The FTC has ordered Razer to refund more than $1.1 million to those who purchased the Razer Zephyr RGB mask, which was allegedly “N95 grade.” It wasn’t.
First reported by IGN, the Federal Trade Commission has said that $1.1 million in total must be refunded to users as a result of the incorrect imaging of the Razer Zephyr mask. The company claimed the face masks were N95 grade (commonly used in surgical applications), but no official certification was ever issued for them and the company changed the fine print on its website in 2022 to reflect this.
The FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Sam Levine said, “These companies falsely claimed, in the middle of a global pandemic, that their face mask was equivalent to an N95-certified mask” and that Razer only “stopped the false advertising following negative press coverage and consumer outrage over the misleading claims.”
The Razer Zephyr was available for $100, which means roughly 11,000 consumers should get their money back for purchasing the ill-fated COVID face mask. The mask was available online in the US and through its three physical stores in Singapore and reportedly sold out almost immediately.
Although the filters were not of the quality promised, you did get a decent number of them in the box. The starter pack included 30 filters that lasted about three days each, so you’d be covered for 90 days before having to invest in filter packs for $10 each, but by then the product was quietly being removed from stores. Any mention of the Razer Zephyr has been removed from the website.
When TechRadar contacted Razer for comment, the company told us: “We disagree with the FTC’s allegations and have not admitted any wrongdoing as part of the settlement. It was never our intention to deceive anyone and we have chosen to settle this case to avoid the distraction and disruption of a lawsuit and continue our focus on making great products for gamers. Razer cares deeply about our community and is always looking to deliver technology in new and relevant ways.”
“The Razer Zephyr was created to provide a different and innovative face covering option for the community,” the Razer spokesperson continued. “The FTC’s claims against Razer related to limited portions of some statements regarding the Zephyr. More than two years ago, Razer proactively informed customers that the Zephyr was not an N95 mask, halted sales and refunded customers.”
The mask was originally announced at CES 2021 as a proof of concept, known as Project Hazel, before being officially released for sale to the world later that year. While it didn’t have an N95 breathing system, it did have RGB lighting and interchangeable filters. A Zephyr Pro, complete with voice modulation, was announced a year later but never released.
