Among the many companies that make VR accessories for headsets like the Oculus Quest 2, KIWI Design is one of the most recognizable and revered. The company has been making great VR products for years, and its latest round of Quest 2 accessories proves that the company still has an edge over the competition in many ways. I've been using these Quest 2 accessories from KIWI for several weeks now and break down which ones you absolutely must buy.
KIWI Quest 2 facial interface review
All new Oculus Quest 2 headsets might ship with a simple silicone face cover — and existing Quest 2 owners can request one — yet most face pads for VR headsets, in general, suffer from one big problem: lens fogging. So whether it's midwinter and your lenses are fogging up because they're cold, or it's the end of August, and the heat and humidity are the culprits for foggy lenses, the result is the same. Thankfully, KIWI's facial interface solves this problem no matter the season.
The secret is in the vents. KIWI went above and beyond with its facial interface design by adding four vents to what has become a rather traditional removable facial interface design. Between the connectors and the pad, you'll find two vents on the top and two vents in identical locations on the bottom of the interface housing. These vents allow heat to escape from the top and allow fresh air to circulate up from the underside.
The result is the most comfortable, fog-free facial interface I've ever used on any VR headset. Better yet, because of KIWI's placement of the velcro pads that the actual pad uses to affix to the interface itself, you can swap out several different kinds of pads that might fit your personal needs better. I tried out some of the pads available from VR Cover, and they worked admirably, although the lower velcro locations are best suited for KIWI's own pads.
The only real downside to this replacement is the noseguard, which lets in a noticeable amount of light for me. Swapping out the pad that ships with the interface helped a lot, which is ironic since other pads won't fit perfectly into the nose portion of KIWI's design. That negative barely registers on the scale, though, especially given how well the vents work. It's the best Quest 2 face cover for a reason.
Pros:
- Super comfortable
- Prevents lenses from fogging
- Easy to change out pads
- Can use pads from other manufacturers
Cons:
- Minor light bleed from the nosepiece
Keep fog away
KIWI's excellent facial interface replacement for the Quest 2 is not only comfortable but actually prevents lenses from fogging up.
KIWI Quest 2 elite strap review
If you've used an Oculus Quest 2 for any length of time, you'll know one of the worst parts of the headset design is the cloth strap it ships with. While the comfort level highly depends on the size and shape of your head, as well as whether you've got long or short hair, the strap remains one of the least sanitary parts of the entire headset if you're someone using the Quest 2 as a way to work out regularly.
KIWI's Quest 2 elite strap takes some design cues from the failed official Elite Strap from Oculus and improves upon them in meaningful ways. First off, the construction of KIWI's elite strap, overall, is much sturdier than the one from Oculus. In addition, the plastic is thicker without feeling heavier, and the strap itself is quite a bit thicker, helping to keep those snapping issues at bay.
Second, KIWI added an extra hinge near the front that acts as a double positive. It provides the extra room needed for larger over-the-ear headphones and allows more adjustment points for different head sizes and shapes. The PlayStation Gold headphones I prefer to use for VR don't normally fit well on other elite straps, but they work quite nicely here.
Plenty of padding on the top and back helps cushion and better distribute the weight of the headset, helping to put more weight on the back of the head and relieving the weight off of the cheekbones. The removable pad on the back is made of the same PU-leather material that many face pads are — including the one above — and can be easily wiped down or swapped out at will. It also can be adjusted to cradle the back of the cranium or sit further up, depending on your personal comfort.
The KIWI elite strap adjusts in two main places. First, the wheel on the back of the head rotates to adjust the length of the straps, making it effortless to put on and remove. Secondly, the padded strap up top helps vertically adjust where the pad sits at the back of the skull, working in conjunction with the middle strap hinge to better fit all sorts of head shapes and sizes.
Pros:
- Easily removable and washable padding
- Extremely comfortable
- Better distributes the weight of the headset
- Secondary hinge allows for granular angle adjustment
- Most headphones fit
- Stronger construction than the official Elite Strap
Cons:
- Some very large over-ear headphones might not fit
Better than the official one
KIWI's elite strap isn't just stronger than the official Oculus Elite Strap; it's also more comfortable and easy to clean, too.
