There’s a lot to love about the Oculus Quest 2. The standalone, wireless headset is easily the best VR experience for the majority of buyers, packing in solid power, a great screen, and quality games at the fantastic price of $299. But there are a couple of downgrades from the original, pricier Oculus Quest model, and the flimsy strap is chief among them. While certainly usable, the Quest 2’s included fabric strap isn’t particularly effective at keeping the headset firmly and comfortably positioned on your face. Luckily, Quest 2 owners have another option if they’re willing to spend extra cash: the official Oculus Quest 2 Elite Strap. Available on its own for $49 or with a battery pack and carrying case for $129, the Elite Strap is a major improvement and worthwhile pickup for anyone who doesn’t love the original fit. I tested the latter configuration with the integrated battery pack and included case.
Design: A more supportive strap
While the standard Oculus Quest 2 strap is simply made up of fabric bands—one around the back of your head and the other over the top—the Elite Strap is mostly plastic and significantly more supportive. That’s because it helps offset the weight of the visor itself by using the back of your head to securely keep the entire headset in place, thus minimizing its ability to sag or feel heavy on your face. The Elite Strap does this by having a soft plastic, oval-like brace at the back, which gently presses against the back of your head. It’s supported in part by a single fabric strap on the top, but more crucially by a locking mechanism on the back. Unlike the PlayStation VR’s strap, for example, the Quest 2 Elite Strap’s fit wheel doesn’t lock into place and make you press a button to release it from your head when you want out. Instead, you can gradually adjust it until the headset feels snug but comfortable, and freely tighten or loosen it as needed. It stays put. It’s a big upgrade over the normal Quest 2 strap. The original Quest had a simple plastic strap, but it was a step up from what Oculus shipped with the sequel. The Elite Strap represents an improvement upon both standard designs, and it’s one of the best VR headset straps around. It’s secure, easy to use, and comfortable, checking every box on the list. This particular Elite Strap model has a battery pack built into the back part of the strap, within the plastic housing. It doesn’t feel heavy or noticeable, although there must be a weight difference between this version and the standalone, battery-less Elite Strap option. Meanwhile, the included carrying case in this bundle is large enough to fit the entire headset with the Elite Strap, as well as the two Oculus Touch controllers and the charger. The large pill-shaped design is non-traditional for a gadget case, looking like light grey sweatpants and with a wool-like felt texture. The case can be a little awkward to unzip, but it’s functional and roomy enough to hold everything, even if it doesn’t look nearly as cool as what it holds.
Setup Process: Snap it on
Oculus built in a clever strap support system with the Quest 2 that lets you securely and seamlessly attach different kinds of straps. When you remove the standard strap, you’ll be left with these plastic “wings” on either side of the visor, and those snap right into the Elite Strap’s plastic bands to firmly attach it to the visor. Once it’s secured, simply plug the USB-C cable on the side of the Elite Strap into the Quest 2 visor, as this adds power from the battery pack into your total supply. Now you’ll charge the entire headset via the USB-C port beneath the dial on the Elite Strap, which provides power to both the visor and strap batteries.
Comfort: Effective and adjustable
Comfort is one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Elite Strap, and a major reason anyone would consider paying $49 or more for a different strap. Some people might find the Oculus Quest 2’s strap to be perfectly fine, but in my own testing, it was just tolerable: The headset felt heavy and was never as securely fastened in place as I wanted it to be. It was a big step down from the original Quest’s solid, rubberized plastic strap. The Oculus Quest 2 Elite Strap fixes that issue for me, and I can’t imagine anyone will find it to be less comfortable than the standard strap. It’s a clever design that pulls inspiration from previous VR headsets to ably support the weight of the visor, while still allowing for subtle adjustments without needing to take the headset off your dome. It feels great in use, and more importantly, it helps take away some of the friction that bad straps can create, letting you sink further into the immersive illusion.
Battery: Double the uptime
The Oculus Quest 2’s built-in battery lasts only about two hours, and the Elite Strap’s secondary 4,676mAh pack effectively doubles that tally. It adds roughly two more hours of use, meaning you’ll have the freedom to play for much longer sessions and/or charge the headset less often. I haven’t personally had any issue with the Quest 2’s modest battery, as I rarely play VR for more than an hour at a time. However, as more immersive games are released, as people use VR for social interactions, and as you might spend more time watching idle content (like movies) in a virtual reality setting, that extra buffer could come in handy. The Quest 2 sips power from the Elite Strap’s battery first, and as previously mentioned, one USB-C plug charges the whole thing. Granted, there are DIY options out there for boosting the Quest 2’s battery life, including plugging in a portable power bank and either sticking it into your pocket or otherwise affixing it to your body or headset. Depending on the size of the power bank, you could get significantly more uptime from that kind of solution and at a lower cost—but that’s more hassle and it’s a less elegant solution than the official option here.
Price: Not cheap, but it’s worth it
After spending $299 on a VR headset, some might bristle at spending another $49 for a different strap—or $129 for that strap, double the battery life, and a case. However, if the Quest 2’s standard strap isn’t meeting your needs, then the Elite Strap is well worth the extra cash. It eliminates one of the common pain points of the Quest 2 experience, letting you focus more on the VR experience rather than how you’re accessing it. The Quest 2 is already incredibly well-priced for a standalone VR console, and still feels like a great value even if you factor in another $49 for the Elite Strap. Do you need the whole bundle with the battery pack and case, though? If you typically use the Quest 2 in short sessions and don’t mind plugging it in on a regular basis, then probably not. The battery can be a major benefit, particularly if you find yourself sticking around in VR for longer time spans, but that’s not always the case for users. The Elite Strap, in my view, provides the greatest enhancement within this bundle. The case is nice to have, and given that the original official Oculus Quest case sold for $40 on its own, this bundle doesn’t feel overpriced by comparison. Buying the Oculus Quest 2 headset plus this bundle comes out to nearly the same price as buying the original Quest headset ($399) plus its carrying case back when, but now you get double the battery life along with the myriad enhancements of the core Quest 2 hardware.
Oculus Quest 2 Elite Strap vs. Orzero Adjustable Headband for Quest 2
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If your Oculus Quest 2 doesn’t quite fit right, pick up the Elite Strap. It’s a much better-designed strap that securely and comfortably keeps the VR headset in place during use, and is well worth the extra cash. True, you might grimace at the thought of spending more money on something that should’ve come with the standard headset, but the improved experience should ultimately outweigh that frustration. The bundle with the battery pack and carrying case adds further value and is worthwhile if you’re keen on longer play sessions or not needing to charge the headset as often, but the Elite Strap itself is the most essential add-on in this set.
