Apple only makes wireless earbuds — AirPods ($129), AirPods 3 ($179) and AirPods Pro ($249) — in one color: white. It's a little strange considering that its over-ear noise-canceling headphones, the AirPods Max, are available in several different colors. Its M1 iMac, iPad Air and brand-new M2 MacBook Air are all available in different colors, too. And you'd think that different-colored AirPods would sell like hot cakes. But no. You only get them in white.
That said, if you're looking to buy all-black AirPods, you're not completely out of luck. These are your options:
Option 1: Buy a lookalike.
Knockoff AirPods from Amazon aren't worth it but there are wireless earbuds you can buy that are made by reputable companies that look similar to all-black AirPods. Think of them as AirPod alternatives. They likely won't sound as good as AirPods or AirPods Pro. Nor will they have many of the Apple-centric features, like quick iPhone pairing and support for spatial audio and Dolby Atmos. But they are out there, and they look pretty slick.
These are our favorite all-black AirPods doppelgängers:
Option 2: Buy an all-black skin or case for your AirPods.
If you don't want spend all that dough on an all-black paint job, your other option is to buy an all-black skin for your AirPods. A great look is not quite guaranteed because you'll have to carefully apply the skin (which is really a sticker) yourself, and there's room for error. But it's a cheap option, especially if you already have white 'buds you want to black out. You can get a skin from Skinit and Dbrand.
A lot of accessory makers also sell black cases for AirPods and AirPods Pro, which is an easy (and affordable) way to distinguish and protect your wireless earbuds. Some great all-black cases are made by Nomad, Insignia and Spigen.
Option 3: Buy (expensive) all-black AirPods from ColorWare.
If you're willing to really spend in order to get all-black AirPods or AirPods Pro, the best (and most expensive) option is to buy them in black from ColorWare, an aftermarket product painter. The company is well known for customizing Apple computers, Beats headphones, and PlayStation and Xbox gaming controllers — and they do AirPods and AirPods Pro, too. The downside is that they're very expensive and there's a several-week wait period.
• You can buy AirPods in all-black — in a matte or glossy finish — from ColorWare for $299, which is significantly more than the $159 that Apple charges; if you want the charging case in all-black, too, that's going to cost you an extra $40.
• You can buy AirPods Pro in all-black — in a matte or glossy finish — from ColorWare for $389, which is much more than the $249 that Apple charges; getting the charging case in all-black is going to cost you an extra $40 on top of that.
ColorWare’s custom AirPods come in 57 other colors besides black, and you can mismatch them if you want — make the left pod red, the right pod blue, and the charging case be purple, if you want. All custom pieces come with the choice of matte or glossy finish.
