Luggage Scales, Don’t Get Hit with Extra Fees

If you’ve ever had to pay extra because your bag was too heavy, you already know how the best luggage scales can make travel easier.

With baggage regulations getting tighter and weight excess fees getting higher, many travelers bring scales to avoid problems at check-in. Luggage scales are quickly becoming must-have items for frequent travelers.

Here are the best luggage scales and how to find the best one for you.

[heading navigation=”Best for Money” text=”Best for Money: EtekCity Digital Hanging Luggage Scale”]

This tool is good looking, but it’s more than just attractive.

High-quality and affordable electronic devices are what we’re rooting for, and this hanging scale ticks all the boxes we want.

EtekCity Pros

• Functional design: This portable scale has a sleek design and intuitive use. It is only 5.1 x 1.6 inches, which means it can easily fit in your bags and smaller purses. Use the strap to hook the scale to any suitcase and instantly read the weight of your belongings.
• High accuracy: The accuracy of this hanging luggage scale is as good as you can get. It will show you the result on the screen in pound and kilogram units.
• High capacity: This heavy-duty scale has a durable steel hook and rubber paint technology to ensure it stands the test of time. This piece of travel gear can measure up to 110 lbs (50kg) and has a precision accuracy of 0.1 lb/0.05kg.
• Tare function: Have you ever indulged yourself in gifts and souvenirs after a trip? Once the shopping adrenaline rush is over, packing is a lot less enjoyable. You might not be able to guess the weight of each added item. That’s where the tare function is a lifesaver. You can know the individual weight of each item in your luggage.
• Temperature reading: If you’re packing (expensive) temperature-sensitive items like cheese, chocolate, and wine, you want to know what the temperature is. The thermometer can read temperatures in both F° and C°.

EtekCity Cons

• Battery usage: The battery won’t last long.
• No heavy lifting: The scale can’t lift more than 110lb/50kg.

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[heading navigation=”Best Digital” text=”Best Digital: Tarriss Jetsetter Digital Luggage Scale”]

The best digital luggage scale we came across is, without any doubt, the Tarris Jetsetter scale.

Customers are enthusiastic about this option, and we are too.

Tarriss Jetsetter Pros

• Futuristic design: This fashion-forward travel accessory looks futuristic. Stainless steel on the top plate and high-strength plastic on the bottom plate make the scale both durable and lightweight.
• High capacity and accuracy: This tool offers a maximum capacity of 110lb/50kg with an accuracy of 0.2lb/0.1kg. The lock weight function makes it easy to read the weight of your baggage after you stabilize it.
• LCD display: The easy-to-read digital meter doesn’t consume much of the battery, which improves its life.
• Lithium battery: Lithium batteries are much lighter than regular batteries, but they also last longer. This scale shuts off automatically after 30 seconds to preserve the battery, and a low-battery indicator lets you know when it’s low.
• Lifetime warranty: Tarriss backs many of its products with a lifetime warranty. The peace of mind of your product has a 100% satisfaction guarantee is not something to look down on.
• Tare function: Now you can know which items to discard if your luggage is overweight.

Tarriss Jetsetter Cons

• Power button: This scale has one button to power the device and control the features. In case of a malfunction, you can lose both abilities.
• Weight accuracy: This scale is a little less accurate than other travel scales on the list.

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[heading navigation=”Best Manual” text=”Best Manual: Travelon Stop and Lock Luggage Scale”]

Leaning more on the traditional side of travel scales?

You will love the Travelon Stop and Lock luggage scale. Simple and yet high-performing, it captured the hearts of many reviewers.

