Editors’ Note: Razer originally claimed the Zephyr features an “N95 grade” filter. After being called out for misleading marketingbeing called out for misleading marketing, the company is removing all N95 references and released a statement that the Zephyr “by itself is not a medical device nor certified as an N95 mask.”
In light of this, we have removed all N95 references from our original review from November 18, 2021 below. And given the serious health implications of this product category, we no longer feel comfortable recommending the Zephyr, so we have removed our 3.5-star rating.
We’re admittedly surprised that gaming hardware manufacturer Razer decided to produce the smart face mask it introduced at CES 2021 under the codename Project Hazel. At $99, the Razer Zephyr, now marketed as a Wearable Air Purifier, is about as far from gaming hardware as you can get. That said, the mask is relatively affordable for all it offers and looks cool in a post-apocalyptic cosplay sort of way. RGB lighting adds some pizzazz, while replaceable filters and integrated fans make it genuinely worthwhile for everyday use. The sound from the fans can become irritating, and you can only buy it directly from Razer during select online drops, but so long as masks are still necessary in the coming years, the Zephyr is one of the most interesting and high-tech models you can buy.
Apocalypse Chic
The Zephyr comes inside a cloth bag, along with a few extra filters, a Razer-branded USB-C cable with plastic caps, and a 1-fluid-ounce bottle of anti-fog spray to apply to the mask’s interior. The mask itself weighs 7.25 ounces and feels surprisingly light on your face. Laying flat, it measures 7.1 by 4.1 by 4.1 inches (HWD).
The original Project Hazel mask design included ear loops, a raised silicon nose cover, and (most promisingly) voice amplification technology so that people can hear you clearly. Unfortunately, none of these prototype ideas made it into the final product.
Instead, the Zephyr has the following features: a clear-but-darkened plexiglass front so people can see your mouth (even at night, thanks to interior lights); two dual-speed fans behind replaceable filters to help with ventilation; an extra, narrow, replaceable filter at chin level; Razer Chroma RGB lighting rings around the ventilator fans; and a one-size-fits-all silicone face guard that holds the mask tight to your head. All the filters have a magnetic metal cover that holds them in place; the face guard also uses magnets to stay in place, but you can easily remove it for washing.
A dual-strap system replaces the ear loop fasteners. An elastic cord with one loop goes behind your neck and an extension goes up and over the back of your head. A drawstring fastener helps you tighten the straps, which are rubberized for comfort. The system works, but may be cumbersome if you wear glasses or otherwise need to get the mask on or off quickly.
Each Zephyr comes with three sets of disposable filters. Razer says in some places that the filters are good for three days if you use them for eight hours per day; in others, it says they can last up to 72 hours. Either way, you can squeeze several days out of them if you’re not a heavy mask wearer. If you buy the Razer Zephyr Starter Pack for $149.99, you get 33 sets of filters for 99 days of protection. Purchased on their own, Razer sells 10 sets of filters (for 30 days of protection) for $29.99.
The mask sports a USB-C port on the interior of its right side for charging. If you don’t use any lights and keep the fan on low, a single charge is supposed to last eight hours. You can get three-and-a-half hours with the lights on and the fan set to high. I ran mine down and got a little under those estimates for each setup.
You must connect the Zephyr to your Android or iOS phone via Bluetooth to control the lights and check battery status. The app also lets you control the fans, but you don’t need it to turn them on and off.
You can choose to show a static light, pick a pulsating pattern in two colors of your choice, or set it to cycle through its possible 16.8 million colors. The exterior ring lights can mimic the breathing pattern, show a static color, display all the colors, or exhibit a wave effect in which the light ring seems to swirl and switches hues constantly. If you want a fun lighting effect, set both the inside and outside to use the breathing option with the same colors; the pulsing option is really neat, too.
How Does the Zephyr Work?
The Zephyr provides several useful benefits, but the first thing you should do when donning it is to proclaim, “I’m Gotham’s reckoning.” Get it out of the way early.
I wear glasses, and fogging is the thing that annoys me most about wearing a mask, whether it’s fabric with a wire over the nose or a disposable N95 surgical mask. The silicone face gasket inside the Zephyr keep it tight enough all the way around, so fogging wasn’t a problem in testing, even despite my beard and mustache. However, Razer should offer silicone guards in more sizes; my mouth felt a little pinched up inside when trying to speak, and the bottom fits a bit too close to my lip. It wasn’t big enough to go over my hirsute chin.
Wearing the mask for multiple hours was tolerably comfortable, and that comfort increases when you run the ventilation fans—if you can stand the noise. On the high setting (6,200 RPMs), the whine is extreme. On low (4,200 RPMs) it’s better, more like white noise. If you use the Zephyr in an office with the fans running, it will likely annoy everyone around you.
The lights on the outside are fun, and I can imagine someone who attends a rave or LAN party enjoying them, but in reality, they’re just a hokey conversation starter that drains the battery. Razer should consider making a more affordable version of the Zephyr that ditches the external light rings. However, the interior lights are a must. Due to the smoked glass look of the front plate, your mouth isn’t clearly visible without the inside LEDs. Think of them like scuba helmets, where a light shines on the wearer’s face—it’s so other people can see you.
You can easily turn the mask on by holding down a button on the right-hand air intake. A tap sets the fan to high, another to low, then to off. However, it doesn’t impact the light show—if that’s on, it’s always on until you adjust the lights with the Zephyr mobile app. The Bluetooth pairing process is pretty quick, but plan ahead—don’t enter a darkened movie theater with the lights cascading at full tilt.
You can use the Zephyr without the battery and still get all the protection from the filters. But I found the fans necessary during a walk—otherwise, there’s no ventilation and moisture will build up inside the mask if you’re even remotely active.
A Breeze of Downsides
If you’re thinking about committing to the Zephyr, you need to consider some real downsides. First is the fact that you can’t fit the mask in a pocket. At best you can leave it around your neck with one loop of the strap, like a necklace.
The magnets that hold the filters in place are relatively effective, but the wrong bump can send them askew. My four-year-old tried to hold the mask and the metal disc covers went flying from his roaming hands without his even trying. A twist-and-lock option wouldn’t hurt.
Limited visibility is another potential danger. The mask juts out about an inch from your face and cuts into the peripheral vision you have when looking downward. At the very least, forget easily reading your phone without holding it way up at face level. Worse is trying to navigate when walking—you can easily miss a stair or curb. For that reason, the Zephyr isn’t a great choice for runners or joggers. You would also have to cinch it very tightly to prevent it from bobbing off your face.
Speaking in the mask muffles your voice, too; you’re talking through a thin window after all. It underscores how much the voice-boosting tech Razer originally planned to include would have helped. Ditching it almost certainly made the mask lighter and cheaper, but I would definitely trade the exterior lights for it, especially if Razer can build in voices like Bane, Darth Vader, and Ghostface. A dork can dream.
Perhaps the ultimate obstacle to overcome is whether you can pull off wearing the Zephyr in public. That boils down to your personality and how much you can handle attention, both positive and negative. I’ve experienced squeals of delight over it, seen headshakes of despair, and had one person comment that the mask reminded them of when they worked for a painting company.
The Current Draft
The Razer Zephyr doesn’t deliver on all the promises of Project Hazel, but at its best, it’s an effective and fun personal air purifier that may make a trip out more interesting and even more comfortable, especially if you have trouble with conventional face masks. If you’re willing to go through the trouble of signing up for Razer’s sale announcements and manage to snag one, it’s worth the price of admission for a certain breed of nerd. Just don’t pay scalpers the thousands of dollars they’re charging on other sites, and be prepared for the occasional odd glance at the grocery store.
