Best AirPods Pro Accessories for 2024 – CNET

Updated Jan. 18, 2024 6:55 p.m. PT

carnoy-headshot-2019-2 David Carnoy
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carnoy-headshot-2019-2 David Carnoy Executive Editor / Reviews

Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET’s Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He’s also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.

Expertise Mobile accessories and portable audio, including headphones, earbuds and speakers Credentials

  • Maggie Award for Best Regularly Featured Web Column/Consumer

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Years of Experience

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Hands-on Product Reviewers

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Sq. Feet of Lab Space

Compatibility

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$30 at Amazon

This Catalyst case provides waterproof protection for you Airpods Pro

Best waterproof case for AirPods Pro

Catalyst case

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$17 at Amazon

The Caseology Nano Pop is a solid case for the AirPods Pro 2

Best AirPods Pro 2 case for around $20

Caseology Nano Pop case for AirPods Pro 2

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$20 at Amazon

The Eartune foam tips for AirPods Pro come in a variety color options and sizes The Eartune foam tips for AirPods Pro come in a variety color options and sizes

Best scandinavian leather AirPods Pro case

Woolnut leather case

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Best affordable tough case for AirPods Pro 2

Spigen Rugged Armor

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Best alternative foam ear tips for AirPods Pro and AirPods Pro 2

CharJenPro AirFoams Pro Active

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Best leather AirPods Pro case

Nomad Modern Leather case

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Best value wireless docking station for AirPods and iPhone

Anker Foldable 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station 335

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Best MagSafe-enabled AirPods Pro 2 case

Spigen Mag Armor

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Best customizable AirPods Pro case

Casetify Ultra Impact case

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Best PopSockets AirPods Pro case combo

PopSockets PopGrip AirPods Pro Holder + PopChain 2

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Best wireless transmitter for planes for AirPods Pro

Twelve South AirFly Pro

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Best AirPods Pro cleaning tool

Hagibis Cleaning Pen

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Best slim leather AirPods Pro case

Bluebonnet AirPods Pro 2 case

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Best sport fins for AirPods Pro

CharJenPro AirFoams Pro ear hooks

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Best mini USB-C wireless charging pad for AirPods

Satechi wireless charging dock

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Best affordable wireless charging pad for AirPods

Anker Wireless Charging Pad 315

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Best lanyard for AirPods Pro 2

Spigen Universal adjustable hand wrist strap

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Best cheap ear hooks for AirPods

Yinva ear hooks

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Best AirPods Pro leash

Cobcobb Anti-Lost Cord sports lanyard

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Best rugged case for AirPods

Catalyst Total Protection case

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Best premium tough case for AirPods Pro

Speck Presidio ClickFlip

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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 case options you can purchase. This AirPods case cover protects your AirPods’ own case, as well as makes it fully waterproof. Another key feature: The bundled detachable carabiner lets you strap the AirPods 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 available in multiple color options.

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The Caseology Nano Pop case comes in a couple of color options and is one of the early cases specifically designed for the AirPods Pro 2. While it doesn’t include a lanyard, it does come with a carabiner and has a cutout for the charging LED and dimple over the pairing button. 

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I’ve been using a pair of extra large Eartune foam tips with my AirPods Pro 2 and have been happy with the quality and fit. The extra-large tips come in only gray and black, while the small, medium and large tips are available in a variety of colors. If you’re just looking for one size, you can get a pack with three large tips, for example. Or you can buy a pack with small, medium and large tips if you have friends or family who use different-sized tips.

Before I put an earbud in, I scrunch the tip up and then let it expand in my ear canal. While I can use Apple’s large tips, I get a more secure fit with these tips. (When I run with the AirPods Pro 2 I use foam tips to make sure they stay in my ears.)

If you treat them well, these tips should last a few months, minimum. They’re a reasonably good value at three to a pack.

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Spigen’s Rugged Armor case returns for the AirPods Pro 2. It’s available in only one color at launch but it is protective and includes a carabiner although no lanyard.

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Nomad makes nice leather cases for the iPhone and other Apple products, including the AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Pro 2. Its Modern Leather AirPods Pro case is one of the best I’ve tested and it now comes in a version for the AirPods Pro 2 (it remains available for the original AirPods Pro as well).

This AirPods Pro case fits like a glove and wears nicely over time, developing a patina. It’s available in four colors and comes in a version with Horween leather for $10 more; the Horween version is only available in black and rustic brown.

