KIWI design K4 Comfort Head Strap for Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S
editor’s note
Since this review was originally published the product has been renamed as the KIWI design K4 Comfort Head Strap with a minor design revision to the rear adjustment wheel.
design
While the Meta Quest 3 headset itself saw some noticeable design changes from the previous generation, the KIWI design K4 Comfort Head Strap has kept things almost identical. In fact, placing it side by side with the Quest 2 equivalent you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between them. That’s fine though, it’s a design that worked well last time with no major flaws so there’s no need to change things up for the sake of it.
Rather than the included elastic straps of the Quest 3S, the KIWI design K4 Comfort Head Strap gets a little more rigid. It’s a design similar to the official Meta Elite Strap with solid plastic arms that clip on to the Quest 3 headset and make use of the stock facial interface, immediately it’s a more controlled system which offers less movement in high intensity games.
The arms wrap around to a back unit that includes a click wheel for tightening and a heavily padded ring that grips the back of your head. If you opt for the more expensive Battery Head Strap this bulk plays a more important role of housing the extra juice in exchange for a bump in weight.
Compared to the thin fabric strip of the original strap, the thick memory foam padded top strap of the KIWI design K4 Comfort Head Strap is pure luxury. Covered in soft PU leather it’s considerably more comfortable than the basic option and puts less strain on the top of your head in the process.
performance
I’ve said in the past, including in my review of the official Quest 2 Elite Head Strap, this kind of hardware is what the Quest 3S should come with in the box. It is such a major comfort, quality of life and gameplay improvement that it’s a shame to be paywalled behind an added accessory.
I extensively used the Quest 2 equivalent of the KIWI design K4 Comfort Head Strap in the past so the first couple of weeks being back on the stock strap with the Quest 3 was a painful shock to the system in every sense of the word. It’s hard to dial in the right fit, it tugs at your hair and jumps around all over the place in high movement games. There was a benefit to going back to basics though, it made me realise just how valuable an upgraded strap is.
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Rather than essentially being tied to your head, the KIWI design K4 Head Strap gently compresses around you and it’s far more comfortable for extended periods. The impressive amount of memory foam padding on the back ring and top strap offer plenty of give and there’s quite a wide sweet spot as a result. I find myself tightening and loosening a click at a time through longer sessions as the foam compresses and expands but that’s easily done with the large wheel on the back. Even in high movement games the Quest 3 felt super secure on my head and was more immersive as a result, there’s less slip and fewer reminders I had something strapped to my face.
That fastening system also makes the Quest 3 far easier for smaller heads and younger users. Despite our best efforts, we could never get the stock strap to securely fit on my seven year old nephew’s head. It’s tricky to dial in at the best of times, let alone without trying to rip out the hair of a child who just wants to play mini golf – we gave up. Being able to pop the headset on him and say “just twist this until it feels like it’s attached to you” however was a gamechanger and meant he could actually get involved.
summed up
It’s hard to fault the KIWI design Quest 3 K4 Comfort Head Strap. Besides adding a little extra weight and bulk to the back it’s an all around improvement on Meta’s feeble standard head strap offering.
Whether you’re a VR veteran or new to the virtual world, this upgraded head strap from KIWI design is worth investing in. Even for short play sessions you’ll notice the difference but it really shines as you start to burn through that Quest 3 battery life. It’s more comfortable, more secure and more adjustable and as far as a head strap goes that’s a tick in every box.
If you’re thinking you’d like a bit more play time to go with that extra comfort, explore the KIWI design SPC Battery Head Strap or K4 Boost Battery Strap which takes the same strap and adds an external battery on the back.
