Keep your AirPods 3 safe in this rugged carabiner case cover from SwitchEasy [Review]

The SwitchEasy Odyssey Rugged Utility Protective Case shields your AirPods 3 from scratches and helps prevent accidental loss. Surprisingly, it does not interfere with wireless charging.

I’ve carried the case cover on multiple vacations. It stood up to the real world very well. And the product is currently on sale at 20% off.

SwitchEasy Odyssey Rugged Utility Protective AirPod 3 Case review

My AirPods 3 go with me everywhere. These wireless headphones are so good they are either in my ears or in my pocket, whether I’m headed out for work or fun.

I don’t believe in carrying any of my Apple devices around naked. My iPhone has a case, as does my iPad. And my AirPods need one, too. Yes, I know they actually come with a case. But it’s this case that needs protection — it’s made of shiny plastic, and a drop or two onto concrete can really scratch it up. Hence a case cover.

Plus, Apple’s AirPods 3 case lacks a critical feature: any way to attach a lanyard or carabiner.

SwitchEasy’s Odyssey Rugged Utility Protective Case adds the travel features I want for the headphones.

• A truly rugged AirPods case cover
• Wireless or wired charging
• SwitchEasy Odyssey Rugged Utility Protective Case for AirPods 3 final thoughts
• Pricing

A truly rugged AirPods case cover

The designers of this case cover were serious about making it rugged. That’s clear from the first glance. The result looks like what someone in a Mission: Impossible movie would use. Or maybe a soldier taking headphones into combat.

With this add-on, Apple’s own AirPods 3 case gets wrapped in a thick layer of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) that SwitchEasy says will protect the accessory in drops of up to 4 feet.

The shock-absorbent TPU seems to make the case less likely to pop open if it lands just wrong. The maker of this product doesn’t claim this, but it’s something I’ve noticed in months of use.

Protection from scratches is a real benefit, too. A friend’s second-gen AirPods case has been dropped in parking lots so many times it looks like it’s been through a garbage disposal. That wouldn’t happen with a rugged case cover like this one.

But you’re less likely to drop your AirPods because the Odyssey Rugged Utility Protective Case includes a built-in carabiner.

I keep this clipped to my car keys or whatever bag the earbuds are riding in. Last summer, I was very glad I did so — a TSA agent roughly dumped out the contents of my gear bag before shoving it into the airport scanner. I never saw a very nice iPad stylus again, but at least my AirPods didn’t disappear into the bowels of the machine.

The rugged case adds some bulk to the AirPods 3, not so much as to make them unwieldy. It’s still pocketable.

Wireless or wired charging

When I first put the SwitchEasy Odyssey on my AirPods 3 case, I remember thinking “There goes wireless charging.” Boy, was I wrong.

Wireless power won’t go through thick iPhone cases. But put your earbuds in this case cover on a charging mat and they’ll immediately start getting power.

And SwitchEasy put in a cutout so you can plug a Lightning cable into Apple’s case if you prefer that method of charging.

There’s also a cutout for the LED that shows the AirPods case’s charging status. And the reset button on the back of the AirPods case can be pressed without removing the Odyssey.

SwitchEasy Odyssey Rugged Utility Protective Case for AirPods 3 final thoughts

A rugged case cover for your AirPods 3 case makes a surprising amount of sense. The Odyssey really helps keep Apple’s charging case for the earbuds pristine. And the carabiner that SwitchEasy built in means you’re much less likely to lose the earbuds.

★★★★☆

My rating for this product indicates that I think it’s very good. One of my few complaints is that there are no color options. It’s black or nothing.

Pricing

The SwitchEasy Odyssey Rugged Utility Protective Case for AirPods 3 ordinarily sells for $19.99, which is a reasonable price for an add-on of this type made by a reputable company.

But you can get it for less from the Cult of Mac store. We have a 20% off sale now through March 13, 2023.

Buy from: Cult of Mac Store

For those looking for something more colorful, there are plenty of other SwitchEasy AirPods cases also available at 20% off.

SwitchEasy provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out other in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.