KIWI Meta Quest 3 Battery Head Strap, RGB Charging Stand, and Knuckle Grips review — Virtual thumbs up

Not every accessory is essential. Some have a place, and some don’t. Looking at you, Wii tennis racket. That said, there are some devices that you want that extra equipment for. If you’re using a Meta Quest 3, there are absolutely things you want to replace or add to enhance your experience, and KIWI design has sent over several of those to us. Are they necessary? Or are they better off not being added to your cart?

Opening the box, I received KIWI’s Meta Quest 3 Battery Head Strap, the RGB Charging Stand, and the Knuckle Grips. Something that stood out immediately was the packaging, as all of it matches Meta’s style and makes it feel official (KIWI is co-branded with Meta). This is apparent as you open the boxes for the Battery Head Strap and RGB Charging Stand especially, with the design mimicking the Quest 3 box. I also love the instructions printed underneath the box tops, revealed as you open your gear and serving as a nice entry point. There are more detailed instructions inside, but you’ll get the gist here.

With the Battery Head Strap, it comes a little bit disassembled. Thankfully, even as much as it seemed complicated initially, it snaps together quickly. Something of note, the quality of it is high, with a sturdy feel to the plastic and comfortable faux leather and foam strap. Connecting it to the Quest 3 was simple, fitting perfectly onto the headset. To adjust it, there is a dial on the back, which allows you to get the fit correctly on your head, but I do bemoan the lack of a release button to remove it easily. That said, it isn’t a deal breaker.

Adding to what works with the Battery Head Strap, it is the ideal counterweight for the Quest 3. The old strap is awful, we all know that, but the Battery Head Strap not only feels extremely comfortable on your head, but allows the weight to be distributed evenly so you don’t feel the Quest 3 pressing against your face. A VR headset feeling this secure is admirable, and it’s all possible because of the Battery Head Strap.

That’s not all it does, as it does have “Battery” in the title. The strap has a 6400mAh, which is advertised as giving you an additional 2-4 hours of life when plugged up to your charging port. I sat around for a while and used it, and it actually leans closer to four by my estimations. Given you won’t be using VR for hours on end like a flat screen video game – although Asgard’s Wrath 2 may make you want to – being able to play for up to six hours before needing to recharge is fantastic.

Recharging your headset can be a cinch as well with the RGB Charging Stand. The stand requires little more assembly than the Battery Head Strap, but it’s similarly easy to do. Again, the quality of the plastics are top-notch, feeling well built in hand and clicking nicely into place. The bottom plate is also weighted correctly to keep itself upright, even when I had it in the passenger seat of my car while transporting it. I do wish KIWI had included a USB-C charge cable and AC adapter with it though, as you’ll have to use one of your own to power it.

As is in the moniker, it also features RGB lighting. It’s a single strip around the holder, but it’s a nice touch. You’re able to turn the light on and off, as well as swap between solid colors or a wave of them. Nothing super special, but it can add to the ambience of your background.

Of course, it’s useless if it doesn’t charge well, and it at least seems to get the job done. I tested it with the Battery Head Strap, which has a cool touch system in place where the USB-C plugged into the headset. It connects to a pylon using a magnet in the cable head and on the charger, allowing both the headset and battery bank to charge simultaneously. The battery charges in roughly half the time of use (in two hours you’ll have four hours of charge), so while there’s a little bit of a wait, it all falls into the timeline of using your headset. Charge stands are naturally where you’re storing the headset, meaning you’ll have it ready to rock every time you pick it up. Also, there’s a place for the controllers as well, though no extra charging is available for them.

The final pieces in the box were the Knuckle Grips. These are silicone covers for your Quest 3 controllers, and while I usually don’t like these, I can see why they’re beneficial, at least coming from KIWI. The grip on these are fantastic, allowing you to hold them without a fear of them slipping. Even more, they have straps on the sides, requiring you to put your hands into them in order to grip the controller. These feel great, making the Quest 3 controllers seem immovable in my hands. The only thing I don’t like about them is a random extra feature: the battery openings. You have to remove the battery covers for these to fit, and while the silicone has the right cover in place to hold things in place and let you swap batteries quickly, I just don’t like it being that accessible.

Lastly, let’s talk about the price. The KIWI Battery Head Strap is $79.99 ($59.99 without the stand compatibility), the RGB Charging Stand is $59.99, and the Knuckle Grips are $24.99. While I like the Battery Head Strap and the Knuckle Grips at those prices, the RGB Charging Stand is a bit high. Some of it is my aversion to charging stands, they end up being expensive pieces of plastic to me, but I feel some may see it as too pricey at the cost of a new VR game or two. They do offer some deals via bundles —  like the Battery Head Strap & RGB Charging Stand for $129.98 — so definitely grab your choices together.

You can pick up the KIWI design Battery Head Strap, RGB Charging Station, and Knuckle Controller Grips Cover via these respective links.

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