The best AirPods Max cases and covers will protect your fancy noise-canceling headphones no matter where you take them. The AirPods Max are some of the best headphones you can buy, and have only become more popular since their 2020 debut.
But if you’re going to splurge on the AirPods Max, you’ll want to ensure they last a long time and are protected from the elements. That’s where one of the best AirPods Max cases can give you peace of mind.
But not all cases provide the same protection or low power mode that keeps the AirPods Max charged (there’s no on/off button). Some cases are bulky and durable while the best AirPods Max covers are slim and only cover the earcups, helping to prevent scratches. We tested a wide range of options and made a list of the best AirPods Max cases you can buy now. See all our top picks below.
What are the best AirPods Max cases?
Until Apple comes out with a better case — one of the five upgrades we want to see in the AirPods Max 2 — you should invest in better protection for your cans. The best AirPods Max cases either strike an excellent balance of protection, price and portability, or are better in one of those particular categories than the rest. Our overall top pick is the $35 co2CREA Hard Case for AirPods Max, which looks simple on the outside but features thoughtful interior protection. It checked all our boxes in testing.
If you’re looking to spend a little less, the $25 Smart Case for AirPods Max is our value choice. It’s a little bulky, but the memory foam-lined design provides great protection. Plus we love the color options.
Should style be your top priority, we like the look of the Spigen Klasden AirPods Max Case best, though the WIWU Leather Headphone Case for AirPods Max is an affordable leather option. And if you’re not looking for a fully enclosed case but one of the best AirPods Max covers, the Spigen AirPods Max Earcup Covers are a solid scratch-proofing alternative.
The best AirPods Max cases you can buy today
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The co2CREA Hard Case for AirPods Max is a good example of a case we wish Apple included with the AirPods Max. This is a perfectly simple case, providing basic protection while not taking up much space in our bag. Even with the compact size, the case features magnets for triggering the headphone’s low power mode and an open compartment for storing a cord.
Sure, some of the materials might not be as premium as some other cases we tested — the nylon exterior is pretty basic and the zipper snags from time to time. Plus the carrying strap could be stronger. But the velvet fabric on the inside is soft to the touch and feels nicer than it should at the price. The color option we tested offered a nice contrast of black on the outside and blue on the inside, too. It’s hard to beat this combination of low price and ample protection.
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The Smart Case for AirPods Max is a rather basic case — there’s no storage compartment and the exterior of the case is as plain as can be. But the inside seems much more protective and intentional than the $25 price lets on, in our opinion. It features a full panel of pillowy memory foam, plus a minimalistic AirPods Max mold covered in a soft, velvet-like fabric. This case even has the low power mode magnets, saving power when our AirPods Max weren’t in use.
This case is bulkier than others, taking up a little more real estate in our backpack than we’d like. But it gets almost everything else right, from the set of smooth zippers to the rubber bolster on the carrying handle. Of all the AirPods Max cases we tested, this is one of the most reliable, especially for the price.
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The Spigen Klasden AirPods Max is the best-looking AirPods Max case we’ve tested, featuring sophisticated charcoal fabric and a tapered design that doesn’t take up too much space. It also has the nicest carrying handle we’ve seen, crafted from thick leather and secured to both halves of the case. The double-zipper closure is an excellent touch as well, down to the patterned rope on each zipper’s pull tag.
If the $30 Spigen Klasden AirPods Max Case had magnets for low power mode, it probably would have been our favorite AirPods Max case overall. Fortunately, the case accommodates the Apple Smart Case, so our AirPods Max didn’t lose juice when stored away. And the case has a magnetically sealed storage compartment, so you can easily bring along a charging cable or other small item. We did have to extend the AirPods Max headband to fit over the compartment, though that’s far from a dealbreaker.
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The Urban Armor Gear AirPods Max Case has a lot to offer — a carrying handle, an included carabiner, a mesh storage pocket backed by memory foam, low power mode magnets and even an interior elastic strap that helps secure the AirPods Max in place. The strap and the zipper are particularly high-quality, even if the carrying strap and storage pocket aren’t as nice as we’ve seen on other cases.
