Review Razer Zephyr Review: Hard Wear

[Admin]

The Razer Zephyr, with RGB lighting and aggressive styling, has a one fits all approach that may be uncomfortable for some. And you'll have to buy a steady stream of filters from Razer if you use it regularly.

Razer Zephyr Review: Hard Wear : Read more

 

[Matt_ogu812]

This is OVER THE TOP STUPID idea as well as anybody who buys one!
I don't care what kind of heat I take in my opinion.

 

[Tactrix]

This is OVER THE TOP STUPID idea as well as anybody who buys one!
I don't care what kind of heat I take in my opinion.

I happen to agree with you, they completely screwed up what this mask should have been, they went with stupid RGBs which absolutely no one needs or wants and have missed the point of what this mask was suppose to be, which is NOT and air purified, but a protective mask.

 

[Tactrix]

Razer messed this up big time and I'll tell you how. First this is NOT the mask they were going to make, the original project Hazel mask was suppose to be a much smaller mask, without RGBs that came with a UV box that cleaned away all the germs. THAT was a great idea. This $100 abomination on the other hand is something sad, pathetic, and stupid.

It's twice as large as it should be, it's not flexible, and just for a second think about what you're suppose to do when you take this thing off anywhere but at home? I mean it's not like you can put it in your pocket, unless your pocket is the size of a backpack or a purse. It doesn't actually do much of anything in terms of protection more than regular masks do because as the reviewer in this article pointed out it's not one size fits all, which means it's not sealing your mouth up on some people.

And wtf is with the RGBs? You were asked to make a mask for safety and you made some piece of garbage with glowing? Why? Did you ever hear anyone say "oh you know what my mask is missing? RGBs!" No you haven't, and you never will, because no one in the world thinks that they're needed above being a Halloween gag.

The truly sad part is, if they got rid of those sad RGBs, and got rid of the little window to see the persons mouth(which by the way no one actually ever needed or will need). They could have replaced it with that mic to amplify our voice inside a plastic mask, and get rid of the noisy intake fans and make them small and spiral which there will now be room for with no RGBs, it might actually have been a decent idea.

This mask is a complete and utter fail, not only does it not protect much of anything, it's impractical, overpriced, and the filters aren't even reusable. Shame on your Razer, for turning something that would have been amazing, into a piece of garbage.

 

[coloradoblah]

I looked up the project hazel mask, that also looked pretty stupid. This is almost as bad as the Steve Scalise g string maskini.

 

[Co BIY]

I don't see why a company can't have a "meh" implementation of a silly idea without people getting incensed about it.

One size will not work. Military gas masks and workplace respirators come in various sizes. In our global times companies also need to take into account various nose shapes which vary a lot independently of general face size.

People are complicated - maybe that's why some of us like computers so much ...

https://www.oakleyforum.com/guides/oakley-low-bridge-fit-asian-sunglasses/

 

[samopa]

The truly sad part is, if they got rid of those sad RGBs, and got rid of the little window to see the persons mouth(which by the way no one actually ever needed or will need).

You don't understand the importance of be able seeing other person mouth because yo have been blessed with perfectly working of your five senses. but not all of us have been so blessed.

I have a friend that born deaf, the world for him is totally silent. Through his hardworking, he manage to master the art of lips reading, and he can speak (he is not mute) almost perfectly. I can testified that he can read our lips 99.99% correct.

The pandemic and the wear mask policy, is substantially hinder his way of communication, because in my area not many people proficient in sign language, and is forbidden in public place to speak without wearing a a mask.

Granted that I have never try nor own this razer mask, so I do not now how clear we can see the mouth of the person who wearing it, but the idea of having windowed mask so other person can see your mouth (lips) while talking can be helpful for my friend and others like him.

 

[cryoburner]

Razer messed this up big time and I'll tell you how. First this is NOT the mask they were going to make, the original project Hazel mask was suppose to be a much smaller mask, without RGBs that came with a UV box that cleaned away all the germs. THAT was a great idea. This $100 abomination on the other hand is something sad, pathetic, and stupid.

