The arrival of AirPods bling was only a matter of time, but so far most of these products have been visual letdowns. Soon after Apple AirPods hit the market, designers jumped on the opportunity to create ear cuffs that blended beauty with functionality to help AirPods owners stop losing their precious buds.
Mara Paris is no exception. The jewelry brand, run by architect Ayça Özbank Taşkan, now offers the Pod Cuff. Of course, Mara Paris isn't revolutionizing the concept of ear cuffs for your earbuds. Louis Vuitton has its own version sold at $350 with the signature LV symbols like the Monogram Flower and LV Circle. Artists on Etsy and beyond are also offering the same, as reported by Gizmodo, at obviously much more affordable rates.
Most of the time, AirPods bling is unforgivably tacky. Crawlers or cuffs, this type of jewelry is often noticeably gaudy and carries more burden than benefit by hanging like rocks off your earlobes. They’re clunky and dull, and as you could tell with the Louis Vuitton edition, needlessly expensive.
Mara Paris, though, is getting the design for these earbuds right. It’s lustrous, smooth, and delightfully lightweight. Even without AirPods, these cuffs perfectly complement everyday apparel. Our only qualm? The price tag. It’s difficult to imagine the average AirPods owner putting almost $300 on the table for a pair of these silver beauties. But if you’re in the mood to splurge — you do own AirPods, after all — the Pod Cuffs is a nice little accessory to treat yourself to.