If you are comparing PEMF devices, you quickly run into a wall of numbers: hertz, Gauss, microtesla, Tesla, "intensity levels," and vague phrases like "energy" and "frequencies your body needs." Two specs do most of the real work, frequency and intensity, and they measure completely different things. Here is what each number means, how the units relate, and which ones actually matter when you are choosing a device.

Frequency (Hz): how fast the pulse repeats

Frequency, measured in hertz (Hz), is simply how many magnetic pulses the device delivers per second. One hertz is one pulse per second, so 10 Hz is ten pulses per second. It says nothing about how strong those pulses are, only how often they arrive.

Research on pain and recovery has largely used low frequencies, roughly 1 to 100 Hz. Many consumer devices let you choose a frequency or step through preset programs inside that range, and a device that covers a spread of low frequencies is more flexible for different uses. Some devices anchor around the "Schumann resonance" of about 7.83 Hz, often described as the Earth's natural background frequency. Claims that one exact frequency targets one exact outcome are mostly manufacturer positioning rather than settled science, so regard program names like "recovery" or "sleep" as marketing labels, not proof.

Intensity (Gauss, Tesla, microtesla): how strong the pulse is

Intensity is the strength of the magnetic field the device produces. It is a separate measurement from frequency, and it is where the unit confusion usually starts, because more than one unit describes the same thing:

Gauss (G) is the older unit you still see all over PEMF marketing.
Tesla (T) is the formal (SI) unit, along with its smaller cousins the millitesla (mT) and microtesla (µT).

Because both Gauss and Tesla are in circulation, you have to be able to convert between them to compare two devices honestly.

The Gauss and Tesla relationship (standard physics)

The conversion is fixed and universal. It is not specific to PEMF, it is standard physics:

1 Tesla = 10,000 Gauss
0.1 Tesla = 1,000 Gauss
1 millitesla (mT) = 10 Gauss
1 Gauss = 100 microtesla (µT), so 1 microtesla = 0.01 Gauss

Those anchors make the numbers concrete. The Earth's magnetic field at the surface is well under 1 Gauss (roughly half a Gauss, or about 50 microtesla). A hospital MRI scanner runs at around 1.5 to 3 Tesla, which is 15,000 to 30,000 Gauss. Home PEMF devices live far below an MRI. Some manufacturers describe their full-body wellness mats as low intensity, closer to the Earth's field, while positioning professional or clinical machines as high intensity. Actual output varies enormously from one model to the next, which is exactly why the published number matters.

Frequency and intensity are not the same thing (never conflate them)

This is the single most common mistake buyers make, and some sellers encourage it. Frequency (Hz) and intensity (Gauss or Tesla) are independent. A device can pulse very fast at a very weak strength, or very slowly at a high strength, or any combination in between. A high Hz number tells you nothing about field strength, and a high Gauss number tells you nothing about how often it pulses.

When a product page brags about a big number without saying which spec it is, that is a red flag. "Up to 3,000" is meaningless on its own, because 3,000 Hz and 3,000 Gauss describe totally different machines. Honest specs always pair the number with its unit and its spec name.

Waveform: the shape of each pulse

Waveform describes the shape of the magnetic pulse over time, not how fast or how strong it is. Common shapes include sine, square, sawtooth, triangular, and trapezoidal waves. You will also see the term "duty cycle," which is the fraction of time the field is actually on during each cycle.

Waveform is real engineering, and manufacturers often make strong claims about why their particular waveform is superior. Be skeptical of those claims, because which waveform matters most, and by how much, is not well established in independent research. Waveform is worth noting on a spec sheet, but it is not the number to buy on.

The spec terms, side by side

Spec	What it measures	Typical unit	The plain question it answers
Frequency	How often the field pulses	Hertz (Hz)	How many pulses per second?
Intensity	How strong the field is	Gauss (G) or Tesla (T) / microtesla (µT)	How powerful is each pulse?
Waveform	The shape of each pulse	Named shape (sine, square, etc.)	What does the pulse look like?
Duty cycle	How much of each cycle the field is on	Percent (%)	Is the field on constantly or briefly?

Which numbers actually matter when you buy

You do not need to be an engineer. For most home buyers, the practical checklist is short:

Does the device publish its frequency range in Hz, and does it cover low frequencies (the range research has actually used)?
Does it publish its intensity in Gauss or Tesla, with the unit clearly stated?
Is the intensity suited to your intended use? Higher is not automatically better; a gentle wellness mat and a high-output clinical machine are built for different jobs.
Are the claims paired with numbers and units, rather than slogans?

Matching intensity to your use matters more than chasing the biggest figure. How long and how often you run the device also shapes your experience, and neither of those is a spec printed on the box.

What honest sellers should publish

A trustworthy manufacturer publishes the specs that let you verify what the device does:

The frequency range in Hz (and the presets, if any)
The intensity in Gauss or Tesla, with the unit spelled out and, ideally, where in the body or applicator that figure is measured
The waveform type
Whether the stated maximum is at the mat surface or at some distance away

If a seller only talks about vague "energy" language or "frequencies your body needs" and will not give you numbers, you cannot verify the device operates at parameters with any research behind them. That opacity is a red flag we return to in the PEMF mat buying guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is a higher Gauss rating better? Not automatically. Gauss measures field strength, and the right strength depends on your use. Low-intensity wellness mats and high-intensity clinical systems are designed for different purposes, so a bigger number is not a better device by default. Match the intensity to your intended use.

What is the difference between Hz and Gauss? They measure different things. Hz (frequency) is how many times per second the field pulses. Gauss (intensity) is how strong the field is. A device has both, and one number tells you nothing about the other.

How do I convert Tesla to Gauss? Multiply Tesla by 10,000. So 1 Tesla is 10,000 Gauss, and 0.1 Tesla is 1,000 Gauss. Going the other way, 1 Gauss equals 100 microtesla. This conversion is standard physics and does not change from one device to another.

What frequency should a PEMF device use? Research on pain and recovery has mostly used low frequencies, roughly 1 to 100 Hz, so a device that covers a low-frequency range is a sensible, flexible starting point. Be cautious of claims that one precise frequency is uniquely effective, because that is usually marketing rather than established science.

The bottom line

Frequency (Hz) and intensity (Gauss or Tesla) are two different specs, and both should be published in plain numbers with their units. You want a device that (a) states its parameters openly and (b) offers a low-frequency range with an intensity that fits your use. For the wider science of how the pulses are thought to work, see how PEMF therapy works and our complete guide to PEMF therapy. For specific picks, see the best PEMF devices guide.

PEMF Frequencies Explained: Hz, Intensity & Gauss