Belkin F8W973 AirTag Case with Key Ring (Secure Holder

Intro:
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I have previously purchased an official Apple-branded leather keyring which lasted almost two years (ridiculously overpriced and more expensive than the AirTag itself) and still allows the AirTags to be susceptible to scratching as it too is an open-sided design. I cannot justify the price to replace it. I wish I were exaggerating, but I spent almost 2 hours browsing Amazon for an alternative. I came across a mass amount of similar styles, some of which were identical to the officials. Yet, the reviews weren’t favourable, mentioning shoddy quality, poor fit resulting in damage or loss of the AirTag itself, inaccurate product descriptions and the thickness of carabiners that won’t fit the hole of a standard key, meaning I would need to attach a separate ring to be connected generally, carabiners on keyrings are overly loose to operate. Anything linked has the potential to be lost easier. Until I came across this listing with 25,000+ reviews (92% four stars and above). Having tried Belkin for screen protectors and iPhone cases over the years, you usually cannot go wrong with their quality. I came across multiple reviews on this listing stating, “unable to open the case after closing” Now, this made me hesitant to purchase. But since I could not find anything better reviewed, I took the risk. As everyone knows AirTags are notorious for scratching from the second the removal of its packaging.

I separate my reviews into segments for ease of reading, pro, med, con and conclusion, to allow you to focus on which areas you are most interested in and in detail and try to answer any questions I had myself before purchasing.

Pro:
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* I have intentionally dropped the keyring numerous times from a decent height (6ft) with the AirTag inside and on various surfaces such as tiles and outdoors. While the case took minor cosmetic damage, the case hasn’t opened or shown any signs of being weakened while not causing any damage to the AirTag itself. I took it a step further by throwing (outdoors) easily 15+ft, allowing it to hit the surface at force. The case remained firmly intact. Not that you’ll do this intentionally, but it’s nice to know if it should fall from height, it’ll still be fine.

* The battery cannot be accessed and removed while the case and ring are attached. Although the chances of a thief stealing and using your keys, if found, is low risk, the value stands purely on the AirTag alone. The chance of knowing exactly how to open and remove the battery, if lost, are minimal, ensuring you’ll have a better chance of locating keys or your item, unlike the leather models, in which the AirTag is effortlessly removed and can be disabled reducing the likelihood of finding your lost item or AirTag.

* Apple sells this case directly store/online. However, it’s 50% more expensive than on here Amazon; therefore, if you want to purchase, Amazon is the best cost-effective option.

Med:
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* As mentioned in the Con section below, I agree with others it can be tricky to open, but once you know precisely and get the knack for it, it’s easy.

* In my dropping and throw tests, had I not had the film over the outer exposed areas, there would likely have been scratches from the uneven outdoor surface as the AirTag isn’t deeply recessed, particularly on the stainless steel side.

Con:
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* Scratching of the stainless steel happens quickly, even with minimal handling. My two-year-old loose one in my wallet looks terrible with deep scratches, although only handled when changing the battery; this open design case is inevitable that scratches will develop, just like the official keyring from Apple. However, I overcame this by using the protective film that originally came with my second AirTag purchase and tidying up loose edges. This case clamps down, securing it in place. I have previously tried using AirTag adhesive films from Amazon, which were unfit for purpose due to not covering anywhere close to the edges or having poor adhesive. Using the AirTags original film, you lose the sheen of the stainless steel, and it becomes two-tone matte, which doesn’t bother me as I’d rather lose the lustre from the film than lose it permanently from scratches without, although it still looks sleek matte. If you no longer have the film, wide sellotape works well to stick to both exposed outer surfaces if preferred, leaving a slight overhang that tucks into the case out of view to secure. Had decent protective covers been provided in the packaging, this would have been very welcomed and made the case of better value.

Conclusion
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Sure, it isn’t the fully enclosed protection I sought, and I knew this before purchasing. Still, since the countless others and styles I had come across were less favourable in reviews, using the original film has avoided cosmetic scratches, and the stainless steel remains to look new underneath a week later and from being kept in a pocket (absolutely no chance that scratches wouldn’t happen without even from a minute). Therefore I’d highly recommend doing this also. Overall it gives excellent side protection from height and stays locked in place as well as making a potential thief’s job more challenging to remove the battery before you have a chance to locate the AirTag accurately or your item. Had this case been 360 enclosed or quality outer protectors supplied, it would be brilliant. Therefore since it doesn’t, it’s fair to remove a star based on that, as other cases may be available that I haven’t come across that has decent reviews.