Rachel Bloom Smart Anti-Theft Crossbody Bag: Best for Women’s Security Features?

If muggings, pickpocketing or bag theft is on your mind as you plan your next trip, wait until you see the Rachel Bloom Smart Anti-Theft Crossbody Bag. I heard about this bag, and thought it looked like a classic and timeless leather bag to wear, until I learned about all its smart anti-theft features for women.

In this review, I’ll go straight to the “why,” as in, “Why would you need a smart anti-theft bag as a traveling woman?” And, “Why does it really work?”

I tried this bag, so that you could read about it here before you buy it for yourself or for any woman whose main priority is keeping her valuables secure during nights out, or travel adventures.

A big thank you to Rachel Bloom for sponsoring this travel bag review and for sending me the Smart Anti-Theft Crossbody Bag. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Key takeaways in this review

• Why you’d want this bag and which problems it solves, from bag slashing to anti-theft fingerprint locks and keeping your valuables SECURE
• My opinion on the fashion-forward timeless style and design, as well as the quality feel of the leather
• Who it’s for, and who it’s not for (it won’t be surprising that it’s not for women who aren’t going to make use of all the tech-savvy features… just being honest)
• The features I use and enjoy like the pockets, zippers and strap adjustments, and even an add-on accessory that’s smart to have
• How the Rachel Bloom mobile app works, from storing additional fingerprints to setting off a bag alarm in case of theft
• If it’s the BEST smart anti-theft travel bag for women (ahem, one that legit looks good) and why I think this.

Do you prefer to see this review in a video? Head right to my YouTube review to show you everything, from how the fingerprint lock works, to how the alarm sounds. It’s here:

Just for reading this article, you get my exclusive 20% off discount code, only at the Rachel Bloom website. Get a 20% discount immediately at checkout with code HHT20 when you shop.

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Which types of female travelers it’s for

You’ve seen my review of the best travel crossbody bags for women, but THIS crossbody bag is for a unique type of traveling woman.

It’s for women who get a real value-add, as well as peace of mind, by the features that this smart bag gives you while you travel, sightsee, go out for the night and more. It’s a bag that’ll make life and traveling easier if you have avoiding pickpockets and theft during travel on your mind.

It’s what you get when security technology is built into a premium handbag.

I see the Rachel Bloom Smart Anti-Theft Crossbody Bag being ideal for:

• Women who travel frequently: if you’re always on the road (business travel, trips several times a month or big trips every year), features like the GPS tracking and distance monitoring are big benefits
• Women taking trips to high-theft cities: if you’re in the market for a new anti-theft bag to bring to destinations like big cities in Europe, Southeast Asia, Latin America… this is the right one to choose because it’s slash-proof.
• Women who live in (and travel in) cities and are out all the time (bars, restaurants, cafes, clubs): the fingerprint mechanism is advantageous for being in constantly-crowded places

It’s probably NOT for a woman who won’t use the features, namely the fingerprint lock, the slash-proof material layers, the distance monitoring and the theft alarm.

Why anti-theft matters, for women

Dan and I were in Mexico City at a coffeeshop meeting up with his friend, and while she was paying her bill, a thief on a motorbike came up behind her and snatched her entire backpack in 0.05 seconds. In there, she had her wallet, laptop, AirPods and all her remote work stuff. She didn’t even see the theft happen.

And that’s the sad part: thieves are unbelievably adept at what they do, and women get mugged infinitely more than men do, while traveling. Women carry bags, women are easier targets (sadly for us) and women are (assumedly) less likely to fight back with force or violence.

So it only makes sense that having an anti-theft bag aids both the prevention of theft, as well as the theft itself (finding your things again, deterring pickpockets). Having a bag that protects our stuff is the one thing in our control if we’re going to be enjoying ourselves in far-away places where there is a possibility of theft.

One of the best ways for traveling women to come out on top after being mugged or experiencing theft/loss is with travel insurance! Read our travel insurance recommendation here to get the tier you need.

The design and look

This is actually where I’m really happy with the Rachel Bloom Crossbody Bag. I love the timeless and simple box style, cognac-colored pebbled leather and the gold hardware that I chose. The RB bags also come in black, with more choices of hardware like silver, gold and matte black.

Because of how versatile it is (day to day use, or, special occasions like date nights, affairs, business conferences), it really packs in the value. Other bags with more limited uses like belt bags that don’t hold so much, or handbags/shoulder bags are ones I typically leave behind when I travel for fun. And of course, if I’m traveling for business, a sling bag or belt bag is a bit too casual.

One side of the bag has a flat stash pocket (no valuables in here for sure!) and the front side with the Rachel Bloom logo has a zipper pocket with a nice gliding zipper.

Remember, of course, that all your valuables go in the main compartment, where your things are protected with the fingerprint-lock latch.

Just for reading this article, you get my exclusive 20% off discount code, only at the Rachel Bloom website. Get a 20% discount immediately at checkout with code HHT20 when you shop.

The app, and how it works with the Rachel Bloom Bags

If you own a Rachel Bloom Bag, you get to use the Rachel Bloom app, the proprietary phone app that lets you have security and control over your bag.

The app saves your fingerprints, just like your phone or your laptop, and when I first got my bag, I saved 3 fingerprints right away.

Here’s what else I did with the Rachel Bloom app and what you can use it for:

• Alerts: I got alerted when my bag moved “out of range.” Yup, I went to the bathroom, and the bag’s alarm went off!
• Unlock button: you can unlock your bag without using your fingerprint, if you use the Unlock button right in the app.
• ALARM: sound the alarm on your bag if it gets stolen or goes missing. My YouTube video shows you what this sounds like. I set it off at home in my living room, to test it out.
• Fingerprints: you can add more, and update them. I do this so that I can open the bag if my finger is upside down or sideways.
• GPS tracking* (*Comes at an additional fee when you purchase): see where your bag is located, anywhere in the world (if stolen or lost). Incredibly helpful, especially if you (HOPEFULLY NOT) get mugged.

