Razer in trouble over Zephyr RGB face mask

Gaming peripheral manufacturer Razer has backtracked on its claims about the protection levels offered by its Zephyr and Zephyr Pro masks.

The changes come after the company faced backlash over using “N95-grade” to describe the filters used to keep the air that enters and exits the mask clean.

The criticism was primarily driven by popular Chinese tech and DIY YouTuber Naomi Wu.

Wu posted an in-depth review video in November 2021 in which she pointed out that the N95 designation was an official certification given by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

It is granted to respirators that filter out at least 95% of airborne particles but requires specific criteria for the entire mask. It includes considering fit and filtration.

While Razer claims its mask is 95% effective against filtering particles, the Zephyr is not included in the NIOSH’s list of approved respirators.

Wu called Razer’s marketing of the mask as N95 grade “dishonest”, “deceptive”, and “dangerous”.

Razer subsequently amended the Zephyr and Zephyr Pro’s product pages, removing any mention of N95-grade filters and including the following note:

“Razer Zephyr is not a certified N95 mask, medical device, respirator, surgical mask or personal protective equipment (PPE) and is not meant to be used on medical or clinical settings.”

Wu said the changes were prompted by pressure from the Food and Drug Administration and NIOSH, but Razer has denied this and claimed it made the amendments of its own accord.

She also said Razer’s removal of the N95 marketing came too late and that the horse had already bolted.

“Media outlets have labelled it an N95 mask, immune-compromised individuals and healthcare workers all over social media are calling it an N95 mask,” Wu said.

“These people have ordered or are actively seeking the Zephyr as an alternative to real N95 masks. This was Razer’s intent, and they got what they wanted.”

Wu went further and accused Razer of only minimising harm to its company’s image.

“Razer has successfully validated and marketed their fraudulent product, the lists of people waiting for the next ‘drop’ are full,” Wu said.

She also raised concerns that other manufacturers would jump on the hype created by the mask and create similar or cheaper copies with the same dishonest claims.

“If they get a pass on this, trendy, stylish ‘N95-grade’ RGB masks are going to be shipping from Alibaba by container load within months,” Wu said.

Wu said it was “absolutely essential” that Razer not profit from a “deliberate attempt at fraud”, remove the mask from the market pending a complete redesign and issue a clear statement of why it was removed.

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