Apple recently added a USB-C port to the entire AirPods lineup with the new AirPods 4 and AirPods Max. However, there are still a lot of people who have old AirPods and simply don't want to buy new headphones just to get the new port. Luckily, someone came up with a clever accessory that brings USB-C to AirPods with Lightning.

Engineer Ken Pillonel has developed a simple but great accessory: a case for AirPods that have a charging case with a Lightning port. But rather than being a mere protective case, Pillonel's invention comes with a USB-C port, so that owners of older AirPods can simply "upgrade" their charging case.

Essentially, the case created by Pillonel has a built-in Lightning to USB-C adapter. All users need to do is put their original AirPods case inside the USB-C case. Then, when you connect a USB-C cable to the protective case, it will transmit power to the AirPods case inside.

Apple sells a USB-C charging case for the second generation AirPods Pro, so that those who own the Lightning version can upgrade without having to buy new earbuds. However, the case alone costs $99. Pillonel's solution costs around $40 and is available not only for AirPods Pro 2, but also for AirPods 1, 2 and 3 and the original AirPods Pro.

But what about AirPods Max owners? Well, if you don't want to buy the revised models with USB-C (which is the only change in the new version), the engineer has also come up with a solution for Apple's headphones. He created a small USB-C adapter that fits perfectly into the Lightning connector.

The adapter for AirPods Max doesn't exactly have the best design, but it's discrete enough to go unnoticed most of the time.

The engineer shared a video showing details about the development of the accessories, which you can watch below:

You can buy a USB-C case for your AirPods via Pillonel's online store. However, keep in mind that the products will take a while to ship due to "high demand."