For users looking to transport their Vision Pro unit and various accessories, Apple offers the Apple Vision Pro Travel Case as an optional $199 accessory. But if you’re looking for a third-party option, Waterfield Design offers a Shield case starting at $159 that might be worth considering, and I’ve spent the past few months using one for occasional trips to see how it fares.
First things first though, and that’s the question of why you might want to consider anything other than Apple’s first-party case. Apple’s case is a hardshell polycarbonate covered with a white ripstop outer shell to provide protection for the relatively fragile headset, with a microfiber inner lining protecting the Vision Pro from scratches or other surface damage.
While everything sounds good and the Apple Vision Pro Travel Case seems to do a reasonably good job of protecting the expensive headset, it’s been widely mocked for its overall size, loose-fitting outer casing and white color that suggest it might be. Become a dirt and stain magnet. Some have compared the Apple’s overall look to an astronaut’s suit or some other item of space gear, and they’re not entirely wrong.
Simply put, Apple’s case is huge, with plenty of free space inside because Apple prioritized users keeping their Vision Pro’s head strap attached to the device’s body. The result is a rectangular case that measures about a foot long by about 9 inches wide and 6.5 inches thick. Despite having a carry handle it’s unwieldy on its own, and it’s unlikely to fit well in a backpack, and even a modest carry-on suitcase will see a substantial amount of its interior space taken up by the case.
And this is where Waterfield’s Shield Case for Apple Vision Pro really shines. At just under 8 inches square and just over 5 inches thick, the Shield Case takes up less than half the volume of Apple’s case, making it a much more discreet travel companion.
So how does Waterfield manage to fit a Vision Pro and all its parts into a significantly smaller space than Apple’s case? It starts with the user removing the head strap, whether it’s a solo knit band or a dual loop band. This reduces the required volume from something that would have to fit around an entire head in a more compact package.
The Vision Pro’s main body and integrated audio straps are all in one piece, but the head bands fold into fairly small and flexible pieces, making it easy to clip them into the shield case. And removing and reattaching head bands is trivial, an easy sacrifice to make.
Waterfield’s Shield Case has a plush inner lining with a good amount of closed-cell foam padding on the outer casing, so it protects the Vision Pro very well in my experience. You should always keep the front cover that comes with the Vision Pro in place when transporting the device, as it provides additional protection from impacts and scratches.
In addition to the Shield Case’s main compartment containing the Vision Pro body, Waterfield has included an accessory pouch that fits into the void created by the Vision Pro, light seal, and audio strap.
All your various accessories can fit neatly inside that pouch, including both head straps, cleaning cloths, power adapters, and USB-C charging cables. If you’re using the Vision Pro, there are two slots sewn into the lid of the pouch to store Zeiss lens inserts, although you can simply leave them installed in the Vision Pro during transport as they’re held firmly in place with magnets. .
The shield case has a plush slot inside the lid where you can store the Vision Pro battery with its cable wound around it during transport. The case then closes tightly with waterproof zippers to keep everything secure, and there’s an additional zippered slot pocket on the outside of the Shield case if you prefer to keep charging adapters and cables or other small items in there. In another nice touch, there’s a small slot deep in the outer pocket where an AirTag can be tucked away to help you keep tabs on your Vision Pro.
An integrated nylon grab handle shield makes the case easy to carry, although most users can easily grip the case with one hand. Two small D rings on the top rear edge of the Shield case allow you to attach an optional $20 simple strap that uses small carabiner-style clips and an adjustable slide buckle for easy over-the-shoulder carry.
The Shield Case for the Apple Vision Pro is available in a variety of material combinations, with the cheapest being constructed entirely of ballistic nylon exterior in black or blue for $159. For $179, you can get the Shield case in the same black ballistic nylon but with the front panel serving as an accent in white, black, or chocolate leather. And finally, there’s a configuration with a case body made of waxed canvas with a chocolate leather front panel, priced at $179.
It’s impossible to overstate how much of a difference the size of the Shield case makes compared to Apple’s Vision Pro Travel Case. With a travel case as my only option, I never thought of taking my Vision Pro on a trip, simply because of its overwhelming size.
When traveling on a plane, I definitely don’t put my Vision Pro in checked baggage, no matter how secure it is in a case, and there’s no room to reasonably pack this oversized case in a backpack or carry-on. . But with Waterfield’s Shield Case, I still feel like I have enough protection for my expensive and fragile Vision Pro, yet I can slide it into the bottom of my travel backpack and still have plenty of room for other items.
Note: Waterfield Design provided MacRumors with the Vision Pro Shield Case for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
