I’ve owned the Meta Quest 3 since launch day and I’ve spent many hours enjoying all that it has to offer. Whilst it’s a great headset, it has two main drawbacks. The default head strap is mediocre at best, and the battery life is too short. I’ve been testing a 3rd party battery strap for the Quest 3 from YOGES VR that aims to improve comfort and prolong the battery life to see if it is a suitable alternative.
I purchased the official Quest 3 Elite Battery Strap when I bought my Quest 3, and it does a great job of improving comfort and prolonging the battery life, but it’s very expensive. When YOGES VR sent me their Quest 3 battery strap to test, I really hoped that it would do a similar or better job than the official strap, at a much more wallet-friendly price.
After testing the YOGES Q12 Battery Strap for Quest 3 over the last week, I’ve been impressed with the performance, and I’m confident that it is a good option to consider if you want to improve the comfort and battery life of your Quest 3.
It currently costs $63.99 and can be purchased from Amazon or the YOGES VR website. This compares to the official Elite Battery Strap which costs $129.99. I was sent the YOGES VR battery strap for free but I have not been paid to write this article and YOGES VR has had no input beyond sending me the product.
First Impressions Of The YOGES Q12 Battery Strap For Quest 3
The YOGES VR Q12 Battery Strap for Quest 3 feels solid and well-built, and the overall design is similar to the official Elite Battery Strap. The side arms are made of a slightly textured, matt plastic that feels really robust, and the battery casing is made of a shinier, smooth plastic. The quality of the materials doesn’t feel quite as good as the official battery strap, but it feels like a well-made accessory nonetheless.
The side arms are flexible and clip firmly onto the Quest 3. There is a little bit of lateral flex once the head strap is attached, but minimal vertical flex, and once the head strap is on your head and tightened, it feels really secure and comfortable.
The top strap feels soft and flexible and has velcro to adjust the fit. There is a thick PU leather cushion integrated into the top strap that is much more comfortable than the official Elite Strap.
The rear head support consists of a firm plastic ring with a thick PU leather cushion mounted on top of it. This feels fantastic to wear and is a much more comfortable option than the silicone head support of the official Elite strap. I’ve written a separate review of the official Quest 3 Elite Strap With Battery.
The battery is situated behind the rear head support, enclosed in a hard plastic case. There is a USB-C port at the top, with four power-indicator LEDS directly underneath, followed by the fit adjustment wheel below this, and a power button below this.
The power button has four blue LEDs that light up or flash in different patterns to show how much charge remains in the battery strap. Although there is no screen to show the exact battery percentage, the indicator LEDs will tell you how much battery you have left within a few percentage points.
The USB-C port at the top is used to connect the battery strap to your Quest 3, via a black USB-C cable with a 90-degree connector at each end that comes included in the box. There is also a velcro cable management strap included so that you can attach the cable to the side arm of the battery strap and keep the cable looking tidy.
The headstrap is adjusted by turning an adjustment wheel that is situated at the back of the headstrap. This has a ratchet mechanism when tightening and each incremental tightening of the strap comes with a satisfying click. Loosening the adjustment wheel is smooth and makes no noise. The tightening increments are very tiny, allowing for precise fitting.
The ample cushioning of the rear head support also helps to ensure a tight but comfortable fit. The cushion compresses into your head as you tighten the strap, ensuring that you can get precisely the fit you want.
The main plastic parts of the head strap and the adjustment wheel are made of smooth and slightly shiny plastic, and this means that the adjustment wheel can be a little slippy at times when you try to tighten the head strap. Although there are grooves on the adjustment wheel, I found that I had to grip it quite firmly to turn it to avoid my hand slipping.
The YOGES Q12 Quest 3 Battery Strap comes with a 5000mAh battery, which is significantly more than the official Elite battery strap, which only has a capacity of 2293 mAh. The official battery strap has an output of 5V at 2.4A, for a maximum power draw of 12W, whereas the YOGES VR battery strap has a power output of 5V at 2A for a maximum power draw of 10W.
We know that the Quest 3 comes with a 19.44Wh battery that is sufficient for about 2 hours of gameplay. The official Elite Strap with Battery extends the battery life by about 90%, resulting in a total battery life of about 3.5 to 4 hours. Based on the specifications, of the YOGES VR Quest 3 battery strap, I should be able to extend the battery life of the Quest 3 by at least 3-4 hours, which is a very welcome boost to the battery life.
Using The YOGES Q12 Battery Headstrap For Meta Quest 3
I’ve been using the YOGES VR Battery Strap for Quest 3 for multiple hours every day over the last week and I’ve been really happy with how it has performed. It is definitely more comfortable to use for long periods than the official Elite Battery Strap, largely thanks to the thick PU leather cushions on the top strap and rear head support.
Putting this head strap on and off is easy, and achieving a tight, but comfortable fit is no problem. Unlike the official Elite Strap, I don’t have to adjust the head strap every time I put it on and off, and this is a huge advantage. The official Elite Strap has a silicone rear head support that grips your hair, and pulling the headset off without loosening the head strap is very uncomfortable.
In contrast, the PU leather cushion on the YOGES VR head strap is less curved and slides comfortably on and off the back of your head. This is such a welcome feature, and where possible, is something that I think all head strap manufacturers should aim for. It’s not the end of the world to have to adjust the head strap each time, but it’s just so much more convenient to be able to slide your headset on in a second and instantly feel it secure and comfortable on your head.
