New AirPods? This $6 accessory kit has everything you need to make them better – CNET [CNET]

Read more: The best Apple AirPods accessories

This story was originally going to focus on a smattering of individual products — cases, ear hooks and the like — but then I discovered a single kit that has pretty much everything an AirPods owner might need — all for $6. (Note that the price on this often jumps around by a dollar or two.)

Here’s what you get:

• A silicone case-cover in your choice of colors
• A carabiner for hooking that case to your belt, backpack or whatever
• Two sets of straps so your AirPods can dangle from your neck
• Two sets of ear hooks to improve fit
• Two sets of watch-band holders
• A zippered carrying case to hold everything

All this for six measly bucks. (Note the price on this can fluctuate a bit, but the highest I’ve seen it is $8.) I’m not sure why the bundle includes two of certain things, but I won’t complain about having extras.

I was mostly in it for the silicone cover, because I was tired of losing my grip on Apple’s slippery AirPods case. That cover adds some bulk, though, so the carabiner clip is a nice perk: I no longer have to keep the case in my pocket.

I immediately fell in love with the straps, which let the AirPods dangle from around my neck when I want to take them out. (There’s some added safety there as well; once, while running, I swatted at a bug near my ear and sent an AirPod flying. It almost landed in a puddle.)

The watch-band holder was something I didn’t even know existed. But for those times when it’s not convenient to keep the case with you or use the neck strap, it’s actually quite handy to be able to “dock” the AirPods on your wrist. These holders tend to slide around a bit, at least on my Apple Watch silicone band, but they should work with any kind of watch and band.

The ear hooks might be helpful for folks who have a hard time getting AirPods to stay put. However, they’re kind of a pain to install, and you can’t charge the AirPods without taking them off again. Plus, they really don’t do much to improve noise isolation; for that I’d look to something like the AhaStyle Silicone Ear Hooks, which sell for around $14. They can really help block sound and boost bass.

Finally, the zippered carrying case is a nice little extra for keeping all this stuff together.

You can easily find all these items for sale separately, and certainly there are even more colors and styles available if you just want an AirPods-case case. But I think this is $6 very well spent, even if you use only a couple of the items in the kit.

Your thoughts?

CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on tech products and much more. For the latest deals and updates, follow him on Facebook and Twitter. You can also sign up for deal texts delivered right to your phone. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and check out our CNET Coupons page for the latest Walmart discount codes, eBay coupons, Samsung promo codes and even more from hundreds of other online stores. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Answers live on our FAQ page.