Headstraps (and Carrying Cases)

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Headstraps (and Carrying Cases)

This is arguably the most important accessory you will buy. While some users are fine with the original headstrap that comes with their Quest/2, our sense from everything we’ve read is most users find it too hard to adjust for a good fit or that the headset puts too much pressure on the face. Finding the right headstrap is a personal experience with no one option pleasing everyoneso here are some to consider: 

 

We personally have the Elite Strap with Battery ($129) – which also comes with a carrying case that normally retails separately for $49:

The strap uses an adjustable dial which makes it easy to take on and off and to accommodate different users – two of us with greatly different head sizes share a headset and we appreciate the ability to change the size of the strap quickly for customized fit.

The built-in battery on the back both doubles your playing time between charges and provides a nice counterbalance to the headset so the whole unit sits more comfortably on your head. You can’t buy it without the included carrying case, but since we needed one that wasn’t an issue for us. The primary downside is it’s difficult to use the headset lying down or reclining as the back is just too bulky, but this might be the case for all of the headstrap options listed here.

 

You can also buy just the Elite Strap ($49)  if you don’t need the extra battery power or want to use your own, but this provides less counterweight than the option with the battery so you may need to add more if it’s still too front-heavy for youThere have been supply issues and it is frequently back-ordered, so if you’re in a hurry, check out the other options we list below. 

After a number of initial reports of the Elite headstrap breaking, Oculus paused production on this to investigate, then resumed shipping a couple of months later. They haven’t said if they modified production to reduce breakage, but the strap does now ship with a 2-year warranty 

Note that the Elite Strap does not work on the original Quest, only Quest 2. 

 

 

HTC Vive Deluxe Audio Strap (DAS): ($99.99). This strap has integrated on-ear headphonesand, like the Elite Strap, uses an adjustment dial for easy fit across users. There is no counterweight to offset the weight of the headsetbut users report this being much more comfortable than the original strap that comes with the Quest/2.

Because this was designed for use with a different headset (the HTC Vive) you’ll also need to buy an adapter to make it fit a Quest/2 (you’ll hear this configuration referred to as Frankenquest because it is cobbled together like Frankenstein’s monster)There is no central provider of the adapter  as they are 3D-printed by users or other enterprising folks, so check Etsy, Ebay, or Amazon – we’ve seen prices ranging from $15-$25. As an example, this seller on Etsy has them for <$20 in your choice of 15 colors (We haven’t tried these ourselves, just picked a supplier who offers lots of colors with excellent reviews).

One note of caution: Quest carrying cases won’t fit this configuration so you’ll need to find an alternative if you go this route. It seems like there are almost as many recommendations for cases as there are individual users, but we’ve seen a few users mention that a case that fits the HTV Vive Cosmos should fit a Frankenquest, like this one. We’ve also seen this Apache 3800 case mentioned a few times as a good heavy-duty option. 

 

 

Halo StrapThese straps get their name because they rest on your head using a ring that loops around your head (like a halo) and distributes the weight of the headset around your entire head rather than just on the front and back. Like the other headstraps above, fit is adjusted using a dial on the back, but Halo straps also have hinges in the middle of the loop that allow additional adjustment of the angle between the front and back halvesSome reviewers have said that these straps can wobble around on your head if you’re moving around a lot, but that tightening them enough to not wobble puts too much pressure on your head, while others report no issues. 

There are a variety of different halo straps out there, but here are two we’ve seen recommended multiple times: 

Halo Strap from VR Panda:  For the Quest 2 you can get the Halo either with built-in headphones ($58) or without ($38), but the Quest 1 version only comes without headphones ($38) – plus shipping charges which can be substantial. 

GOMRVR Halo StrapThere are a number of different options for this one, and it’s not clear to us what the differences are, but they tend to run ~$30 on Ali Express. I tried out one of these and, while it was comfortable, found it moved around too much when leaning my head back, I think because I have a very short, squat neck that pushed against the strap. If you have a longer neck I don’t think you’d have this issue.

Standard Quest 2 carrying cases won’t fit a halo strap, but we’ve heard that cases for the Rift S work, such as this one. VR Panda also sells one specifically for the Halo/Quest combo.

 

 

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