I'm quite sure the original prototype design also had RGB lighting. That's not something they changed. As for the UV sanitizing box, that's likely something they eliminated to reduce costs. Though, it's possible they might have found it to damage or discolor some of the plastics over time, as UV lighting can be harsh on certain materials.

And wtf is with the RGBs? You were asked to make a mask for safety and you made some piece of garbage with glowing? Why? Did you ever hear anyone say "oh you know what my mask is missing? RGBs!" No you haven't, and you never will, because no one in the world thinks that they're needed above being a Halloween gag.

Honestly, that's always been the main selling point here. No one is going to pay a premium for a Razer-branded mask if it didn't have an over-the-top gamer/cyberpunk aesthetic. They were not asked to make a mask, and it's always been about bringing a flashy product to market.

The truly sad part is, if they got rid of those sad RGBs, and got rid of the little window to see the persons mouth(which by the way no one actually ever needed or will need). They could have replaced it with that mic to amplify our voice inside a plastic mask, and get rid of the noisy intake fans and make them small and spiral which there will now be room for with no RGBs, it might actually have been a decent idea.

A microphone and speakers could have probably been incorporated into the design, as they were apparently in the prototype, but I'm not so sure it would have been all that useful. It's still not likely to sound natural, like someone speaking without a mask. And it's not like the existence of RGB lighting is preventing them from doing that. I do think they could have added a lower, practically inaudible fan-speed though, even with the current design.

This mask is a complete and utter fail, not only does it not protect much of anything, it's impractical, overpriced, and the filters aren't even reusable. Shame on your Razer, for turning something that would have been amazing, into a piece of garbage.

Any N95-grade filter is not really intended to be reusable long-term, at least not while maintaining a high level of filtering. The price of the filters does seem rather high, though that goes for N95 masks in general lately. They probably should have included more than three sets with the mask though, given its price. There's also the fact that Razer isn't a respirator company, and should they decide to discontinue the product line a year or two from now, it might be hard to find replacement filters at all. That is, assuming these aren't some standard-size filters. It's possible that there might be other off-the-shelf respirator filters that could fit.

Granted that I have never try nor own this razer mask, so I do not now how clear we can see the mouth of the person who wearing it, but the idea of having windowed mask so other person can see your mouth (lips) while talking can be helpful for my friend and others like him.

That could potentially be useful if someone who were a friend or family member owned one, or maybe someone who works with the deaf on a regular basis. Realistically though, it's not going to help much with communicating with random people in public, because hardly anyone is going to own one, and it's probably not practical to have everyone wear bulky, expensive masks just for the odd chance that they might need to directly communicate with someone who can benefit from lip reading. Also, a quick search turns up a number of other clear masks, of both the disposable and reusable variety, so it's not like Razer is doing something new here in regard to that.

 

[hotaru251]

Razer designed the Zephyr to only be used with its filter, which, for now, means going back to the source to buy more. Razer charges $29.99 for a 30-day pack (assuming that you wear it 8 hours per day), which eventually means you're paying Razer a $30-per-month subscription to keep using the mask you bought from them. That's on top of the face mask’s $99.99 price.

can you just buy filters and cut them to size to bypass this?

 

[btmedic04]

people who are dumb enough to actually buy this, deserved to be milked of every last cent they have by razer. Just goes to show you where razers priorities are

 

[cuvtixo]

... That could potentially be useful if someone who were a friend or family member owned one, or maybe someone who works with the deaf on a regular basis...

I feel like you're just feeding a troll here. I mean, my paranoid self thinks maybe both of you are manipulating the comments section with a troll and response.
It's not a big deal either way, and if it came out earlier it would be a good (if pricey) minimalist Halloween costume. Years ago back in college I got an army surplus gas mask to experiment with bong hits -you know, trying to hold in the maximum amount of smoke. Likewise, for someone 30 years younger than me, I think this would go great with a "volcano" vape! But I'm neither excited about it, nor clutching my pearls at the very concept. If Razor wants to be the new 21st century version of the old "Sharper Image" catalog, good for them.

