diff --git a/Sources/AblyChat/Headers.swift b/Sources/AblyChat/Headers.swift
index edf5400..a961bf2 100644
--- a/Sources/AblyChat/Headers.swift
+++ b/Sources/AblyChat/Headers.swift
@@ -1,10 +1,71 @@
-// TODO: https://github.com/ably-labs/ably-chat-swift/issues/13 - try to improve this type
-
+/// A value that can be used in ``Headers``. It is the same as ``JSONValue`` except it does not have the `object` or `array` cases.
 public enum HeadersValue: Sendable, Equatable {
     case string(String)
     case number(Double)
     case bool(Bool)
     case null
+
+    // MARK: - Convenience getters for associated values
+
+    /// If this `HeadersValue` has case `string`, this returns the associated value. Else, it returns `nil`.
+    public var stringValue: String? {
+        if case let .string(stringValue) = self {
+            stringValue
+        } else {
+            nil
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// If this `HeadersValue` has case `number`, this returns the associated value. Else, it returns `nil`.
+    public var numberValue: Double? {
+        if case let .number(numberValue) = self {
+            numberValue
+        } else {
+            nil
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// If this `HeadersValue` has case `bool`, this returns the associated value. Else, it returns `nil`.
+    public var boolValue: Bool? {
+        if case let .bool(boolValue) = self {
+            boolValue
+        } else {
+            nil
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Returns true if and only if this `HeadersValue` has case `null`.
+    public var isNull: Bool {
+        if case .null = self {
+            true
+        } else {
+            false
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+extension HeadersValue: ExpressibleByStringLiteral {
+    public init(stringLiteral value: String) {
+        self = .string(value)
+    }
+}
+
+extension HeadersValue: ExpressibleByIntegerLiteral {
+    public init(integerLiteral value: Int) {
+        self = .number(Double(value))
+    }
+}
+
+extension HeadersValue: ExpressibleByFloatLiteral {
+    public init(floatLiteral value: Double) {
+        self = .number(value)
+    }
+}
+
+extension HeadersValue: ExpressibleByBooleanLiteral {
+    public init(booleanLiteral value: Bool) {
+        self = .bool(value)
+    }
 }
 
 extension HeadersValue: JSONDecodable {
@@ -43,10 +104,6 @@ extension HeadersValue: JSONEncodable {
     }
 }
 
-// The corresponding type in TypeScript is
-// Record<string, number | string | boolean | null | undefined>
-// There may be a better way to represent it in Swift; this will do for now. Have omitted `undefined` because I don’t know how that would occur.
-
 /**
  * Headers are a flat key-value map that can be attached to chat messages.
  *
diff --git a/Tests/AblyChatTests/ChatAPITests.swift b/Tests/AblyChatTests/ChatAPITests.swift
index c77602e..753aff0 100644
--- a/Tests/AblyChatTests/ChatAPITests.swift
+++ b/Tests/AblyChatTests/ChatAPITests.swift
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ struct ChatAPITests {
             params: .init(
                 text: "", // arbitrary
                 // The exact value here is arbitrary, just want to check it gets serialized
-                headers: ["numberKey": .number(10), "stringKey": .string("hello")]
+                headers: ["numberKey": 10, "stringKey": "hello"]
             )
         )
 
diff --git a/Tests/AblyChatTests/DefaultRoomReactionsTests.swift b/Tests/AblyChatTests/DefaultRoomReactionsTests.swift
index 084674a..af75309 100644
--- a/Tests/AblyChatTests/DefaultRoomReactionsTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/AblyChatTests/DefaultRoomReactionsTests.swift
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ struct DefaultRoomReactionsTests {
         let sendReactionParams = SendReactionParams(
             type: "like",
             metadata: ["someMetadataKey": "someMetadataValue"],
-            headers: ["someHeadersKey": HeadersValue.string("someHeadersValue")]
+            headers: ["someHeadersKey": "someHeadersValue"]
         )
 
         // When
diff --git a/Tests/AblyChatTests/IntegrationTests.swift b/Tests/AblyChatTests/IntegrationTests.swift
index 655b678..2f091f9 100644
--- a/Tests/AblyChatTests/IntegrationTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/AblyChatTests/IntegrationTests.swift
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ struct IntegrationTests {
             params: .init(
                 text: "Hello from txRoom, after rxRoom subscribe",
                 metadata: ["someMetadataKey": 123, "someOtherMetadataKey": "foo"],
-                headers: ["someHeadersKey": .number(456), "someOtherHeadersKey": .string("bar")]
+                headers: ["someHeadersKey": 456, "someOtherHeadersKey": "bar"]
             )
         )
         let rxMessageFromSubscription = try #require(await rxMessageSubscription.first { _ in true })
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ struct IntegrationTests {
             params: .init(
                 type: "heart",
                 metadata: ["someMetadataKey": 123, "someOtherMetadataKey": "foo"],
-                headers: ["someHeadersKey": .number(456), "someOtherHeadersKey": .string("bar")]
+                headers: ["someHeadersKey": 456, "someOtherHeadersKey": "bar"]
             )
         )
         let rxReactionFromSubscription = try #require(await rxReactionSubscription.first { _ in true })
diff --git a/Tests/AblyChatTests/RoomReactionDTOTests.swift b/Tests/AblyChatTests/RoomReactionDTOTests.swift
index 97b8061..d818b9b 100644
--- a/Tests/AblyChatTests/RoomReactionDTOTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/AblyChatTests/RoomReactionDTOTests.swift
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ enum RoomReactionDTOTests {
                 ]
             )
 
-            #expect(data == .init(headers: ["someStringKey": .string("someStringValue"), "someNumberKey": .number(123)]))
+            #expect(data == .init(headers: ["someStringKey": "someStringValue", "someNumberKey": 123]))
         }
 
         // MARK: - JSONCodable
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ enum RoomReactionDTOTests {
 
         @Test
         func toJSONValue() {
-            let data = RoomReactionDTO.Extras(headers: ["someStringKey": .string("someStringValue"), "someNumberKey": .number(123)])
+            let data = RoomReactionDTO.Extras(headers: ["someStringKey": "someStringValue", "someNumberKey": 123])
 
             #expect(data.toJSONValue == [
                 "headers": [