[afterburner]

Is there a light that indicates charging? I know with my super cheap earbuds I rely heavily on that light to avoid the problem you describe...

[jcdavis]

There is a light. The problem is if only 1 is charging, you'll still see the "charging" light while the other slowly loses battery.

I've dealt with this occasionally, from what I suspect is some buildup on the contacts due to sweat on my headphones from running. I find taking a cotton swap with alcohol to clean off the contacts every so often solves the problem.

[squeaky-clean]

The light only indicates the case is charging, you can take out both airpods (or have them not contacting properly) and the light will still come on.