Affordable $45 Headstrap Enhances Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro Headset Experience

The Vision Pro headset is impressive in a multitude of ways, but there’s no denying its Achilles’ heel—comfort. Apple’s penchant for sleek design resulted in a visually appealing device for onlookers, yet it isn’t as comfortable for the wearer as it potentially could be. Thankfully, addressing this issue is relatively straightforward.

Many assessments of Vision Pro’s comfort zero in on its weight, attributing discomfort to its metal construction. However, Vision Pro isn’t drastically heavier than its peers. The Quest 3’s display unit by itself weighs in at 394g, while Vision Pro’s weighs just 81g more, at 475g.

Weight undoubtedly plays a role in how comfortable a headset feels, but the way the headstrap distributes this weight is equally important. Even Meta’s Quest 3, with its standard soft strap, isn’t exactly a pinnacle of comfort. Meta is well aware of this and sells an additional ‘Elite Strap,’ which ups the total weight to 642g, making it heftier than Vision Pro’s 625g with its standard setup.

Interestingly, adding weight with the Elite Strap actually enhances the Quest 3’s comfort. The default ‘Solo Knit Band’ of Vision Pro faces similar comfort criticisms. Apple, acknowledging this, included a ‘Dual Loop Band’ with the headset. While the latter’s top strap aids weight distribution, room for improvement remains.

The irony lies in the fact that the Single Knit Band’s design is truly remarkable—it’s soft, provides a snug fit, and is easily adjustable via a dial on the side. However, using it means missing out on the top strap benefits found in the Dual Loop Band. Ideally, blending these into a unified design would have been perfect.

Fortunately, third-party solutions come to the rescue, offering this integration at a fraction of the cost of any potential Apple-branded elite strap. After testing several aftermarket straps, I discovered one that checked all the right boxes—it melds seamlessly with the Knit Band, allows facepad-free use to cut down on weight, and ensures my eyes are closer to the lenses, thereby widening the field of view.

Enter the ANNAPRO A2 strap for Vision Pro. Priced at $45, it’s practically what Apple should’ve originally provided. After weeks of usage, this strap has dramatically improved the comfort of long sessions with the Vision Pro, turning it into a practical tool for extended use, like working on an ultrawide virtual monitor.

When we received the strap for review, the company generously offered a 10% discount for our readers—just use the code ROADTOVR on Amazon. The ANNAPRO A2 attaches effortlessly to Vision Pro’s design and can pair with either the Knit or Dual Loop band for added support, featuring four different pad sizes for diverse head shapes.

I settled on the 5mm pad, allowing a facepad-free setup that brings the lenses closer to my eyes for a more immersive experience. This setup enhances the augmented reality experience significantly, thanks to a natural open periphery.

Apple’s focus on aesthetics resulted in compromises on comfort, a frequent critique of the Vision Pro. Luckily, these can now be remedied through budget-friendly third-party accessories. The effectiveness of this fix suggests that future versions of the Vision Pro might well incorporate similar solutions from the outset.