Physical Constraints on Comfort in Virtual Reality Headsets: A Review of Thermal, Mechanical, and Anthropometric Factors

Head-mounted displays (HMDs) create a direct physical interface with the head and face that can constrain comfort during sustained and repeated virtual reality use. This focused narrative review examines three interacting domains of HMD physical comfort: thermal conditions at the headset–skin interface, mechanical loading from head-supported mass and contact forces, and anthropometric compatibility between headset geometry and user anatomy. Exploratory searching was followed during revision by structured searches of Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science, tracker-based screening, source classification, evidence extraction, and evidence-limitation appraisal. The tracker-based review retained 41 sources, including 28 domain-focused and 13 context or framing sources. Two additional contextual references supplied during peer review were incorporated outside the completed tracker-based process, resulting in 43 sources cited in the final manuscript. Thermal comfort was influenced by microclimate conditions, exposure, activity, sealing, and internally generated heat. Mechanical comfort depended on mass, center-of-mass position, pressure, movement, posture, and task demands. Anthropometric evidence demonstrated substantial variation relevant to headset fit and alignment. The heterogeneous evidence does not support universal limits for headset mass, temperature, pressure, cervical angle, or interface geometry. Sustained HMD comfort therefore requires integrated evaluation across devices, users, tasks, and exposure durations.