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Comment by robg | Hacker News Reader

Quick question: is it comfortable?

I watched a few reviews. Some reviewers say it's not too heavy even after extended periods of time, others say it already gets uncomfortable on the face after 45 minutes with the default head strap. Some say the double head strap is much better, others say it doesn't make a big difference over the normal one.

I don’t notice the weight, and I’ve used mine for at least 4 hours a day since Friday.

For me it was literally painful with the solo loop after less than 20 minutes, whereas with then dual loop it’s absolutely fine.

There are lot of different shaped heads out there.

The big question is how it fits with your face and how sensitive you are to blur. The sweet spot requires precise positioning on your face - which means a tighter pull on the strap to hold it, and more discomfort if it was already uncomfortable.

That’s the main question. And I suspect, the reason why Apple has not pitched that sort of desk setup. I doubt this is comfortable enough to provide a full day, every day usage.

Why I’m asking, feels a bit like the old iPad / desktop shorthand on consumption vs creation. I liked one review that compared Vision Pro to a highend TV, but not convinced it’s worth more than that.

90% of my usage has been watching media. It won’t pair with laptops (haven’t had time to debug) and the eye-based UI isn’t great, and is outright awful when navigating iPad apps that don’t have working highlights. Scroll and tap gestures are amazingly smooth and accurate; it’s frustrating that there aren’t more ways to use that - I need to dig around in accessibility, I suspect…

Yes and no.

In order to get and maintain the best possible clarity, key for text, I have to wear it higher on my face than is comfortable and tighten the strap more than I would prefer.

If I could wear it a little lower or with different supports on my face I could easily spend a full day in it; as it is, I’ve yet to spend more than 4h with it on.

I find the Meta Quest Pro and 3 more comfortable, but the CV1 was the most comfortable. Can’t imagine using those for productivity though; the 3 is _ok_ for text but not stellar, and the pass through mode there is a joke compared to the Vision Pro.

Viture and NReal (XReal now, I guess?) AR glasses don’t compare at all. Vastly more comfortable (if your face isn’t too wide) but tiny FOV and lots of fiddling required to get sharp text, with unavoidable blur at the edges of the screen.

…I guess I’ve been an enthusiast since the Rift Kickstarter?

> …I guess I’ve been an enthusiast since the Rift Kickstarter?

The rift CV1 was really comfortable because there wasn't a whole lot in it. No processing, no battery, no cameras. It was pretty light.

And the strap was not built down to a price and skimped on to upsell the elite straps.

Even the much heavier quest 1 was way more comfortable than the quest 2 and 3. Way better standard strap. So good an elite one wasn't even needed.

True. I have to say I enjoy the 3’s standard strap so far - huge improvement over the 2 - but the elite strap was part of my day one order :)

The original oculus rift cv1 was just so comfortable. I wish someone would get there again.

I have an Xreal Air and don't find it comfortable at all unless I'm laying down. I have to use optical inserts, and it just keeps sliding down my nose all the time. Quest 3 is vastly more comfortable for me, especially with the Elite strap.

Quest Pro, on the other hand, wasn't as comfortable due to the pressure to the forehead...

I'll get my AVP later today, will compare then.

Got LASIK in order to do research on stuff like this. I hated jamming my glasses in between my face and CV1; I can’t imagine the xreal working well with inserts - I have to keep it very close to my face in order for it to function.

Even without the inserts and with contacts it was only marginally usable - it has a very narrow sweet spot and requires precise positioning. Not a big issue when watching movies, but a huge one when mirroring the laptop screen...

How does it compare to XReal for watching movies?

Far, far more usable. You’ve got a much wider FOV and much better head tracking (6DoF vs 3DoF) and that’s before the basic improvements you get from having more resolution to play with.

I thought there was no head tracking on XReal, but simply a 1-to-1 usage of the displays for video, i.e. without any simulated cinema environment around the movie. Which would mean the required FOV and resolution doesn't have to be as large as on a proper VR headset. Though it seems I was mistaken here.

This is largely personal, as everyone’s face/head is different.

Personally, it’s the most comfortable headset I’ve ever used.

Many people recommend the dual loop strap, but I actually love the solo band and find it super comfortable.

Many people are also experimenting with different ways to wear it. For example, I have been wearing mine with no light seal, which increases the FOV and I surprisingly find more comfortable. I think people need time to adapt on how to best wear it, and third party mods will be a thing.

All that said, I wouldn’t want to wear it for 8 hours straight. It will continue to get lighter and more comfortable each generation.

I tried the dual loop and it ended up being more uncomfortable. It's really down to each persons build. For me I couldn't wear without a light seal, my eyebrows would touch the glass, and kinda already do with the normal cushion.

Once you figure out how to get it just right it's pretty easy to stay in it for a lot longer. I went about six hours yesterday without any discomfort (I did get a smudge on the lens and was too stubborn to clean it).

Most reviews have said it's noticeable after a few hours, which is ok since the battery only lasts for 2.5 hours or so.

That’s a movie though, not work. And taking it off for a lunch or snack break, does the user feel sore putting it back on? Is the 3rd or 4th session of the day so uncomfortable as to be limiting for an 8 hour work day?

I think a recliner set up could work. In that position you can wear it all day.

I'm disappointed by how shallow even "in depth" reviews are that they don't mention this. A reclined position basically eliminates weight and balance issues. Additionally, using a traditional monitor in a reclined position is very difficult.

For Meta's Quest headsets, third party manufacturers sell solid "halo" head straps, which are much more comfortable by distributing the weight mostly on top of the head instead of just pressing the headset to the face. Basically imitations of Sony's PlayStation VR.

The top manufacturer is BoboVR, but they obviously haven't yet made one for the Vision Pro.

I don't get why Meta and Apple don't include this as the default, given that it's obviously the optimal solution. Then again, at least Apple even used a heavy and unnecessary metal frame in the headset, so ergonomics clearly isn't their top priority.

On the bright side, the AVP's "Lightning-like" connector for the arms means that it's at least theoretically possible for third parties to design whatever mounting hardware people want.

> Additionally, using a traditional monitor in a reclined position is very difficult.

A monitor isn’t much of an issue, just use a VESA mount. Keyboarding is more difficult in a reclined position, unless you can use it fully blind.

testing lying down as we speak. Much more comfortable. The killer market for this device is business airline travel.

I'll admit that air travel is the opportunity to read books and watch films that I don't do enough of at home.

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