Review: Capra Leather’s AirPods Max Case is a Premium Alternative to the Apple Smart Case

Capra Leather is a Colombia-based company that makes a range of handmade leather accessories, including cases for the iPad and MacBook, as well as magnetic wallets for the iPhone 12, for over 100 countries around the world. One of Capra’s latest products is an alternative to the AirPods Max Smart Case, which seeks to address some of the criticisms that have been leveled at Apple’s own case that comes with its over-ear headphones.

capra leather airpods max case tweak
Capra Leather’s ‌AirPods Max‌ case is designed to safely store ‌AirPods Max‌ when they are not in use, and contains a pair of neodymium magnets, just like Apple’s Smart Case, to put the headphones into their ultra-low power mode to preserve battery life. Unlike Apple’s case, the Capra Leather case covers almost the entirety of ‌AirPods Max‌, including the headband, for much better overall protection. My Capra Leather ‌AirPods Max‌ case is in tan, but it is also available in black, dark brown, navy, and green.

capra leather case review main
Capra’s leather is fairly soft and supple, but thick and sturdy enough that I feel the case would protect my ‌AirPods Max‌ adequately during travel, and certainly better than when put in Apple’s Smart Case. The design does not waste space and is as compact as you could reasonably expect a protective case for the ‌AirPods Max‌ to be.

Although the upper sides of the headband are not covered by the case, they are recessed far enough inside that I felt they were sufficiently well-protected. There is also a tiny amount of added padding in the flap over the headband for extra protection.

capra leather case review main
The bottom of the case reveals the two pockets used to stow each of the earcups and features a cable pass-through on the right earcup pocket for charging the ‌AirPods Max‌ in the case.

capra leather case review main
The entire design is based around an easy access flap that folds over the front of the case. This flap contains magnets, which are strong enough to keep it closed, but not so strong that opening the case requires excessive effort. The solution is very convenient and more user-friendly than the zippers that are commonplace on many other cases for headphones.

See also  iPhone 13 Reviews: Excellent Cameras, Speedy Performance, and Improved Battery Make for Worthy Upgrade

capra leather case review main
Inside, the ‌AirPods Max‌’s earcups are kept in separate pockets to prevent them from hitting each other and they fit in quite snugly. Capra says that there is suede inside, but it is a rather rough variety of suede that is much more akin to the natural underside of leather than the sort of soft-touch napped suede I am familiar with from clothing. Nevertheless, the inside is soft enough that I am not concerned about the ‌AirPods Max‌ getting scratched or scuffed.

capra leather case review main
Inside, there is a small, elastic cable holder, allowing you to carry a Lightning cable for charging your ‌AirPods Max‌. While it is handy to be able to store a cable here, I found that the elastic was a bit too tight and it was a struggle to get a 1m USB-C to Lightning cable to fit in. I also found that it was a little difficult to remove the cable while the ‌AirPods Max‌ were in the case due to the mesh headband being so nearby, so most of the time you would want to take the headphones out first.

capra leather case review main
Capra lauds its use of hand stitching and locally sourced natural leather to make its products. I felt that the leather and stitching was good, but not impressive. In terms of quality, given its premium $99 price tag, I had expected slightly better.

It feels like the case has been made to last and will age well, but when it comes to paying $99 for a case, I expected an impressive finish that could stand up to the material quality of other premium leather accessories.

capra leather case review main
I was also disappointed with the pass-through for charging because the cutout was somewhat poorly finished and uneven. The suede flaps inside totally obscured the actual charging port, making it very difficult to actually get the Lightning connector into the ‌AirPods Max‌ without either scratching the headphones or pinching the suede between the connector and the surround of the port.

See also  Review: Aqara's Roller Shade Driver E1, TVOC Air Quality Monitor, and Hub M1S Are Reliable and Well-Designed HomeKit Accessories

I found that the only way I could confidently charge the ‌AirPods Max‌ in the case was by turning the case upside down and trying to part the flaps with my finger while pushing the cable in with my other hand, but even when doing this I found that the suede often bunched up and got caught inside the case.