I tried some highly energetic fitness games to see how secure the YOGES VR battery strap feels, and I have had no issues whatsoever. It feels at least as secure as the official Elite Strap, and the headset only shifts minimally on your face when you make rapid movements.
The YOGES VR battery head strap looks pretty good, and the design fits in well with the rest of the Quest 3, although the color and materials don’t match perfectly, and the Elite Battery Strap is a clear winner in the aesthetics department, as it just looks and feels like a more premium product.
YOGES Q12 Quest 3 Battery Strap Battery Performance
During my testing, with the YOGES VR battery strap and the Quest 3 starting at 100% battery, I have been able to play for well over 4 hours before the combined batteries run out. This is a little less than I was expecting, but still a little better than when using the official battery strap. The battery life of the Quest 3 generally stays at or close to 100% while the battery strap still has charge, and the lowest that I have seen it dip was down to 84%.
I understand that the Quest 3 does some battery management, so can let the headset battery dip below 100% prior to drawing power from a power source. This was also the case with Quest 2. You can read more about my thoughts on Quest 3 in this article.
One drawback of third-party battery straps for Quest 3 is that you can’t see exactly how much battery is left when wearing the headset. When you access the quick settings menu, you will see the battery indicator showing the percentage remaining and you will notice that there is an indicator showing that the headset is charging. However, you have no idea how much is left in the external battery unless you remove your headset to check the indicator LEDs.
In contrast, the official Elite Battery Strap will show you the exact percentage of battery remaining in the battery strap, as well as the amount of battery left in the headset. This isn’t a deal-breaker by any means, as once the external battery is drained, the charging indicator will disappear, and the internal battery percentage will start dropping, so you’ll still have a warning of at least 90 minutes before you run out of charge.
The YOGES VR battery strap has a maximum power output of only 10W, and this compares to the maximum power use of the Quest 3 of about 12W during intense use. As a result, if you start using your Quest 3 with a very low battery and plug it into the YOGES VR battery strap, the battery in the Quest 3 may continue to drain, despite being connected to a power source.
Although this may be true, in my testing of standalone games, I was not able to achieve a power drain while connected to the battery strap and using the headset. I believe that the power use of the headset can be higher when playing PCVR games, so it is possible that there may be a situation where you need to leave the headset for a short while to boost the onboard battery before using the battery strap.
What I Like About The YOGES VR Battery Headstrap For Meta Quest 3
I’ve been very genuinely impressed with both the design and function of the YOGES VR battery strap for Quest 3. The battery lasts longer and it’s more comfortable than the official battery strap, and it costs less than half the price.
The removable power cable and cable management strap are very welcome, and the indicator LEDs work really well to give you a reasonably accurate idea of how much battery life you have left.
I’m really pleased by the large capacity of the battery in the YOGES Q12 battery strap, as I feel that Meta’s official strap has a slightly disappointing capacity, although I did point out in my review, that four hours of combined battery life is plenty for most people.
I love the PU leather cushions on this battery strap as they are incredibly soft and comfortable, and the overall comfort of this head strap is impressive, surpassing the official Elite Strap.
If the price of the YOGES VR battery strap and the official Elite Battery Strap were equal, it would be tough to decide which to go for. The greater comfort and battery life of the YOGES VR strap are compelling, but the materials and aesthetics definitely aren’t as good. However, at less than half the price of the official strap, I think this is a terrific option.
What I Don’t Like About The YOGES VR Battery Headstrap For Meta Quest 3
There are a number of things that I think YOGES VR should improve for future products. Firstly, the fit adjustment wheel needs to be redesigned. The shape and material make it more difficult to use than it should be. Adding more grip, changing the material, or redesigning it should be a priority. It doesn’t stop you from using the headset, but it is a little irritating.
The power cable is a little bit too long, even when the head strap is set to accommodate the largest head. I would like to see this shortened so that it is long enough to accommodate all head sizes, but not to leave excessive cable. Sure, you can tidy the cable with the velcro strap, but it would look better if the cable was sized better. In addition, Meta’s power cable is white, and I think this looks much better against the color of the side arms, rather than the black cables of the YOGES VR head strap.
The YOGES VR battery head strap is half the price of the official battery strap, but it also looks and feels cheaper. This is partly due to the design, but also due to the materials used. Of course, it’s hard to compete on price without making some sacrifices, but I would like to see improvements in this area in the future to make the aesthetics of their products more comparable with the official accessories.
Although I wasn’t able to recreate the issue, I believe there are situations where the YOGES VR battery strap will not be able to provide the full power requirements of the Quest 3, and this could result in a situation where the headset runs out of power before the battery strap. Whilst this isn’t a major problem currently, it is worth bearing in mind and is something that the company should address in future products.
Should You Buy The YOGES Q12 Battery Headstrap For Meta Quest 3
If you want a battery head strap for your Quest 3 that is really comfortable and can more than double the battery life of your Quest 3, the YOGES Q12 battery strap for Quest 3 should be a contender. It costs less than half the price of the official battery strap while providing greater battery life and better comfort. It definitely doesn’t look or feel as premium as the official strap, but if function and value are your main criteria, then it’s a great option.
The YOGES Q12 battery strap for Quest 3 currently costs $63.99 and can be purchased from Amazon or the YOGES VR website.