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Comment by Retra | Hacker News Reader

>Do other people have the same head pain issues as I do?

Anybody who's ever worn a helmet can tell you they are painful. If that problem could be solved, we'd all be wearing helmets while driving our cars. But nobody likes having things strapped to their head (due to pain), so we don't.

I'm curious why you ever thought otherwise? Did all the hype simply override your ability to actually imagine using the product? Seems like the kind of flaw in reasoning to compensate for if people are successfully running businesses off of exploiting it.

But maybe I'm just a semi-vindicated nay-sayer.

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> Anybody who's ever worn a helmet can tell you they are painful.

I've been riding bicycles with a helmet on my head for 15 years, sometimes with a ride as long as 5-6 hours, and not once have I ever felt a single bit of pain on my head from a helmet. Perhaps some initial discomfort while trying to get the strap to click in, but certainly no pain while using the helmet. The situation isn't comparable.

Edit: In fact, I would suggest that I consider most of my bike helmets to actually be comfortable overall.

> I'm curious why you ever thought otherwise?

First, I never claimed I thought that VR wouldn't hurt. Second, I had absolutely no knowledge of the products physical features when purchasing, as the units I purchased in store were in a box, and the Daydream I bought online.

I do not regret the purchases simply because they hurt to use. I'm glad I bought them so that I can be a part of this VR experiment and see what all the fuss is about. Trying out VR has helped me understand the industry and where its painpoints are (literally) and I'm glad of that. I also expect the state of VR to improve over time and I will definitely try it again in the future.

Well... I was thinking more of armored helmets, but I suppose I didn't say that. Armored helmets are pretty bad, due to the extra weight. A foam helmet is comparatively tolerable.

>I'm glad I bought them so that I can be a part of this VR experiment and see what all the fuss is about.

The 'fuss' is hype. If you wanted to invest, you probably should have gave your money away in exchange for stock shares or something. Otherwise, the 'fuss' is just no-strings attached money for a disappointment-by-design product.

> Anybody who's ever worn a helmet can tell you they are painful.

I have a motorbike and wear my helmet about two hours every day, longer if I take a trip on it. It has never been painful.

It's snug and it can feel a bit weird the first few times (specially around the ears), but if you use a helmet and it hurts, I'd definitely get another helmet (hint: different brands have slightly different shells, so maybe try a few different makes).

I also have a GearVR and it took ages fiddling with the straps to get a comfortable fit. I can't use it for long, but it has nothing to do with pain: The phone I use gets very hot and it's so close to the eyes that gets uncomfortable. Also, the lenses fog up.

> Also, the lenses fog up.

If you get fogging at the beginning of the session, that dissipates later, try putting the headset without the phone on top of your head for a few minutes before you start using it. You can spend this time downloading updates or new things to try or just goofing off. It will allow the lenses to come closer to your body temperature so moisture from your breath doesn't condense on them anymore.

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