AirPods cases: leather, Alcantara or vegan leather?

You open an AirPods case many times a day. It lives in a pocket with keys and coins, and it gets dropped on desks. A case protects it, and it also decides what that small object feels like in your hand.

This guide compares the three materials we use: leather, Alcantara and vegan leather. It covers how each feels and ages, which generations each case fits, and how to choose. Where a product page does not list a generation, we say so.

What is the difference between leather, Alcantara and vegan leather AirPods cases?

All three sit over a rigid inner shell, which does the protecting. The difference is the surface you touch, and how it changes.

	Leather	Alcantara	Vegan leather
What it is	Animal hide, such as cowhide or sheepskin	An Italian microfibre material, not leather	A synthetic (PU) material, not hide
Feel	Warm, natural, varies by hide	Soft, suede-like, high grip	Soft, matte, even
Over time	Darkens, softens, picks up marks and patina	Keeps its texture and colour	Stays the colour you bought
Care	Dry cloth; a little conditioner only if it feels dry	Soft cloth, mild soap if needed	Damp cloth, then dry; no conditioner
Our cases	Ferrara, Modena, Copenhagen, York, Biella, Orvieto, Pesaro, Milano Pebble	Monaco GT	Lecce

Leather is the only one of the three that changes with you. Each hide has its own grain and shade, and small marks are part of the material.

Alcantara is a branded microfibre material, not leather. It feels like suede and adds grip without feeling sticky. Its page notes that tone, texture or brushing direction can vary slightly between units.

Vegan leather is a synthetic material, not hide, and we would rather say that plainly. Lecce is a moulded vegan leather over a rigid shell. It will not darken, scar or gloss up, and it needs no balm. Our wider comparison of leather, Alcantara and vegan leather covers the same trade-offs for phone cases.

Which AirPods case fits my generation?

Each AirPods generation has its own charging case shape, so a cover is cut for one generation or a few. First find yours: with your AirPods connected, open Settings on your iPhone, tap your AirPods near the top, and look under About for the model name.

Phone case	Material	Generations listed on the page
Lecce	Vegan leather (synthetic)	AirPods Pro 3, Pro 2, Pro, AirPods 4, AirPods 3
Orvieto	Uncoated natural-grain leather	AirPods Pro 3, Pro 2
York	Full-grain cowhide	AirPods Pro 3 only
Biella	Sheepskin	AirPods Pro 3 (2025)
Pesaro	Fine-grain leather	AirPods 4, standard and ANC
Ferrara	Full-grain cowhide with a Crazy Horse finish	Check the product page
Modena	Crazy Horse leather	Choose from the model selector
Copenhagen	Vegetable-tanned Italian leather (Conceria 800)	Check the product page
Monaco GT	Alcantara	Check the product page
Milano Pebble	Pebbled leather	Check the product page

A common mistake is assuming that "Pro" covers every Pro. York fits the Pro 3 and nothing else, while Orvieto fits the Pro 3 and the Pro 2. Lecce is the easiest to buy for someone else, with one design across five generations and five colours, but you still choose the generation when you order.

How does each leather age on an AirPods case?

These are the leathers in our AirPods range, grouped by finish. All of them change with use. What differs is how, and how visibly.

• Crazy Horse (Ferrara, Modena). Crazy Horse is a finish, not the animal: Ferrara is full-grain cowhide worked with a heavy wax pull-up. The surface lightens where it bends and darkens where your fingers rest. Ferrara is made to match the Ferrara iPhone case. Modena is waxed Crazy Horse leather with a soft inner lining.
• Vegetable-tanned cowhide (Copenhagen). Conceria 800 leather, vegetable-tanned in Tuscany by a tannery working since 1969. It deepens in tone and picks up a patina where your fingers land. It is the same leather as the Copenhagen iPhone case, in one colourway, Cognac.
• Oiled and waxed full grain (York). Cut from two tanneries, named by colour. Sundown and Ebony are Charles F Stead's Classic Oiled Shoulder, tanned in Leeds, Yorkshire, since 1904. Matte Brown is Horween's Crazy Horse, from Chicago, tanning since 1905. Neither is coated, so the pores show.
• Uncoated natural grain (Orvieto). No pigment coat, so the grain is the surface. Each case deepens where your fingers land most. It comes in Ochre and Cocoa.
• Sheepskin (Biella). The softest hide we work with: finer and lighter than cowhide. It also marks more readily and absorbs more, so treat spills straight away.
• Fine grain (Pesaro). A close, even texture that softens with handling and picks up a light sheen where your fingers land. Black, Cognac and Espresso.

