Best Tech Gadgets for a Healthy Chicago Condo

Clients often as us ask about the best tech gadgets for a healthy Chicago condo. And these days it’s not a surprising question.

More and more Downtown Chicago condo dwellers are realizing how easy it is to improve their health and wellbeing with minor investments in tech gadgets for their condo.

And by “gadgets” we don’t mean invasive electronic personal assistants recording your every word and then trying to sell you stuff (yes we’re talking about you Alexa, Siri and Cortana!)

The 7 Best Tech Gadgets For A Healthy Chicago Condo

1. EMR meter

You’re soaking in it, EMR that is. We are all surrounded by electromagnetic radiation (EMR).

EMR has been around naturally since the beginning of time itself. Humans have adapted to survive in earth’s environment of weak naturally occurring EMR.

With the the creation of electricity, radio, television, microwave ovens, cell phones, wifi and X-Rays these days people are bombarded with EMR at ever increasing levels. Especially city dwellers.

Look around your condo. See your cell phone, tablet, Wi-Fi network, smart speaker, baby monitor and Nest thermostat? They are all potentially creating a cloud of EMR around you every day and night.

And in Chicago, the prevalence of buildings clustered close together increases the odds that your condo may be exposed to high levels of EMR from outside. It circulates throughout and between buildings through wiring, power lines and cell towers. As it does so, it soaks your condo, and you, in EMR.

Yep, your place might be polluted with EMR and you didn’t even know it.

Is it really unhealthy? While there are many who doubt it, there plenty who think a variety of diseases and disorders are being amplified by all these bad EMR vibes.

Timeout for this disclaimer. We are Chicago Realtors® not scientists. So while we will give you the best Chicago real estate advice, we won’t claim to know the definitive answer about EMR. But you can try cleaning up your condo environment and see for yourself.

Wondering about your exposure? Measure it with a meter. Then pinpoint the sources. Prices for EMR meters typically range from $30 – $170.

Next step, clean it up!

2. Greenwave filters

Now that you’ve pinpointed the EMR culprits with your handy EMR meter. You can easily clean up that elecrto-pollution in your condo.

Start by getting rid of EMR producing devices you really don’t need. After all, microwave ovens were a thing in the 1980’s. And to further limit your wireless radiation exposure, go green by following these excellent tips from Greenwave.

And finally consider purchasing Greenwave Filters to clean up the “dirty electricity” in your condo. Depending on the size of your condo, you’ll probably only need two or three filters.

It’s easy, just plug the filter into an electrical outlet. Greenwave Filters are one of the best tech gadgets for a healthy Chicago condo. And at $30-$40 apiece they are pretty affordable.

3. Red light

Get naked in your own red light district. Have you heard? Red light therapy is all the rage.

The rays of the sun can be broken down into different colors. The theory here is that each color in sunlight has its own unique properties and unique effect on the human body. And apparently red light has lots of good effects.

For example, red light exposure reportedly helps repair sun related skin damage. Plus it fades scars and wrinkles. And for the athletic types among you, it enhances muscle recovery and reduces joint inflammation. And finally the biggie – it is said to help with male infertility.

Prices for full body Red Light Therapy devices start at about $1,000. Want to read more about it? Our Managing Broker Chuck Gullett recently wrote about his red light experience in an article entitled Feeling Joovvy.

4. My hero, zero

Here’s the EPA’s advice to Chicago residents about lead in drinking water. You can have your water tested to determine your clean-up needs. (Update: three days after we published our post, the Chicago Tribune ran this article entitled “Brain-damaging lead found in hundreds of homes tested across Chicago”.)

One way to go is to clean up your drinking water with the a Zero Water Filter. It’s NSF certified to reduce lead and other heavy metals.

Here’s what their website says: “The EPA has established a maximum threshold of 15 ppb for lead content in tap water. ZeroWater® filtration is certified to meet these requirements.” The dispensers sit in your fridge and cost from $15 – $30. Two replacement filters cost about $30. Okay, that’s not zero but it’s worth it.

5. HEPA air purifier

Take a deep breath. Wait, maybe you shouldn’t. There’s still more pollution in your condo.

This time it’s dust mites, mold and dander. Assuming you’ve already taken the basic steps already. Namely, cleaning every week, washing bed linens frequently and not wearing your shoes inside. The next of the best tech gadgets for a healthy Chicago condo is a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) Air purifier. Buy one and allergy proof your condo. They cost between $40 and $300.

6. Use f.lux

Just stop staring at the sun. Have you ever woken up at 3 am ready to jot down your next brilliant idea only to get blinded by the sun otherwise known as your computer screen?

The f.lux app makes the color of your computer’s display adapt to the time of day. Specifically, warm at night and like sunlight during the day.

Maybe you’re staying up too late because of your computer. Use f.lux and you might sleep better. At least that’s the theory. Of course a good night’s sleep is a topic unto itself. The app is free for Mac OS.

7. Turn off your WiFi at night

The last of our best tech gadgets for a healthy Chicago condo isn’t actually a gadget. It’s just good free advice: Turn off your WiFi at night. Just turn off your WiFi before bed and you’ll dramatically reduce your electromagnetic radiation. It costs you nothing and you can start tonight.

We hope you’ve found this article helpful. We’ve tried all of these suggestions so feel free to contact us with any questions. And don’t forget to use tech to keep your home safe while traveling!

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