Travelon Stop and Lock Pros

• Brand name: Many big brand names can be trusted to take care of their customers. Travelon is no different, as it made this scale with robust and durable metal, a strong hook, and a solid handle that falls to reduce length. If you’re looking for a tried-and-tested luggage scale that won’t let you down, this is the one.
• Easy reading: Every type of traveler will know how to use this scale. To reset, you turn the nob back to zero — nothing fancy or complicated.
• Measuring tape: You need to make sure your luggage meets size requirements, so the included measuring tape is a handy feature.
• Reliable scale: This lock may not have all the fancy features of a digital option, but sometimes that’s an advantage. You don’t have to worry about the battery dying when you need it most.
• Stop-and-lock mechanism: One of the two hands of the scale stops and locks at the weight of your luggage. This patented mechanism will allow you to read the dial easily without bending your back to get a look.

Travelon Stop and Lock Cons

• Bulky design: This scale is more cumbersome than some of the digital options.
• High-tech features: Unlike some other scales on this list, the scale doesn’t have the latest and greatest tech features.

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[heading navigation=”Best for Heavy Luggage” text=”Best Heavy Luggage: Smart Weigh Digital Heavy-Duty Scale”]

Are you bringing a small statue from Italy or carved wood from the Philippines to redecorate your home?

If yes, you don’t want to be paying unexpected fees for their weight. A regular scale might not weigh these items accurately. The Smart Weigh electronic scale will live up to the task.

Smart Weigh Pros

• 2-Year warranty: A frequent traveler will love knowing that their scale purchase is protected.
• Different modes: This scale operates in kilograms, grams, pounds, and ounces.
• Easy use: Simply put your package on the platform and read the weight on the LCD screen. Thanks to a long extendable cord, you can move the screen box for better reading.
• Heavy duty and multi-purpose: Sending heavy gifts home? With its wide platform made of durable stainless steel and capacity of 440 lb/200 kg, the Smart Weigh postal luggage scale is all you need to your weighing, shipping, and mailing needs.
• Tare function: Get an empty box on the scale, zero it, and put different items of your baggage in it to read the weight.
• USB cord: Who can say no to an extra power source? If the battery dies unexpectedly, use the USB cord to charge your scale.

Smart Weigh Cons

• High price: You get what you pay for — which in this case means that this option is heftier than a regular scale.
• Minimum weight: This scale weighs items heavier than 6oz/17g, which could be an issue for travelers who like to pack light.

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[heading navigation=”Best With Measuring Tape” text=”Best With Measuring Tape: LEOKOR Hand Scale with Tape Measure”]

Unlike with weight, you can’t cut the dimensions of your carry-on luggage to fit the airline’s requirements.

Avoid this travel nightmare by knowing the measurements of your luggage well in advance. You can do this with the beautiful LEOKOR hand scale with a tape measure.

LEOKOR Hand Scale Pros

• Battery use: This digital portable scale has an auto-off function that shuts down the device after 60 seconds and a low battery indicator. This scale requires two AA batteries (included), which are easy to find.
• High capacity and precision: The scale measures up to 110 lb/50 kg and has an accuracy of 0.1lb/50g.
• Multi-feature scale: Enjoy a larger backlit display and auto-lock feature to allow you to read the weight on the screen without a problem.
• Overload warning light: As soon as you go over 50 b/20 kg (which is also the luggage weight limit for economy class with many airlines), the screen turns from green to red.
• Reliable material: This device has a high-grade design because of the stainless steel and plastic baseboard. This scale will last for years.
• Tape measure: The tape comes in the imperial and metric system.

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Luggage Scale Buying Guide

A luggage scale is no longer a luxury.

If you’ve ever read a travel blog, you probably know that a scale is one of the most important travel accessories. It is a sound investment that can make the difference between shelling out hundreds in baggage fees or having the smoothest baggage check-in experience.

However, you want this travel gear to be worth your money.

You need a scale that will weigh of your baggage accurately, but most of the options out there can do more than weigh bags.  It’s tech time now.

While some luggage weight scales remained in their classic form, others are now digital. Scales also have a bigger capacity, a better reading accuracy, and some extra features we wouldn’t mind paying an extra couple of bucks for.

