TROVA GO Smart Safe Review: Hide Your Valuables in This Luxurious Lock Box

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The Lowdown

The TROVA GO is a biometric, physical storage device that is large enough to hold certain items that you want to keep private, yet it is compact enough to fit inside a larger pocket, handbag, backpack, or athletic bag.

Overall
4.5

Pros

  • Small, discreet, and designed to carry personal items that you don’t want others to be able to access
  • Luxurious design
  • Can be opened with your fingerprint or PIN via the app, or you can bypass the lock feature and open your box with two taps of the multifunction power button on the device
  • Sealed to contain odors
  • Interior is organized
  • App is easy to use
  • Long battery life
  • Perfect for storing jewelry and other precious items when traveling

Cons

  • The aluminum finish on the TROVA GO can scratch, so you might also want to invest an additional $40 in the TROVA SLEEVE
  • The angled design on its bottom means the TROVA GO will not sit flat on a table

We all have certain personal, medicinal, or otherwise private items that we’d prefer not to be easily discovered by curious children, snoopy coworkers, or opportunistic strangers; the TROVA GO can help. Marketed as a discreet biometric smart storage vessel, the TROVA GO is compact, intelligent, and secure.

TROVA Go inside the TROVA Sleeve

The TROVA GO inside the TROVA SLEEVE.

What does having a bit of guaranteed privacy mean to you? If you have young children, you know that they can get into almost anything and that privacy is sometimes just a fleeting, albeit nice idea. The same is true if you have to leave your bag in an unsecured area at work, the gym, or parties. If you regularly carry medicine, jewelry, or other personal items around with you, keeping curious hands out of those items can sometimes be nearly impossible. The TROVA GO was made for just that.

The TROVA GO is a physical storage device that is large enough to hold certain items that you want to keep private, yet it is compact enough to fit inside a larger pocket, handbag, backpack, or athletic bag. While it is elegantly made and lovely to handle, the TROVA GO is also made to be overlooked. TROVA says that the GO mimics a hard drive or a battery, although if someone were to pick yours up and shake it, that mimicry might fail.

Included in the box are the TROVA GO, a USB Type-A to Type-C charging cable, a quick start guide, an FCC compliance card, a card advising you to visit the TROVA site for online resources and FAQs.

A Walk-Around the TROVA GO

Measuring ~6.1″ long by 3″ wide by 1.2″ deep and weighing 10.6 ounces, the TROVA GO is composed of aluminum alloy with a CNC finish; it is available in your choice of fog, charcoal, olive, or the sandstone I was sent. On the front edge of the TROVA GO, there is a discreet engraved logo. The top is beveled on all four sides to create a visually appealing slight peak at the center.

TROVA Go Smart Safe Review

On the right side of the device, there is a multifunction power button and LED indicator. The multifunction button can act in a variety of ways.

  • First, when tapped, it displays battery status.
  • Second, when App Bypass mode is activated, a double click will unlock TROVA. Note, however, that by bypassing the app and identity verification, the device is no longer secure.
  • Third, it powers TROVA off by holding down the button for five or more seconds until there is a single red pulse and back on by pressing it.
  • Lastly, when your TROVA is off, it turns it back on.

This is a good time to talk about how the multifunction power button will also serve as a battery indicator. You can always check your device’s battery in the TROVA app, but on the device itself, you can tap the multifunction button to show the battery’s status based on the following schedule:

  • If it pulses green once, it means you have more than 30% of your battery.
  •  If it pulses orange once, you have between 10% and 30%.
  • Additionally, if your TROVA starts pulsing red without a tap of the button, it means it needs a charge and has less than 5% available battery.

The battery should last for about 73 days, depending on how many times your TROVA GO has been opened and closed.

There is a reset button to the multifunction power button’s right, which you can access when needed with a SIM tool or a bent paperclip.

TROVA Go Smart Safe Review

The back is hinged.

TROVA Go Smart Safe Review

On the left side, there is a USB Type-C charging port.

TROVA Go Smart Safe Review

The bottom is also beveled to create the same raised peak in the center. While this looks pretty, it does mean that the TROVA GO will not sit perfectly flat on a table.

TROVA Go Smart Safe Review

Setting Up the TROVA GO

When you first unpack your TROVA GO, it’s a good idea to go ahead and charge it and download the Trova Case app; it’s available for iOS and Android. You aren’t going to be able to open the box to see what’s inside until you do this.

TROVA Go Smart Safe Review

You’ll be directed to create a TROVA account, decide if you are willing to allow the app to access your location, and then you’ll pair your TROVA GO to the app. You have the option of either setting a PIN or using your fingerprint to open the box. Another option — that I don’t recommend unless you are in a secure location and won’t be leaving with your box — is setting the Bypass Mode. Bypass Mode does not require your fingerprint or your PIN to open the box; instead, you’ll double-tap the multifunction power button to open the box, which basically means anyone could open your TROVA GO.

