TABLE 1.

Advantages and disadvantages of low‐field strength MRI relative to standard‐of‐care high‐field MRI

Advantages	Details	Implications
Lower cost	Cheaper to manufacture, purchase, install, and maintain	Increased access for clinical care or research
Smaller footprint	Magnets and other components are smaller and weigh less, no super cooling, less need for dedicated shielded room	Potential portability Point of care use
Lower power	For permanent magnets only electronics and gradients need power, can use regular power outlets, generators, or batteries	Potential portability Point of care use
Flexible bore configurations	C‐shaped, wider bore, single‐sided, and vertical orientation.	Decreased claustrophobia Pediatric imaging Intraoperative imaging Tailored scanner designs
Safer	Less risk of metallic projectiles Decreased specific absorption rate and device heating Less risk of device interactions Decreased acoustic noise	Potential portability Point of care use Intensive care unit integration Image patients with devices or implants Pediatric imaging
Relaxivity differences	Lower specific absorption rate Shorter T1 Longer T2/T2*	Lower device heating and susceptibility artifact Shorter radiofrequency pulses Longer spin echo trains

Disadvantages	Details	Mitigation strategies
Lower signal	Lower SNR per unit time Decreased resolution Increased scan time Decreased field of view Less benefit from gadolinium	Signal averaging SNR‐efficient acquisitions Multiple acquisition planes Undersampling Deep learning reconstruction Selecting appropriate clinical applications
Relaxivity differences	Reduced gray/white contrast Less chemical shift (eg fast suppression) Less benefit from gadolinium	Sequence optimization Relaxivity efficient sequences Increased gadolinium dose Alternative contrast agents Follow‐up high‐field imaging