Apple wants to make future Apple Vision Pros more comfortable to wear for long periods

Some users find the Apple Vision Pros a little uncomfortable if worn for long periods of time. However, future iterations could be more comfortable as evidenced by an Apple patent filing (US 20240094550 A1) for a “Cushioned Head-Mountable Device.”

About the patent filing

The patent filing involves a Vision Pro with a cushion that can provide increased comfort and flexure. Of course, the spatial computer is packed with components that help provide a distraction-free setting by blocking or sealing out the outer environment (e.g., ambient light).

The problem is that users have a myriad of different anatomical features, including head size, eye location, cheek and forehead bone structure, and so forth. This means head-mounted devices sometimes don’t provide a custom, comfortable fit for a fully immersive experience. 

Apple says that conventional head-mountable devices have rudimentary customization features (if any). For example, users of a conventional head-mountable device may have differing facial structures that the head-mountable device cannot accommodate. 

This user-to-user variation can create a poor user experience, causing pressure on a user’s face from the head-mountable device. Apple’s solution is for a Vision Pro  capable of dynamically adapting to different user facial profiles while also providing strategically positioned rigidity and support.

Summary of the patent filing

“In one example, the cushion includes an aluminum block with an air pocket. In another example, the cushion includes a foam cushion. In certain implementations, the foam cushion defines a channel, the connector being positioned within the channel. In other implementations, the foam cushion includes a foam torus, the connector being positioned inside a center hole of the foam torus.”

About the Vision Pro

Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “An apparatus can include a head-mountable display, a facial interface, a connector between the head-mountable display and the facial interface, a cushion positioned proximate to the connector, and a wearable strap connected to at least one of the head-mountable display or the facial interface. 

Demos of the Apple Vision Pro at Apple Stores in the U.S. can be reserved on Apple.com. To reserve a free Vision Pro demo online, go here, then follow the steps to book an appointment at your local Apple Store. 

Pricing for the Vision Pro starts at US$3,499 with 256GB of storage. ZEISS Optical Inserts are available: $99 for reading lens and $149 for prescription lens.