Tested: CASETiFY turned its iPhone Bounce case into 21-inch carry-on luggage, but is it any good?

You know CASETiFY? The smartphone case company? Of course you do. Well it has turned its best-selling Bounce case for iPhone and other devices into carry-on luggage and we are hands-on today to give it a run for its money and drop down some impressions for folks.

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Hands-on with the new CASETiFY Bounce Carry-On Luggage 

The CASETiFY Bounce Carry-On Luggage comes in three colorways, black, red, and blue with a $399 list price and a series of customization options. The interior Tech Pack Organizer (detailed below fetches an extra $50, while the 2-pack of Packing Cubes sell for an additional $35. 

The Bounce hardshell luggage is your toughest travel companion yet. Heading on a 2-5 day trip? Easy, all your essentials fit neatly and secure in the mesh zippered compartments–keeping everything organized even when your travel day isn’t. We’ve handled everything down to the last detail, including our telescopic handle– allowing for just the right height with no presets. Tuck this roller right in the overhead bin – it’s layover friendly. Ready to go?

• Suitcase Size: W13.9” x H21” x D 9” (W35.3 x H53.5 X D22.8 cm)
• Suitcase Weight: 8.23 lbs / 3.74kg
• Bounce Bumpers: Next level impact protection
• Wheels: 360° frictionless spinners
• Handle: Continuous telescopic handle
• Shell: Ultra lightweight polcycarbonate, tested in below zero temps
• Zipper: TSA-approved, premium YKK zipper with integrated locking system
• Interior: Magnetic compression system, zippered sleeves & pockets and hidden smart tracker pocket

9to5Toys Take:

First let’s talk build and aesthetics. 

Now, if you like the look of the CASETiFY logo and lettering detail on its phone cases – typically found around the rim of the camera bezel – you’ll probably like the look of this luggage. And if you like the look of its Bounce cases, especially the corner detailing that offers extra bounce protection and a place to string a lanyard and other accessories through, you’ll like the look of this luggage even more. This design touch presumably provides the same functionality on the carry-on case as it does on the phone case. 

I for one like the CASETiFY branding here. I’m not typically the type to want a brand’s lettering or logos all over my stuff, but CASETiFY is generally quite fashionable about the whole thing, and that rings true on the carry-on luggage. It wouldn’t be the first case I run for, but, again, if you like the look of its smartphone cases, you might very well like the luggage too. 

There are hits of branding detail all over the case, not just the obvious lettering on the front side you can see in the image above – I particularly like the attention to detail on the zipper pulls and the monotone embossed letter jumble on the outside of the castor wheels. Again, it’s not necessarily my style personally, but the brand has clearly done a good job here if you ask me. 

Now, as for the actually build here, it seems quite sturdy and robust to me. But in my experience you don’t really don’t know until you know. By that I mean a suitcase has to be put through its paces, chucked into overhead storage or handled by airport staff, in and out of hotel rooms and elevators, into the back of your airport transfer vehicle, and so on, and for at least a year or so (depending on how much you travel) before you really know how well it will hold up.

I have clearly not had a chance to really beat this thing up properly for an extended period of time, so I am going to refrain from weighing in with an opinion on this matter. To my eyes, and judging by the way it feels, I would say it’s probably more robust than it looks (at least to me) in the pictures. 

As for the functionality here when it comes to rolling it through the airport and the like, the wheels are super smooth – there are four of them so you can do it while all of them are flat on the ground or with just two using the telescoping handle. You’ll also find typical carry handles on the top and side of the case as well. 

The top-mounted, combination lock is also worth a quick mention here. Not only does it look quite nice, the branded zipper pulls also secure and lock right into the mechanism – there’s a typical 3-digital combination lock here that functions just as you would expect. It might not be overly secure, but someone is likely going to need some tools, privacy, and extended period of time to bust in there without the code (providing they don’t just breach the zipper from the side) – in other words it’s a slightly more elegant looking solution than a typical luggage lock that’s probably just as effective. 

Okay, now on to the inside.

I was generally impressed with the look and feel of the outside, but the interior is what really shines for me here. On the deep side of the case, you’ll find extendable, and stretchy straps to secure clothing and the like, and on the other a zippered compartment for smaller items of clothing and whatever else you might need to stick in there. 

In between there’s a flap (this is the Tech Pack Organizer) that contains a series of pockets, some with zipper closures, some with a magnetic flap, and some that use velcro – this pad has pockets on both sides too. This is particularly handy for smaller accessories and the like you might have otherwise had to have packed in a separate dopp kit of sorts – charging cables, wall chargers, and so on. This middle flap filled with storage pockets can be removed completely from the bag too. It’s just a shame it costs an extra $50. 

It also ships with a pair of matching, soft packing cubes to further enhance its organization capabilities, but only if you spend an additional $35 – this isn’t as big of an issue for me as most luggage brands will charge extra for these.  

There’s even a hidden AirTag or tracker pocket on the inside. 

The interior is really nice here. There are loads of pockets and I found it extremely easy to stay organized – it is one of the better approaches to internal carry-on storage I have personally used to date, but the Tech Pack Organizer should be included in the price. 

CASETiFY has managed to make a serious name for itself in the smartphone case business, so why not in the luggage game too? It seems like an uphill battle to me – some folks are going to take one look at this thing and think it’s a big giant gimmick of a luggage solution. But looks can be deceiving as the CASETiFY Bounce Carry-On does have quite a lot going for it, especially when it comes to internal storage organization. I’m just not sure serious travelers are going to take it all that seriously enough to pull their credit card out. Having said, even if its existing loyal customer base decides to pull the trigger on the Bounce, it might very well be a success anyway. 

Buy the CASETiFY Bounce Carry-On Luggage

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