Razer Zephyr Review: A Mask On Steroids With Chroma RGB

So it’s not every day that we get to look at something that’s this unique. Now I love the folks over at Razer. The Blade is one of my favourite gaming laptops of all time and the Basilisk is arguably my favourite gaming mouse.

But this was something I certainly didn't expect them to actually do. This is the Razer Zephyr, the company’s all-new safe, social and sustainable mask that will probably attract the eyes of many when you’re out in public with it.

Honestly, looking at it, it’s so over the top with the whole design and RGB along with it at that.

Now is it excessive? Yes. But is it cool? Absolutely yes.

But even so, it is actually a proper mask, believe it or not. Or to be more accurate, it’s actually a wearable air purifier.

It features N95 grade melt-blown filters with a 99% BFE rating, which means it can filter out 95% of 0.3 microns particles in the air and it complies with mask mandates in both the US and the UK, though Razer does point out on their product page that you might want to double-check that depending on where you are.

So yes, it is a proper mask, N95 grade at that. Given our current situation in the world still, this might be something that can provide you with a little more sense or assurance.

But anyway, let’s put on the mask and then talk about all its nifty little features.

First up, I do have to say that this mask is comfortable. The silicon that presses against your face has holes in it, which not only helps with comfort but also the overall pressure on your skin. If you’re someone who sweats easily, this will help alleviate that. The adjustable elastic head strap is also pretty nice. There is quite a bit of length to it, so it should fit most head sizes and for the most part, once you have it tightened, it doesn’t really rub against your skin and it maintains the tension.

However, I do have to say that while it is comfortable, the mask is still rather heavy at 206 grams or nearly half a pound.

For the first hour or so, I’m all right, it’s still okay. But going into the second hour and after that, you definitely will start to feel the weight. Just something to take note of.

Oh, and of course, it is quite annoying to remove the mask and put it back on whenever you want to have a drink or something. But it is what it is.

Along with the Zephyr itself, you get 3 sets of those N95 filters, with each set containing 3 separate pieces. Two for the intakes on each side and one for the exhaust.

I’m not sure if exhaust is the right word to use here, but yes, it’s for the part near your mouth where you’ll exhale.

It’s extremely easy to put them on, just remove the magnetic vents and place them gently in the slot and place back the magnetic vents thereafter. Razer recommends you dispose of all the filters after 72 hours. This means each set should last you roughly 24 hours of actual use. Once you use them all up, you can purchase additional filters from Razer directly.

Now the Zephyr is Bluetooth enabled, because of course it is, and you can download the dedicated Razer Zephyr app to control specific functions.

What you get in the app is very straightforward. You can control the fan speed, the internal lighting and the external lighting. Right at the bottom is also one-tap access to the RazerStore so you can purchase more filters as and when you need them.

There are three main settings for the fans: Off, Low and High. I’ve to say that they perform as they should, but my recommendation is to keep it at Low. On the High setting, while you do get better airflow, the whine from the fan is quite audible. On Low, you can still kind of hear it, but it’s way less annoying.

You can of course keep it off as well for some actual silence, and that’s pretty much okay in my experience because compared to standard N95 masks, the Zephyr is already much more breathable.

Now if you don’t want to take out your phone, you can also toggle between the three fan modes simply by pressing the power button on the mask itself.

As for lighting, it is basically full Razer Chroma RGB. So if you’re used to any of their products, this mask is exactly the same. The key highlight is definitely the transparent design, which when paired with the internal lighting, it makes it so that people can actually kind of see your whole face even with the mask on. You can of course change it to whatever colour you like with 3 different lighting modes, but I would personally suggest keeping it to static white for actual practical use.

If you swipe from the bottom, you also get access to additional settings such as the brightness and your saved preset colours.

The same goes for the external lighting, but here you get one additional lighting mode called Wave which can be further customized in speed and direction as well.

And that’s pretty much it about the mask basically.

If we’re talking battery life, you can expect around six hours of use with the fan on low speed and both lighting zones at 50% brightness. But if you have everything turned on to the max, battery life would be about half that. You can of course charge it via USB-C.

So, would I recommend the Zephyr?

As a daily mask, probably not. First of all, it is quite bulky. Secondly, it is heavy, no two ways about it. Thirdly, at about six hours of battery life, it is still not quite enough for an actual full day of use and lastly, unlike Project Hazel which touted microphones to actually project your voice, the Zephyr doesn’t have those.

So while wearing the mask, you will definitely sound muffled, no two ways about it.

But with all that said, if you want a really cool and actually effective N95 mask, this is it. The Zephyr is really unlike anything out there, for a mask. And you’re definitely helping with sustainability because this mask frame itself would last and all you’re changing are those small N95 filters. Compared to standard disposable masks or N95 masks, you’re saving a lot.

In short, the Razer Zephyr is a proper N95 mask that happens to look pretty cool, is Bluetooth enabled with an app and comes with Razer Chroma RGB. It is the most ridiculous, yet arguably the coolest mask out there at this point in time. There’s nothing else like it.

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Content by Soon Kai Hong