Dyson has unveiled its first wearable device: a pair of air-purifying headphones. The Dyson Zone is a headset that combines the company’s existing air purification technology with noise-canceling headphones to create a personal mask device.

The Dyson Zone was originally created as a response to escalating levels of pollution in large cities, long before the virus was a threat. The Zone’s unveiling page highlights the device’s evolution from a snorkel-like filtration device to its current design, which includes a visor that delivers filtered air to the nose and mouth.

The device could be used both indoors and outside to protect against “city pollution, including gases, allergens, and particulate matter,” with active noise-canceling headphones providing additional noise protection. The visor is designed to sit close to the face without touching it, reducing skin irritation that can occur with face mask-style designs and allowing for longer use times.

Though Dyson has a long history with air filtration, the Zone is the company’s first step into audio devices, so it’ll be interesting to see how well the headphones perform. Dyson promises “advanced noise cancellation and pure, high-fidelity audio” in its announcement, which it claims was designed using a scientific approach.

The responses to Dyson’s announcement have been varied, with some users enthusiastic about the personal filtration device and others assuming it was an April Fool’s joke. Razor’s RGB face mask, which was announced around this time last year, is similar in principle.

The Dyson Zone will be available in the autumn of 2022, with some regions having it first. Dyson hasn’t revealed any other details regarding the device’s availability or price yet, but it promises to do so in the coming months.

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, anywher.

Jake Dyson, Chief Engineer of Dyson