How Long Do AirPods Take To Charge?

AirPods are some of the most popular wireless earbuds on the market. With their minimal design and sleek case, the small earbuds produce impressive sound and provide hours of use. In addition, their charging case provides multiple charging cycles for even more listening.

While they can last several hours at full power, your wireless earbuds need to recharge eventually. Waiting for them to replenish fully can be dreadful, and if you’re constantly checking their battery percentage, you’ll slow the process even more.

Luckily for you, we’re here to give you an idea of how long your AirPods take to charge fully.

How Long Do AirPods Actually Take To Charge?

AirPods 1st Generation

1st generation AirPods can charge fully from zero in just under half an hour. A full battery can provide up to 5 hours of listening time and up to 24 hours if accompanied by a fully charged case.

AirPods 2nd Generation

2nd generation AirPods also charge fully from being dead in roughly half an hour. A full charge also provides up to 5 hours of listening time and up to 24 hours with a fully charged case.

AirPods 3rd Generation

3rd generation AirPods take an hour to charge fully after being completely depleted. Nearly double the time it takes to power the previous two generations, this longer time is due to the implementation of Optimized Battery Charging.

Optimized Battery Charging is when your devices recognize your charging habits and wait until you’re just about to use them to power them past 80%. This feature is designed to reduce wear on your battery and prolong its life by reducing the amount of time it spends fully charged. You can deactivate this feature in your phone settings.

These earbuds provide about 6 hours of listening time, or 5 hours with spatial audio turned on. With a fully-charged case, these earbuds can last up to 30 hours.

AirPods Pro 1st Generation

The 1st generation AirPods Pro charge fully in one hour. Similar to the 3rd generation model, this longer charge time is due to Optimized Battery Charging. These earbuds, however, provide less usage time than previous models.

These earbuds provide up to 4 hours of listening time with spatial audio and noise cancellation on, 4.5 hours with either off, and 5 hours with both off. A fully charged case can provide up to 24 hours of listening time.

AirPods Pro 2nd Generation

The 2nd generation AirPods Pro also take an hour to charge fully and implement Optimized Battery Charging. They provide better usage times than their predecessor, with up to 6 hours of listening time with noise cancellation off.

A fully powered case provides up to 30 hours of listening time. Noise cancellation and spatial audio reduce listening time by about half an hour each.

AirPods Max

The AirPods Max take up to 2 hours to charge fully. While these headphones take double the time to charge as the AirPods Pros and the 3rd-generation model, and four times longer than the first two generations, they provide the longest battery life.

These over-the-ear headphones can hold a larger battery than their smaller counterparts. A single charge provides up to 20 hours of listening time with noise cancellation and spatial audio turned on.

Unlike other models, the AirPods Max case does not charge the headphones. Instead, they need to be plugged into a power source directly, so while they provide more than 3 times the amount of listening time than any other model with a single charge, they do not benefit from added power when being stored.

How Long Do AirPods Cases Take To Charge?

Now you have an idea of how long your earbuds will take to charge when they’re drained, but what about your case? A fully charged case can provide multiple charging cycles, but even that battery will deplete.

Charging cases need to be plugged into a power source or placed on a wireless charging pad. With a wired connection, the case can charge fully in about an hour. If using wireless charging, the case will take about half an hour longer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Do AirPods Take To Charge in the Case?

It depends on the model. The 1st and 2nd-generation base models charge fully in about half an hour. The 3rd-generation, 1st, and 2nd-generation Pro models take about an hour to fully charge. The AirPods Max require 2 hours to charge fully.

Can You Overcharge an AirPods Case?

No, AirPods and their cases are designed to stop charging once they reach 100%. Those after the 1st and 2nd generation also implement Optimized Battery Charging, which prevents charging past 80% until you’re about to use them again.

Final Thoughts

While charging times have increased throughout AirPods models, listening times have also generally increased. With added features like noise cancellation and spatial audio, the battery can be depleted quicker, but overall battery life for the earbuds and case has improved.

Newer AirPods are designed to prolong your battery life, but added care is needed to protect your case from falls and bumps. Shop Casely to find the perfect AirPods case to protect your earbuds, and if you own the AirPods Max, consider choosing our earmuff-style cases this winter!