The Informant: The $10 Ear Pad Covers Protecting My New AirPods Max

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Splurging on an expensive piece of tech usually includes following up a multi-thousand-dollar purchase with a much cheaper accessory to protect it, like an iPhone case or a laptop sleeve. If the purchase is Apple’s over-ear AirPods Max headphones, I’d make the same case for buying a silicone cover for the ear pads. 

Anyone who’s donned a pair of AirPods Max knows that the ear pads are very comfortable to wear, but they’re also susceptible to stains and rips. I also knew that if I was going to use my shiny new noise-canceling headphones in non-temperature-controlled environments — like at the gym, where I’d be sweating — I needed a protective layer. Instead of chancing it, I decided to spend a few extra bucks and order myself a thin, flexible, rubber buffer. 

So I invested in this $10 pair of silicone covers available on Amazon. They slip on and off in a few seconds and protect my AirPods Max from all perspiration. They also fit the earpads to a T and don’t move around while I’m using them. Plus, the silicone is thin, flexible, and easy to manipulate while still being quite protective. My only hang-ups with them are that I don’t have an obvious space to store them between uses and they make my headphones noticeably colder to wear. (The silicone is cool to the touch, so when I’m walking with them on cold days, my ears get cold, too. The AirPods’ regular ear pad fabric functions much like earmuffs.) 

Overall, it was a no-brainer to throw a little more money at conserving expensive tech equipment and extending its lifespan as long as possible. For me, paying $10 to keep my sweaty ears from aging $550 headphones is more than worth it.