I can't put my Meta Quest 3 down thanks to this VR accessory — and now I can't imagine playing without it

As much as I adore my Meta Quest 3, it comes with a few limitations that stop me from heading into VR for hours on end. And, specifically to that point, that's why head strap accessories with batteries have become so essential to me — and this Kiwi Design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap is easily one of the best around.

With its soft, silicone facial pads for all-around ventilation, an additional near-3 hours of battery life with a fast, dual-charging system and its easily adjustable design, the H4 battery head strap is one of the best Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S accessories I've ever used.

And its price plays a huge part in this, too. Even at its full cost of $99 / £79, it's still more affordable than the Meta Quest Elite Strap with battery ($129/£129) and nearly matches another popular head strap, the BoboVR S3 Pro at $89 /£76. The thing is, I've seen the H4 Boost Halo be discounted more often than not, and as of writing, it's down to $79 / £64.

Is it a tad heavier than your average VR head strap? Sure, and I didn't get much use out of the adjustable velcro strap up top. But it's hard to beat that price, especially for an accessory that takes untethered VR gaming up a level in comfort and game time on Quest 3 and 3S headsets.

It's a simple accessory, in the grand scheme of VR headsets, but the Kiwi Design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap should be a must for those who often have their Meta Quest 3 or 3S headset on to play games or watch shows, as I'm happily gaming in VR with it far more than without it.

Kiwi Design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? A comfortable head strap with battery for Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S.
• Who is it for? Quest 3 or 3S owners looking for a more comfy head strap and want to be in VR for longer without being tethered by a cable.
• What does it cost? The Kiwi Design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap is $99 in the U.S. and £79 in the U.K. However, it's best to get it at a discount (around $79/£64).
• What do we like? Its extremely comfortable design and ease of adjustability, its additional battery life, dual-charging system and affordable price.
• What don’t we like? While not deal-breakers, it may feel slightly heavy for some, and the top strap isn't too useful.

Kiwi Design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap: Specs

Kiwi Design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap: The ups

If you've only used the head strap that comes attached to the Meta Quest 3, you'll get a great kick out of the Kiwi Design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap. As soon as you put it on, you'll notice its supreme comfort, and once you get playing, you'll realize just how much longer you can keep it on.

VR, extended

At a push, I can only use my Meta Quest 3 for just over two hours before its battery goes kaput. Generally, it's just enough time to enjoy some arcade-style games like Pistol Whip or watch an episode or two on Netflix, but it isn't nearly enough for the high-profile games I mainly play.

From Batman: Arkham Shadows offering 15 hours to complete everything to the gargantuan length of Asgard's Wrath 2 that can easily be well over 60 hours, the Quest 3's battery doesn't cut it. That's not even mentioning how these games will zap battery faster, and it taking over 2 hours to to charge the VR headset to full.

That's where the H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap truly shines. Just plug the attached cable into the Quest's USB-C slot, and you're good to go. Equipped with a 5,300 mAh battery capacity, the head strap adds nearly 3 hours of battery life to the Quest 3, meaning I can keep punching or shooting (or simply exploring) my way through VR worlds for up to 5 hours — sometimes over this for less-demanding apps.

Since getting the H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap, I've been making my way through Arizona Sunshine 2. Popping zombie heads is a fun time, and there's great momentum in the hordes of enemies you encounter throughout the campaign. Now, instead of needing to charge the headset just as I was getting in tune with the zombie-slaying mayhem, I can keep on playing without worrying about how much time I have left.

This is also true when using other features, like linking the Meta Quest with a Windows 11 PC. Sure, when sitting down next to a laptop, it's easy to have the Quest plugged in while using it, but not being tethered by a cable offers a bit more freedom of movement.

Another key aspect is the head strap's DualFast Power Charing, which simultaneously charges the H4 Boost and the Quest 3. With a 45W charger, both devices get 22.5W each, and I found that it takes just over two hours to fully charge them. In the time it takes to charge the Quest 3 alone, you're getting double the battery life with the H4 Boost attached.

