It is definitely user error. I thought they were for use while exercising. Since realizing that the problem is tiny bits of water collecting in the tiny little cavity of the case, I leave them out to dry before putting them back in. This certainly makes them less handy.
"Just avoid holding it in that way"
An expectation that you wipe your sweat off something before putting it away doesn't seem that unreasonable.
It really is my fault, but it is not like they are dripping in sweat. It is just the tiny sheen of sweat left over after running and my desire to immediately put them in the case after using to avoid losing them. Now I wipe them down and leave them out for a while before putting them back in the case. This makes them much less handy.
honestly, i would expect them to be at least sweat proof -- i find that most people use wireless headsets while working out.
Yeah, I really did think they were. The phone and the watch are waterproof. I don't know why the AirPods are not.
I can see the ad campaign two years from now: Swimmer taps watch to play then dives into a backstroke with airpods visible.
Then you try it at your local pool and the airpods immediately fall out the minute you hit the water, and are kicked by a 6 year old into the pool filter.