KIWI design Upgraded Elite Strap for Quest 2

Background

As a newer Oculus Quest 2 (now Meta Quest 2) owner, I have spent most of my time using the VR headset completely stock.  Honestly, I did not know if I would even like the Quest 2 and it made sense to get a feel of how the stock accessories felt so I knew what improvements to search for in accessories.  I think the second part of that statement is particularly important because there are so many accessory makers for the Quest 2 and their products will highlight comfort factors which will differ from person to person.

“Knowing what you personally want will save you time and money in the long run, that’s coming from someone who has wasted plenty of both over the years buying new tech.”

With that said, I now knew what to look for and that journey led me to KIWI design.  For those that don’t know or haven’t heard of KIWI design, who I will refer to as “KIWI” going forward, they are one the most recognizable brands in the VR space with consistent development of highly rated accessories.  They seemed to have a solution for every part of the Quest 2 and decided to give them a shot.

Oculus Stock Strap Overview

This is the piece that goes directly over the top of your head and is easily the most important accessory.  It directly impacts the fit, comfort and overall desire to play.

Stock Head Strap Issues:

• Adjusting the size/fit for each individual person in my household was a huge pain so finding that comfortable “sweet spot” you had after someone else used it took a bit of adjusting
• Flexible nature of the cloth required it to be tighter and led to pressure headaches
• Terrible weight distribution caused physical fatigue and decreased desire to play
• Our younger child could never get the fit secure enough to move around without it falling off
• Made from fabric cloth which feels great, but a sanitary nightmare for cleaning

KIWI design Upgraded Elite Strap

KIWI design Upgraded Elite Strap resolved every one of these issues and improved on some things I didn’t even know I cared about.  When you simply look at the Upgraded Elite Strap, you can see the attention to detail put into the design and potential comfort improvements. 

“The thing just looks like how the original head strap should have been designed!”

The Upgraded Elite Strap is much more rigid and well-constructed than the stock Oculus strap.  It incorporates a hinge system that pivots to take the headset on/off and helps the rear sit lower on your head to reduce the weight of the headset on your face.  I would not venture to say it makes it a perfect 50/50 weight balance, however, it easily improves it to 60/40 “ish” which leads to the desire of longer play times.  The cushions on the front visor, back pad and top head strap are all very plush and soft.  Each are attached via Velcro and can be wiped down for cleaning or removed for easy maintenance as needed.  Thanks to the circular dial on the back, adjusting the KIWI Elite Strap is unbelievably simple.  All you do is rotate it right to tighten (makes a nice “click” noise as it ratchets) and left to loosen which makes household sharing effortless.  Why a feature like this was not included in the stock head strap is beyond me.

Pros & Cons

Key Specs

Disclaimer: RTL Reviewers takes pride in providing honest reviews with full disclosure.  We were provided the products from KIWI design to review and generate our own opinions.  RTL Reviewers had full autonomy in our review process without intervention and have not been compensated monetarily in any way.