You’re at the airport check-in desk when you heft your suitcase onto the scale and cross your fingers that it’s not over the weight limit. The best luggage scales—including our top pick, the Etekcity Digital Luggage Scale—help you avoid this situation. “Honestly, this little gadget has saved me so much stress, money, and embarrassment over the years,” says Anne Sutherland, a travel blogger who has traveled extensively in the Asia-Pacific region. “I can weigh and make adjustments from the comfort of my own home. No more getting gouged for overage fees or frantically tossing items into a spare tote bag in front of onlookers.”
The best luggage scales help you avoid fees for luggage that exceeds weight limits.
ILLUSTRATION: FORBES / PHOTO: RETAILERS
After researching highly-rated options and interviewing frequent travelers and experts, we found the best luggage scales depending on your needs. The Bagail Basics Scale is a great affordable option, for example, while the Samsonite Scale operates manually to give you confidence to travel without a spare battery. Ahead, all the best luggage scales that are durable, lightweight, portable—and accurate.
Weight capacity: 110 pounds | Weight: 4.8 ounces | Battery included: Yes | Auto-off: Yes | Backlight: No | Tare (zero) function: Yes
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The Etekcity scale is beloved by numerous experts, including Alexandra Dubakova, the chief marketing officer of Free Tour who has traveled around the globe. “It has a well-thought-out and sturdy construction,” she says, “and is highly reliable and offers quick and easy measurements for your luggage.” Giacomo Piva, a travel industry analyst and co-founder of Radical Storage, also swears by its accuracy, which eliminates the stress of a seeing a different weight show up on the airport check-in scale display. It’s also small and compact, he says, so you can easily pack it in your bag or suitcase.
Weight capacity: 110 pounds | Weight: 3.3 ounces | Battery included: Yes | Auto-off: Yes | Backlight: Yes | Tare (zero) function: Yes
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For under $10, this little luggage scale has a lot to offer. It has all the necessities, but one of the most impressive features is the overload indicator: You can set your target weight and the LCD display screen will turn red if your luggage exceeds that number. This gadget is small enough to slip in your pocket or purse, and comes with a sturdy strap and steel hook so it can withstand the weight of your heaviest bags.
Weight capacity: 110 pounds | Weight: 3.5 ounces | Battery included: Yes | Auto-off: Yes | Backlight: Yes | Tare (zero) function: Yes
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For an electric luggage scale with more advanced features, consider the Travel Inspira, which Dubakova currently uses and likes for its non-slip rubberized handle. “It is very compact and easy to toss in my bag, and it has an outdoor temperature gauge,” she says. Other smart features include a “hold” function to keep the weight of your suitcase on the screen and an overload indicator if your bag exceeds your desired weight. For readability, this pick has a glowing, backlit LCD display, which allows you to take measurements even in low light conditions, says Kelly Duhigg, travel expert and founder of Girl with the Passport. “I also appreciate that it hangs conveniently from handles on rolling suitcases. No need to balance it on the floor,” she adds.
Weight capacity: 80 pounds | Weight: 6.7 ounces | Battery included: N/A | Auto-off: N/A | Backlight: No | Tare (zero) function: No
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Call me old fashioned, but when you’re venturing somewhere remote like the mountains of Ecuador, a low-tech scale is the best solution because you eliminate the risk of a battery dying or a screen breaking. (You don’t want to be searching for a very specific battery when you’re in a rural town.) With Samsonite’s manual scale, you just hook it up to your luggage and lift—simple. While it is heavier and bulkier than others on this list, it’s still plenty light to throw in your suitcase. Also great: It has a $8 price tag and more than 4,000 five-star reviews.
Weight capacity: 110 pounds | Weight: 3.25 ounces | Battery included: Yes | Auto-off: Yes | Backlight: Yes | Tare (zero) function: Yes
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Piva recommends this luggage scale from Dr. Meter because it is the “most accurate and lightweight luggage scale that you can find on the market,” he says. At only 3.25 ounces, you’ll barely notice you have it with you, and it provides accuracy within 0.02 pounds, whereas comparable models only claim accuracy up to 0.1 pounds. This pick also has low-battery and overload indications and a hold function to improve ease of travel.
