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Avoid overweight luggage fees with one of the best travel hacks around: luggage scales. Crane Scales For Sale
Traveling is already stressful enough as is, but when you tack on unwanted baggage fees — or the pressure of having to re-pack and shove things into your personal bag at the luggage counter — it can put a damper on your vacation. Luckily, there is an easy (and affordable) solution to this problem: a luggage scale. Portable, accurate, and multi-functional, it’s the best travel hack to save you time and money while packing.
Because luggage scales range in size, price, and shape, we took it upon ourselves to put 15 options to the test. Some proved to be perfectly accurate when we weighed 10- and 25-pound kettlebells, while others were not accurate at all, and others even broke en route to our lab, showing that shopping for a simple luggage scale may not be as easy as you think. Here are the six reliable luggage scales that we tested and can’t recommend enough for travelers looking for peace of mind when it comes to weighing a suitcase.
The handle has a non-slip grip for lifting heavy luggage easily.
The backlit screen could be a bit brighter.
Lifting luggage requires a lot of effort so we love that this handy digital scale has a non-slip grip material on the inside of the handle to make it easier to hold on to the scale while you measure the weight. The scale turns on with a simple click of a button that also controls the settings from pounds to kilograms — and it also has a temperature gauge in both Celsius and Fahrenheit options. We had no issues hooking the loop through a luggage handle and securing the clip back onto the scale, and we found that the scale was extremely accurate, varying just a few ounces from the kettlebell weights we used. We also like that the screen holds the final weight so you have time to read the number. It’s also super compact, which makes it easy to toss into your bag after you weigh it to have the scale on hand for your return trip home.
The Details: Digital | 110-pound capacity | Pounds, kilograms, Fahrenheit, Celsius | Backlit
Our team uses this scale in the lab to test hundreds of pieces of luggage, and it's still in excellent shape.
It’s compact and doesn’t have the best grip.
Our Travel + Leisure team has tested hundreds of suitcases in our lab, and we always measure the weight of the suitcases with this handy scale. A testament to the durability of the device, this scale can withstand time and rough handling, especially if you stuff it into your checked bag after making sure it’s underweight. It’s intuitive to use with two buttons to turn the device on and off or to switch between units of measurement, and the fabric loop with a metal clip is easy to attach to a luggage handle. With just a few ounces of weight difference using several kettlebells, we think it’s mostly accurate, but we always think it’s smart to give yourself some wiggle room with luggage weight, just in case. Designed to be pocket-size, we love the compact shape, but it does make it slightly difficult to get a good grip while lifting a suitcase.
The Details: Digital | 110-pound capacity | Pounds, kilograms, Fahrenheit, Celcius
It’s the most accurate scale we tested under $10.
It doesn’t have a non-slip grip like other scales we tested.
If you’re in a hurry to get a few last-minute items before a trip (like a luggage scale, of course), this wallet-friendly one is a great option that can arrive quickly thanks to Amazon Prime’s two-day shipping. In testing, senior editor Jasmine Grant loved how intuitive the scale is to use with the no-frills design. There are two buttons on the scale: one for turning the device on and off and the other for switching between pound and kilograms or to use the temperature gauge. Similar to our overall pick, this scale was accurate with the 10- and 25-pound kettlebell weights we used with just a few ounces of discrepancy. The scale is extremely lightweight and compact for storing at home or in a suitcase, but because of its compact size, it was slightly less comfortable to grip — which isn’t a deal-breaker for us.
The Details: Digital | 110-pound capacity | Pounds, kilograms, fahrenheit, celsius | Backlit
This scale contains a built-in measuring tape that can be used to measure luggage on the go.
The metal hook could be a bit bigger to accommodate large luggage handles.
Airlines have been cracking down on luggage requirements and baggage fees, so we love that this scale comes with a built-in tape measure. This can be particularly useful for expandable luggage, as you can use the tape measure to see if your carry-on is small enough to fit the airline restrictions for the overhead bins. Besides the helpful extra feature for measuring size, the scale also impressed us with an ultra-durable design that feels like it can endure even the roughest of luggage handling at the airport. The handle is made with steel metal coated in rubber for a superior grip, and the screen is much bigger than other scales we tested so you can easily see the weight in kilograms or pounds. The scale was no more than five ounces off when we measured the kettlebells, and the hook makes it easy to lift luggage from the handle (unless the handle is super thick, then it might be more difficult). T+L testing editor Jackie Cucco also appreciated that the scale screen says “hi” and “bye” when she turned it on and off with the press of a button.
The Details: Digital | 110-pound capacity | Pounds, kilograms | Backlit | Built-in tape measure
All you have to do is twist the device to light up the screen.
The loop doesn’t have a clip, which makes it difficult to attach luggage.
The beauty of this motion-powered device is that you won’t have to worry about batteries dying when you’re traveling. We twisted the device about four times to activate the digital screen, which has a little battery icon to depict when it’s low on power and needs kinetic energy to charge up. Like other scales we tried, this one read just a few ounces off from the kettlebells we weighed, so we think it’s as accurate as possible. The small, circular shape makes it easy to store in a drawer at home or in a pocket of a carry-on backpack since it’s very compact. Because it doesn’t have an ergonomic handle, the grip isn’t as good as T-shape luggage scales, but this one is quite a bit smaller, which is a plus for packing. Another thing to note is that the loop doesn’t have a clip that comes off of the rope, so you’ll have to snake the device through the loop to get it to attach to luggage.
