Twelve South just made its editor-approved AirFly adapter an even better travel companion

CNN

25-03-2025

Today, Twelve South is debuting the latest version of its beloved travel companion. The new AirFly Pro 2 takes everything our editors have loved about the company's previous Bluetooth audio transmitters and adds some quality of life improvements to elevate the experience. I've been using the new piece of travel gear for the past few weeks and can finally share my experience after going hands-on with this handy accessory.
Twelve South AirFly Pro 2
Twelve South's new audio adapter improves the accessory that many of our editors never fly without. The AirFly Pro 2 has refreshed buttons, higher-end Bluetooth audio support and other improvements so you can use your own AirPods or headphones with an in-flight screen. Twelve South first teased the new AirFly Pro 2 back in January as part of as part of CNN Underscored's The Watch List. Quite a few of the new products that made the list to start the year have been hitting store shelves in the past few weeks, but it has really been Twelve South's latest gadget that I've been most looking forward to. And now that wait is over! I can finally share my thoughts on the new audio adapter.
I've been using the new AirFly Pro 2 for the past few weeks. At the end of February, I flew down to Charleston, South Carolina for a much-needed reprieve from New York City and its frigid winter weather. On top of just soaking up the sun and enjoying a few of the local restaurants, I managed to sneak in some time with the folks at Twelve South and get my hands on one of the new audio adapters. It came in use right on the flight home, where I got to try out all of the improvements.
This may be the newest edition of the company's Bluetooth wireless transmitter, but it largely remains the same as before. AirFly Pro 2 is still a best-in-class option for using your own earbuds or headphones with an airline's seat-mounted entertainment system. It also excels at playing music over an older car's stereo system that may lack native Bluetooth features or plugging into gym equipment to follow along on a guided workout session. There are some very notable upgrades over the previous releases, but after my time with the accessory, I have to say that it's just as good as the legacy set by its predecessors.
What justifies the '2' in its naming scheme isn't a single feature or massive redesign. Instead, it's a bundle of quality of life improvements that take Twelve South's existing adapters up to a new level. The most notable adjustment of these have to be the newfound buttons that allows you to be far more intentional when using the adapter.
Twelve South has clearly listened to feedback here. The AirFly Pro 2 borrows something from the pages of the more recent SE version of the AirFly. When the company launched its new budget-friendly audio adapter, it included refreshed physical volume buttons that made it easier to bypass the airline's clunky touchscreen displays when you need to mute playback to hear a flight attendant. That same design is now being brought to the pro end of the lineup with today's launch.
Speaking of new physical controls, there's also dedicated Bluetooth pairing buttons on each side. The original Pro adapter came with support for Multipoint Bluetooth, and now Twelve South is making it even easier to connect with two pairs of earbuds at once. Gone are the days of trying to sync up movies with your airplane seat mate by hitting play right at the same time. Instead, this Bluetooth transmitter can connect right to both pairs of headphones at once. And now, it does a better job of accomplishing that task.
On the left side, you'll find a devoted button for pairing the first listening device. While on the other side, there's a second toggle for pairing a second set of headphones. It's such a useful improvement over the previous way Twelve South was doing it before, which was a single button that completely cleared paired devices. Now, the process of switching between your true wireless earbuds or over-ear headphones is far simpler, as is dropping one of those devices' connections to add your significant other's earbuds into the mix.
The final new button is a refreshed power switch, which makes the accessory's 25 hours of usage on a single charge even more reliable. Before, you'd just have to hold down one of the buttons to turn it on or off, but that meant jostling the contents of your bag could accidentally turn on the adapter. The AirFly Pro 2 solves that potential mishap with a slider that locks into either on or off positions. It's also so useful for checking if it's on at a quick glance, instead of having to rely on a small LED status indicator.
Twelve South is also upgrading the accessory's Bluetooth features. The original version of the AirFly Pro included Bluetooth 5.0 support, and now that is being upgraded to Bluetooth 5.3. This isn't just a version number tweak for the sake of change, either! The newer wireless protocol offers higher-end audio support so your movies sound even better. The company notes that the changes are so apparent, that you can easily hear the improvements compared to the original. I don't have the first AirFly Pro, but I do have the SE model, and the AirFly Pro 2 certainly does outclass its more affordable counterpart.
The newest version of the audio transmitter also includes Qualcomm's Echo Cancelling and Noise Suppression tech to give your headphones a little extra boost cutting through the drone of an airplane's engine. Apple including active noise cancellation in AirPods for the first time was one of the final pieces of motivation needed for Twelve South to begin shipping the AirFly originally, and so it's wonderful to see the company keep improving on that original use case: To use active noise cancelling headphones with in-flight entertainment.
Some things about the Twelve South AirFly Pro 2 are not being changed. And for good reason! Certainly fitting into the mantra of if it isn't broken, there's no need to fix it, the audio adapter still supports receiving audio on top of just sending it. This is particularly useful for plugging into a car stereo so you can sending audio from a smartphone, but there are sure to be other use cases for the bi-directional audio feature. USB-C charging also remains, as does the ability to use the accessory while it refuels.
At $60, the Twelve South AirFly Pro 2 might just be one of the most value-packed travel accessories on the market. If you're putting the finishing touches on your spring or summer travel plans and will be spending any amount of time in the air, I'd recommend picking one of these up. Unless you're someone who brings an iPad filled with tons of movies and TV shows, it's pretty likely you'll be putting the airplane's seat-mounted entertainment system to use. This accessory ensures you can ditch the corded buds flight attendants hand out and actually take advantage of the earbuds you already own.
Outside of using while you travel, I also love that the AirFly Pro 2 has so many uses on a day to day basis. I don't drive these days, being the city-dweller that I am. But before I moved to the city, I relied on an AirFly to play music from my iPhone. These days, I still use an AirFly with the old school iPod nano I've written about using before. Apple wasn't including Bluetooth with its music players back in the early 2000s, but Twelve South agrees with me that I should still be able to use my AirPods with — even if it's a bit of a roundabout solution.
Sure, there is a $5 increase from the original AirFly Pro, but there are so many adjustments to justify the change in my book. And if you don't need all of the enhancements for the second generation version, you can just save some cash on the original.
The AirFly Pro 2 joins a collection of other Twelve South audio adapters. Here's how the newest version compares to the three other models in the current lineup.
Twelve South AirFly Pro
This is the previous generation version of the AirFly Pro. It packs the same 25 hours of usage as its newer counterpart alongside the ability to transmit and receive wireless audio.
Twelve South AirFly SE
Ditch two-way audio and Multipoint Bluetooth for an even more affordable way to use your AirPods on a flight. This SE version is the most affordable of the lineup and on sale at Amazon.
Twelve South AirFly Pro Deluxe
The Deluxe edition of the AirFly Pro features the same audio adapter, just bundled with some extra accessories. Packed into the bonus travel case, you'll also find an international headphone adapter. CNN Underscored has a team of writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when it makes sense to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item.
I've personally been reviewing tech for years. My job title here at Underscored may be senior deals editor but I have been in the consumer electronics world for nearly a decade. Through almost that entire tenure, Twelve South has won me over time and time again with its inventive and useful gadgets. That's very much the case here with its newest release.
So, when you take a recommendation from Underscored, you can rest assured you're getting sound advice from editors like myself who personally use the gear we test. And in the case of accessories from Twelve South, I find myself still using them long after I've written about them.