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For users looking to transport their Vision Pro units 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 alternative, WaterField Designs offers a Shield Case starting at $159 that might be worth considering, and I've spent the past few months using one for occasional travel to see how it fares.

waterfield-vision-pro-shield-case.jpg

First things first though, and that's the question of why you might want to consider something 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 superficial damage.

While that all sounds good and the Apple Vision Pro Travel Case seems to do a reasonably good job of protecting the expensive headset, it has been widely mocked for its overall size, the loose-fitting outer cover, and the white color that suggests it could become a dirt and stain magnet. Some have likened the overall appearance of Apple's case to an astronaut suit or some other item of space gear, and that's not wholly inaccurate.

waterfield-vision-pro-shield-case-apple.jpg

Put simply, Apple's case is massive, with copious amounts of empty space inside as Apple has prioritized allowing users to keep their Vision Pro's head strap attached to the body of the device. The result is an oblong case measuring nearly a foot long by almost 9 inches wide and 6.5 inches thick. It's unwieldy on its own despite a carry handle, and there's little chance of it fitting well in a backpack, and even a modest carry-on suitcase will see a considerable amount of its interior space taken up by the case.

And that's where WaterField's Shield Case for Apple Vision Pro really shines. At under 8 inches square and a little over 5 inches thick, the Shield Case takes up less than half the volume of Apple's case, making it a much more sensible travel companion.

So how does WaterField manage to fit a Vision Pro and all of its parts into a significantly smaller space than Apple's case? It starts with requiring the user to remove the head strap, whether it be the Solo Knit Band or the Dual Loop Band. This reduces the required volume from something that would need to fit around an entire head to a much more compact package.

watefield-vision-pro-shield-case-assembled.jpg

The main body of the Vision Pro and the integrated Audio Straps remain all in one piece, but the head bands fold up into fairly small and flexible pieces, making it easy to tuck them into the Shield Case. And given it's trivial to remove and reattach the head bands, this is an easy sacrifice to make.

WaterField's Shield Case has a plush inner lining with a good amount of closed-cell foam padding in the outer covering, so it protects the Vision Pro very well in my experience. You should of course keep the front cover that comes with Vision Pro in place at all times while transporting the device, as it provides additional protection from impacts and scratches.

waterfield-vision-pro-shield-case-open.jpg

Aside from the main compartment of the Shield Case that holds the Vision Pro body, WaterField has included an accessory pouch that fits within the void created by the Vision Pro, the Light Seal and the Audio Straps.

All of your various accessories can fit neatly inside that pouch, including both head straps, the cleaning cloth, the power adapter, and the USB-C charging cable. There are even two slots sewn into the lid of the pouch for storing Zeiss lens inserts if you use those with the Vision Pro, although you can also just keep them installed in the Vision Pro itself during transport since they are held firmly in place with magnets.

waterfield-vision-pro-shield-case-small.jpg

Inside the lid of the Shield Case is a plush slot where you can store the Vision Pro battery with its cable wound around it during transport. The case then closes up tight with waterproof zippers to keep everything secure, and there's even an additional zippered slot pocket on the outside of the Shield Case if you prefer to keep the charging adapter and cable or other small items there. In another nice touch, there is a small slot deep in the outside pocket where an AirTag can be tucked away to help you keep tabs on your Vision Pro.

waterfield-vision-pro-shield-case-contents.jpg

An integrated nylon grab handle makes it easy to carry the Shield Case, though the case can also be easily gripped in one hand by most users. Two small D rings on the top rear edge of the Shield Case let you attach an optional $20 Simple Strap that uses small carabiner-style clips and an adjustable slide buckle to allow for easier carrying over a shoulder.

waterfield-vision-pro-shield-case-top.jpg

The Shield Case for Apple Vision Pro is available in several different material combinations, with the cheapest being constructed entirely of ballistic nylon on the exterior in either black or blue for $159. For $179, you can get the Shield Case in that same black ballistic nylon but with the front panel serving as an accent in either white, black, or chocolate leather. And finally, there's a configuration with the body of the case made of waxed canvas with a chocolate leather front panel, also 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 the Travel Case as my only option, I never really considered taking my Vision Pro on any trips, simply due to its overwhelming size.

When traveling by plane, I'm certainly not going to put my Vision Pro into checked baggage, no matter how well it's protected in a case, and there simply isn't room to reasonably pack that oversized case in a backpack or carry-on. But with WaterField's Shield Case, I still feel like I have adequate protection for my expensive and fragile Vision P... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: Review: WaterField Designs' Shield Case Offers More Sensible Vision Pro Protection Than Apple's Travel Case
 
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This does look like a nice case, but I personally do not like removing and re-attaching side straps for travel.

I have the Apple case and it's served me pretty well. It doesn't have that much dead space when you add in chargers and cables to the middle of the case.

The outer case has also proven to be extremely durable and stain resistant, mine looks just as white as when I got it.

On the size, the WaterField case would fit in more places but I can fit the Apple case OK inside of a backpack I use for carry-on.
 
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I did have a look at the WaterField case because it is really compact. Then I discovered, that you have to take the AVP apart to store it. This is GREAT for travel, if you want a compact case, but not really handy, if you just want to store the AVP at home. I know myself - I just would cram it somehow into that small case...

