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MagyarNot N95 certified after all: Razer ordered to refund $1.1 million to buyers of the Zephyr RGB face mask
The Razer Zephyr face mask was one of the most peculiar products to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the $99 mask was partially transparent and equipped with RGB lighting and interchangeable filters. A Pro variant was later introduced, which used integrated microphones and speakers to amplify the wearer's voice to make conversations easier.
The mask was designed to protect wearers just as effectively as a conventional face mask: according to Razer's marketing, the replaceable filters were certified according to the US N95 standard. As the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has now confirmed, this was simply a lie, as Razer did not even submit the mask or the associated filters for testing to the relevant authorities, i.e., the FDA and NIOSH, in order to have them properly certified.
Without these tests, it is unclear how effectively the Razer Zephyr protects against COVID-19, so Razer has endangered the health of its customers through misleading marketing. The FTC's proposed settlement requires that Razer refund the full purchase price to all buyers of the Zephyr and Zephyr Pro in the US, totaling $1.1 million.
In addition, the authority is imposing a fine of $100,000 and imposing conditions to prevent Razer from making misleading claims about disease protection without having such claims approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although the mask was also sold in Europe, it was not marketed with FFP2 certification in Europe, meaning that Razer may escape a comparable penalty in Europe.
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