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Imagine packing for a vacation. You’ve got your clothes, toothbrush, passport, and other essentials all packed up in your bag. You head out the door to start your journey when you realize that you forgot something – the weight of your bag! Suddenly you find yourself at a store buying a luggage scale instead of on the beach with some fruity drink in hand.
The good news is that these days there are more scales than ever before and they come in many shapes and sizes to suit every need, from everyday travelers to those who fly frequently. This article will help make sure you know what features to look for so you can buy the best luggage scale for travel, no matter how often or where you go!
Our favorite luggage scale, the one we’ve used for years, is the Tarriss Jetsetter Digital Luggage Scale!
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What is a luggage scale, and what are its uses?
A luggage scale, or suitcase scale, is a device used to measure the weight of luggage. When traveling, this can be important for a variety of reasons.
For instance, knowing the weight of your bag can help you better plan your travel itinerary, which could make all the difference as you’re thinking about when to leave and where to go. Will you be able to heft your bag up into the train car on your own?
It also means that if you’re going to have heavy bags, you’ll know before boarding a plane and paying expensive excess baggage fees.
So, what is the best way to weigh luggage?
First, you should know the checked bag weight limit for each of the travel carriers that you’ll be using (airlines, trains, etc.). Then, use a luggage scale to make sure your bags don’t go over the maximum weight. It’s best to leave a tiny bit of wiggle room, too, just to make sure you’re not too close to the limit.
You can see why having an inexpensive luggage scale can be handy for every frequent traveler (or infrequent)!
Digital Scales
Digital travel scales are good choices for those who don’t want to manually calculate their bag’s weight and are also good options for frequent travelers, because they can often weigh bags over 100 pounds (thought hopefully your bag won’t be that heavy!).
Many digital models have easy-to-read screens with a backlit display. They are also compact and lightweight, with a simple design, which makes them a great option to take on the road. They will usually have a tare function to zero out the scale for weighing each item.
Analog Scales
Analog luggage scales can be good so you can get an idea of the ballpark weight of your luggage, but they lack some of the accuracy and ease-of-use of digital scales. They aren’t as easy to read because they don’t have backlit displays or digital readings like digitals do. Examples of an analog scale are the Samsonite manual luggage scale and Travelon Stop & Lock Luggage Scale.
Size
Think of how much space you have in your luggage before buying a scale. If all you’re going to be weighing is clothing or handbags, then a smaller scale will likely do the trick for you!
However, if you have large suitcases or heavy duty items that need to be weighed, consider getting something larger – especially if it also has the capacity to weigh heavier items.
Look for one with a compact design that will easily fit in your carry-on bag.
Display
Digital scales come with backlit displays so that you can easily see the weight of your luggage in a snap. Analogs have dials that turn so you can get an idea about how much something weighs before measuring it precisely.
A digital display is your best bet and may also be advertised as an LCD screen or backlit LCD display.
What does a luggage scale look like?
Most luggage scales, whether digital or analog, are basically a strap connected to a handle. The strap loops through the handle of your suitcase and hooks onto the base of the handle. Then, you lift the suitcase off the ground with the handle, and the weight is displayed on the scale. They really are a handheld luggage scale.
Luggage scales are designed to easily fit into any suitcase, backpack, or travel bag. Some models even come with their own carrying case, so you can easily take them along with you anywhere! They’re typically small and compact – often made out of stainless steel, plastic, or other lightweight metal material.
So now that we know what luggage scales are all about, what are some of the best ones?
What are the best luggage scales?
We believe digital is the way to go. The best digital luggage scales are going to be compact, easy-to-use, intuitive, and functional. Here are some of the best on the market right now, including our favorite portable luggage scale, the one that we’ve used for years.
Tarriss Jetsetter Digital Luggage Scale (Our Favorite!)
The Tarriss Jetsetter digital luggage scale is our favorite because of its compact size and sleek design. It can weigh up to 110 pounds and is accurate within 0.2 lb. It has an LCD display, as well as auto shut-off. It also comes with multiple units of measurement (including lb, kg, and stones) and allows you to zero out its scale with the tare function before weighing the next item. It’s a great lightweight luggage scale, with a comfortable grip.
EatSmart Precision Voyager Digital Luggage Scale
Many people prefer the EatSmart Precision Voyager digital luggage scale, with its “SmartGrip.” With a large backlit LCD display, and auto shut-off to help conserve battery life, this digital scale is also a good choice.
Etekcity Digital Hanging Luggage Scale
The Etekcity digital luggage scale has an astronomical amount of great reviews on Amazon. With a weighing capacity of 110 lbs, it also has several unique features, such as a low-battery indicator and a temperature sensor. Etekcity also has a slightly different model without the temperature sensor but with a backlit display.
Are luggage scales accurate?
In general, yes. However, reading reviews, as well as testing out the products yourself, will confirm or deny the accuracy. Finding a reliable scale with an accurate reading is nothing to play around with, because it could mean the difference between having to pay an overweight bag fee or not. You’ll want a reliable scale you can trust (read: an accurate reading), so choosing one with good reviews is probably your best bet!
Can I just use my bathroom scale?
If you already own a bathroom scale, it might be tempting to just use that to measure the weight of your suitcase. However, this isn’t recommended because bathroom scales aren’t designed for weighing luggage. Plus, you can’t easily take it with you to weigh your suitcase for your return trip home!
What should I look for when buying?
When choosing a luggage scale, there are several things that matter most:
How accurate is it?
Is goes without saying that you want an accurate scale. Look for scales designed with a high level of accuracy. This should be noted in any product specification or reviews. The best way to determine if something is highly accurate is by performing some tests of the product yourself.
Is it easy-to-read?
Look for a clear, easy-to-read screen that can display the weight in the desired units (pounds, kilograms, etc.). Low contrast in the numbers may make it difficult to see – so try to find one with bright colors instead!
Does it come with an automatic shutoff feature?
Some models will have this feature so that you can conserve battery life by automatically turning off the screen when not in use. This is especially important if you’re concerned about the device being turned on unintentionally and draining the battery.
How durable is it?
Durability doesn’t just mean structural integrity or that it has to be a heavy duty luggage scale – it also means that the scale can withstand the wear and tear of travel. Make sure to look for models made with a lightweight but sturdy material like stainless steel or aluminum alloy.
What about battery life?
Make sure there are battery indicators, or at least a low battery indicator, so you can put in fresh batteries before you’re in a pinch.
Best Luggage Scale
You’ve gotta have a luggage scale before your next trip, to avoid those pesky overweight baggage fees!
Our favorite, and the one we use all the time, is the Tarriss Jetsetter Digital Luggage Scale.
Spending less than $20 on a luggage scale could save you hundreds of dollars in easily avoidable fees!
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Have you found the best luggage scale for your travels? Please share in the comments below!
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