Still, this case offers perhaps the most evident sense of protection of any of the best AirPods Max cases. The added rubber lining covering the zipper means no spills or water can infiltrate our headphones, causing serious damage. And we know we called it out already, but we really like the interior elastic strap. We found it prevents the AirPods Max from shifting around in the case. For $80, this is far from the most affordable AirPods Max accessory, yet a solid investment for their security.
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If you want an AirPods Case that will shield your headphones from the elements without adding bulk, the WIWU Ultra Slim AirPods Max Case is one our favorite overall choices. While it’s not as cushioned as some of the other cases, it’s by far the most compact and, therefore, travel-friendly. As long as we didn’t rough around our bag, this case kept our headphones safe from scratches, spills and general damage.
This wasn’t necessarily an issue for us, but we noticed we couldn’t store our AirPods Max in this case while our headband was fully extended. We imagine if you wear your AirPods Max stretched to the maximum headband length, it would be a chore to shorten the arms each time you want to put the headphones away. Still, if the goal is to keep the headphone heft to a minimum, this case does it best. Plus the leather-like textured material on the outside elevates the appearance, and even comes in multiple colors.
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Of all the best AirPods Max cases and covers, the Spigen AirPods Max Earcup Covers are the only ones that offer true protection for our pricey headphones while not changing their appearance. The transparent covers are flexible enough to fit around each ear cup, but they also snap securely in place and won’t budge as you move around. They leave all the ports and speaker openings free while still sheltering a majority of the exterior ear cups.
We’ve used other Spigen-brand tech cases before and they’ve earned our trust for keeping our devices safe. But like clear and transparent cases, the Spigen AirPods Max Earcup Covers may be susceptible to yellowing when faced with direct sunlight. Similarly, oils from hair could impact the clearness. Yet considering how well these covers mesh protection with an unobtrusive and lightweight design, we find it easy to recommend them to AirPods Max users.
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If you want an AirPods Max case with lots of interior storage, the Vibeside Premium Smart Case for Airpods Max is right for you. It features a large mesh compartment with a zipper that can hold cables, a small notebook or even a smartphone. The compartment is divided with a memory foam panel from where the AirPods Max sit in a form-fitting mold, so the headphones remain protected even when we wanted to store other junk in the case.
The full-closure zipper and carrying handle are well-made, not showing signs of deterioration with our frequent yanks and opening or closing of the case. We also appreciate the hidden orange lining in the zipper – it’s a thoughtful touch in terms of design — but we could do without the embossed Vibeside branding on the outside of the case.
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There are many leather AirPods Max cases on the market, but they can be expensive. For about $35, the WIWU Leather Headphone Case for AirPods Max delivers a luxury look for less, featuring a sleek leather exterior. We like how the included clip-on carrying handle and zipper pull tabs also come in leather to match. Sure, it’s far from the finest quality leather, but we didn’t have to pay a fine leather price.
Our AirPods Max headphones were protected by a thick cushion covering the case’s interior lid, while the low power mode magnet helped keep our headset charged throughout the day. We will say the inside cable storage compartment felt flimsy — our headphones bent the central compartment inwards a bit. Luckily there’s a large zippered storage pocket on the outside of the case that had no trouble fitting our charging cord and wall adapter.
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We love a 2-for-1 deal, and that’s exactly what the ProCase for AirPods Max offers. For $25 (or less depending on which color you choose) this case includes a pair of silicone ear covers for added protection. Given, they’re not the most premium ear cup covers, but they prevent scratches well enough. And we wanted to use the covers while testing this case since it doesn’t have a designated mold for the AirPods Max like almost all the other AirPods Max cases we’ve reviewed.
Considering the low price, we’re not necessarily disappointed that the case doesn’t have a cut-out for the AirPods Max nor the low power mode magnets for saving battery life. We even opted to keep our AirPods Max in the included Apple Smart Case when using ProCase’s product. We like how half the ProCase case is lined with memory foam and the other half is a large mesh storage compartment. Plus with the open format, you could use the case to store something other than your AirPods, if you want.
