Monday, 22 April 2024

Best Quest 3 Accessories: Carrying Cases, Straps, Controller Grips & More

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Searching for the best Meta Quest 3 accessories? Here's what you need to know.

Meta's latest headset is just getting started and if you're looking to pick up a Quest 3, you've likely got your eye on at least one of the many accessories being offered. Between carrying cases, headset straps, earbuds and prescription lenses, there's much to consider.

Before we begin, it's worth noting what Quest 3 includes out of the box. Every headset comes with a standard black facial interface, two Touch Plus controllers with two AA batteries already inserted, a 1m Type-C charging cable and a Type-C charging plug socket adapter.

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Previously, we rounded up the Quest 3 accessories available at launch but we've since gone hands-on with different options and are confident in providing our recommendations. Alongside Meta's official accessories, expect more third-party options from companies over time, some of whom are included in the 'Made For Meta' program. We'll revisit them as more become available.

To keep this list varied with price, purpose and quality, we've included multiple options on each segment while highlighting our preferred choices. Accessories are never a one-size-fits-all choice, so we're aiming to account for personal preferences.

For now, here's our round-up of the best Quest 3 accessories currently available:

Best Quest 3 Head Straps

Best Quest 3 accessories - Quest 3 KIWI Design Comfort Head Strap
KIWI Design Comfort Head Strap

Different head shapes mean the standard default strap won't be the best option for many people. Just like with Quest 2, Meta has released a sturdier 'Elite Strap' with a click wheel behind for tightening. We've found the Elite Strap to once again be the more comfortable option for longer sessions, though our Quest 3 review notes that the default strap was good enough for roughly an hour of use.

While it's a more comfortable option, that doesn't necessarily mean the official Elite Strap is the best pick. We've found its lower positioning compared to the default strap means it can bunch up longer hair around your ears.

Previously, the ZyberVR Head Strap was our top choice since it adds memory foam padding to the top strap, a 60° adjustable hinge and costs nearly half the price. However, we've since found the KIWI Design Comfort Head Strap to be slightly more comfortable and of similar build quality, only it’s easier to connect the rear headrest. We also found the APEXINNO Comfort Head Strap offered a decent alternative for its price, though the build quality is slightly lower.

Just be aware that official Quest 2 Elite Straps aren't compatible with Quest 3 headsets. If you bought a BOBOVR M2 Head Strap, the company has developed a retrofit kit to make that compatible with Quest 3. Similarly, KIWI Design also released a conversion kit. If you're seeking a battery head strap for some extra charge, more details on that further down.

Quest 3 Head Straps

Best Quest 3 Battery Head Straps

Best Quest 3 accessories - KIWI Design Comfort Battery Strap
KIWI Design Comfort Battery Strap for Quest 3

With roughly 2-3 hours of battery life on Quest 3, depending on usage, a head strap with a built-in battery pack may prove tempting over a standard elite strap. Since launch, we've been testing Meta's official option and while reviewing Assassin's Creed Nexus, it provided roughly 90-120 minutes of extra charge. The downside is that it's very pricey at $130 and only holds 2300mAh capacity.

So far, our top recommendation is the KIWI Design SPC Battery Head Strap. For $80, that nearly triples the battery capacity at 6400mAh capacity. It also includes adjustable hinges and significantly comfier padding for the top strap and rear headrest than the official option.

Elsewhere, Bobovr's M3 Pro comes a close second, having impressed us with similar comfort and a removable battery pack with a smaller 5200mAh capacity. We also liked the Annapro Battery Head Strap with 6500mAh capacity and similar strap comfort, though the build quality is slightly less impressive.

Quest 3 Battery Head Straps

Best Quest 3 Carrying Case

Best Quest 3 Accessories - Annapro Carrying Case For Quest 3
Annapro Carrying Case For Quest 3

For a portable standalone headset, chances are you'll want a Quest 3 carrying case to take your new headset on the go or simply keep it safe at home. The official carrying case is a nice option, though it's also quite expensive. Our top recommendation is the Annapro Carrying Case for Quest 3, which comfortably fits your headset even when using a third-party head strap.

If you're looking for a more lightweight option, we've found storing your Quest 3 inside these microfiber bags is an effective method. We've also tried Aukiba's Quest 3 case, which uses a sturdy shell but isn't the most secure fit for your headset.

