Demos of Apple Vision Pro in Apple Stores now use the Dual Loop Band, effectively an admission that the Solo Knit Band isn’t comfortable enough.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported the change in advance last week, and multiple people who say they had a Vision Pro demo in recent days have confirmed it to UploadVR. Further, in Apple’s official photos of the China, Japan, and Singapore launch everyone is using the Dual Loop Band.
Photos from Apple of the China, Japan, and Singapore launch.
If you’re unaware: Vision Pro comes with a strap called the Solo Knit Band preattached. The Solo Knit Band was seen in almost all of Apple’s marketing shots before this, and it’s made of a “3D knitted” fabric that feels great on the back of your head. The problem though is that it lacks a top strap, a crucial component of the straps of other headsets like Quest 3 and Valve Index, and many people find it simply can’t comfortably support the weight of the headset.
But Vision Pro also comes with an alternative strap in the box called the Dual Loop Band, and it has a side-to-side top strap. Many people, myself included, find this makes the weight of the headset much more bearable.
Solo Knit Band (left) and Dual Loop Band (right)
In my review of Apple Vision Pro I speculated that the Solo Knit Band exists more for aesthetic marketing shots of its elegant design than actually supporting the headset’s weight. With this change to in-store demos, Apple seems to be effectively admitting that, or at least has heard the feedback from customers and prospective customers about its comfort loud and clear. This feedback will also likely be incorporated into future Vision headsets, as weight and comfort are reportedly top priorities for Apple’s designers and engineers.
