Traditional face masks aren't exactly the easiest of things to communicate with as they not only muffle our speech and make it harder to breathe but they also cover our mouth which is a visual cue that many people use. Through this we know that what could seem like a harsh insult is actually a joke as the person is smiling and so forth. What if there was a transparent face mask?
Initially starting with a concept, going on to become Project Hazel and then going commercial is the Razer Zephyr Wearable Air Purifier, Razer’s RGB equipped smart mask. Featuring dual fans, a transparent mouth area, replaceable N95 filters and controllable RGB lighting for both the outside and inside, the Razer Zephyr looks to make a big splash at USD $99 (~RM410.90). How does it perform? Find out in our review of the Razer Zephyr below.
What's in the box? ~ there's even an anti-fogging spray, filters and extra USB cable caps
In the box, Razer have included 3 sets of filters
Looking not unlike a traditional war-time gas mask, the Zephyr is a transparent mouth shield that has 2 round vents on the sides. The covers for these vents are attached magnetically and allow you to place similarly round N95 filter cut-outs which in turn cover the fans underneath. These two vents also have a multi-colour LED strip each as well, but only the right vent has a button on the side.
There’s another mouth filter on the outside that also can be removed and attached magnetically with an N95 filter cutout for that as well. On the inside, the silicon mouth guard is attached magnetically and there are also multi-colour LED strips on each side near the mouth. An elastic cord attached to the sides wraps around the back of the head through head straps, making it good for people with weak ears or who are wearing Hijabs or other headgear that cover the ears. Only the top set of head straps has a fastener though.
The vents on the sides make it look a bit like a traditional gas mask
The silicon mouth guard can be detached for cleaning
The vent lid covers attach magnetically and can be removed to place the filters
There's even a mouth vent
This is where you place the smaller filter
Surprisingly, there's only one cord fastener for the head straps
A covered USB Type C port is located on the bottom of the mask. In the box there's also a USB Type A to USB Type C charging cable complete with extra caps, the usual documentation, an anti fog spray bottle, 3 N95 mouth filters, 6 N95 round fan filters and a black pouch with green strings to put everything. Strangely enough, there's no extra fastener for the bottom set of head straps (Razer usually doesn't miss out on these little things).
To get the most out of it you should download the free Zephyr app and pair the mask with your phone as this lets you control the speed of the fans in the mask and both the inner and outer RGB lighting. Fan speed is limited to either high and low, but you can hear an audible hum on high. You can also choose your own colours or colour patterns or turn off the lighting completely. The mask control button can be pressed to turn off the fan, put it on low or to put it on high without having to use the app.
You can control the dual fans and both internal and external lighting for the Razer Zephyr in the app
You can also choose the colour and pattern for the internal and external lighting
Trying out the Zephyr mask, I immediately noticed the lack of the fastener for the bottom head strap, as it feels a bit loose on my neck. However, with some adjustment, the mask does fit snugly on my face without affecting my glasses or ears. While it does show my mouth, this is only the front part as not only does the transparent part not show the whole mouth, the silicon guard pressing on my face makes it a bit difficult to speak naturally.
Breathing with the mask on is certainly easier though but my voice was a bit muffled still. While this is definitely better than with a traditional surgical or cloth mask, I feel that it could have been better if there was a mic and an amplifier or speaker of some sort.
I found that the inner lighting did help show or highlight my mouth better, especially in darker situations, but I also have to admit feeling like Bane (a Batman villain who wears a mask) a bit the first couple of times wearing the Zephyr. You do get used to it, but I don’t think I’m the sort of person to leave the outer RGB lights on in a swirling rainbow pattern.
According to Razer, the Zephyr has a battery life of 8 hours continuous use. While there also doesn’t seem to be any automatic shut-off sensors, the Zephyr can easily last 2 or 3 days on intermittent usage and recharges to full in about 3 hours or so.
The Razer Zephyr Wearable Air Purifier has a transparent mouth shield so you can get social cues visually and stay safe at the same time
Razer also recommends that you change the N95 filters every 3 days, but since there’s not much contact with saliva, we think it should be alright for a week like the usual PM2.5 filters you’d put inside a cloth mask. A pack of 30 days worth of filters is priced at USD $29.99 (~RM124.70).
Overall, the Razer Zephyr wearable air purifier smart mask is an interesting device that should appeal to those of you who like RGB lighting or like to customize their own mask lighting. The mask certainly does deliver in showing the mouth and other visual social cues while keeping you safe from airborne viruses, but the lack of any voice amplification is a bit of a downer.
The Razer Zephyr Wearable Air Purifier
In any case, it is still fairly expensive for most Malaysians at USD $99 (~RM410), especially the USD $29.90 (~RM124.70) filter packs. It’s definitely more affordable than say the LG Puricare Wearable Air Purifier which we reviewed previously that is priced from RM749 to RM849 (depends on the promo). However, the Puricare mask does have automatic energy efficient sensors and voice amplification built in but no RGB lighting or transparent mouth shield.
We’re still waiting for a smart mask that is affordable for Malaysians (maybe RM250 and below?) but if you’re a gamer, Razer fan or just someone on a bit more of a budget looking for a smart mask, then the Razer Zephyr should be at the top of your consideration list. Unfortunately, quite a few other people think so too, so at the time of writing, this is the 5th time the Zephyr has sold-out. Razer is working on getting more, but you may have to watch your timing to get one in Malaysia.
What do you think? Would you buy or have bought the Razer Zephyr? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com
Tech Specs and features
Here are the tech specs and features for the Razer Zephyr:
- 2 Speed High (6200 RPM) / Low (4200 RPM) Dual intake fans
- 181 x 104 x 104mm | 206.1g
- N95 grade meltblown filters*, 99% BFE rating, Able to filter at least 95% of 0.3 microns particles
- features adjustable head straps, external Razer Chroma™ RGB, internal-facing LED for illumination of facial features, customizable via Razer Zephyr App (Android & iOS), multi-control button
- Battery life ~ up to 8 hours on low speed with lighting off, 5.5 hours with lighting on
- Standby time ~ up to 2 days with Lighting and Fans off
- includes 3 sets of N95 grade filters for 9 Days of usage, USB-C Charging Cable, Anti-fog spray
Pros and Cons
Pros: Customizable RGB colour lighting, working app, dual fan wearable air purifier and transparent mouth shield. Slightly more affordable.
Cons: Still quite pricey for Malaysia. No voice amplification.
Summary: A social gamer’s RGB smart mask
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