With the extended battery life, I'm picking up my headset and playing far more frequently, as the limited cutoff point without the H4 Boost isn't plaguing my mind anymore.

Upgraded comfort

With the extended play sessions, comfort is essential, and the H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap delivers it in spades.

With oval-shaped silicone face pads with a soft cushion on the front and rear, the head strap feels incredibly comfortable on my head. And, as a bald man, I can really feel textures on my scalp, so believe me when I say it's comfy.

What I enjoy the most is how the front pad, which is placed right on your forehead, takes the pressure and weight off the Quest 3's facial interface, meaning the H4 Boost alleviates the weight and pressure that's usually around the eyes.

That distribution of weight makes gaming for longer sessions far more comfortable, and I didn't notice any irritations on my face as I usually would after wearing the normal Quest 3 head strap after a couple of hours.

While it doesn't look it, the design offers plenty of ventilation, too, as I wasn't tightly strapped to the Quest 3's facial interface thanks to the pads. Overall, the H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap is the way to go if you're after more comfort while in VR, and is probably what Meta should look into when making head straps. In fact, with the H4 Boost attached, it looks and feels far more like a PSVR 2.

An adjustable fit

Finding the right fit for a VR headset can be tricky, especially when you're constantly taking it on and off. But the H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap makes it easy, with dials on the front and back that adjust alignment and tightness, respectively.

While putting it on the first time, I only had to adjust the headset once to find a comfortable fit. The rear dial offers a range of room while the front makes sure it's at the right height. It's clear this head strap accommodates all types of head shapes, and it doesn't take long to find the right fit.

The side panels are also easily adjustable, allowing the headset to move up and down at an angle. I used this to make putting on or taking off the Quest 3 easier without needing to adjust the fit every time I used it. It's a simple yet effective design choice to allow more flexibility in the head strap without it feeling so rigid.

Kiwi Design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap: The downs

The Kiwi Design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap barely gets anything wrong, but there is an oddity and one understandable shortcoming that I found. That said, these are far from being any real pain points.

Do you need this?

With how effective the dials are at finding the perfect fit and how comfortable the facial pads lay on my head, I couldn't figure out what the top velcro head strap was for. Of course, this could just be because of the shape of my head, but at no point did I feel the need to adjust or touch the top head strap.

The hook part of the strap is tiny, meaning it only goes so far until it can't attach to the loop side of the velcro. But I didn't need to tighten this part anyway, as that's what the dials are for. Instead, it just looked like a floppy bit of strap on top of my head.

I mean, not that looks will matter to most (let's be real, we all look kind of dorky with a VR headset on). But a more stable material could have been used in its place, but that's just me nit-picking.

A (slight) burden

Compared to a normal VR head strap, the H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap is obviously going to be heavier seeing as it packs an actual battery in it. This isn't by much, seeing as the strap weighs just 15.7 ounces (0.9 pounds), but it may feel a tad heavier on the head after a few hours.

It packs more weight than Meta's own Elite Strap with battery (11.6 ounces), and because of its heavier status, users may find it to be a little more unwieldy during gameplay sessions that demand more movement.

That said, thanks to the secure fit, I never felt like I had lifted a chunk of weight off me anytime I took it off, and I would barely notice it when playing around in VR. Still, it's something worth noting, especially if you prefer virtually no weight on your head aside from the Quest 3 or 3S themselves.

Kiwi Design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap: Verdict

Unlike, say, a PS5, the Meta Quest 3 and 3S seem more like devices that require accessories to make the most of them, and the Kiwi Design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap made me realize this.

Not only does it provide a more comfortable fit when you're gearing up for a long gaming session, but it also allows that "long gaming session" to happen thanks to its additional battery life and smart, fast charging system.

I can get over the redundant top strap and slightly heaver-than-most weight, especially when it's way more affordable than Meta's own battery head strap and even beats its competition in the third-party Quest accessory space at a discount.

With more and more excellent Meta Quest games arriving on the VR headset, and many that require more than just 2 hours of battery to actually make a dent in, do yourself a favor and jump on the H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap. If you're anything like me, it will make you want to use your VR headset far more often.