This is the English edition of a review from my Japanese YouTube channel, iestaLife. I review gadgets from my home studio in Japan, so product links go to Amazon Japan.
Quick take
iCarer’s genuine leather AirPods Pro 3 case matches the iCarer leather case on my iPhone 17 Pro Max almost perfectly, and at 24.2 g it is lighter than the silicone case I used before. Leather does scar when dropped, though: a fall of about 50 cm onto concrete left clear marks, while the AirPods inside were unharmed.
What I tested
- iCarer genuine leather case for AirPods Pro 3 (Dark Red)
- iCarer leather MagSafe case for iPhone 17 Pro Max (Red), used for one to two weeks at that point
- For comparison: a thick silicone case styled like a retro handheld game console
- A follow-up about a month later, after I dropped the AirPods case
What I found
- Weight in my measurement: 24.2 g for the leather case vs 30.8 g for the silicone case. AirPods Pro 3 alone weighed 55.2 g, so the totals are 79.4 g vs 86.0 g.
- The bottom half simply snaps on; the lid half is held by an adhesive pad. A small plastic removal tool is included.
- The status light shows through a hole, and a USB-C cable plugged in without interference.
- The two halves leave the hinge area open at the back, so a little white shows from behind. From the front you hardly see it.
- It smells like real leather, and the colour sits almost exactly with the red iPhone case.
- At the time of recording, the AirPods case was 3,127 yen and the iPhone case 3,600 yen, both in an Amazon Japan sale.
Comparison
| Case weight | With AirPods Pro 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Silicone (game-console style) | 30.8 g | 86.0 g |
| iCarer leather | 24.2 g | 79.4 g |
The drop, a month later
I left the AirPods on the car seat and they fell out with me onto a concrete car park from about 45–50 cm. The leather picked up obvious scuffs on the corner and where it rolled. The AirPods themselves were completely fine, so the case did its job. The iPhone case, which I had not dropped, only showed light colour wear on the corners — the kind of ageing leather cream can partly restore.
Who it’s for
Anyone who wants their AirPods and iPhone cases to match in material and colour, and who enjoys leather that develops character. Skip it if you hate the idea of scuffs from a drop, or if you want to clip your AirPods to the outside of a bag: the lid has no lock, and I have lost earbuds twice from a case that popped open on a belt loop.
Watch the review
The video is in Japanese. Useful points: around 2:00 the weight comparison, and around 5:15 the AirPods case next to the iPhone case.
Limitations
This is one case used for about a month, and one accidental drop, not a controlled test. Colour names and availability are as listed on Amazon Japan at the time of recording; the AirPods case also came in Black, Brown and Dark Blue, the iPhone case in Red, Black and Brown.
Products
iCarer genuine leather case for AirPods Pro 3: on Amazon Japan
iCarer leather MagSafe case for iPhone 17 Pro Max: on Amazon Japan
The Amazon Japan links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Check the listing for the exact model, current price and shipping availability in your region.
More reviews in English
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This review is also available in Japanese.