A few weeks ago, I finally bit the bullet and bought the Apple AirPods – with some help of lucky timing, since they go in and out of stock very quickly. I’d been thinking about buying them basically since Apple introduced them last year, but started really considering it when I got the iPhone 7 Plus, which doesn’t have a headphone jack.

I know that Apple does provide a converter that turns the charging port into a headphone jack, but this means you have to do a lot of plugging and unplugging every time you want to listen to music – and since my strength is limited, that’s difficult for me. I also had a pair of Bluetooth Beats headphones, but they had to be looped around the back of the ear, and I could never get them to fit comfortably.

I’ve had the AirPods for a few weeks now, so I’ve used them long enough to write about them.

What I like:

• How user-friendly they are
  They are incredibly easy to set up and use. You just make sure your phone’s Bluetooth is turned on, open the AirPods case near your phone, and that’s it, they’re paired. You don’t have to re-pair them every time, either – you can just pop them in your ears and hit play.

• How easy it is to charge them
  Having the case charge the phones is genius. The AirPods are tiny, so you’re going to always put them in the case when they’re not in your ears anyway – it’s so convenient that this also charges them.

• How you can check the charge percentage
  If you open the case near your phone, a little screen pops up on your phone and lets you know how much charge is left in the case, and in both of the AirPods themselves. I hated never knowing when my Beats headphones were going to die – and hated more when they died when I really wanted to use them!

What I don’t like:

• The shape of the earbuds
  I like them better than the regular Apple headphones that come with your phone, but they still feel weird in my ear, and I’m always afraid they’re going to fall out. I really like the headphones with silicone tips that really fit inside your ear, but the AirPods are by no means horrible.

• How much outside sound comes through
  I’ve found that this varies depending on what music I’m listening to, but these definitely aren’t noise-cancelling headphones. There are some songs that I struggle to hear, even at the highest volume, if I’m walking outside in traffic. Other songs are much, much louder, though, so this isn’t a dealbreaker.

All in all, I’m loving the AirPods. I think the charging case is so innovative, and the packaging is typical Apple – very sleek. The lid is magnetic and stays closed yet isn’t difficult to open, the earbuds themselves fit snugly in the case – they’re not banging around.

Now I just need to stop being terrified of losing them!