When do you need an accessory for an accessory? When it’s one of the most popular wireless headphones around. Apple’s AirPods Pro earbuds have created their own accessory ecosystem, complete with supplementary cases and other add-ons that help overcome minor shortcomings that, for some people, may be major.
When it comes to Apple AirPods and their accessories, there’s no shortage of variety. If you want a genuine leather case vs. silicone material, a charging case or a wireless charging case, all of those are available. If you want a fun carrying case, a waterproof case, something with an included carabiner keychain or something that hangs from your keychain, those exist as well. If you’re looking to personalize things further, you can even get an AirPods Pro case cover or an AirPods skin. The options are seemingly endless.
But you need to start somewhere. From the best AirPods Pro case to the best wireless charger and more, here’s a look at some of CNET’s top picks of accessories for AirPods, based on my own hands-on experience with each product. Most of them fall into the protective case and earbud enhancement buckets, with a few other interesting things I’ve found. I’ll update this as I test more of the best AirPods Pro accessories.
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You can find cheaper knockoff versions of Catalyst’s AirPods Pro case ($30), but the Catalyst is a better Apple AirPod case than many of the imitators, not to mention one of the top AirPods cases you can purchase. This AirPods case cover protects your AirPods’ own case, as well as makes it fully waterproof. Another key feature: The bundled carabiner lets you strap the case onto a belt loop or backpack or use it as a keychain case to help keep your wireless earbuds from getting lost. This Catalyst waterproof case is currently available in black, blue or red. Expect more colors in the future.
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For several years Comply has been the gold standard for memory foam eartips and now you can get Comply tips for your AirPods Pro. I tried them and they work quite well and even the large tip fit just fine in the AirPods Pro charging case. With the Apple-issued tips, I found that the AirPod Pro in my left ear got a little loose when I ran with the buds. With the Comply tip, it didn’t get loose and fit very securely. They also seem to help a bit with noise-canceling because you get an even tighter seal.
Comply tips are fairly pricey at $25. You can get foam tips that cost less (more like $12-$15), but as I said, Comply is the gold standard and it may be worth paying a little more. If you know your specific size, you do get three sets of tips in a pack (of the same size. Comply also sells a pack with small, medium and large tips though it’s currently only available on the Comply website, not Amazon). That might be a good option if you have a couple of people in your family who own the AirPods Pro and have different sized ears.
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Nomad makes nice leather cases for the iPhone and the original AirPods. Its Rugged AirPods Pro case is one of the best I’ve tested. This AirPod Pro case fits like a glove and wears nicely over time. It’s available in three colors.
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The husband-and-wife team of Charlie and Jen at CharJenPro pulled off a successful Kickstarter for AirPods foam earbuds in early 2020 and now have a growing line of AirPods Pro foam eartips, including the new AirFoams Pro Form Fit that have a slightly more convex shape than the original AirFoams Pro ($25). A new Active model is coming soon that wraps a layer of silicone over the foam.
They’re similar to the Comply tips, but I did notice that the large Comply tip is slightly larger than the CharJenPro AirFoams Pro Form Fit. If you typically use a medium tip for your AirPods Pro, you may want to go with a large foam tip, but the good news is the M/L option comes with two tips so can try both (there’s also a S/M) option).
The original CharJenPro foam tips come in a variety of colors, but the Form Fit is currently only available in black.
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There’s no shortage of generic AirPods Pro case covers on Amazon. I’ve been disappointed with several of them, including those from Spigen. This silicone case, which comes in several different color options, fit well and was thicker than some of the other generic AirPods cover cases I tried. It only costs $6. You can get it with or without the imprint of the AirPods Pro. (Initially, many colors were available but currently that number has dwindled to only a couple of options. Hopefully, that’s a temporary situation).
Be aware that all silicone (rubber) covers tend to attract a little dust.
Amazon
Again, when it comes to generic tough cases, there are dozens available on Amazon. However, this model from amBand, which mainly sells smartwatch bands, manages to stand out for its attractive design and reasonable price ($12). Just be warned that it’s a little bulky, but you can still wirelessly charge your AirPods Pro with the case on. It’s available in 4 color options.
Satechi
If you’re looking for a mini USB-C wireless charging dock for your AirPods Pro (or standard AirPods), this Satechi accessory fits the bill nicely. It’s very compact — basically slightly bigger than the AirPods Pro’s case — and easily fits in a pocket. It works with any USB-C port that outputs power. The only issue is that you may have trouble plugging it in if you have some sort of case on your computer (it has to plug all the way into the port to work).
RHA
RHA has a slightly different take on a wireless flight transmitter. This one has two foldable 3.5mm jacks: You can either opt to use one 3.5mm plug, or two for those older in-flight systems that have two jacks. Both plugs tuck back into the transmitter. The pairing process is the same as with the Twelve South transmitter and was straightforward. Like that model, this uses Bluetooth 5.0. It’s also rated for 16 hours of battery life and charges via USB-C. It also works with the Nintendo Switch.
Amazon
What do you do if you want to use your AirPods with an in-flight entertainment system or the TV built into a machine at the gym that requires a wired connection? Well, one workaround is buying a Bluetooth transmitter that you can plug into any 3.5mm audio jack. There are several transmitters available from TaoTronics and other little-known brands (I’ve also tried the TaoTronics.)
To pair your AirPods with a transmitter, you have to turn off the Bluetooth on your phone (or just put it into airplane mode), put your AirPods in their case, hold down the Bluetooth button on the transmitter until it goes into pairing mode, and then hit the pairing button on the AirPods case. (This video explains how to pair to your AirPods.)
Battery life is rated at 16 hours and the AirFly Pro uses Bluetooth 5.0.
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Made of rugged leather and equipped with a snap closing system, as well a “loss-prevention” S-Clip, Twelve South’s AirSnap leather case is a slightly different take on an Apple AirPods Pro case. It’s available in three colors in leather for $35. You can wirelessly charge your AirPods Pro with the leather case on.
Anker
The AirPods Pro feature wireless charging, so you’ll need a wireless charging pad to take advantage of that feature. A good affordable option for both your AirPods Pro and your phone is the Anker PowerWave. It offers 7.5-watt charging for your iPhone and 10-watt charging for Android models that support it. It costs $14 but sometimes goes on sale for less than $10. Available in black, white and blue.