Spending $450+ on a pair of wireless earbuds is no small investment, and as easily pocketable as Apple’s AirPods Pro are, they’re also very easy to lose. Instead of immediately dumping out bags and tearing apart your home in search of them, Spigen now offers a less panicked solution: a protective case for the AirPods Pro featuring a built-in slot for an easy-to-find AirTag tracker.
Misplaced earbuds are a problem that plagues wireless headphones from countless manufacturers, not just Apple. Companies like Nothing have come up with solutions like remotely triggering a high-pitched tone from the ear (1) earbuds themselves, but that requires them to still be in earshot to locate.
If they go missing while you’re out and about, you probably won’t ever see them again. Given the AirPods and AirPods Pro are long overdue for an update, Apple may incorporate new tracking features directly into future versions of its wireless earbuds — but that doesn’t help the millions of pairs already out there that are going temporarily MIA on a daily basis.
For those not interested in gluing or taping an AirTag tracker to their AirPods Pro’s charging case, Spigen’s Apple AirPods Pro Tag Armour Duo is a slightly less ugly solution.
The $50 plastic case adds a bit of extra bulk to the earbud case, particularly upfront where an added AirTag tracker protrudes out quite a bit, but it will protect them from drops and allow them to be quickly located using Apple’s Find My app, whether they’re trapped between couch cushions or dropped in a park miles away.
All in all, it’s a $90 upgrade to the AirPods Pro which isn’t cheap, but it’s cheaper than having to replace them altogether which is something AppleCare doesn’t cover. Spigen’s case isn’t a perfect solution, however.
If a single earbud falls out and goes missing while you’re out for a run, an AirTag on the charging case isn’t going to be much help in tracking it down. If you’re especially bad at losing things, you might just want to consider a cheaper pair of wireless earbuds, which, at this point, might actually sound a lot better than the ageing AirPods.