passed through the eccentric visor for the user to breathe in. This way, it delivers immersive sound to the ears while simultaneously purifying airflow to the nose and mouth.

‘Air pollution is a global problem – it affects us everywhere we go. 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 miniaturized air pumps. After six years in development, we’re excited to deliver pure air and pure audio, anywhere,’ mentioned Jake Dyson, chief engineer.

The visor of the Dyson Zone is detachable and can be unclipped via magnets. The team took inspiration from the shape and design of a horse saddle, which typically curves over the spine, distributing the load through contact with the areas left and right of the backbone. With the same logic, the weight of the headphones is designed to be distributed over the sides of the head rather than on the top.

Started before the pandemic made masks mainstream, the original idea was a snorkel-like clean air mouthpiece paired with a backpack to hold the motor and inner workings. However, the air-purifying headphones evolved dramatically over their six years of development. More than 500 prototypes evolved all the parts of the design, including the mouthpiece, visor, etc. To ensure the best performance in any environmental condition, as well as to fit each wearer’s specific facial shape.