The features I’m using (and enjoying)

There are so many features of this bag, so I’ll list them in a summary to keep this review going.

Here’s what I use:

• Multiple pockets: front flat stash pocket, front zipper pocket (gorgeous zippers), inner card pockets, 1 AirTag pocket - I store everything safely.
• Adjustable leather strap that has hold loops, so the extra strap doesn’t flail around (see below in Critique about where I think it can improve)
• Fingerprint lock: it’s great to use, and I add more fingerprints in the Rachel Bloom app
• Comes with a USB charger to give it its first charge, and charge it daily if the battery is low during your trip (I had never charged a handbag before!)
• Fits what I need, even the Rachel Bloom Waterproof Cover & Case, in case I get stuck in the rain while wearing my bag (this is sold separately - like a little raincoat for my Crossbody Bag)

Just for reading this article, you get my exclusive 20% off discount code, only at the Rachel Bloom website. Get a 20% discount immediately at checkout with code HHT20 when you shop.

Is it the BEST anti-theft crossbody bag for traveling women?

I will say this. I’ve seen other anti-theft travel bags for women. Often, they are not genuine leather and made to have for years upon years. They might be badly-made faux vegan leather, despite having slash-proof layers, but they really don’t stand up to the wear and tear that comes with actual use.

They may be slash-proof, but they’re not SMART. I’ve seen these good-looking slash-proof bags, and that’s great, but they don’t have fingerprint locks, GPS tracking* or alarms that you can set off in case of theft.

Oh, and they may have anti-slash straps or layers, and they may have a fingerprint lock (I’ve seen these on Amazon, with what’s called “Fingerprint Kits”) but they don’t come with an app that lets you see where in the world your bag is, and get notified if your bag goes too far away from you.

And they may have all these things but they don’t LOOK GOOD, and my RB Crossbody Bag is classic, quietly luxurious, versatile, stylish and minimalist. Sometimes I can’t believe it’s an anti-theft superpower bag for travel.

I looked up ‘best anti-theft crossbody bag for women’ and the answer was actually the Rachel Bloom Backpacks, Crossbody Bags, Belt Bags, Smart Totes and Mini Backpacks. They are really just … the best, at being smart, anti-theft, high on security features and above all, fashion-forward.

Critique and room for improvement

As I’m 5’2”, I often wear crossbody bags on the smallest strap setting. With the Rachel Bloom Crossbody Bag, I’m actually eager to see the company make an additional strap hole to accommodate the length needed for shorter women. I would see women around 4’10”-5’0” desiring even an additional hole or two.

I find that wearing the strap on the shortest hole still leaves it a bit long for me, so this is my only comment about room for improvement. I got in touch with Rachel Bloom directly about it, and they shared that in future iterations they will try to make this happen.

So, is it worth it? (and where to get it)

I would say the Rachel Bloom Crossbody Bag, their best-selling smart anti-theft bag for women, is worth it if you plan to use the features. The technology in it helps women secure, monitor, and locate their bag if it goes missing or gets stolen, and that’s pretty priceless.

If you are booking a trip to multiple cities in Europe, or if you plan to go to Southeast Asia for the first time, or if you plan to move abroad to South America, YES: please do yourself a favor and pick up any of the Rachel Bloom anti-theft bags for women so that you can safeguard your valuables with ease.

If you don’t plan to really make use of all the features like the fingerprint lock and latch, the Rachel Bloom app (alerts, alarm function, fingerprint settings and optional GPS tracking), then I would say these bags probably aren’t positioned best for you right now.

But if you live in a city, or you’re always finding yourself in crowded places, or you are on a plane FREQUENTLY traveling for business, these are all reasons that the Rachel Bloom smart travel bags are must-have essentials for the security of traveling women.

Where to get your Rachel Bloom Smart Anti-Theft Travel Bag

You can currently only get Rachel Bloom bags at the Rachel Bloom website. They are not available anywhere else, and they come packaged up with a dust bag and instructions for how to set up your bag’s tech, plus nice how-to videos!

To start off with a great discount, use the code HHT20 for 20% off your purchase.

Returns

A great thing about ordering any Rachel Bloom anti-theft smart travel bag is that there’s a 30-day return policy. So, if you want to return yours for any reason, they even send you a prepaid return label.

Why I wrote this review

Yes, you’ve seen my list of the best backpacks for women who travel and the best belt bags for travel, too. I really do have a thing for a great travel bag, especially one that does new things.

And after years of reviewing backpacks, crossbody bags, waist packs, belt bags, handbags and totes, I will tell you one thing: I have never seen a travel bag do what the Rachel Bloom Crossbody Bag can do.

I say that after almost two decades of traveling internationally, both as a solo female traveler and in groups, or with my husband, Dan. I try to go to “safe places,” but I’ve been to high-theft destinations like Barcelona, Nicaragua and Colombia, and I’ve been in travel groups with people who’ve gotten mugged right under their noses.

So the best we can do as sensible travelers is to try to prevent theft, right? And the Rachel Bloom Anti-Theft bags do this in a bunch of ways that impressed me.

I hope this review helped you make a choice, if you had heard about the Rachel Bloom Smart Anti-Theft line of travel bags, and I hope you learned about what these bags can do.

Thanks again to the Rachel Bloom brand for collaborating with me on this article.