This is OVER THE TOP STUPID idea as well as anybody who buys one!
I don't care what kind of heat I take in my opinion.

You're expecting heat? From who? Who really cares? Repeat after me: "I just don't care!" And I promise you'll regain equanimity. Breathe in, breath out. Think of happy little RGB trees!

 

[Deleted member 2783327]

All masks do is feed people's ego and fear. They have no practical long term positive outcomes. But this one just takes 1st prize for one of the most absurd, overpriced, idiotic inventions of all time.

 

[Udyr]

This is a "fashion" mask, probably made by a designer, not an engineer; it's not really a protection gear. If you wanna be "cool" and "hype" with $99+ burning your pockets, or need something for a cosplay/gaming event, this is your product.

Stupid? Probably yes, but ignore and move on as if it doesn't exist.

 

[Co BIY]

Think of happy little RGB trees!

This would be a big seller!

 

[JohnnyPDX]

Wow, I'm surprised to be the first person responding here who actually owns one.

I have to say I didn't expect to see such negativity about the product, but in hindsight I can see how some would be perturbed.

I got the mask for my birthday, though I did buy it myself because there was no way I could ask my wife to monitor the site to grab one up as soon as they became available. I actually didn't find success until my 4th attempt standing in (digital) line. Say what you will about how stupid it is, there's a lot of nerds out there who want one. It is my hope that demand is high enough to refine the product to something truly effective, comfortable and fashionable.

So here's my impressions, take it for what you will.

A lot of the criticism in the review is justified. The device is bulky, and for me the size is an issue, though I don't feel it reduces efficacy as I still feel fully sealed even though the bottom of the silicone gasket rests in front of my chin, not under it. It's also not the easiest thing to get on and off.

It doesn't cool my face as much as I hoped either. It's still sultry in some situations, and I am a sweaty guy. By comparison, though, it's no worse than a cloth or medical grade mask. and I appreciate not having my nose and mouth directly touching the grossness that's coming off my face. One of my hopes that I'm glad to confirm is a feature is that my glasses don't fog up anymore! Anyone with glasses will appreciate that very much.

One if my biggest criticism is how easily the filter covers can be knocked off. Too many times I have had to go fetch one after inadvertently swiping it off while trying to take off the mask; one time actually having to get on the ground in a parking lot with my cell phone light shining to find one in the dark when it rolled under another car. NOT fun, considering I don't see a way to order a replacement. I have become quite paranoid of losing one. A bayonet style latch system, or hinge or something more secure would have been a better design choice.

Now the RGB, yes, way over the top...but it's RAZER! It's not a Razer product unless it's got flashy lights! I have to admit, I'm mesmerized by it. I am disappointed by the limited customizability of the lighting patterns and hope there's an update available in the future to make it more personalized. To give you a quick example of what I'm saying, the "breathing" pattern can't be sped up, only offers two colors, and it goes black in between switches. I'd like it to go from green to red, not green to off to red, etc. All in all, it still achieves the goal of being ridiculous and unnecessary.

Did I pay WAY too much for it...? Yup! But I'm an early adopter and I wanted to support the product. None of you mentioned the fact that this started out as an APRIL FOOL'S JOKE! That it actually materialized into reality is a testament to how much demand Razer got to give it a shot. And I commend them that they did. As I said, I hope they continue to refine it. I truly believe this could be a more universally desirable product in another generation or two.

I will conclude by saying this product is not for everyone, and I'm not as happy with it as I hoped I would be. But just like anything else in this free country if you don't like it, don't buy it. Change the channel. Go to a different restaurant. You do you and appreciate the fact that there are other options.

Thank you for reading, I hope this does you some good.

 

[Old Molases]

I can't believe some clever sort hasn't thought of putting a Darth Vader voice amplifier in these. I'd buy them in a heartbeat if they did.