If there’s one essential upgrade every Meta Quest owner needs, it’s a way to extend the VR headsets’ battery life. Sure, the Quest 3 and Quest 3S may be among the best VR headsets around, but getting two hours before they go kaput simply isn’t enough to make the most out of them.
Enter Kiwi Design. One of the leading brands behind all things Meta Quest accessories, the company has already impressed with tis H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap and K4 Duo Strap for upgraded audio. Now, there’s another handy accessory in its arsenal: the Kiwi Design P5000 Compact Power Bank.
Wait, just a power bank? Surely there are enough of those going around that can give any VR headset a boost. That was my initial thought, but not only is the P5000 designed to be a valuable backup battery for virtually all VR headsets, it also comes bundled as a set of two.
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That means this power bank bundle offers up two 5,000mAh capacity batteries that can be attached to a Meta Quest 3/3S, which I’ve used to get an additional three hours of playtime out of my headset. They’re light, easily swappable and can be attached anywhere thanks to the secure bracket that uses a secure velcro strap.
Since using the P5000 Power Banks, they’ve already offered a simple yet effective system of comfortably charging my Meta Quest 3 without being tethered to a cable. But this versatility doesn’t stop at VR, as these battery boosters also serve a multi-purpose use for any USB-C device that requires extra juice.
From attaching it to my Alpaka backpack to act as an impromptu charger while on the go to acting as a backup to power up my iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods, I now use the P5000 Compact Power Banks for everything. There are some of the best power banks you can get for your Meta Quest headset, but also for so much more.
Double the battery power
(Image credit: Future / Tom’s Guide)
With just 5,000mAh battery capacity between the two P5000s, these are far from the most you can get from a power bank today. I mean, our current favorite, the CUKTECH 30 Power Bank, offers a whopping 40,000mAh to power your devices many times over.
But this smaller capacity is intended by Kiwi Design. Weighing just 0.2lbs/105g each, they barely add any weight when I attached one to my Meta Quest 3, and that also makes them extremely portable to carry around and strap onto other devices.
And of course, having two power banks handy will always be better than one, and the P5000s are easily swappable when I’m in dire need of extra battery life. After using up one power bank to get an additional 1.5 hours out of the VR headset, all I needed to do was pop it out and fit in the other that’s fully charged.
(Image credit: Future / Tom’s Guide)
In fact, despite already delivering a total of five hours of battery to the Quest 3, I could prolong this by charging the substitute P5000 once it was used up. That’s thanks to the included 20W magnetic charging docks, which take around an hour and a half to charge the batteries from 0% to 100%. It’s like an infinite loop of charging.
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I’m also a fan of the bracket with a hook-and-loop velcro strap, which meant I could place it anywhere on my Meta Quest 3’s head strap. I placed it on the top, but it can be strapped onto the side or back, too. What’s more, when attached, the P5000 stays securely fastened, as a clasp mechanism keeps it locked in place, with the orange button on top making it easy to release it. For the amount of moving around done in VR, especially when playing the best Meta Quest games, that’s hugely welcome.
While head straps with built-in batteries like Kiwi Design’s H4 Boost offer longer battery life in a single session (without the need to change batteries), I got more use out of the P5000 Compact Power Banks in the real world.
(Image credit: Future / Tom’s Guide)
Power banks are made for portability, and that’s exactly what the P5000s achieve. They’re named “Compact” for a reason, with each fitting the size of my hand. I’ve slipped them into the pockets of my backpack without them taking up much space at all.
No, I don’t take them along with me to charge my Quest 3 (that generally stays at home). Since they come with USB-C slots, I can plug these power banks into nearly any of my devices. I’ve used it to charge my Apple Watch 10, power up my AirPods 4, and even give my Even Realities G1 smart glasses case extra juice. I was also able to charge multiple devices at once using the Satechi OntheGo 3-in-1 Charger.
(Image credit: Future / Tom’s Guide)
The bracket delivers even more charging opportunities. Since it can be attached to anything the strap can wrap around, I put it on my backpack strap to act as an easy-to-access charger while on the move. But there are better places to put it, like on selfie sticks or tripods to charge your smartphone, Bluetooth speakers when pumping out tunes outdoors and even action cameras.
Is the Kiwi Design P5000 Compact Power Bank worth it?
(Image credit: Future / Tom’s Guide)
Kiwi Design may have made a reliable power bank system for VR headsets, but it took the P5000 Compact Power Bank’s design further by making it for way more than just charging a Meta Quest 3.
Providing two 5,000mAh power banks is already a win, but being able to easily use them for most charging scenarios is a huge perk to have. And, once one loses juice, another will be standing by fully charged to take advantage of.
It’s a great way to charge a Meta Quest headset, although its $89 price tag can seem a little steep considering the usual $79 cost of the Kiwi Design H4 Boost Battery Strap (currently down to $63 at Amazon). That said, that can’t be used for other devices, and again, there’s two power banks to make use of. I do wish the charging speeds were faster, but that doesn’t take away from what these power banks offer.
If you’re in need of versatile backup batteries for your VR headset and other devices, Kiwi Design’s P5000 Compact Power Banks will do the trick.
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