KIWI design K4 Boost Battery Head Strap for Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S
design
KIWI design was quick to release its first Meta Quest 3 elite strap alternative when the headset first launched back in 2023 and while I was pleased with it, I felt there were a couple of design quirks that could have been improved. At first glance the K4 Boost Battery Strap appears pretty similar, there’s only so much you can do with the design of a Quest 3S head strap after all.
The K4 Boost is crafted from a near perfectly colour matched white plastic as before and build quality remains just as strong. If it wasn’t for the KIWI design logo on the top strap there’s not much to suggest this isn’t an official Meta accessory. The same thickly padded top strap from the SPC Battery Head Strap remains on the K4 Boost, as does the padded rear cushion that gently hugs the back of your head.
It’s little things that have changed with the design of the K4 Boost and all of them are a change for the better. The cable that connects the rear external battery to the Meta Quest 3 or 3S headset itself now cleverly disappears inside the strap instead of hanging loose. The rear knob you use to tighten the head strap has been both flattened and slid into the back housing rather than sticking out of it. The central hinge retains the same 52 degree maximum but now less resistant and more effective at helping the head strap easily slide on and off when you want it to. Each change may be small on its own, but together they do a great job of refining the experience.
performance
While comfort has disappeared from the name, it’s still front and centre in the experience. I’ve tested a load of different headstraps for both the Quest 2, Quest 3 and used the stock straps for other VR headsets like the Pimax Crystal and Meta Quest Pro too. Even going up against major players like Razer and Meta itself, I keep coming back to a KIWI design headset for day to day use.
Like the design, little has changed from previous versions on the comfort front for the KIWI design K4 Boost. The generously padded top strap and rear cushion do a good job of supporting your head and taking some of the pressure off your face, even with a tight and secure fit. The stock Quest 3S strap is simply no match, where that always feels at risk of falling off or causing a never ending headache, the KIWI design K4 Boost strap kept things comfortable through long play sessions. Despite being pretty low movement, this was most noticeable to me while playing Walkabout Mini Golf where even looking down I didn’t feel like my Quest 3 was about to tumble to the floor.
It’s a good thing the K4 Boost Quest 3S strap stays comfortable too, because with a 5300mAh external battery hiding in the back you’ll have the best part of double the play time. KIWI design claims up to 2.5 hours of extra juice on top of the Meta Quest 3’s own 2-3 hours and while I’ve never played 5 solid hours of VR cricket before, in my testing these numbers seemed to ring true. I’d often be finished playing for the day and notice the headset itself would still have 70% or more charge.
Cleverly the KIWI design K4 Boost for Quest 3 and Quest 3S will also now simultaneously charge both the headset and its own battery, provided you pair it with a strong enough charger in the first place. This is a nice quality of life gain over previous head straps which would charge one and then the other. There’s strangely no SPC option here which rules out KIWI design’s own Vertical Charging Stand which is a shame because that system worked well with a nifty grab and go magnetic connector to make sure you never forget to plug things in. I’m sure there’s a reason why, but an adapter option would have been good to see.
While my experience with the KIWI design K4 Boost Head Strap was largely smooth sailing, on a couple of occasions I did notice the Quest 3 would turn itself back on again from a powered down state when I plugged it in. Harmless, but needless at the same time. More alarmingly at one point I also discovered the headset was both warm and sitting in a service level ‘USB update’ menu with the screen on. I’m not sure how long it’d been like that, or what role the K4 Boost played in prompting it, but I’ve only seen it happen once so I’ll chalk that up to an anomaly.
summed up
If you’ve been on the fence about whether an upgraded Quest 3 headstrap is worth it? It is. If you’ve just grabbed a Meta Quest 3S and are wondering if you should immediately swap out the head strap, you should. It’s as simple as that.
Not only is the added comfort a major quality of life bump, but the freedom offered by doubling your battery life is impossible to overlook. When it comes to third party Quest 3 and 3S head straps, the KIWI design K4 Boost Head Strap is about as good as you can get. It’s consistently comfortable for long sessions, the battery holds up well and the added bonus of simultaneously charging both strap and device is a juicy cherry on top.
