NIVRANA's battery pack for the Oculus Quest makes the headset more comfortable than not having a pack on at all.
The Oculus Quest and Oculus Quest 2 have a lot of great things going for them, but battery life isn't one of them. Both headsets get between two and three hours of battery life in most situations. This has led to a growing range of battery packs, straps, and attachments to improve the battery life of the popular line of VR headsets.
NIVRANA reached out to me and sent over a NIVRANA Battery Pack for review. While this particular unit was built for the original Oculus Quest, the company has a variant for the Oculus Quest 2 up for preorder that is quite similar. To be completely honest, the version for the original Oculus Quest should work on either headset, and the battery pack for the Oculus Quest 2 looks similar, apart from its color.
The NIVRANA Battery Pack is currently available for $30 from NIVRANA. Preordering the Oculus Quest 2 version costs the same $30.
Comfortable and balanced
NIVRANA Battery Pack for Oculus Quest
Bottom line: This battery pack is well-balanced, comfortable, and adds plenty of juice to your VR headset. I found using it more comfortable than having no battery pack on at all.
Pros:
- Massive 10,000 mAh battery
- Extremely comfortable
- Included wire is a nice length
Cons:
- A bit pricey
NIVRANA Battery Pack for Oculus Quest What I like
The design of the NIVRANA Battery Pack is straightforward and effective. The heart of the setup is a rectangular 10,000 mAh battery pack. It has two USB-A out ports, one that's 5V/2.4A and another that's 5V/3A. It also has a USB-C port that supports both input and output at 5V/2A.
The included cable has USB-C on one side and USB-A on the other, so you can use it to charge the battery pack with it then flip it around to charge the Oculus Quest while playing.
The battery pack supports passthrough charging, so if you'd like, you can charge the battery pack while it charges your headset. I wouldn't recommend that setup though as it'd involve multiple wires. The battery pack is large enough that between it and the headset you should be able to play for quite a while without a plug.
The battery pack sits inside a neoprene or neoprene-esque pouch that snaps closed around the Oculus Quest's head strap. The pouch is smooth and cool to the touch, which makes it quite comfortable to wear. An elastic strap wraps around the battery pack to hold it in place while you jump around.
I found the NIVRANA Battery Pack to be surprisingly comfortable. It isn't too heavy at 240g, but it counterbalances the front-heavy Oculus Quest beautifully. Strictly in terms of comfort, I actually prefer using the NIVRANA Battery Pack to not having a battery pack at all. Add in the fact that it has a massive battery, and it's a winner in my book.
NIVRANA Battery Pack for Oculus Quest What I dislike
There's not much to dislike about the NIVRANA Battery Pack. My biggest complaint is that its retail price is a bit high. Even though I like the battery pack a lot, I think $50 is too much for it. If you can grab a unit for the original Quest on sale or preorder the Oculus Quest 2 version for $30, I think that's a fair asking price.
NIVRANA includes some nice items in the box to go along with the battery pack that somewhat justifies the price. The carrying case is quite nice, and I like the pouch on the inside for storing microfiber cloths and other little bits. That being said, I think $50 is a bit too much for a battery pack.
For reference, you can get 10,000 mAh battery packs from well-known brands like Anker for $20. Are the add-ons and the pouch for attaching the pack to the headset worth $30? Probably not. Are they worth $10, which is what you're effectively paying when the IVRANA Battery Pack is on sale? Absolutely.
NIVRANA Battery Pack for Oculus Quest The competition
With battery packs gaining a significant market during the life of the original Oculus Quest, Facebook took notice and developed its own solutions. The Quest 2 Elite Strap with Battery is a premium strap with a built-in battery. If sold on its own, that strap would be real competition for the NIVRANA Battery Pack, but right now, you can only get the Quest 2 Elite Strap with Battery as part of a bundle that costs $129. That's a pretty significant jump from NIVRANA's offering, especially when compared to the NIVRANA sale price.
While they probably won't be as comfortable as the NIVRANA Battery Pack for Oculus Quest, there are power bank straps available. These let you attach a power bank you already have to the Oculus Quest or other VR headsets. If you already have a power bank, a strap is a nice way to save some money.
NIVRANA Battery Pack for Oculus Quest Should you buy it?
You should buy this if ...
You find the battery pack on sale
It's pretty easy to recommend the NIVRANA Battery Pack for Oculus Quest if you can get it for $30. It's comfortable, balances out the Oculus Quest, and adds a 10,000 mAh battery to your headset. Its $50 retail price is a bit harder to swallow, but it is a nice battery pack. I also like the fact that everything comes inside a convenient carrying case.
You should not buy this if ...
You already have a battery pack that you could
If you have your own battery bank, you can grab a powerbank strap that lets you use your current power bank with your VR headset. It might not be as comfortable, but it will save you money.
You can't find it on sale
I can't recommend this battery pack for its full retail price of $50. It's nice, but it's not worth the price difference between it and a normal battery bank.
Following this review, I'm adding the NIVRANA Battery Pack to our collection of the best accessories for the Oculus Quest. If the version for the Oculus Quest 2 meets the same standard, I expect it to appear on our best accessories for the Oculus Quest 2 list as well.
The NIVRANA Battery Pack for Oculus Quest left a good first impression with its nice carrying case and packaging, and that positive impression remained throughout my review. The battery itself is compact and easy to charge, and the pouch that allows it to attach to the Oculus Quest is comfortable and cool to the touch.
The most noticeable difference is that the NIVRANA Battery Pack for Oculus Quest balances the front-heavy Oculus Quest. The front of the Oculus Quest didn't press against my face as much while I had the NIVRANA Battery Pack for Oculus Quest on. I'd leave the battery pack in place even if it was dead, simply to keep the balanced feel it provides.
Comfortable and balanced
NIVRANA Battery Pack for Oculus Quest
A simple yet effective battery pack
This battery pack is well-balanced, comfortable, and adds plenty of juice to your VR headset. I found using it more comfortable than having no battery pack on at all.
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