Razer to refund Zephyr mask buyers due to false N95 claims

Razer should paying over $1.1 million to the Federal Trade Commission to settle complaints that it advertised its infamous Zephyr masks as N95 grade when it never certified them at all. The gaming peripherals maker released the Zephyr, its high-tech face mask with built-in RGB lighting, during the height of the pandemic. Half a year later, in early 2022, it introduced a “Pro” version that added voice amplification. Razer then claimed that the Zephyr was as effective as an N95 mask, but later retracted its claim and removed all references to “N95” grade filters from its website and other marketing materials after it became clear that the company did not has been duly certified.

According to the FTC, Razer never submitted the Zephyr masks for testing to the FDA or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which issues the official certification for masks that filter 95 percent of airborne particles. Razer is certainly not on the list of companies that make NIOSH-approved N95 masks on its website. In the FTC’s complaint, he accused Razer of only stopping its false advertising after consumer outrage.

The company must turn over what it earned from the sale of Zephyr — that’s $1,071,254.33 in revenue — to the Federal Trade Commission, which the agency will then use to reimburse affected consumers. It should be noted that Zephyr masks cost customers at least $100. He will also pay a $100,000 fine for his unsubstantiated health claims. In addition to ordering Razer customers to receive refunds, the FTC also prohibited the company from making any claims that it sells products that reduce the likelihood of contracting or transmitting the COVID-19 virus without proper FDA approval. Razer is also prohibited from making claims about the health benefits of its products without scientific evidence to support them, and from “falsely claiming that any product meets government-mandated standards when it does not.”