On April 29, 2024, the FTC announced it will be returning over $1.1 million to consumers who purchased Zephyr face masks after the company promoted its Zephyr face masks as N95-grade despite never submitting for testing to the FDA for approval of such claim.

According to the official complaint, Zephyr face masks were initially sold through stores in Seattle, San Fransisco, and Las Vegas in October 2021, and then online in various sets consisting of a mask and filters. The face mask sets were sold for $29.99 to as much as $149.99, with advertisements on social media marketing the products as an N95 or N95-equivalent mask that would help protect consumers from COVID-19. The complaint also states that the company claims to have met NIOSH standards despite never submitting a face mask to NIOSH for approval as an N95 respirator nor receiving permission from NIOSH to use the term “N95” while marketing and selling products.

[See ConsumerLab.com’s Top Picks among N95 and KN95 masks.]

The proposed settlement bans Razer from making claims that its products reduce, prevent, cure, mitigate, or treat COVID-19 without prior FDA approval. Additionally, the company cannot represent health benefits of its protective products without reliable scientific evidence or market and advertise goods or services as being affiliated with, endorsed, certified, authorized, approved by, registered, or connected with a government entity. The order also charges a $100,000 civil penalty and requires the company pay $1,071,254.33 to the United States, which will be used to provide refunds to consumers.

Samuel Levine, Director of the Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, states, “These businesses falsely claimed, in the midst of a global pandemic, that their face mask was the equivalent of an N95 certified respirator. The FTC will continue to hold accountable businesses that use false and unsubstantiated claims to target consumers who are making decisions about their health and safety.”

For more information, use the link below.

Razer, Inc. to Pay More Than $1.1 Million for Misrepresenting the Performance and Efficacy of Supposed “N95-Grade” Zephyr Face Masks

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