KIWI Quest 2 knuckle grips with battery opening review
In the Oculus world, there's no shortage of controller grips and straps to choose from. The Oculus Quest 2 controllers really need that strap to make many VR games more comfortable, and nearly every VR Accessory company makes some kind of grip. KIWI's knuckle grips have long been a favorite of many, but the newly designed grips aim to solve a lingering issue that many grips suffer from: needing to remove the grips in order to change out the battery.
KIWI's new knuckle grips have a weighted flap the size of the battery compartment that's designed to make it simple to open up, replace the battery, close, and go back to playing. KIWI even has a little plastic tongue that fits underneath the battery, making removal as simple as pulling the tab and dropping a new battery in.
The flap is cut perfectly and fits right into the slot. While there's no locking mechanism, it does have a thick bit of silicone that wedges it into the battery compartment, holding the battery tight and the door closed without making it a chore to open back up. The rest of the grips remain unchanged, including the comfortable and grippy silicone material used for the entire thing.
One complaint I have involves the strap itself, which is too rigid for my liking. If you think a rigid leather-like strap is more your style than the cloth type that other grips use, you'll be pretty happy here. I've had some other folks try these grips, and they liked the feeling, so this is most certainly a preference thing.
The only real issue I found was when trying to use controller halo protectors with these grips, as the hook and eye mechanism used to lock the grips in place is specifically designed to fit the controller with nothing else attached. Since halo protectors add a significant amount of rubberized padding to the rings on the controller, these grips don't fit well with them attached.
Pros:
- Super grippy and sweat resistant
- Wrist straps are easy to adjust
- Design holds them in place without worry
Cons:
- Rigid strap will be uncomfortable for some people
- Doesn't fit with some controller halo covers
Easier to swap out
KIWI's upgraded knuckle grips give you the grip you need without the hassle of having to remove it just to change out the battery.
KIWI Quest 2 VR stand review
While the Oculus Quest 2 can be considered the VR console, it doesn't just sit in a cabinet all day as a console would. Figuring out a good storage solution for your headset can be a bit of a hassle, but KIWI's VR stand makes it easy to quickly and safely store your Quest 2 and display it at the same time.
KIWI uses sturdy plastic on its VR stand, which easily holds the Quest 2 and its controllers without tipping. I found that it easily fits and holds the PSVR, as well, which is a much heavier and bulkier headset. The controller-holding clips underneath rotate 360-degrees and make it easy to hang just about any VR controller you can think of, too. There's even a little eye underneath the headset shelf to hold the charging cables, completing any needs for a simple stand.
KIWI's VR stand comes unassembled in the box, but simple instructions make assembly a quick and painless experience. My only issue is that it's too tall to fit into my entertainment cabinet unless I remove one of the shelves inside. Being able to adjust the height of the stand would have fixed this issue, but the rigid plastic structure makes that impossible.
Pros:
- Sturdy design
- Fits a wide variety of headsets
- Dedicated spot for charging cables
Cons:
- Non-adjustable height
Hold it all
The KIWI VR Stand is perfect for the Quest 2 or any other VR headset you have, thanks to its universal size and swiveling controller arms.
Bottom line
KIWI's latest VR accessories for the Oculus Quest 2 are generally fantastic, solving problems that Quest 2 owners typically have. KIWI's best new Quest 2 accessories are the elite strap — which adds a significant amount of comfort and needed structure to replace the official Oculus Elite Strap or the default cloth straps — and the facial interface replacement, which finally solves the issue of fogged lenses.
If I had to pick one from the list, it would be the facial interface replacement. Aside from comfortable PU-leather padding, this interface finally makes it possible to play Quest 2 games without the lenses fogging up. Anyone who has ever had to deal with this knows how much of a pain the first 10-15 minutes of any play session in the dead of Winter or humid dog days of Summer are. It's one of the best VR accessories I've ever used on any headset, if not the very best ever.
