Hands on with the best AirPods accessories

Now that AirPods have been on the market for a few months (although they’re amazingly still six weeks out on Apple’s website for new orders), there are a lot of accessories to choose from. Let’s take a look at some of the best products to enhance, protect, and prevent the loss of your AirPods.

Although AirPods cost a pretty penny – at least compared to many wired options – fortunately, most of its accessories are reasonably priced. All of the products we reviewed for this article come in at $15 or less.

Let’s start with some of the best options to keep your AirPods snugly in place and also improve audio performance. The only real downside I found for these first three accessories is that you have to remove them to fit in the charging case, but I found that to be a minimal inconvenience for the value provided.

Earhoox

Available in either black, blue, or white, Earhoox are a great option to get a perfect AirPods fit. In my testing, Earhoox provided a comfortable snug fit that also improved audio quality by creating more of an in-ear style feel. The silicone is nice and grippy and the design leaves all the AirPods’ sensors unobstructed.

It took me a couple tries to get the hang of quickly putting them on my AirPods, but it became easy with a bit of practice. I’d say they take about 10-15 seconds to apply (same as the Spigen TEKA Earhooks below) and 3-5 seconds to remove.

Two pairs of Earhoox are sold for a reasonable $9.99 (one pair with smaller wing-tips and one with larger in each order) and work with EarPods as well. They ship for free with Prime on Amazon and with a purchase of 2 or more directly from Earhoox.

• Buy on Amazon
• Buy directly from Earhoox

EarBuddyz

In my use EarBuddyz are the fastest to install on a pair of AirPods (six seconds or so). They provide the same benefits and comfort as Earhoox and Spigen’s offerings and come in either clear or black.

The only downside to this version is it doesn’t have cutouts for all the AirPods’ sensors, so the auto-pause feature when you remove one AirPod doesn’t activate. However, keep your eye on EarBuddyz website or Amazon as the company will be releasing an updated version soon.

You get two pairs (both the same size) of EarBuddyz for $9.95 and ship for free with Amazon Prime.

Spigen TEKA Earhooks

This is a slick offering from Spigen that shares a similar design to EarBuddyz, with added cutouts for all of the AirPods’ sensors. This makes them a bit slower to put on, but provides full-functionality.

I found these to be as comfortable and functional as both Earhoox and EarBuddyz. Spigen’s TEKA Earhooks only come in white and ship with two pairs (one large and one small) for $10.99 with free Amazon Prime shipping.

I don’t use a product like the above three with my AirPods all the time, but I’ve found them to be most useful when exercising, working outside/mowing the lawn, and also for use on airplanes.

With these, I never have to adjust my AirPods and I like feeling confident that they won’t fall out (especially when using outside). With reasonable prices and great functionality I definitely recommend all of the above products.

i-Blason AirPods Strap

If you’re looking for a different approach to keeping your AirPods more snug and secure, i-Blason’s AirPods Strap may fit the bill. Although the name makes this product sound like you’re just getting a strap, it also includes around the ear style hooks to secure your AirPods.

The slim strap is 18-inches long and has an adjustable slider to customize the fit. It has a soft, comfortable satin finish.

It’s also quick and easy to pop AirPods in and out and adjust their angle, though I found it’s best to get the vertical positioning just right before putting them on as this adjustment isn’t as easy to do once wearing them. There’s no doubt your AirPods are secure when using this accessory.

I don’t find the around the ear style as comfortable as Earhoox or EarBuddyz as I often wear glasses, but for those who like the PowerBeats Wireless fit and feel, this may be a good choice. Another aspect I enjoyed about having the strap was being able to take one AirPod out and not having to worry about putting it in a pocket.

i-Blason’s AirPods Strap is available in five colors and ships free with Amazon Prime for $12.99.

Spigen TEKA AirPods Strap

Spigen’s AirPods Strap is the simplest style available with no over the ear hooks like i-Blason’s option. This makes it super light-weight and easier to pair with Spigen’s Earhooks for a more secure fit if desired. The 22-inch strap is made from a soft TPU that feels like silicone and is very comfortable. In use it’s so light that I barely even noticed it was there.

Like i-Blason’s offering, the aspect I liked most about this product is being able to take one AirPod out and not have to fish around in my pockets or remember where I put it.

One feature that sets Spigen’s AirPods Strap apart is the simple clip that allows you to secure your AirPods around your neck when not in use. In testing I felt confident about the straps head grip that connects to the AirPods’ stem which provides a secure fit.

Spigen’s AirPods Strap comes in five color choices and is available for $9.99 with free Amazon Prime shipping.

PodSkinz AirPods Charging Case Cover

This accessory from EarBuddyz is a simple way to add a layer of protection and style to your AirPods charging case. The silicone covers come in white, black, earl gray, diamond blue, and clear. In my use I really liked the grippy texture it provided and along with some drop protection.

If you like the idea of ColorWare’s options to customize your AirPods charging case, but don’t want to spend a lot, PodSkinz are worth checking out for $11.95.

Spigen AirPods Charging Case Dock

Finishing out our round-up we’ve got Spigen’s AirPods Charging Case Dock. Before going hands on with this accessory I wasn’t convinced how useful or necessary this product would be. However, now that I’ve discovered a variety of uses for it and created a home-base for charging a few Apple products, I’m sold on it.

Previously I would charge my AirPods case in a variety of places around the house, which sometimes made it a hassle to track down day to day. It might sound silly, but having this dock has created a more deliberate home and mental reminder of where I can always find my AirPods.

The other benefits include using the dock as a charging station for an Apple TV remote and if you want to, it will even work to charge your iPhone (sans case).

This dock doesn’t include a Lightning cable and Spigen states that it’s specifically designed for either the Apple official cable or Spigen’s MFi cable’s (which are a great deal at $22.99 for four). The bottom of the dock features a non-slip Nanotac base. Unfortunately, this dock doesn’t work when using something like a Podskinz case cover.

You can pick up Spigen’s AirPods Charging Case Dock for $13.99 with free Prime shipping.

Are there AirPods accessories you love that we didn’t mention? Give them a shout out down in the comments!

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