The Details: Kinetically charged | 77-pound capacity | Pounds, kilograms
This was the only device we tested with perfect weight accuracy.
It’s a bit larger and heavier than digital scales.
The most accurate luggage scale we tried, this manual one from Samsonite provided the most accurate reading for our 10- and 25-pound weights. All of the digital scales we tested were just a few ounces off — which isn’t unusual when it’s not a large discrepancy — but we were pleased to see this one depict an exact “10” and “25” on the weight scale. The scale is large enough to read quickly but when we picked up a 50-pound suitcase, it was a little harder to read with shaky hands. However, the handle is comfortable to hold, and you can safely secure the hook to a suitcase once you shimmy it under the handle. It’s a bit bigger than a digital scale, but we think it’s worth it for a durable and completely accurate scale (that also doesn’t require any batteries or extra effort to turn on).
The Details: Manual | 80-pound capacity | Pounds, kilograms | Built-in tape measure
Out of the 15 luggage scales we tried, there were a few that didn’t quite make our list of best scales due to some minor inconsistencies noted below.
Taylor Ultra Light Digital Luggage Scale: It’s easy to use, and we love that it beeps once the reading is complete. However, the materials feel a bit flimsy, and that made us question the durability of the scale.
Travelon Stop & Lock Luggage Scale: Similar to the best manual scale we tested, this one was spot-on accurate, but the handle is uncomfortable to hold and the materials feel cheaply made.
Tumi Electronic Luggage Scale: This scale is sleek and compact, but it didn’t have the most accurate reading and comes at a premium price tag ($75).
A luggage scale may seem like a simple product to purchase, but trust us when we say there are some less-than-ideal options on the market. After researching and purchasing a variety of luggage scales, we had all of them shipped to our New York City lab and some showed up broken, cracked, and one was even leaking oil. However, after testing the 15 scales that were usable, we found six that stood out from others for several reasons. While numerical accuracy is extremely important, we didn’t fault any scales that were just a few ounces off from the 10- and 25-pound kettlebell weights and 50-pound suitcase we lifted.
We also judged the scales on how easy it was to use and operate each one and noted how durable and functional the buttons, loops, hooks, screens, and handles were. Since the scales came in different sizes, materials, and shapes, we also took note of how comfortable they were to lift heavy objects and if the materials felt built to last.
Based on our testing experience, there are pros and cons to both manual and digital scales. The digital scales were generally more lightweight and easier to read than the clunkier manual scales without backlit LCD screens. However, the manual scales are the most accurate ones and don’t require batteries or charging, so you’ll never have to worry about the device dying while traveling.
While the U.S. uses the imperial system, the rest of the world uses the metric system, so be sure to get a luggage scale with your preferred unit of measurement. Since some international airlines will list their weight restrictions in kilograms, it might be nice to have a scale that has both so you don’t have to attempt mental math while in a hurry to weigh and check your bag. Additionally, some digital scales also come with a temperature gauge in Fahrenheit or Celsius, which could be helpful for travelers.
Luggage scales might seem like they only have one job, but some come with special features for more than one task. Some devices have tape measures and temperature gauges built in, and some luggage scales are motion-powered, which uses kinetic energy to charge the digital screen of the scale without needing batteries. Also, be sure to double-check the weight limit of luggage scales, as that can vary as well, and you don’t want to break your scale by overloading it.
A luggage scale will usually come with instructions, but in general, all you have to do is attach the scale to a suitcase via the hook or loop on the scale, and then turn on the device before lifting up the luggage. Once you lift the luggage by the scale, wait for the scale or screen (if digital) to hold a number to get the accurate reading. Most digital scales have the ability to tare if you’re looking to do some specific weight measurements.
Scales are allowed on airplanes in checked or carry-on bags. If you measure your bag before getting to the airport and you’re right on the cusp of the weight limit, you might want to put the scale in your personal item to avoid going over the weight limit by accident.
A bathroom scale can work to measure luggage at home. However, if your hotel or accommodations doesn’t have a scale for the journey home, then you’ll be left guessing, which is risky. One of the best parts of a luggage scale is that it’s specifically designed with portability in mind so you’ll never have to worry about luggage limitations or the fees that come with it.
Most luggage scales are accurate, especially when purchasing a reputable product. If you have access to another scale, you can use it to test the accuracy of your luggage scale. Regardless, it's always a good idea to keep your luggage a pound or two lighter than the maximum weight limit, just in case your scale isn't entirely accurate. This will prevent your bag from being too heavy when you reach the airport.
Anna Popp is a commerce writer at T+L, where she writes about and reviews travel products. After paying over $500 in overweight luggage fees for one flight, Anna learned her lesson and invested in a luggage scale — and never travels without it now. She participated in this test and pulled from her own (unfortunate) experience with luggage restrictions to recommend the best luggage scales we tried.
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