The controversial Smart Case for AirPods Max probably received more attention than the headphones themselves. The Smart Case was criticized for not providing adequate protection for AirPods Max and for its clumsy design. WaterField Designs aims to solve these problems with its new AirPods Max Shield. Read on to get a closer look at the first third-party AirPods Max case.
Project
Superficially, the WaterField Designs case for AirPods Max looks like a normal headset case. It fully wraps the AirPods Max and is made of full-grain leather. At the front, there is a small zippered pouch where you can store cables and accessories, such as a Lightning cable or a 3.5 mm audio cable. There is also a mesh back pocket for more accessories and another small inner bag.
The Shield cover is available in four different colors: chocolate leather + waxed canvas, black leather + black ballistics, blue leather + black ballistics and crimson leather + black ballistics. I chose the black leather case, it is beautiful and the handmade touches are apparent.
The other colors have a little more “pop”, however:
If I have a complaint about WaterField’s AirPods Max Shield cover, it’s that it’s a little more bulky than I would like. This is not necessarily the fault of WaterField, but more of a problem with the AirPods Max design itself. Unlike other pairs of headphones, the AirPods Max does not fold in a compact way.
This Apple design choice inherently means that the boxes need to be large enough to accommodate the full size of the AirPods Max. Here are the dimensions of the box:
- 9.50 ”(l) (at the widest point) x 2.25” (w) x 9 ”(h)
- 24 cm (l) (at the widest point) x 6 cm (w) x 23 cm (h)
The protective case has a “magnetic leather butterfly”, which will put the AirPods Max in low-power mode, like Apple’s smart case. Although, since then, we have learned that this is not as important for battery life as we initially thought it could be. WaterField also states that if you position the zippers correctly, you can carry the AirPods Max while they are in the case.
Finally, the case has also been designed so that you can use it in conjunction with Apple’s Smart Case, if you wish.
How will I use the AirPods Max Shield case?
For me, the WaterField protective cover will be used when I transport AirPods Max to and from different places. I’m not thinking of putting the AirPods Max on the protective cover every time I finish using the headphones, any more than I put them back on the smart cover after I’m done.
Ultimately, the WaterField Designs protective cover offers ample protection for when my AirPods Max are in my backpack, which is a crucial advantage over Apple’s smart cover. Stay tuned for a full review and an offer of the AirPods Max Shied case from 9 to 5Mac in January.
In the meantime, you can learn more about the AirPods Max Shield cover on the WaterField website. The box costs $ 99 and orders placed today will be shipped in February, the company said. What do you think of the AirPods Max Shield case from WaterField Designs? Is this the case that Apple should have included? Let us know in the comments!
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