Searching for secret Santa gifts? These 9 headphone accessories are perfect for music fans
Ideal additions for the music lover in your life
The holidays are with us and that means playing Christmas music 24/7 for at least a couple of weeks. If you’re looking for a gift for a music fan, they’ve probably already got themselves set up with the best headphones and earphones, so what do you do? You buy them one of the best headphone accessories for their beloved audio kit.
We’ve taken a look at everything out there and picked out some sweet highlights to help enrich their listening experience. Whether it’s a case to keep their Apple cans protected, a cool stand for their desk, or a necessary cable, we’ve sought them out. These are the gifts that will prove useful throughout the year, not just over the festive period.
Take a look below at the perfect headphone accessories for music lovers. And while you're gift planning, it's a smart move to check out our guides to the best Christmas sales in the US and Boxing Day sales in the UK, for plenty of other holiday and Christmas gift ideas.
Best headphone case gifts
AirPods case
Clear, robust and stylish
Secure and hardier looking than the standard AirPods case, the Otterbox Lumen Series case keeps your gear safely protected and accessible with the carabiners. Made from hard plastic, which offers weather resistance and robust abrasion, it feels studier compared to regular plastic, while still being secure and offering wireless charging when you place it over your existing wireless charging case.
Headphone cover
A little added protection
Not all headphones are completely scratch-proof, which is frustrating. That’s why the Spigen Ultra Hybrid Pro can help matters. Made from clear hard plastic, these are perfect for giving your AirPods Max that added bit of protection you might need while on the go. Apple's best over-ears aren't cheap so this is a good starting point if you need some extra protection. It also has precise cutouts for any physical buttons on the set.
Headphone case
Ultimate protection
For maximum protection, consider the Urban Armor Gear AirPods Max Protective Case. It’s made of robust and water-repellent 840D nylon material so it can handle a few knocks. It even has weatherproof zips while its robust hard shell has a compression moulded inner compartment to keep things secure. So secure that it meets the US military drop test standard. Magnetism inside the case automatically activates the AirPods max’s energy-saving mode.
Best headphone stand gifts
Headphone stand
Stylishly simple
Instantly making your headphones look extra stylish, the Avantree dual headphone stand is so much easier than plonking your headphones down on the side. There’s room for a few pairs of headphones here with the contoured hanger keeping them nice and safe at all times. Of course, they’re easy to grab too so you can instantly get back to listening to them whenever you want.
Headphone hook
Straightforward stand
Simple yet effective, this Headphone Stand Holder saves you from leaving your headphones cluttering up your desk. It has a 360-degree swivel hanger so it’s easy to adjust to your liking. There’s also an adjustable spring clamp so it’s easy to attach to your desk without any damage. Whether you’re hooking up regular headphones or a gaming headset, this is a useful way to keep things safe but always easy to grab.
Lightning adapter
Adding flexibility
For iPhone owners who still have a Lightning port, this jack is essential. It means you can still connect your headphones to your phone through a cable rather than a Bluetooth connection. For many cans, this means a superior audio experience and even support for hi-res audio in some cases. It might not look exciting but the results are great, especially for audiophiles who want the most options available to them.
Best headphone charger gifts
Dual charger
Speedy charging
The Belkin wireless dual charging pad blends nicely on your desk with 10W dual fast charging support meaning you can charge two Qi-enabled devices pretty quickly. That means room for your earbuds as well as your phone. There are integrated LED lights to let you know the charging status of each device but otherwise, this is a fairly minimalistic charging pad which is just what you want.
MagSafe charger
Wireless delights
One of the nicest things about recent Apple products is being able to place them down on a wireless charging pad at the end of the day. The Apple MagSafe Duo Charger offers room for both your AirPods and another device such as your iPhone or Apple Watch. It folds together any time it’s not in use so it’s easy to take around with you saving you further hassle.
USB-C cable
Robust and useful
Got a newer phone with a USB-C port and no 3.5mm jack? The easiest solution is to use one of these UGreen USB-C to 3.5mm jack. That way, you can still use your wired headphones and reap the benefits of wired sound over Bluetooth. This particular adapter is pretty robust thanks to its nylon braided jacket. It also has a DAC chip to provide better audio output quality.
More Holiday sales
- Amazon: 70% off Kindle, TVs, tablets & clothing
- Apple: AirPods, Apple Watch & iPads from $79
- Adidas: 40% off running shoes & clothing
- Beauty: 51% off makeup, skincare & hair tools
- Best Buy: $800 off TVs, laptops & headphones
- Cheap TVs: big-screen 4K TVs from $269.99
- Christmas: 40% off decor, pajamas & trees
- Dell: Inspiron and XPS laptops from $260
- DreamCloud: 40% off all mattresses
- Family pajamas: Christmas PJs from $12.99
- Gaming: console bundles from $289.99
- Lenovo: 76% off laptops, desktops & printers
- Lowe's: up to $800 off major appliances
- Nectar: mattress deals starting at $359
- Nordstrom: 40% off Nike, Levi's & UGGs
- Patagonia: pullovers starting at $64.99
- Samsung: $2,000 of TVs, phones and appliances
- Shopbop: 25% off sitewide with code Holiday
- Target: 40% off Christmas decor, TVs & toys
- Toys: Disney, Barbie & Lego from $14.99
- Walmart: cheap TVs, air fryers, PS5 & toys
More Christmas sales
- Amazon: up to 65% off tech and gifts
- Adidas: up to 60% off outlet clothing, shoes, apparel
- AO: up to 40% off vacuums, appliances, and tech
- Argos: up to 70% off toys, Christmas decor, and tech
- Boots: half-price gift sets, gift cards, and fragrances
- B&Q: cheap Christmas trees, lights, decor, wreaths
- Carphone Warehouse: 120GB data for £12 per month
- Currys: up to 40% off TVs, air fryers, laptops and more
- Cotswolds Outdoor: up to 50% off Patagonia, Rab, North Face
- Debenhams: up to 70% off home, fashion, gift sets
- Disney: up to 60% off Christmas jumpers, toys, decor
- Ebuyer: up to 40% off laptops, desktops, and components
- John Lewis: £300 off TVs, Apple, plus Christmas decor
- Jessops: up to £1,000 off Sony, Canon, Nikon, and Fujifilm
- O2: up to £600 off iPhone, Samsung and Google
- Samsung: up to £600 off TVs, phones and appliances
- Shark: up to £100 off best-selling vacuums
- Very: discounts on tech, appliances, furniture and beauty
- Vodafone: six months half-price SIMs from £11.50
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
Jennifer is a roving tech freelancer with over 10 years experience. Having graduated from Swansea University with a degree in Media and Communication Studies, and later with a diploma from Staffordshire University with a post graduate diploma in Computer Games Design, she's written for a huge number of publications, including T3, FitandWell, Top Ten Reviews, Eurogamer, NME and many more.
Her main areas of interest are all things B2B, smart technology, wearables, speakers, headphones, and anything gaming related, and you'll find her writing everything from product reviews to buying guides and hunting down the latest coupon codes to save you money. In her spare time, she enjoys the cinema, walking, and attempting to train her pet guinea pigs. She is yet to succeed.