The AirPods case is a tiny miracle that looks like a dental floss container. Maybe you like that white plastic design, but to me it looks a little clinical. Not to mention the fact that when my wife inevitably gets a pair of AirPods, we’re going to be constantly confused about which little white charging case is hers and which is mine.
Who needs the bickering? For just under $20, you can wrap your lily-white case in a colorful silicone shell called a PodPocket that will eliminate all confusion in multi-AirPods abodes. That’s exactly what PodPockets do, but that’s not all they do. They also help keep your AirPods safe and sound.
PodPocket review: A great AirPods accessory
PodPockets come in two styles, both of which add a bit of reassuring grip to the slick AirPods case. The PodPocket Flex model curls around the top of the AirPods case, with two lips that remind me of a tulip. Peel the front one down, and you can flip open the AirPods case’s magnetic lid.
About that lid: It’s ingenious. Apple did a fantastic design job on the AirPods case. It’s a real work of art — far smaller, and far better, than other wireless earbuds cases on the market.
And yet, sometimes the sly magnetic closure flips open and the AirPods somehow escape the case’s magnetic bonds. (Magnets hold the AirPods’ stems inside the case as well.)
If you’re rough on your gear — always tossing them in a backpack or purse — it’s possible to lose an AirPod out of the case. Improbable, but not impossible. (I’m looking at you, Leander.) The PodPocket Flex case adds an extra measure of security to keep your precious world-beating earbuds in place.
The original PodPocket style, which I did not test, lacks the Flex’s self-closing lips but adds a key-ring clip so you can lash your AirPods to a keychain, a zipper pull or some other appropriate loop.
Either way, you’ve added a layer of security to your AirPods. Each silicone PodPocket hugs an AirPods case snugly — the fit is impeccable. Put one on, and your pristine white AirPods charging case won’t get scuffed up like a stormtrooper’s battle-scarred helmet.
PodPockets look and fit great
PodPockets also look great in and of themselves. They come in a variety of cool colors perfect for people who are just over Apple’s obsession with milky white. (I know you’re out there. There’s a reason space gray accessories fetch a premium.) There’s even one that mimics an old-school iPod click wheel.
A tiny embossed Flex logo serves as a subtle cue about which side is the front. (On the original PodPocket, a larger AirPods-style icon does that trick.) A large, open oval on the PodPocket’s bottom offers easy access to the Lightning port on the AirPods case.
If PodPocket offered a glow-in-the-dark model to make it easier to locate AirPods at night or in the bottom of a bag, I’d be in heaven.
PodPocket Flex adds a bit of security
Photo: Lewis Wallace/Cult of Mac
All told, there’s only one thing I didn’t love about the PodPocket Flex case. Peeling back those flexible lips makes getting to your AirPods slightly more difficult. It requires more of a finger-thumb maneuver, since you’ll be holding the lid up due to pressure exerted by the PodPocket’s back flap. You lose that simple Zippo lighter-style flick of the thumb to fling the AirPods case open.
It’s the classic trade-off: Give up a smidgen of convenience to gain a little security.
Otherwise, the PodPocket Flex case is fantastic. This inexpensive AirPods accessory feels good in your hand and, surprisingly, doesn’t fight you when you slide your AirPods into a pants pocket.
If you are the type of person who carelessly tosses things in your bag — and occasionally suffers because of it — this is your best AirPods accessory.
Price: $19.95
Buy from: PodPocket
PodPocket provided Cult of Mac with review units for this article. See our reviews policy and check out more stuff we recommend in our Best List reviews.
