Last week Razer announced the Zephyr Pro, an upgrade that adds voice amplification to its base RGB Zephyr mask. The new announcement prompted criticism that Razer was overstating the amount of protection the cyberpunk-style masks offered, leading the company to remove claims that the mask had “N65-grade” filters, The Verge reports.
While Razer never said the mask itself was N95 rated, its product page repeatedly referred to the mask’s replaceable filters as “N95-grade.” This claim was based on the filter’s 99 percent bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE), which it compared to PPE devices like respirators and surgical masks. These references have now been removed, while the product page refers to the filters as “air purification filters,” saying only that they are “FDA-registered and lab-tested for 99% BFE.”
An update has also been added to a blog post called “The Science Behind Razer Zephyr,” which now explicitely states that “the Razer Zephyr and Zephyr Pro are not certified N95 masks.”
While the Razer’s FAQ section on the Zephyr initially compared the mask to a medical device, it has now explicitely stated that this isn’t the case. Under a heading that reads “will the Razer Zephyr protect me from Covid-19?” the page now states that “Razer Zephyr is not a medical device, respirator, surgical mask or personal protective equipment (PPE) and is not meant to be used on medical or clinical settings.” This same disclaimer was also tweeted out on Razer’s official account.
*The Razer Zephyr and Zephyr Pro are not medical devices, respirators, surgical masks, or personal protective equipment (PPE) and are not meant to be used in medical or clinical settings.
— R Λ Z Ξ R (@Razer) January 8, 2022
As of the initial Zephyr’s release on October 21, 2021, the mask does comply with mask mandates in the USA and UK, however the webpage encourages users to check with local laws before they take this as gospel.
While the mask has gone through a number of internal tests, the device still hasn’t been certified by relevant authorities including the FDA, CDC, or OSHA. Despite Razer’s own testing, both the Zephyr and the Zephyr Pro would need to be externally reviewed to be properly classified as PPE.