Milano Pebble has a pebbled leather texture. Its page gives fewer details than the others, so check it before you choose.

For how patina forms, see what is leather patina? For cleaning, our care guide goes leather by leather.

Can you charge AirPods with the case on?

Yes, by cable, on every case in this guide. Each one has a cutout for the charging port, so you plug in without taking the cover off.

Wireless charging depends on two things: whether your AirPods case supports it, and whether the cover lets it through. Biella's page says wireless charging works with the case on, and York's says it charges through the cutout or on a wireless pad. The other pages do not mention it, so we do not promise it.

The front status light matters too. Lecce, Pesaro, Biella, Orvieto and York all leave an opening or window over it, so you can still see the charge level.

One-piece or two-piece: does it matter?

Most of our AirPods cases are two-piece: one part wraps the lid and one wraps the base, so the hinge still closes flush. Lecce, Pesaro, Biella, Orvieto and York are built this way. On York, the lower half is fixed with double-sided adhesive that comes already applied inside.

Copenhagen is a snug one-piece fit, and its page says the lid still opens and closes cleanly. Ferrara is a snug two-piece fit over a hard shell. Biella adds a detachable wrist strap on a metal clasp.

If York's leather separates, the shell cracks or a seam gives way in normal use within five years, we replace it. The guarantee covers construction, not patina.

What about AirPods Max?

AirPods Max need a different kind of case. Sanremo is a structured travel case in oiled cowhide, in a deep coffee brown, shaped to the headphones so the earcups and headband go in together. The zip runs all the way round and a removable mount holds the earcups still.

A small opening at the back lets the cable through, so the headphones charge with the case closed. The lid has a microfibre pocket for the cable and a charger. It measures about 21.5 × 22 × 6.5 cm and weighs about 418 g. Versions for Sony WH-1000XM3 and WH-1000XM4 are in the selector.

How to choose an AirPods case

• You want it to match your iPhone case: Ferrara or Copenhagen, each made to match its iPhone case. Our build your set page puts pieces together.
• You want the most character: Ferrara or Modena in Crazy Horse, or York in uncoated full grain.
• You want the softest feel: Biella in sheepskin, for AirPods Pro 3.
• You have AirPods 4: Pesaro fits both the standard and the ANC model.
• You want it to stay the same: Monaco GT in Alcantara, or Lecce in vegan leather.
• You are buying a gift: Lecce covers five generations. Our leather gift guide has ideas that need less guessing.

Browse every model in our AirPods cases, or our vegan leather pieces. The city behind our bestselling leather is in Ferrara, the city behind the name.

Frequently asked questions

Is vegan leather real leather?

No. Vegan leather is a synthetic material (PU), not animal hide. Lecce, our vegan leather AirPods case, is labelled that way on its page.

Is Alcantara leather?

No. Alcantara is a branded microfibre material It feels like suede but does not develop a patina.

Will an AirPods Pro 2 case fit AirPods Pro 3?

Only if the case lists both. Orvieto and Lecce list Pro 3 and Pro 2. York and Biella fit the Pro 3 only.

How do I clean a leather AirPods case?

Wipe it with a dry, soft cloth, keep it out of standing water and avoid solvents. If the leather ever feels dry, a very small amount of neutral conditioner is enough. Never use conditioner on vegan leather.

Do AirPods come with the case?

No. AirPods are not included; the cases are sold on their own.

Written by the Capini Firenze team. We work with these leathers every day and update this guide when our materials change.