All products and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
After the excitement of planning, booking, and packing for your much-anticipated getaway, the last thing you need is an unwelcome surprise at the airport. Few things dampen travel spirits faster than being hit with an unexpected overweight baggage fee at check-in. Beyond the added cost, it can disrupt any last-minute shopping plans and leave you wondering if you’ll be able to bring back souvenirs from your trip. While your bathroom scale may offer a rough estimate, it’s hardly the most reliable or portable option for the road. Enter the luggage scale: a sleek, compact tool designed to help you weigh your bags with precision, offering peace of mind before you even leave home. Over the last few years, I’ve tested several top models to uncover the best options for this travel essential. Read on for a closer look at the most reliable luggage scales for the modern traveler.
FAQ:
Are bathroom scales accurate for weighing luggage?
While a bathroom scale may suffice for weighing luggage at home, it’s hardly practical once you’re on the road. If your hotel or accommodation lacks a scale for your return journey, you’ll be left to guess, which can be a costly gamble. The beauty of a luggage scale lies in its design—sleek, portable, and precision-engineered to travel with you. With one of these compact devices, you can confidently monitor your bag’s weight, ensuring you avoid the stress of unexpected fees and never have to second-guess your packing choices.
How does a luggage scale work?
Luggage scales are refreshingly straightforward to use. Most models feature either a strap or hook that attaches seamlessly to your luggage handle. Simply lift your bag, and the scale will provide an accurate readout of its weight. A quick tip: Some digital models require a few seconds of steady lifting for the weight to fully register—during this brief moment, the numbers may fluctuate until they settle. With this simple yet essential tool, you can ensure your bags are within weight limits, avoiding the stress of airport surprises.
What is Traveler’s testing process?
To test each scale, I filled a carry-on and a checked bag up as if I were going on a summer trip. My packing list included blue jeans, sneakers, and swimsuits, and all of my electronics and various chargers. I weighed both bags and came to a 25-pound carry-on and a 50-pound checked bag. I tested each scale for accuracy (using my shipping scale as a baseline), ease of use, and portability. After conducting a few trials, I’ve reviewed seven of the best luggage scales to ensure that more of your money is going toward the best parts of travel, and not overage fees.
Top picks:
- Best overall scale: Travel Inspira luggage scale
- Best for checked luggage: Slide Innovations luggage scale
- Best for carry-on luggage: Samsonite electronic luggage scale
- Best battery-free scale: Travelon Stop & Lock luggage scale
Travel Inspira
Portable luggage scale
Maximum weight: 110 lb.
This sleek, lightweight scale combines precision with practicality, offering a digital readout that’s both easy to read and highly accurate. Capable of weighing up to 110 pounds, it ensures your luggage is within the airline’s weight limits, offering you peace of mind before you head to the airport. The scale's ergonomic handle provides a comfortable grip, while the backlit display makes it simple to read in any lighting. Additionally, the included tape measure adds an extra layer of convenience for measuring your bags to ensure they meet height and width restrictions—quelling any questions I might have before I even head to the airport.
Slide Innovations
Portable baggage scale
Maximum weight: 110 lb.
With its sleek, ergonomic design, this scale effortlessly combines functionality with portability, weighing bags up to 110 pounds with pinpoint accuracy. The intuitive digital display is easy to read and includes a helpful overweight indicator that blinks red, alerting you when your luggage exceeds airline weight limits—an invaluable feature for avoiding costly fees and last-minute repacking at the airport. Its compact size makes it ideal for slipping into your carry-on, ensuring that you can weigh your bags with ease.
Amazon
Amazon Basics digital luggage scale
Maximum weight: 110 lb.
The design of Amazon’s digital luggage weight is simple yet efficient. The weight has a strap with a hook that circles around the luggage handle and connects to the base of the scale. The scale can weigh up to 110 pounds and is powered by a CR2032 battery which isn’t included in the packaging. I found the Amazon Basics scale to be accurate; the only drawback is the screen—it can be dark and hard to read at times. It’s small, compact, and fits nicely in any carry-on, tote bag, or crossbody.
Travelon
Travelon Stop & Lock luggage scale
Maximum weight: 70 lb.
Travelon’s strong but mighty Stop & Lock luggage scale has a maximum capacity of 70 pounds—the most common weight limit for extra-heavy check-in luggage. Although portable, compared to other luggage scales this one is on the bulkier side due to the hook. If you don’t do much shopping on vacation, this is a good one to keep at home.
Longang
Digital Hanging luggage scale
Maximum weight: 110 lb.
The Longang has a sleek, hanging scale that can weigh up to 110 pounds and is powered by a CR2032 battery that is included in the order. The scale has a nylon strap with a large hook that wraps around luggage handles to make it easier to lift and weigh. It can weigh more than just checked luggage—it can be an asset on fishing trips or grocery runs, if you need to weigh your catch, fruits, or vegetables. Although it had a similar design to the Amazon Basics portable digital luggage weight, the LCD display screen has a stronger green light that makes the numbers easier to read.
Samsonite
Electronic luggage scale
Maximum weight: 80 lb.
With over 100 years of experience handling luggage, travel bags, and accessories, it’s no wonder that Samsonite would come up with its own version of a problem solver for customers. The brand’s electronic luggage scale can capture up to 80 pounds and features a tape measure to make sure carry-ons also comply with airline-size protocols. Fitted with a hook, travelers can lie their baggage vertical or horizontal to weigh before getting to the airport. I found this to be one of the most accurate luggage scales, but one of the drawbacks is the small hook, which might not fit on all luggage handles.
Skeap
Digital Fish scale
Maximum weight: 110 lb.
The Skeap Digital Fish scale has a 110-pound weight capacity and I found it to be extremely accurate. The scale has high precision sensors that can capture weight from 0.01 ounces to 110 pounds for fish, luggage, boxes, fruits, and vegetables, making it a useful tool beyond just travel. This scale had a more comfortable grip than the others I tested out thanks to the soft, rubber-coated, extra-wide handle. The digital weight does require two triple A batteries to operate, which are included in the packaging.
This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
