Nomad Rugged Case for Apple AirPods hands-on: Spiff up your case while adding protection
Nomad makes my favorite leather phone cases thanks to its use of Horween leather and high quality fit and finish. It's newest product is the Rugged Case for Apple AirPods that is available in Rustic Brown and Black leather.
The Rustic Brown Nomad Rugged Case arrived a few days ago so there will not be any long-term look at the aging on this case at this time. Leather ages over time and develops a patina, which is something desirable by many folks and one reason to keep your phone or other accessories in a high quality leather case for an extended period of time.
The Rugged Case is available now for $29.95 and is designed to protect your slick glossy white AirPods charging case while also adding a more refinded leather look to it.
This is not an essential accessory that enhances the functionality of your AirPods, but it may help the case from slipping out of your hands while also protecting your case and AirPods if you drop the charging case. It is primarily about wrapping your charging case in leather and it looks damn good.
Nomad Rugged Case for Apple AirPods hands-on: in pictures
The Nomad Rugged Case is composed of two pieces that are held onto the AirPods charging/carrying case by friction and a tight fit. There is no sticker or adhesive material to keep the case in place over the top of your AirPods case. The top piece fits onto the lid of your charging case while the bottom holds the rest of the case with an opening on the bottom for the Lightning port to charge up your AirPods.
The inside of the Rugged Case is black plastic with most of the outside covered in the Horween leather. The black plastic is exposed on both the top and bottom of the case in a symmetrical pattern. The Nomad name is on the top with the bottom having an opening for the Lightning port. It's a stylish look for the case and also feels good in the hand.
While the top piece can be put onto the AirPods case in either direction, make sure to pay attention to the bottom piece. There is a small notch cut in the back of the case to allow room for the hinge and opening of the lid. I had it on backwards at first and found that the AirPods charging case rose when I flipped open the lid. When you use the case properly, everything is a tight fit and I have yet to see either piece of the case move off of the AirPods charging case.
The Nomad Rugged Case for the AirPods is designed to improve the look of your charging case and it succeeds in this regard. It also offers a layer of protection to your AirPods case so you may get more life out of your AirPods. $29.95 isn't a no-brainer purchase so you have to decide if it is worth changing the look of your AirPods case. Given that I see people using them every single day on my commute, $29.95 may indeed be a good price for protecting your AirPods.