In this video, I check out the Syntech knuckle strap grips for the Quest 2. You can currently buy these grips for $18.99 from Amazon US ➡️ https://amzn.to/3xcV15s or for €21.99 from Amazon DE ➡️ https://amzn.to/3QtPO05. No price yet for Amazon UK but here is the link ➡️ https://amzn.to/3RVSsg0
These grips offer a similar knuckle straps design as one of my favourite grips for the Quest 2, along with a thicker, skin-friendly TPU grip material that surrounds and protects the grip of the Touch Controllers, and there’s a pair of free clear sensor ring covers too to give your controllers all-round protection. There are a few things Syntech have done over my favourite grips, to help improve on this on this winning formula.
In the box you get a paper instruction manual, there are the grips themselves with their permanently attached orange PU Leather straps, and there is a pair of free clear TPU sensor ring protectors.
Features
Looking over these grips, their shape, size and the pre-attached knuckle straps mirror one of my favourite Kiwi design grips that remain to be a decent design today. The grip slides onto the Touch controller and two bunny ear straps are reattached back onto the grip material at the top of the controller.
Like the Kiwi grips, these Syntech grips will also block the two front-firing infrared emitters, but there are plenty of other emitters available to maintain a good level of tracking on each controller. These grips are not extended at the bottom, however, their thicker material makes the grip a little more bulky than using the controllers without them. It has a striped textured material on the grip where your palm rest to help airflow and reduce sweat build-up when holding the grips.
These grips come with their own transparent halo ring protectors. They simply attach over the sensor ring of each controller, and their ridged edges secure them in place and reduce slipping off them. Their TPU material has a slightly sticky feel to them, which means if you drop these on the floor or put them down on a carpet, they will likely pick up dust, fluff, hair and fibres along with it. Being transparent, I didn’t have any issues with tracking with them attached on both of my controllers.
The signature orange-coloured knuckle straps make these controllers stand out from the usual white or black knuckle strap grips selling today. It almost matches the orange used in the head strap I reviewed last week. The straps have a long strip of velcro on them to adjust and tighten them around the back of your hands. Unfortunately, the straps are permanently riveted to the grip, through two points that are moulded onto the grip’s material. The top end of the strap is attached to a similar buckle system of the same colour, which allows for a smoother adjustment of the strap.
Finally, at the bottom, there is a hole to pass the wrist strap though, although personally, I find the knuckle straps secure enough to my hand that I do not feel I need to attach the wrist straps. They can be stacked for easy storage in a carry case, such as this large case from Syntech, that’s big enough to easily carry bulkier straps such as the Kiwi design Elite Strap, and BoboVR M2 halo strap without any problem, and it has additional storage for cables like the Syntech 5m Oculus Link USB-C cable.
My Impressions
These knuckle strap grips from Syntech retail for $24.99 from Amazon US, and €19.99 from Amazon DE. It does sell on Amazon UK but there is no price available for it yet. And I’ll leave links to all of the products I have mentioned down below to learn more about them and to buy them.
Comparing these to their close rivals, they are very similar. The slightly thicker knuckle strap attaches in the same way to a buckle at the top, and although I find this the best way to attach knuckle straps to grips like this, this also raises a particular concern with these particular grips. With the knuckle straps permanently riveted to the grips, if this connection breaks or the straps become worn, you can’t replace them so easily. The connecting point on the grip is thicker than the Kiwi grips, so these should at least be longer lasting.
The grip itself is great though. It is slightly thicker than the Kiwi grip, and it attaches to the controller well enough with its similar bunny ear attachment at the top of the controller. Oddly, they have chosen to cover the thumb rest sensors on the controller with the grip material, so if that concerns you, these aren’t the controller grips for you. But not many games seem to utilise this sensor that much.
The clear protectors work well in protecting the sensor rings on the controller from minor knocks and drops. I didn’t find these affected the tracking emitters, however as I said earlier, their stickier material can at times clings to dust and fluff depending on where you place your controllers.
At their full retail price, they cost $1 more than Kiwi’s similar basic grips, and personally, I think you would be happy with either of these grips. The Syntech grips do have a few advantages over the Kiwi grips though. They have a slightly better grip texture and come with free sensor ring protectors, so you save a bit of money buying them separately. The grip material is slightly thicker, so these will likely be longer lasting, and its thicker yellow knuckle straps offer a unique colour way for your Quest 2 setup. Otherwise, they both share the same design features. So just like the Kiwis, if you’re looking for a pair of grips with knuckle straps, I also recommend you add these grips to your shortlist.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 – Brief overview
0:34 – Unboxing
0:59 – Installation
1:34 – Sensor ring protectors
2:03 – Knuckle straps
2:50 – Syntech large Quest 2 carry case
3:05 – Syntech 5m Oculus Link cable
3:10 – My impressions
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