Nomad Rugged Case for AirPod Pros Look Stylish While Protecting Your $250 Investment

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Looking for protection for your new AirPod Pros? Well, there’s no better way of getting that than with the Nomad Rugged Case.


Nomad is famous for their elegantly made leather products for the iPhone and Google Pixel phones, but their new Rugged Case for the Airpods Pros not only protect the all-white casing of your AirPods Pro, but they give them an identity that sets it apart from those colorful (rubber and silicone) AirPod cases you may have seen on Amazon.

A hard-shell case built from polycarbonate, the outside of the case is made of fabulous Horween leather that ages well and gets a glorious patina over time. Like the smartphone cases by Nomad, there’s a slick rubber siding to the case that extends to all sides with help protect from a drop out of your pocket which I’ve already done twice since using the case. At the inside of the Rugged case, there’s micro-fiber to hug your standard AirPod Pros case, protecting it from dust and hairline scratches that you’d more than likely get when just tossing Apple’s Active Noise Cancelling earbuds in your pocket.

At the front of the case, there’s a cutout hole so you can see when the AirPod Pros are charging, which is an oversight I’ve seen with other cases for the Airpod Pros, so I’m not surprised given Nomads attention to detail. At the back of the Airpod Pros, there’s a soft spot (while not indicated it is indeed there) that sits where the pairing button would go on the Airpods Pro Case that allows you to pair the headphones to your device without having to physically take them out of the Rugged Case. This is again, another detail that while you might not think is necessary (especially if you’re already paired to your device), Nomad had the foresight to include this. While I was a bit taken back by there being a bit of an opening on the back of the case to allow it to open, I can completely see the practicality of this as well.

One thing I didn’t notice at first about the Rugged Case was the lanyard option on the right side of the case. While sold separately, this is great for attaching to keys, or evening just wearing as a wrist strap, without adding additional bulk to the case. I’ll probably never use the option of the lanyard because I love the look without anything added to it.

Overall, the Rugged Case for the AirPod Pros is a way of adding a bit of elegance to a great pair of earbuds. I know I personally cannot wait until the Patina develops, which at the rate I wear my Airpod Pros might take less than the 100 days Nomad stated.

The Rugged Case by Nomad retails for $35 and is available directly from Nomad’s website.

Source: Manufacturer supplied review unit

What I Like: Stylish yet minimalist look, two-piece case

What Needs Improvement: Have to purchase the lanyard strap separately

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About the Author

Greg Alston
Diehard Apple fanboy, and lover of all things tech. Born and raised in Washington, DC, Greg enjoys spending time with his wife, family, and friends, live sporting events, good bourbon, Tetris, and pizza. In that order.