Best Meta Quest 3 Head Strap for Extended Battery and Luxury Comfort
Everything I have ever reviewed from Kiwi Design has been amazing. Often, there is some element that leaves me surprised and impressed. But this time …
Before we dive into it, I have to confess a strong bias: I love Kiwi Designs.
I jumped at the chance to test their new Comfort Battery Head Strap (SPC) for Meta Quest 3 (currently on sale for $79.99 USD through this link or use the promo code RICHCANADIAN).
I have already reviewed similar products from Kiwi. The most similar product to this one is their Audio Battery Head Strap for the Meta Quest 2. Their new model for Meta Quest 3 is not as fancy (it does not have the on-ear sound), but it is almost exactly the same product, so if you want to learn more, you can read that review here.
I’ve had the chance (and, in some cases, the horrors) to review a range of head straps for Oculus and Quest headsets. So, I know what’s already out there, so let’s get into it.
Out of the box, this headstrap appears less bulky than the predecessor I recently reviewed. That is (as I mentioned) because there is no on-ear sound. It remains unclear why Kiwi does not currently offer an audio package headset. The Meta Quest 3 still has an external audio jack discreetly built-in (on the opposite side of the headset from the older model). Hopefully, an uber-luxurious version will be released sometime in the future.
This version does have a 6,400 mAh battery to extend your playtime between 2.5 and 5 hours. Sure enough, at the end of my endurance testing, the battery was still at 100% charge when I shut it off.
The Kiwi strap adjusts very similarly to the stock strap that comes with it — with the noted addition of the dial at the back of your head. The band controls how high or low the headset sits on your face, and the knob controls how tight it attaches to your face. This unit’s abundance of memory foam padding avoids uncomfortable tightness and pressure points that you will find with other head strap upgrades.
The added benefit of this ease of adjustment means that it makes your headset more easily shareable (if you’re into that). But it also replaces that constant need to re-tighten the stock strap, which I find pronounced with my Meta Quest 3 vs the Meta Quest 2
It took less than 10 minutes to replace the stock strap with the Kiwi head strap. The strap comes with easy-to-follow instructional diagrams and a supplemental user manual.
As soon as I had it set up, it needed to be charged, which brought me to my happy surprise (and impressed) moment. The “SPC” abbreviation for this comfort strap stands for “Single-Point-Charging,” which means that it is compatible with the Kiwi Design RGB Vertical Charging Stand (which I happen to own). When I placed the upgraded VR headset onto the charging stand, the extended battery and headset started charging simultaneously! I had already contemplated the annoyance of charging both units separately, but Kiwi had pre-emptively already solved it. This proactive engineering is the reason Kiwi Design boasts over 100 patents.
Super excited the following morning, I undocked my fully-charged headset, and it was time to test the Comfort Battery Head Strap, which is best tested with an intense workout from my favorite fitness app, Supernatural (if you haven’t tried it, get a free pass here).
Not surprisingly, it passed with flying colors. It was comfortable, and I stayed where I wanted it. It worked so remarkably well that there’s really not that much to say about it other than I don’t have any complaints — except two things.
The only aspect where this device did not excel was during my VR meditation. I found lying my head back on top of the battery unit uncomfortable. It was only for a few minutes, but did not feel good. This could also be detrimental for applications like FloatVR, which also encourage lying down. However, most people do not use their virtual reality Meta Quest 3 while lying down. Indeed, the majority of users would never face this issue at all.
The only other minor concern I had was with the charging technology. The battery pack will constantly try to charge the headset, even when fully charged. There isn’t really a solution for this, as it is the same as if you had the headset plugged in (or docked). But my concern is about premature deterioration of the battery in both units due to this. Anecdotally, lithium batteries do not do well when they are either fully charged or nearly empty.
To remedy my concern, I unplug the charging cable from the headset when I know both units are fully charged and will be sitting for an extended period. Problem solved.
Overall, the Kiwi Design Comfort Battery Head Strap (SPC) provides an elevated experience that I highly prefer to the stock strap and other products on the market. I don’t intend to stop using it. Plus, the simultaneous charging solution is brilliant.
No surprise from Kiwi, who remains focused on their mantra to “Make Things Better.”
The Comfort Battery Head Strap (SPC) for Quest 3 is currently on sale for $79.99 USD. You can purchase them directly through this link or use the promo code RICHCANADIAN.
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Although Kiwi provided the gear for this review (and I receive a referral bonus for anything you buy there) if I thought their stuff was junk, I’d tell you.
