Why not just have this as standard equipment. .. smh

The quest is super affordable compared to other VR headsets and it doesn't need to run off of an expensive gaming pc. Including all the bells and whistles like grips and better headstraps with the standard equipment would make the basic version cost more. The $299 price tag is probably a huge selling point to people who are more curious about VR, and not looking to spend $2000 on a full PC setup and headset. Headset is cheap but the accessories are expensive, seems fair to me.

Using Quest 2 for over an hour has been giving me a headache. Have you found this to help alleviate that?

In my experience there are a few reasons why you can get headaches. One common one is related to getting your VR legs, and there are ways to do that. Typically by playing games where you don't need to walk, then to games where you teleport, finally to analog walking games. One of the other really common reasons is because of fitment. This can be either how the VR set physically presses against your face or that it is straining your eyes because its not sitting right. While the upgraded headstrap can help it doesn't completely remove these issues, but gives you a much wider range of adjustments to find a comfortable spot. I'd also recommend using a silicone shield against your face since sometimes the best fit presses on your cheeks or forehead and the stock foam is a bit unforgiving.

What material is it made of? Is it easy to clean? I think the original strap is going to get dirty very fast.

It's made of plastic similar to the quest plastic so it's resistant. The black strap is similar to the stock strap material but it's black so dirt won't show. The black head holder on the back is rubber. It should stay clean especially compared to the stock strap.