Weight capacity: 110 pounds | Weight: Not listed | Battery included: Yes | Auto-off: No | Backlight: Yes | Tare (zero) function: No
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If lifting a 50-pound suitcase with one hand sounds painful, you may want to opt for a luggage scale that’s ergonomic. Eat Smart’s SmartGrip has a thoughtfully-designed handle that you can grab with both hands, eliminating some stress on your shoulders and elbows. Sutherland swears by this scale. “Its consistent accuracy and user-friendly design have made it an absolute must-pack for every single adventure,” she says. “All I have to do is turn it on, loop that durable nylon strap around my bag’s handle, and lift—the digital display shows the weight instantly and the heavy-duty buckle means it can handle even my most overstuffed beast of a suitcase without issue.”
At Forbes Vetted, travel is something we take seriously—we know there’s a lot of gear that go into making your trips to and from the airport as seamless and frictionless as possible. We have an archive of travel articles to help you find everything from the best luggage to the best travel accessories.
Forbes Vetted contributor Hannah Singleton is a frequent flyer who often covers travel gear, and has written about carry-on backpacks , lightweight luggage and more. In fact, she wrote this guide while sitting in an airport lounge, with her (under-the-weight-limit) suitcase in tow, and waiting to make her connecting flight.
To find the best luggage scales on the market right now, we extensively researched the top-rated contenders and narrowed them down to a list of well-reviewed picks that met our criteria for being extremely durable, portable and easy to use. Then, we tapped an extensive network of travel experts for their advice and top recommendations. Our experts included:
Murphy and Dubakova shared some of their key considerations when picking the best luggage scales for your needs.
First, decide whether you would prefer a digital or analog scale. “A digital scale is more precise and hence better if you travel often,” says Dubakova—or if you often push the luggage weight limits to the maximum. These scales are easier to read with clearly numbered displays. Analog scales, on the other hand, don’t require batteries so they will work in any condition, but you may sacrifice a touch of accuracy.
For Murphy, who is a professional travel photographer and frequently carrying heavy equipment, accuracy is the most important factor. Knowing the exact weight of her luggage helps her avoid overage fees.“When it comes to accuracy, do your due diligence and check if the scale has been tested for accuracy with different weights before purchasing,” says Dubakova. “Otherwise, you might be in for a surprise at the airport.” You can check this through reviews, or perform a test at home with a set of hand weights or a kettlebell. All of the products on this list have been vetted for their accuracy.
If you tend to travel with checked or oversized bags, the scale’s weight capacity should be a consideration. Most luggage scales on this list have a 100 pounds (50 kilogram) capacity, which should be more than enough for most travelers. However, if you often bring along oversized items like a bike or skis, you can find scales with higher weight limits.
When you’re traveling, it’s easy to load up on souvenirs or gifts and return home with more than you started with—so you’ll probably want to bring your luggage scale with you. Look for one that is compact and lightweight so it doesn’t add much to your bulk during your trips.
Sturdiness can be difficult to discern when sizing up the hundreds of inexpensive luggage products available online. “Luggage ends up getting tossed around quite a bit, so a scale that can withstand bumps and drops is really important,” says Murphy. Invest in a scale made with high-quality materials, and read reviews about user experiences with durability. “This will avoid the inconvenience of your scale breaking while measuring or during travel,” says Dubakova. For this list, we focused on scales that are proven to be long-lasting (based on expert insight and customer reviews) and can stand up to frequent use.
Additional features like a comfortable grip handle, tare (or self-zeroing) function, backlit screens and a temperature reader, increase the functionality and versatility of your travel scale. A low battery indicator is extra convenient to save you the hassle of having to charge your scale mid-trip at an inconvenient time.
“A luggage scale should give you peace of mind and make you a confident traveler,” says Charles Neville, marketing director at JayWay Travel, a bespoke travel experience company in Europe. A regular bathroom scale won’t cut it: The most accurate way to weigh your luggage at home is with a designated luggage scale. These tools are specifically designed to weigh luggage, so they include a hook that attaches to your luggage handle so you can lift it off the floor, getting the most accurate reading possible. They’re lightweight, portable and cost effective—if you invest in good one, you won’t incur oversized baggage fees at the airport.
Digital luggage scales tend to be a bit more accurate than manual luggage scales, and there’s no risk of reading the weight incorrectly. Most digital luggage scales claim accuracy up to 0.1 pound, while some like the Dr. Meter are even more accurate, offering up to .02 pound precision. While manual luggage scales, like the Samsonite, are still very accurate, they can be more challenging to get an exact reading.