Practice with the AirPods Max Shield case from WaterField Designs

Earlier this week, we highlighted a couple of third-party accessories that aim to address some of the shortcomings of Apple’s AirPods Max smart case, including a new WaterField Designs zippered case that protects the headphones while not is used. .

Our videographer Dan has had the opportunity to try out WaterField’s new $ 99 Shield leather case and has been impressed with its quality and usefulness. However, he believes this is the kind of thing that should have been shipped with the irAirPods Max‌ instead of requiring a third-party accessory purchase in addition to the $ 549 price of the ‌AirPods Max‌ themselves.

The Shield Case is certainly bulky, but WaterField couldn’t have done much, given the design of the irAirPods Max‌ that only allows the headphones to be rotated inward and doesn’t allow for a more compact folded layout seen in many other headphones. .

If you can live with the mass, the Shield Case offers several nice features, including a zipper design that completely protects the irAirPods Max‌, unlike Apple’s Smart Case which exposes the headband and even portions of the earphones.

In addition to the main compartment of the irAirPods Max‌, the Shield Case includes three smaller cable pockets and other accessories: a deep, padded zipper on the front of the case, a mesh one on the back, and a small one. one with velcro closure inside the box.

One of the main advantages of the Apple Smart Case is that you can immediately put your irAirPods Max‌ into a low-power mode to conserve battery power, using magnets embedded in the case to activate the mode. The WaterField Shield case does the same, thanks to what it calls Magnetic Leather Butterfly, a leather flap with embedded magnets that not only activates low-power mode, but also helps prevent the two ‌AirPods Max‌ headphones from touching each other. while in the holster.

If you want to bring your Smart Case with your ‌AirPods Max‌, the Shield Case will also allow you to cover it, as the combined CaseAirPods Max‌ / Smart Case fits well and the leather butterfly folds.

All in all, the Shield Case from WaterField Designs is a quality product that does its job well. It’s a little pricey for $ 99, but when you’re ready to spend $ 549 on the AirPods Max, it may be a useful addition to protect your purchase.

The Shield case is available in four styles: chocolate leather and waxed canvas, black leather with ballistic nylon, blue leather with ballistic nylon and crimson leather with ballistic nylon. Similar to the irAirPods Max‌ themselves, the Shield Case is sparse, with new orders scheduled for February 19th.