AirPods are one of the best tech purchases I made in 2017, and I stand by my original review where I called them “the best earbuds I’ve ever owned.” Since that original review, I have used my AirPods every single day, and they have joined the very small list of things I carry with me everywhere I go. Keys, wallet, phone, and AirPods.

But while the AirPods themselves are holding up very well, and they work as well as ever, the case itself is starting to show its age. Since I put these in my pocket every day, and because they are in a pocket with metal keys, they have taken a bit of a beating. See the pictures below for where they stand today.

A bit of blue dye from my pants has worn over the body of the case, and there are nicks all over it, mostly from my keys, but also from a few times I dropped the case on concrete. It’s not bad when looking at it in real life, and in truth I haven’t noticed any of these imperfections before today, but once I saw this I could not unsee it.

The good news is that the interior and AirPods themselves are holding up much better.

Pocket lint likes to get caught up in the interior, but simply wiping it away with my finger every few weeks seems to keep it pretty clean. And as for the headphones, they will indeed pick up whatever s in your ears, so keep that in mind, but again, wiping them off every once in a while keeps them from getting gross.

Finally, what matters more than any aesthetic issue is whether they still work, and I’m happy to say they still work wonderfully. The AirPods snap in nicely to their spots and the case’s hinge and magnetic clasp work perfectly.

I don’t think this is a reason not to get AirPods, but it is something I haven’t seen anyone else talking about, and it makes me hope Apple is considering other colors or materials for future versions of these wonderful headphones.