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There’s no mistaking what the Samyerlen Smart Case for AirPods Max Headphones is designed to hold. The entire case is molded to the shape of AirPods Max, which looks a bit odd but makes the case the most lightweight one we’ve tested. While it doesn’t have an added cushion, the hardshell exterior offers ample protection, especially from water. We even splashed this case with water to test its waterproof claims, and sure enough the liquid wicked away. We feel our AirPods Max would be safe in this case if faced with a spill.
We like how the case comes with a small mesh storage pouch for a cable, though like some of the compact AirPods Max cases we’ve tested, there’s a flaw worth calling out. The AirPods Max headband needs to be fully retracted for it to fit in this case. If you wear your AirPods Max extended, you might grow annoyed having to adjust the fit every time you put the headphones away or take them out to use.
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The Raptic Smartform Case for AirPods Max features more interesting (and practical) design elements than most of the other cases we tested. Not only does it come with a carabiner for clipping the case to a bag, but it also features a hidden mesh pocket in the top flap for storing a charging cable or other small item. It also houses interior magnets for initiating low power mode on the AirPods Max.
Made of ballistic nylon and rubber on the outside and soft fabric on the inside, we like how this case mixes materials. The high-quality metal hook makes this case quick to open and close, but since it doesn’t have a zipper, our AirPods Max headphones aren’t fully enclosed. If we were worried about water exposure or other spills, this might not be our first choice. Though for backpacking and a general rugged appearance, we think this case is a winner.
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The Filoto Silicone Cover is one of our best AirPods Max cases and covers because it complements your headphones no matter which color you own. These silicone ear slips come in five different colors made to match the five AirPods Max colors – even pink like ours. Better yet, weighing less than 2 ounces, this cover doesn’t add extra heft to your head. It also molds nicely around the ear cup so as to not block the ports and sound grilles.
We like how the silicone is soft to the touch, too. But we will say the Filoto Silicone Cover perhaps prioritizes appearance instead of actual protection, especially compared to most of the AirPods Max cases we’ve tested. That said, these flexible covers will save the earcups from scuff marks and scratches, whether you toss your AirPods Max in your bag or shuffle them around your desk. Not bad for an accessory that costs less than $10.
How to choose the best AirPods Max cases and covers for you
There are a few factors you should consider when shopping for an AirPods Max case or cover. First, do you want a case or a cover? Or both? A cover only protects the ear cups from scratches, which might be enough if you don’t go far with your headphones. A case is better suited for travel or any instance you need to put your AirPods Max in a bag.
If you are taking them around often, think about how much protection you’ll need. If they’re just going in a handbag or backpack, a lightweight or slim case should be protective enough without adding too much extra heft to your load. But if you’re placing them in luggage or a larger bag that gets tossed around, opt for something more rugged with extra memory foam.
Also gauge how much storage you’d like in your case — some cases can fit little more than a cord while others have large storage pockets or compartments. Lastly, look for models with low battery mode magnets if you spend considerable time away from your charger. This will reserve your AirPods Max battery life when they’re not in use.
How we test the best AirPods Max cases and covers
Protectiveness: First and foremost, does the case keep our AirPods Max headphones safe? We look for added memory foam or other cushiony material, and whether the headphones move around while inside the case. A totally waterproof shell or added security strap earns bonus points.
Appearance: As the AirPods Max have a distinct design, we want AirPods Max cases and covers to look attractive. Sleek materials like leather are nice, though substantial carrying handles and an array of color options are more important.
Durability: We check that all the best AirPods Max cases and covers on this list will withstand normal wear and tear, whether it’s repeatedly pulling on the zipper tabs or tossing the case in a bag. If the case can’t protect itself, it can’t protect your AirPods Max.
Price: How much does the case or cover cost? The headphones themselves are already rather pricey, so we don’t want to spend much more on an accessory. While some AirPods Max cases out there can cost up to $100, we aimed to keep most options on this list under $50.
Once testing is completed, we rated the best AirPods Max cases based on our five-point system (1 = worst, 5 = best). Products that hit nearly every mark are awarded an Editor’s Choice badge.
