COVID-19. We’re all familiar with the disease and how it changed our lives. One of the many ways it changed life is the necessity to wear masks when interacting with others or when going outside. Medical masks are the bare requirement since bandanas or cloth don’t pass the standard. Although medical masks are approved, they’re the base standard and there are safer options such as N-94 level protection masks used in Seoul, Korea. But with the growth of popularity in fashion in today’s society, there are complaints about how masks are unstylish and impossible to personalize while keeping oneself safe. The gaming company, RAZER, heard these issues and has recently announced a new mask that fixes both of those problems.
Advertised as “The World’s Safest Mask”, RAZER presents the world with PROJECT HAZEL, a mask that has a design focused on five key areas to ensure the highest degree of safety with additional quality of life enhancements. Charlie Bolton, Director of Design at RAZER INC, felt “the need for a mask that is safe, social, and sustainable.”
He outlines the safety factor and how it’s an N-95 surgical respirator which provides a high fluid resistance, protecting the wearer against splashes and droplets.
He also explains that there’s a new design to the typical mask, explaining the new feature not found in other masks, active ventilation, is accessible through two detachable ventilators on the side of the mask. RAZER claims that it regulates airflow and is capable of filtering at least 95% of airborne particles. It also boosts the quality of life of the user since it brings in cool air and pushes out hot air, thus removing the buildup of C02 in the mask and keeping the wearer feeling great.
The mask also comes with an auto-sterilization kit (its special charging case) that’s lined with a UV light interior which effectively kills bacteria and viruses as the mask charges. This allows the mask to stay clean and reusable for future uses.
All of these features sound great, but that’s not the main reason why RAZER called this a smart mask. It comes with features such as customizable lights in the mask. More specifically, the smart mask’s interior lights up automatically (or manually if you choose) when it’s dark, allowing the mask to give off a cool stylistic look. It has 16.8 million colors and a suite of iconic effects, so customers can customize to their preferences. Lastly, the mask also has voice amplifying technology, to ensure that the other person can hear you at a safe distance.
Overall, the smart mask brings tons of new features as well as extra security for one’s face, but comes at a cost of $149.99. To many this seems like a worthwhile investment since COVID will be a problem for a long time, but it’s not a mandatory buy. There are other safe options such as the N-94 grade masks that Korea produces or surgical masks as well.
Information comes from RAZER inc.