Use this buying guide to help you pick the right option for you.

Digital vs. Manual Luggage Scale

There are two routes to take:

• Getting all the best features available to you with bonus points if it means discovering new technology.
• Avoiding any potential hazards caused by tech products and sticking with the traditional, reliable methods.

No matter which way fits you best, there is a manual luggage scale or a digital luggage scale that will meet your needs.

Maximum Weight Capacity

Different scales have different capacities, and thus different price points.

The majority of digital portable luggage scales can lift 110 lb/50 kg unless they’re heavy duty.

Manual scales usually have less capacity.

Reading Accuracy

All the scales on our recommended list have the best reading accuracy on the market.

Almost all of them also have a weight lock feature, which freezes the result of the weight of your bag on the screen for a few seconds after lifting the bag to give you time to read the results.

If you prefer the metric system over the imperial system, you can choose a scale with a metric converting feature. You can then see your luggage weight in both pounds and kilograms.

Important note: even the best scale can give you different results than the ones at the airport. Keep your baggage a couple of pounds lighter than the maximum airline allowance.

Prioritize a scale that gives you an accurate reading to make air travel easier.

Size and Weight

The point of a luggage scale is to help you make sure your bags don’t weight too much. A big, heavy scale defeats this purpose.

Your bags are already going to be full of travel umbrellas, maps, power banks, souvenirs, and clothing. Don’t add too much extra weight with your scale.

If you like to travel light, you’ll want the smallest, lightest option you can find that is still good build quality and is trustworthy.

Extra Features

Who can say no to a little extra?

Some scales have additional features such as:

• Backlight: LCDs with a backlight offer better reading conditions. The contrast in the blue backlight screens shows the numbers more clearly, which is handy if you’re a poorly lit room.
• Measuring tape: Baggage restrictions refer to both weight and dimensions. If you don’t remember the size of your suitcase, you can now make sure it complies to your airline’s conditions by measuring it first with the tape available in your scale.

What Is the Best Way to Weigh Luggage?

Some people weigh their luggage using their bathroom scale and a lot of math. Some people do it by weighing themselves, weighing themselves holding the bags, and then calculating the difference.

Others guess the overall weight of their baggage by comparing it to gym weights.

People might use different methods, but one thing in common: they’re not accurate.

To weigh your luggage correctly, use a luggage scale. Hang the bag on the strap or the hook of your scale or put it on its platform.

Will the Airline Accept My Luggage Scale Readings?

Airlines will always weigh in your luggage, no matter how much you do it yourself at home.

The weight that the airline measures is what they will use to determine if your bag meets the requirements.

Therefore, it is a good idea to pack your bag a few pounds lighter than the limit in case the airport scale doesn’t match what your home scale told you.

If you think the airline’s result is wrong, ask them to try again on a different scale or recalibrate the scale.

So, why weigh your bags yourself if the airline will do it anyway?

A few pounds might be easy to handle. You can throw away extra toiletries or put on a jacket. However, getting rid of ten or more additional pounds can be frustrating and expensive.

Weighing at home beforehand can help you make decisions on what to take out of your bag before you’re stuck at the airport and have to lose valuable items.

How Much Do Airlines Charge for Excess Baggage?

Excess baggage fees depend on many factors, including your airline and destination.

To give you an idea on the astronomical fees passengers have to pay for extra baggage, here is an example of a trip between the USA and Canada:

• Delta Air Lines: $100 – $200
• Frontier Airlines: +$75
• Hawaiian Airlines: $35 – $70
• JetBlue Airways: $100 – $200
• Southwest Airlines: +$75

Air travel is already expensive. Don’t add to your costs by not weighing your bags before you leave home or your hotel room.

A reliable luggage scale can save you money, time, and frustration at the airport.

Before your next trip, use this guide of the best scales to buy and what to look for to help you find a travel accessory that will make your adventurers simpler.