Best Quest 3 Charging Dock

Quest 3 accessories - Quest 3 charging dock
Quest 3 charging dock

If you're after specific Quest 3 charging docks, Meta's official option is a great choice that comes with rechargeable batteries for your Touch Plus controllers. Our review praised it for "its impressive design and convenience" but considered it hard to justify the high asking price of $130 unless you plan on using your Quest 3 regularly.

The RGB Vertical Charging Stand from KIWI Design presents a cheaper option. Costing $80, this places your Quest controllers in two grips and an adjustable magnetic connector for charging. It's a fine alternative that doesn't include rechargeable batteries (you can always buy them separately) but the sleek design and wireless charging means we prefer the official dock.

If all you're looking for is a headset stand that doesn't charge your Quest 3, the AMVR VR Stand offers a much cheaper alternative. There's also the ZyberVR Quest 3 Sky Tower Charging Dock, which we've yet to go hands-on with.

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Best Quest 3 Face Cover

Best Quest 3 accessories - Quest 3 face cover
Apexinno VR Silicone Face Pad Cover For Quest 3

For anyone buying Quest 3 with fitness in mind, you should consider picking up a silicone face cover. That's not because the standard face cover isn't comfortable, though. Unfortunately, it's made of cloth and will absorb sweat pretty quickly. A silicone cover makes your headset easier to keep clean but at $40, Meta's official option is pricey.

For $9.99, we recommend Apexinno's Silicone Face Pad, which does the same job and remains comfortable for a much lower price. We also found an agreeable option with the APEXINNO Facial Interface and Annapro's Silicone Face Pad, the latter of which comes bundled with controller grips. VR Cover also sells disposable covers in packs of 25 or 50 covers, starting from $10.

Best Quest 3 Prescription Lenses

Best Quest 3 accessories - Zenni Prescription Lenses
Zenni Prescription Lenses for Quest 3

Unlike Quest 2, no glasses spacers are required but prescription lenses may still be preferable. For Quest 3, Meta is officially partnering with Zenni via the Made for Meta program. Costing $50, Zenni's option comes with anti-scratch, anti-reflective, water-resistant and oil-resistant coatings. Microfiber cloth and a carrying case are also included.

Cheaper alternatives like VR Rock offers lenses from $25 onwards, though additions like anti-glare cost extra. VR Optician also sells protective and prescription lenses, offering similar perks and prism corrections to assist with double vision. However, that retails for a much higher price.

So far, we're impressed with Zenni's option. Our writers found them to be a great option that easily clicks into place and choosing prescription lenses means you won't risk scratching your glasses against the Quest 3 lenses. Should you wish to protect your lenses from sunlight, third-party covers are also available. We'd also suggest microfibre cloths for keeping them clean.

Prescription Lenses

Lens Covers

Best Quest 3 Earbuds or Headphones

Best Quest 3 accessories - Soundcore VR P10 gaming earbuds
Soundcore VR P10 Earbuds

While you can use any bluetooth headphones or earbuds with Quest 3 – alongside 3.5mm wired headphones – Bluetooth's inherent latency issues mean wireless bluetooth sets usually won't work well in VR. So, you're better off looking for 3.5mm headphones or ones with a USB-C dongle.

Meta's partnered with Razer with its Made for Meta program for a Quest version of the noise-cancelling 'Hammerhead HyperSpeed' earbuds. You can use the USB-C dongle for a 2.4GHz wireless connection or Bluetooth. However, Razer's option isn't available until later this year, though PlayStation and Xbox branded versions are.

For now, we'd recommend the Soundcore VR P10 Earbuds. It's a comfortable and completely wireless option that plugs into the Quest 3's USB-C port through a dongle and comes with a rechargeable case. That's improved further by the dongle including a passthrough USB-C port, so you can still charge your headset simultaneously.

Best Quest 3 accessories - PC VR link cable from Syntech
Syntech 5m Link Cable

The Quest 3 comes with a 1-metre USB-C-to-USB-C charging cable but if you're planning to play PC VR games through Quest Link, that simply isn't enough. If your WiFi isn't strong enough for Air Link or Virtual Desktop and you'd prefer an alternative, we'd recommend buying a 5m/16ft cable to avoid limiting your movement.

