Do AirPods Max Scratch Easily?

Your AirPods Max are bound to experience some wear over time. You might carry them in a bag full of other items, leave them lying around the house, or drop them accidentally from time to time. But just how scratch resistant are the AirPods Max?

The AirPods Max aren’t notably scratch-resistant, and they’ll gain small nicks and scratches if you aren’t careful. Over time, the anodized aluminum ear cups and other parts can get scuffed and scratched. The included case can help prevent scratches if you get in a good habit of using it.

Let’s take a closer look at how durable your AirPods Max are, how you can get rid of any scratches on them, and how to protect your headphones from unnecessary wear and tear.

Are AirPods Max Scratch Resistant?

The AirPods Max (on Amazon) aren’t scratch resistant. In fact, they’re fairly prone to scratches because they’re made of a soft material with a smooth surface.

How Easily Do AirPods Max Scratch?

Any product that goes through daily use eventually gets some scratches. Although it’s bound to happen at some point, it happens earlier than expected for some AirPods Max users.

For instance, you might notice scratches on your brand new AirPods Max after just a few days of use.

How to Protect Your AirPods Max From Scratches

You can protect your AirPods Max from scratches by purchasing certain accessories for the headphones. Here are some of our recommendations:

Co2crea Hard Case

There are several AirPods Max hard carrying cases on the market, but the Co2crea Hard Case (on Amazon) is arguably the best option. It has a luxurious interior, a place to store a power adapter, and magnets to put the headphones into a low-power sleep mode.

Seltureone AirPods Max Earcup Protectors

The Seltureone AirPods Max Earcup Protectors (on Amazon) can come in handy if you’re worried about dropping your AirPods Max.

They protect the aluminum earcups from getting dinged up. For around $10, you can get these protectors to keep your AirPods Max scratch-free.

Spigen Ultra Hybrid Pro

The Spigen Ultra Hybrid Pro (on Amazon) is a set of clear protective covers for your AirPods Max earcups. With these covers, you’ll have some protection while still being able to show off the sleek aluminum design of your AirPods Max.

Spigen Klasden Case

The Spigen Klasden (on Amazon) is a relatively affordable hard case for the AirPods Max. It offers extra protection and has an internal pouch you can use to store cables and an integrated handle.

How Durable Are the AirPods Max?

The robust build quality of any Apple product, including the AirPods Max, sets them apart from their competitors. You’ll notice the quality of the earbuds right when you take the AirPods Max out of the box. They are built from anodized aluminum, which makes them rigidly durable. 

The points connecting the arms to the earcups are made of high-polished stainless steel, similar to that on the sides of most recent iPhones.

Despite the weaker points — the woven ear pads and the knit-mesh canopy that rests on your head — feeling rather delicate, they’re actually quite durable under average stress.

It’s still best to exercise caution when using the AirPods Max. Even though they seem durable, you might be disappointed if small scratches appear on the headphones or significant damage occurs.

Can You Fix Scratches on Your AirPods Max?

You can fix scratches on your AirPods Max using the following items:

• Toothpaste
  
• Lint-free cloth
  
• Sandpaper 
  
• Isopropyl alcohol
  
• Soft-bristled brush

To eliminate scuffs on your AirPods Max, gently scrub the marks using sandpaper, ensuring you only scrub the affected areas. Rubbing the sandpaper over the scratches leaves behind an unpolished surface, so don’t be shocked when this happens.

Pour some alcohol on the lint-free cloth and use it to polish the matte surface of your AirPods Max. As you polish the surface, it should start looking better than before.

Now it’s time for the toothpaste and the brush. Regular whitening toothpaste has abrasives which help buff out scratches. It also removes minor paint scratches since they are within the protection/final coat, almost next to the paint layer.

Toothpaste also works for scratches that pass through the protection layer and get to the tip of the paint layer of your AirPods Max.

Gel toothpaste won’t get rid of the scratches, sadly. The only toothpaste that works for scratches is the whitening toothpaste with grit. So make sure you use the correct toothpaste to avoid wasting your time.