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The AirPods Pro 2 are MagSafe enabled, but once you put a case on the case, it’s no longer magnetic. That’s where a magnetic case like the Spigen Mag Armor comes in, restoring MagSafe compatibility so your case will stick to a MagSafe wireless charger (or any magnetic wireless charger). A carabiner is included but no lanyard.

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If you’re a PopSockets fan, the PopSockets PopGrip AirPods Pro Holder + PopChain 2 is a surprisingly good deal on Amazon for $12. It has a stick-on attachment for the back of your phone, that lets you clip the case (and the AirPods Pro) to your phone and use your AirPods Pro case as a kickstand for video watching, or you can attach your AirPods Pro to the included PopChain 2, which clips onto your belt loop or the loop on your backpack. The case itself fits like a glove and seems nicely protective.

Note that the version I got included the PopChain Premium. The model linked here includes the PopChain 2, which has a carabiner clip instead of a keychain. The case is compatible with PopSockets’ PopGrip base so you can use it with another PopGrip if you own one already.

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Your AirPods Pro 2 will pick up dust, grime and perhaps even a bit of ear wax that can impact performance. You can find several cleaning pens on Amazon that are pretty similar and share a few elements, including a brush for cleaning the windscreens covering the AirPods Pro 2’s microphones, a soft “flocking sponge” to clean gunk out of the wireless charging case and a metal pen tip to dig out any dust wedged in seams. The Hagibis Cleaning Pen has a slightly more elevated design but also costs a couple of bucks more than the cheapest cleaning pens.

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You have a couple of choices if you want to add some additional grip to the AirPods Pro to promote them staying in your ears more securely. You can get very thin silicone skins that cover the bud portion of the AirPods Pro or a set of wings like these that not only cover the bud but add a sport fin (they do help lock the AirPods Pro in your ears). The only issue with the fin approach is that the AirPods Pro won’t fit in their case with an appendage on them so you have to remove them whenever you want to charge the AirPods.

It’s actually pretty easy to get them on and off but you just have to avoid losing them. Two sets of ear hooks are included — one that’s translucent (shown here) and one that’s white.

If you go the silicone skin route, with no fin, you should be able to get your AirPods in the case without having to take the skins off. However, some people complain that because the rubber is so thin, it tends to stretch easily and end up not fitting as well as it should. That isn’t a problem with CharJenPro AirFoams Pro Ear Hooks (and other ear-hook accessories) because the rubber is thicker and more durable.

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The AirPods Pro can charge wirelessly, 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 Wireless Charging Pad 315. It offers 7.5-watt charging for your iPhone and 10-watt charging for Android models that support it.

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If you’re looking for a more affordable way to make sure your AirPods don’t drop out of your ears, these clear-colored ear hooks can currently be had for $6. You do need to take them off to charge your AirPods Pro, but if you’re a biker who’s worried about losing a bud, this is certainly a cheap option to try.

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I like Catalyst’s original waterproof case (see above — $30), but if you want something that delivers maximum protection, its newer Total Protection case certainly measures up to its title. If you happen to drop your AirPods in the ocean or a deep lake, the case is rated as waterproof down to 330 feet (100 meters). It’s also shock-proof. 

Catalyst’s original waterproof case has a rubberized finish, while this has a hard plastic finish. Both include a carabiner and this model literally clamps shut. Still, you can access your AirPods fairly quickly. The case is available in army green or black.

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What are the key differences between the AirPods Pro and AirPods Pro 2?

The AirPods Pro 2 are the same size as the original AirPods Pro. Some small differences could affect your choice of accessory, the most notable of which is the microphone configuration on the buds and a built-in speaker in the AirPods Pro 2’s charging case that emits a sonar-like sound when tracking the buds in the Find My app. Also, there’s now a spot on the AirPods Pro 2’s case to attach a lanyard. Finally, the latest AirPods Pro 2 features USB-C instead of Lightning charging.

Why is it a good idea to get foam ear tips for AirPods Pro?

Some people can’t quite get a tight seal and secure fit with the ear tips that Apple includes with the AirPods Pro and AirPods Pro 2. Foam tips have more grip to them and also may offer a better seal. If you’re a runner and have trouble keeping the AirPods Pro in your ears, foam tips can solve that problem.

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