The biggest problem I had with the Capra Leather case was the fact that the ‌AirPods Max‌ have to be fully retracted to their smallest size in order to keep the case closed with the magnets. Although you can still fold the leather flap over the ‌AirPods Max‌ when extended beyond the smallest size, it will not magnetically stay down. This would have been easily resolved by putting a row of magnets inside the earcup pockets instead of just one on either side.

capra leather case review main
While for demonstration purposes I fully extended the arms of my ‌AirPods Max‌ to show how the flap fails to close, I actually only need a small amount of extension on my headphones to get them to fit, and even with this small extension, the flap would not close properly at all since the magnets no longer line up.

I feel that forcing users to fully retract their headphones every time they put them away, and then extend them again when they get them out to use, defeats the point of easy and quick access with the magnetic flap. In spite of the various limitations of Apple’s own Smart Case, it facilitates all extension sizes so you can use your ‌AirPods Max‌ immediately without worrying about sizing. I can’t help but feel this is something of a design flaw with the Capra Leather case, and it puts me off using it every day since it is inconvenient to find the perfect extension with the ‌AirPods Max‌ every time I want to use them.

See also  Review: The ElevationHub Adds an Extra USB Port and SD Card Slot to Your Mac's Power Adapter

Bottom Line

The Capra Leather ‌AirPods Max‌ case is a viable alternative to Apple’s Smart Case, and I appreciated the carefully aligned magnets for putting the headphones into their ultra-low power mode. The case is also excellent for travel and peace of mind when it comes to protecting the headphones.

capra leather case review main
Nonetheless, it must be said that the fact that the ‌AirPods Max‌ have to be fully retracted for the case to properly close and the charging pass-through seems to suggest that some aspects of the design were not very well thought through. In light of this and the unexceptional quality, I think that Capra Leather’s ‌AirPods Max‌ case is quite expensive for its $99 price tag.

I can see the Capra Leather case being appealing to users who need something to store their ‌AirPods Max‌ in during infrequent travel, alongside Apple’s Smart Case for daily use. Users who charge their ‌AirPods Max‌ outside of the case or do not need any amount of extension with their headphones will be able to easily look past the problems I experienced.

Apple’s Smart Case has its own problems, but so does the Capra Leather case. If you strongly dislike Apple’s Smart Case and are happy to pay a premium, Capra’s case is a fair alternative that can offer much more protection, as long as you are comfortable with its design limitations.

How to Buy

The Capra Leather ‌AirPods Max‌ case can be purchased from the Capra Leather website for $99, and it is available in black, dark brown, navy, tan, and green.

Related Posts

Google Pixel 6a smartphone review

Google Pixel 6a smartphone review: The best Android model

Read Google Pixel 6a smartphone review while you don’t have to forgo specifications, power, or features just because you’re looking for an inexpensive Android smartphone. The Pixel…

Kashoo- Best Accounting Software For Small Enterprise

Kashoo- The Best Accounting Software For Small Enterprise

Every firm, no matter how big or little, needs accounting software. You may monitor and keep track of your financial transactions with its assistance. We’re going to…

VCita- The Best Data Management Software For Business

VCita- The Best Data Management Software For Business

The Best Data Management Software For Business, VCita, is made to support the expansion of small enterprises. Specifically designed for service providers, VCita transforms how companies connect…

Review: Beats Flex Offer a Great Entry Point to Apple’s Wireless Earphone Ecosystem for Just $50

One of the announcements last week that flew under the radar since it wasn’t explicitly mentioned during Apple’s event was the introduction of Beats Flex, new wireless…

iPhone 12 Reviews: Major Design and Display Improvements, Mixed Experiences With 5G and MagSafe

The primary iPhone 12 opinions have been shared by varied media shops and YouTubers, and the general consensus is that the ‌iPhone‌ 12 is surprisingly just like…

iPhone 12 Pro Reviews: New Design and Camera Improvements More Compelling During Early Days of 5G

Three days ahead of its launch, reviews of the iPhone 12 Pro are in. We’ve rounded up impressions of the device below. With the iPhone 12 now…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *