'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
Protect your Apple AirPods investment with this stylish $20 case
Nomad's Sports Case for the AirPods and AirPods Pro
I like my AirPods Pro.
A lot.
But I don't like the fact that the case gets all scratched up. I've had my 2nd-gen AirPods Pro for less than a year, and the plastic case is scratched up quite badly. It doesn't affect the functionality of the AirPods in any way, but they do look awful.
Also: Nomad just brought back my favorite USB accessory, and it's better than ever
If you want to protect your AirPods or AirPods Pro, I suggest putting them in a case. If they're already been tumbled in a pocket for ages and now look terrible, a case will give them a new lease of life.
One case I've been road-testing lately is made by Nomad. Regular readers will know that Nomad recently re-released their line of keychain cables, one of my all-time favorite accessories, but there's more to Nomad than keychain cables.
For example, take Nomad's new Sports Case for the AirPods and AirPods Pro.
ZDNET RECOMMENDS
Nomad's Sports Case for the AirPods and AirPods Pro
The Nomad Sport Case is designed to be the minimalist's everyday case for those wanting to take care of their AirPods.
Nomad Sports Case features
- High-gloss, grippy body with TPE (thermoplastic elastomers) bumper
- Two-piece construction
- Integrated light pipe for LED charging indicator
- Precise speaker and lanyard cutouts
- Protective microfiber lining
- Wireless charging compatible
- Designed for AirPods 3rd gen, and AirPods Pro 2nd gen
This case ticks all the boxes for me.
First, it's a great fit. It's perfect. You don't have to use force to get the AirPods case into and out of the case, and the microfiber lining does an amazing job of cushioning the case.
The cutouts for the speakers and lanyard are perfect, and you can even see the charging LED.
Also: Nomad just made the boldest Apple Watch accessory yet, and I expect it to sell out soon
The other thing I look for in a case is whether it actually protects the AirPods, and this one does. It's not big and bulky like some cases, but it offers more than enough protection.
The surface of the case offers enough protection and grip to do its job, without being overkill.
The microfiber lining offers great protection
Finally, these Nomad cases look good, fitting nicely into that Apple aesthetic. You can choose between Lunar Grey (which doesn't look all that dissimilar to the white case), Ash Green, or Marine Blue.
Also: The 5 best AirPods Pro accessories you can buy right now
The price is also right -- $20. If you're the sort of person that sells off your old Apple gear when new stuff is released, this Nomad Sports Case can pay for itself in AirPod resale value alone.