Inside the TROVA app, you can select whether you want the app to show notifications when the battery is low, when the device is disconnected from the app, or when your TROVA GO’s lid has been left open after 5, 10, or 15 minutes. If you have enabled location services, you’ll be able to use the Locate feature, which shows where your TROVA was last seen. The TROVA GO does not have built-in GPS; similar to a Tile, Chipolo, or other tracking chip, TROVA uses the GPS in your phone to mark its last known location.

Now that the TROVA GO has been charged, you’ve created an account, and it has been paired to your phone, you can open your box. When the box’s lock has been released, an audible click indicates it is now unlocked.

When the TROVA GO is open, the interior compartment is revealed. This area measures ~5.2″ long by 2.2″ wide by .75″ tall. The TRVOA GO interior is made to seal tightly, and while the device is not waterproof, it does have a tight enough seal to contain odors if you are carrying something aromatic.

There is an elastic strap on the inside lid of the opened device that is handy for securing credit cards, folded cash, or other flat valuables. On the front of the elastic strap, there is a flat leather flap with a magnet on its end, which attaches to the metal plate embedded on the back of the elastic strap. This is a handy place to secure hoop earrings or rings if you are carrying jewelry. The bottom of the interior is an open tray.

TROVA Go Smart Safe Review

A 2″ square box with about a 0.5″ depth and a center divider is included. This box has a soft silicone lid that snaps on and lifts off. If you choose to use it with your TROVA GO, it makes a good spot to keep medicine or other small loose items like stud earrings, but it does take up quite a bit of room.

TROVA Go Smart Safe Review

Protect Your TROVA GO’s Finish with the TROVA SLEEVE

Because the aluminum finish on the TROVA GO can scratch, you might want to spring for the $39.99 TROVA SLEEVE, an optional natural or black leather accessory that tightly fits around the box while protecting it.

When brand new, the SLEEVE can take a minute to remove from the TROVA GO, but I would imagine that just as the natural leather will develop a patina over time, it will also loosen up slightly. The TROVA SLEEVE is so well made that if it had yellow stitching, I would think it was part of the Louis Vuitton Nomade collection.

It’s not a necessary addition, but if you travel with your TROVA GO frequently, the 2mm thick TROVA SLEEVE doesn’t add a lot of bulk while it’s protecting your device.

Once we all start traveling by air again, you’ll be glad to know that you will be able to bring your TROVA GO with you. The company recommends that you shut the device off before going through TSA, which is done by holding down the power button for five or more seconds until there is a single red pulse. It might be a good idea to pull it out so it can be scanned with your other electronics, as well.

I tend to travel overseas with various jewelry pieces in little pouches shoved deep into the bottom of my backpack. Using this seems much more organized and secure; plus, it will be an added security layer in the hotel room or Airbnb. Of course, the TROVA GO itself can be stolen, but let’s hope it’s just overlooked if someone has that goal in mind.

Obviously, the TROVA GO isn’t meant to be a replacement for the safe you have at home, but it is a modern interpretation of a lockbox for the smaller possessions that you want to keep safe from prying eyes. Whether you are traveling, running errands, or at home, the TROVA GO is an elegant, and yes, luxurious way to hide your valuables and keep them secure.

What If You Need Something Larger?

If you need something a bit larger than the TROVA GO, you’re in luck. Just as TROVA GO was introduced at the 2020 CES, they have a couple of new products introduced during CES this year. The first new TROVA product is the GO+plus, which has a 60% larger capacity than TROVA GO (it measures 6.1” long by 3″ wide by 1.6” deep). The TROVA GO+plus is available now, and it sells for $229.

And they are also introducing the “mack daddy” TROVA HOME, which will measure 14.5” long by 7.5″ wide by 4.25” deep without its stand. TROVA HOME can actually be bolted to any surface. It will feature a new “tap to open” functionality where users will be able to open it by tapping their phone on it instead of opening the TROVA app’s biometric authentication. The TROVA HOME will sell for $549.

The TROVA GO sells for $199, and it is available directly from the manufacturer

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

What I Like: Small, discreet, and designed to carry personal items that you don’t want others to be able to access; Luxurious design; Can be opened with your fingerprint or PIN via the app, or you can bypass the lock feature and open your box with two taps of the multifunction power button on the device; Sealed to contain odors; Interior is organized; App is easy to use; Long battery life; Perfect for storing jewelry and other precious items when traveling

What Needs Improvement: The aluminum finish on the TROVA GO can scratch, so you might also want to invest an additional $40 in the TROVA SLEEVE; The angled design on its bottom means the TROVA GO will not sit flat on a table

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About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She got her start in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie has written for or been profiled by nationally known sites and magazines, and she has served on multiple industry hardware and software award panels. She is best known for her device-agnostic approach, enjoyment of exploring tech, gadgets, and gear, and her deep-diving, jargon-free reviews.

2 Comments on "TROVA GO Smart Safe Review: Hide Your Valuables in This Luxurious Lock Box"

  1. I bought a Trova+ unit. It literally failed the first moment there was something of value inside. A loud click during unlock attempt, the light on the unit went out and the Bluetooth connection was lost. At this moment, it is a locked solid brick holding a small pile of my credit cards, with no apparent way in. I’m still waiting for Trova support to respond to my request for assistance.

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