Spartan’s Faraday Cage underwear promises to protect your privates [Sticky or Not]

Nervous about potentially irradiating your privates with your phone?

You’re not alone. French-American company Spartan has launched a line of boxer briefs made of cotton with interwoven silver fibers it says acts as a Faraday Cage for your genitalia, protecting the family jewels from cellphone and Wi-Fi radiation between 450 MHz and 5GHz.

And don’t worry, the company promises the briefs won’t set off the airport scanner and are completely machine washable.

After launching a Kickstarter in February of last year, the Spartan briefs made waves at CES 2018 this year. The shorts are now available online, with worldwide shipping, beginning at $45 USD for one pair.

Verdict: Not sticky.

I think it’s fair to say the science isn’t fully in on this one yet. Though it may feel like mobile phones have been around forever, in actual fact they’re still a relatively new technology and since our usage continues to change, there are no definitive answers yet as to how they affect our health.

Some health authorities are saying the same. In December 2017, the California Department of Health stated that although the science is still evolving, “there are concerns among some public health professionals and members of the public regarding long-term, high use exposure to the energy emitted by cell phones,” recommending that users not keep phones in their pockets.

As to the reduction of sperm specifically, again, there are no conclusive answers, though there are a few studies that show correlations between phones and lowered male fertility, it should be noted that those studies are often published in lesser-known journals and have occasionally been criticized by peers as flawed.

To top it all off, even if cellphone and Wi-Fi radiation is harmful, it’s not exceedingly clear whether these underwear are the best defense.

So, guys, it’s not really for me to say, but if I was you? I’d save my money and purchase some regular old Fruit of the Loom briefs instead. At least for now.

Note: This post is part of an ongoing series titled Sticky or Not in which Senior Reporter Rose Behar analyzes new and often bizarre gadgets, rating them sticky (good) or not (bad).