Apple's first-generation and second-generation AirPods feature accelerometers and other hardware that allow them to respond to a double tap, and these gestures can be customized to your liking.
What many users don't realize however is that you don't actually have to tap directly on either of your AirPods to use these double tap gestures.
Next time you want to activate a gesture control, try tapping softly on the back of your ear instead, a method that many seasoned AirPods users have come to prefer for using the tap gestures. It's a little less audibly jarring and you'll find it works just as well as a tap on the AirPod itself.