I do have the Apple space-suit-case now.
 
I’ve had one since the week these came out. I returned the Apple case I had bought, this one was much more practical for travel. All around a great case. Assembling the AVP takes all of a minute or two, it really isn’t a hassle at all. If you don’t plan to travel with your AVP (or only travel by car), then the Apple case is fine, but this is great for plane/train travel where you need to put the AVP in a bag.
 
I got one, too; the case is fantastic, the quality is excellent, and the strap removal is a non-issue. The only issue I have is the price, as it plays in the same league as the Apple Vision Pro case, and I can't really understand why it is that high. Other than that, a full recommendation.
 
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I did have a look at the WaterField case because it is really compact. Then I discovered, that you have to take the AVP apart to store it. This is GREAT for travel, if you want a compact case, but not really handy, if you just want to store the AVP at home. I know myself - I just would cram it somehow into that small case...

I do have the Apple space-suit-case now.
I have both cases:

Apple’s makes sense and is sensible for packing the Vision Pro for air flight travel in situations the bag or what it is enclosed in will be thrown around.

For everyday casual travel, like in a backpack or commuting via bine, the Westfield one makes the most sense.

Best accessory I bought for my Vision Pro by far as far as my daily use cases for a bag.
 
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I bought a $15 case on amazon specific for vision pro that works just fine. 🤷‍♂️
Same here - bought a cheap case on Amazon and it works as expected - I don’t expect these things to last forever.
 
With this and the AirPods Max case, is anyone else getting the impression people at Apple don't travel much?
 
Same here - bought a cheap case on Amazon and it works as expected - I don’t expect these things to last forever.
I never understand how somebody buys a fragile $4000 machine and wants to save $100 on the protective case.

I suspect there going to be a lot of reporting bias . Very few people are going to be willing to post on the forum, that low quality protective case they bought for $15 led to a crack in this computer when they dropped their backpack…

I did appreciate very much this review and I might buy this new case in addition to the official Apple one that I already have
 
I purchased this case when it first became available and I LOVE it. It's perfect for long and short-haul flights as it is easy to pack and carry and offers great protection. I see no reason to take off the back strap, though I do disconnect power. My ipods, an AirTag, and a charging block fit as well, and there are separate protected sleeves for my optical inserts. I couldn't recommend this case more highly.
 
"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"

Really? I would think providing actual volumes (e.g., cubic inches) would make the "case" effectively.
 
I never understand how somebody buys a fragile $4000 machine and wants to save $100 on the protective case.

I suspect there going to be a lot of reporting bias . Very few people are going to be willing to post on the forum, that low quality protective case they bought for $15 led to a crack in this computer when they dropped their backpack…

I did appreciate very much this review and I might buy this new case in addition to the official Apple one that I already have
It's not low quality though... I'd argue its the same quality as these crazy expensive ones... I dunno what people are doing to their encased devices but it has a hardshell... I keep my $4000 camera in a $15 amazon basics case too... throwing money away doesn't necessarily buy protection
 
This does look like a nice case, but I personally do not like removing and re-attaching side straps for travel.

I have the Apple case and it's served me pretty well. It doesn't have that much dead space when you add in chargers and cables to the middle of the case.

The outer case has also proven to be extremely durable and stain resistant, mine looks just as white as when I got it.

On the size, the WaterField case would fit in more places but I can fit the Apple case OK inside of a backpack I use for carry-on.
The fact that you have to remove the side straps makes this a hard pass for me.
 
I never understand how somebody buys a fragile $4000 machine and wants to save $100 on the protective case.

Which fragile machine? My AVP is very well protected with the pouch it was delivered with. A bag is a bag is a bag - I can see no difference in the foam from Supplier A or B - and let's b honest cases are most of the time manufactured at the same locations from different perceived suppliers.

I suspect there going to be a lot of reporting bias . Very few people are going to be willing to post on the forum, that low quality protective case they bought for $15 led to a crack in this computer when they dropped their backpack…

Money is no object to me as long as I get a perceivable value for the money. The bag i had ordered from amazon was some $ 25 and I can see myself using it as long as the AVP - very good quality and strips inside holding the AVP - same is with the iPhone sleeves - I always gt s rubber one for $ 10 .. 12 and realistically the manufacturing cost is still 0nls $ 0.3 .. 0.5 - that's already a sever hundred percent win for the value chain.

I did appreciate very much this review and I might buy this new case in addition to the official Apple one that I already have

I like the form factor as well and I am sure there will be more affordable ones with the very same design and quality - I just don't get that people are willing to pay $ 150 for a bit of foam and nylon when you can have the same thing for a fraction of the cost.
I was recently in a Puma sportswear outlet and they sold Ferrari T-Shirts for $100 and next door they had the very same T-Shorts without the printing on it for $ 20. That is killing me .

BTW - I payed for my 1 TB version in German incl. care and protection plan and optical inserts € 5.200 without hesitating a second - I don't get why people don't buy the 1TB version including apple care - both can not be added later - a bag can be replaced on the other hand side.
 
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