Malcolm Owen
A medical vendor with decades of experience making medical-grade head gear has revealed a new strap to make the Apple Vision Pro hugely more comfortable.
Like other headsets, the Apple Vision Pro can become uncomfortable to wear over time, and part of that is due to the strap supplied with it. It has led to a cottage industry of accessory producers creating their own more comfortable versions.
On Thursday, ResMed stepped into the market with its own Kontor Head Strap. This is not its first headstrap attempt when it comes to headsets, but it is ResMed's first for the Apple Vision Pro.
ResMed is best known for creating medical devices for treating diseases such as sleep apnea and COPD. This includes making masks that are used with devices like CPAP machines, designed to be comfortable enough to be worn overnight as the user sleeps.
Using this background in producing headgear for medical purposes, ResMed has come up with a design intended to make using the Apple Vision Pro as comfortable as possible.
The Kontor Head Strap uses a combination of materials exclusive to ResMed so it is gentle to the skin, while also maintaining support. It also used the data from thousands of 3D head and facial scans to develop the strap so it will be as universally usable as possible.
To help extend the wear-time for users, there's also a collection of included modular counterweights, intended to balance the front-heavy headset.
"Over the last 35 years, our team has constantly pushed the innovation boundaries to create life-changing health technologies that people love," ResMed chief product officer Justin Leong. "With our deep knowledge in engineering head-worn products, we are excited to bring our expertise to designing lightweight and comfortable facial interfaces to the Apple Vision Pro community through the Kontor Head Strap."
Two sizes of head strap are being made available, with the standard designed for users of the medium or large Dual Loop Band, while the small size is meant for those using the small Dual Loop Band.
Set to be sold via the Apple Online Store in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, the Kontor Head Strap is priced at $119.95.
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6 Comments
Interesting that part of solution is to add weight (to the back). I wouldn't be surprised if Apple considered that but was "scared off" by the flack they would get if the headset were any heavier. They certainly could have used a battery for the extra weight rather than just dead weight.
I find the need to pay for a 3rd party workaround a bit irritating. I purchased the Belkin head strap add-on ($50) and it does, indeed, reduce some of the pressure on the nasal bridge but it annoys me to have had to shell out an extra $50 on top of the $3500+ that I paid for the VisionPro to deal with a design failure on Apple's part. Frankly, Apple should just have sent out the head strap to each of its early adopters.
I would like to also point out something about the wording of the headline on this post - "gets more comfortable" doesn't mean that it's comfortable to use. It's just less uncomfortable than before. I use my VisionPro maybe once every month or two simply to see if Apple has released any new immersive content. I've watched two or three movies on the VisionPro and the discomfort after two hours is just not worth it. The future potential is amazing but you have to have a really, really good reason to use it now.
They found a way to make it look even less cool.
I’ve used ResMed CPAP headgear 365 nights each year for over a decade. No complaints except for the price, most of which is covered by health insurance. Hopefully these are adjustable to compensate for the stretchy bits getting slacker over extended use because of their softness.
There goes my hairdo! 😢