What started out as Project Hazel evolved into Razer Zephyr, an N95 filtration mask that comes complete with RGB lighting for the gamer inclined which was released last year and instantly sold out.
The last two years have been tough in many aspects, with one of the most debated topics being the necessity to wear a facemask to limit exposure to COVID-19. Razer has set its sights on putting its hat into the ring with its own unique device after already dedicating production lines to produce surgical facemasks during the initial shortage caused by COVID-19.
For the unaware, the Razer Zephyr isn’t just a pretty $99 USD facemask. It seems to have some nifty features that would make wearing a facemask daily more tolerable. For starters, it has both Bacterial Filtration (BFE) and Particulate Filtration (PFE), a silicone face seal, and Chroma RGB lights that can be tailored to the user’s liking. Two fans also provide an intake and exhaust method to get fresh air into the mask, with the fans able to be toggled between 4200 – 6200 revolutions per minute.
The Zephyr also uses N95-grade filters, which are disposable and replaceable and will last around 3 days. Likewise, the battery will last between 3.5-8 hours depending on fan speed and RGB lighting usage.
One feature that is both ingenious and unnerving is the transparent mouth section, which has the aim of allowing people to still see your facial expressions, though it may take a little getting used to seeing this in the wild. In addition, the mouth section has internal white lights to light up your face during the night or in dark areas, again, ingenious and unnerving.
Razer has now improved upon their original design with a “Pro” option that includes a voice amplifier feature so your voice doesn’t need to be muffled, a common complaint from anyone wearing a facemask. The Pro version includes all the same tech and features as the original version but now includes the aforementioned voice amplifier and is priced around $150 USD. Razer stated that “Our patent-pending voice-amplification technology ensures your speech isn’t muffled even when you’re masked up.”
Though for those of you wishing to use this as your daily facemask, you may need to check local regulations as Razer states, “Please observe your local safety regulations and mask guidelines or consult your local public health authorities for potential usability of the product under applicable law. 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.”
The future really is here, and seeing people actually wearing the Razer Zephyr out and about will truly be a sight to behold as by now we are all accustomed to the usual blue, white, or orange facemasks. Admittedly it does look pretty cool, but time will tell if it makes for a worthy investment during the pandemic. Will you be picking up a Razer Zephyr or Pro? Let us know in the comments below.
About the Author
Justin White
He/Him
Justin is known for being the clown of any group and has spent his entire life playing and collecting video games. When he is not playing video games he is usually hanging out with his two American Staffies named Django and King (after Django Unchained characters) or his son Shia (yes, after Shia Labeouf).