There isn't an official Quest 3 Link Cable yet, though the Quest 2 Link Cable works. However, that's another pricey choice at $79. Our personal pick right now is the third-party Syntech 5m Link Cable, which performs just as well and costs less than half the official option does.

Best Quest 3 External Battery Pack

Not everyone wants to use a head strap with a built-in battery pack to keep your Quest 3 charged. Comfortable weight distribution will differ depending on who you ask and to compensate for this, some people are instead using external battery packs to place that weight elsewhere.

So far, we've seen more standardized external batteries alongside more wearable designs for your belt and neck. Our writers have also found it comfortable using an Anker Prime while placing it inside this sling bag. Apps and games drain the battery at varying rates, so we'd recommend an external battery with a 30W minimum charge to keep your Quest 3 running.

Other Quest 3 Accessories

Best Quest 3 accessories - Quest 3 headset and Touch Plus controllers
Quest 3 headset and Touch Plus controllers

While we've aimed to make this list as comprehensive as possible, there are a few types of Quest 3 accessories that come down to personal preference. We can't say Meta's blue Quest 3 facial strap is better than orange when they otherwise function identically, and that's also true for shell covers.

We've also included accessory types that we haven't directly tried yet in this section, namely gunstocks and controller grips. We're not prepared to recommend these until we've gone hands-on, so those categories may move into the main section at a later date. For now, here's everything else you can find for Quest 3 accessories.

Quest 3 Controller Grips and Straps

Best Quest 3 accessories - Meta Quest 3 Active Straps
Meta Quest 3 Active Straps

The Touch Plus controllers for Quest 3 include a basic strap as standard, letting you securely place them around your wrists so they don't go flying. Effective but no thrills. Meta has premium 'Active Straps' available, while some third-party like AMVR are introducing silicone grip covers.

So far, we've only tested two options - the Knuckle Controller Grips from KIWI Design and Annapro Controller Grips, so we'd like to try more options before providing an official top recommendation. While we enjoyed using both and found the quality to be similar, we consider Annapro's option to be the better value pick since it also includes a silicone face pad cover.

As a reminder, the Touch Pro controllers are also compatible with Quest 3, so you may want to consider using those if you own a Quest Pro. However, buying them separately costs an extra $300, nearly half as much as the 512GB Quest 3 headset alone.

Quest 3 Facial Straps & Face Covers

Best Quest 3 accessories - blood orange facial strap
Quest 3 Blood Orange facial strap

Beyond the standard black bundled with your Quest 3, Meta only officially offers blue and orange cloth straps for an extra cost. Presently, these colors are not available for the Elite Straps so if you really want to brighten up your headset, you may have to compromise. Otherwise, VR Cover also sells cloth face covers.

Quest 3 Shell Covers

Best Quest 3 accessories - Kuject Silicone Shell Cover
Kuject Silicone Shell Cover for Quest 3

Not a fan of the white Quest 3 design? Alongside the colored facial interfaces, some third-party companies are also making face covers. So far, we've only seen a handful and we haven't tried any of these directly.

Quest 3 Gunstock

Onward On Oculus Quest
Onward

Looking for a gun attachment for your Touch Pro controllers? We've not seen many yet beyond ProTubeVR. On Quest 3, they have a few options currently available.

Miscellaneous Quest 3 accessories

Best Quest 3 Accessories - Official Walkabout Grip-to-Putter VR
HelloReal Walkabout Mini Golf Putters

Some Quest 3 accessories simply don't fit into one neat little category, so we wanted to ensure those were also accounted for. From Beat Saber to Walkabout Mini Golf accessories, here's what we've found so far.

Interested in the best Quest 2 accessories instead? Check out our previous recommendations below:

Best Quest 2 Accessories: Carrying Cases, Head Straps & More
Looking for ways to improve your VR experience on Oculus Quest 2? Here’s our list of the best Quest 2 accessories for Autumn 2021, including carrying cases, head straps and more. Oculus Quest 2 is one of the hottest VR headsets available on the market right now. Out of
Harry Baker

Disclaimer: When you purchase items through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission from those sales. All prices listed on this page are for the RRP but items may be on sale when checked.

Update notice: this article was first published on October 10, 2023. We updated this list on November 23, 2023, January 1, 2024 and April 22 to update our recommendations and include newly announced accessories.

Are you an accessory maker who would like your product to be considered for this article? Please email tips@uploadvr.com or use our Contact Us page to get in touch.



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