The Razer Zephyr mask, which was initially marketed to use "N95-grade" filters, has now backtracked on that claim due to widespread criticism.
According to The Verge, the backlash mostly followed after Razer's announcement of its Zephyr Pro at CES 2022. Critics were claiming that the gaming brand was overstating the mask's level of protection.
Razer mostly used the term "N95-grade" and not the actual N95 when describing the Zephyr's filtration. As per their original marketing, the mask's filters had a particulate filtration efficiency (PFE) rating of 95 percent.
However, an actual N95 mask has to be able to filter out 95 percent using the entire thing, and not just the filters. This designation has to be cleared by regulators before the N95 claim can be made.
As a result, Razer has now removed any mention of N95 or "N95-grade" in all their marketing texts for the Zephyr and the Zephyr Pro. Furthermore, the company recently tweeted that regulatory agencies have already guided them with regards to "establishing their testing protocols."
Here is the original tweet:
As you can see in the tweet, the company also made it clear that the Zephyr and Zephyr Pro masks are not intended to replace real personal protective equipment (PPE) in a medical or clinical setting.
Aside from removing the N95 claims, Razer has also published a blog post titled "The Science Behind Razer Zephyr" on their official website, reports WindowsCentral. In the post, they listed specific standards which they claim that the Zephyr meets when it comes to protecting against any air impurities.
Razer first teased the Zephyr last year under the codename Project Hazel. Now, the latest Pro version unveiled at CES 2022 comes with new features such as voice amplification so users won't sound muffled while wearing it.
What Is The Razer Zephyr Mask Good For Without The N95 Filters?
Tech and engineering YouTuber Naomi "SexyCyborg" Wu, who has 1.54 million subscribers at the time of this writing, took a closer look at the Zephyr. Her findings weren't as positive-even going as far as calling it "useless."
In her video breaking the mask's engineering down, she found that among the biggest problems are the undersized filters. Furthermore, the mask's silicone face gasket allegedly falls off too easily. Here is the video of the full breakdown:
Early reviews of the Zephyr were often positive (like this one from PCMag), but that didn't take anything from the fact that at its initial reveal, there were no mentions of official certification. There wasn't anything referring to approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and especially the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as per the original Verge report.
Considering that cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant seem to increase by the day, maybe it's a great thing that Razer reneged from their N95 claims on the Zephyr.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by RJ Pierce
