I tried this genius gadget to hear airplane movies with my AirPods — here's what I thought
The AirFly Pro also adds Bluetooth reception to any stereo or speaker, making it great for both home and travel.
It's a first-world problem, but a problem all the same: You plunk down in your airplane seat, all set to watch some in-flight entertainment, when you realize there's no way to use your AirPods. They're wireless, of course, and paired with your phone. Now what? Now you remember the Twelve South AirFly Pro you wisely remembered to attach to your keychain for just such an emergency. This handy little accessory plugs into any 3.5mm audio jack (like those still common on airplanes) and pairs with AirPods or other wireless earbuds or headphones. Here's my AirFly Pro review.
VERDICT: This excellent accessory is a must for anyone who travels with AirPods or other wireless earbuds. But it's useful in other ways as well, like adding Bluetooth audio to older home stereos.
- Can both receive and transmit Bluetooth audio
- Supports simultaneous pairing with two sets of earbuds or headphones
- Runs for up to 25 hours on a charge
- A little pricey, and rarely discounted
- You'll want to keep the instructions close at hand
This isn't just for flights, either: If you have, for example, a Nintendo Switch, you've probably wished for a wireless audio option. This is it. The AirFly Pro effectively transmits Bluetooth audio from whatever it's plugged into: airplane, game console, etc.
But the device can also work as a receiver: You can plug it into the AUX-in jack on, say, an older home stereo or car radio and then use your phone to stream music, podcasts, etc. All this happens via Bluetooth, with little more than a button-press required for setup.
The AirFly looks decidedly Apple-like, with its glossy white finish and rounded edges — a worthy AirPods companion, to be sure. It charges via a USB-C port — Twelve South promises up to 25 hours of operation on a charge, which is superb — and includes a little keychain cap for the stereo plug. The latter fits very snugly, which should keep the AirFly from accidentally falling out and getting lost, but I'd still be a little leery about letting it ride shotgun with my keys. Thankfully, there's also a drawstring carrying case if you'd rather go that route.
That case also holds the instruction guide, which has rather small print but is clear and easy to understand. After the initial pairing process with your AirPods or another device, you'll need to hold the power button for five seconds to turn the AirFly on — and five more to turn it off again.
Meanwhile, there's a little switch on the side that toggles between transmit and receive modes. If you're not interested in the latter (meaning you just want the headphone option for planes and such), the AirFly Duo costs $10 less.
One great perk with both: You can pair two sets of headphones simultaneously, meaning you and a companion can watch the same in-flight movie.
In my tests, the AirFly Pro worked flawlessly, pairing easily with my AirPods Pro and remembering that connection from one session to the next.
It's worth noting that there are slightly less-expensive Bluetooth transmitter/receivers out there, including this one that includes a status screen, but I can't say whether they work as effectively as the AirFly Pro. I like the latter's compact, all-white design.
Bottom line: If you've ever wished for a way to turn a wired headphone jack into a wireless one, this is your dongle.
