Credit: Unsplash
People really want those RGB lights, apparently.
During the 2021 Consumer Electronics Show in January, Razer, who are known for manufacturing PC peripherals like mice and keyboards decked out in RGB lighting, debuted their very own face mask. Since COVID was obviously on everybody’s mind at the time, the majority of concepts shown at the show were mask and cleaning-related, but it was kind of assumed (or, I guess, hoped) that we wouldn’t still be wearing masks much longer, and that Razer was just pulling our collective leg. They were not pulling our leg.
Last week, Razer released the Razer Zephyr, a high-tech face mask equipped with replaceable N95 filters, rechargeable filter fans, a window through which you can see the wearer’s mouth and expressions, and of course, RGB lighting. The mask went up for sale on Friday, Razer’s site went down from the influx of traffic for a little bit, and then their entire stock was sold out within minutes.
“The demand for the Razer Zephyr has been overwhelming and our first wave is sold out within minutes,” the company tweeted at the time. “Stay tuned and [we] appreciate your patience as we work hard to restock them as fast as we can. Sign up to be notified when the next batch arrives.”
The Best of CES 2021 product, the Razer Zephyr wearable air purifier is finally here in limited quantities. Outfitted with thoughtful smart innovations, stay protected with N95 Grade filters & enjoy social interactions at ease with the transparent design. https://t.co/GYZgUXnsdK pic.twitter.com/L3ii86D5sL
— R Λ Z Ξ R (@Razer) October 22, 2021
Then, yesterday, Razer restocked and launched their second wave of Zephyrs. These too sold out almost immediately. “Thanks to your overwhelming support, the Razer Zephyr is again sold out,” the company tweeted this morning. “Stay peeled to Razer.com as we’re ramping up production to get as many Razer Zephyr units into your hands as possible.”
Some have theorized that these fast sell-outs are the result of shopping bots, though it could also just be a matter of people liking fancy tech. For what it’s worth, the Zephyr’s intended purpose, that being defending from COVID, is under a bit of scrutiny, as the filter size may not be able to intercept individual COVID particles. This is why the Zephyr has not yet received FDA approval.
