There's nothing more frustrating than getting to the airport and getting slapped with extra baggage fees due to oversized luggage. But good news: If you have one of the best digital luggage scales you can weigh your bag ahead of time so you know won't have to fork over the extra cash. But there a few things you should think about before buying a scale.
First, there are two types of luggage scales. The most popular, is the handheld scale that allows you to weigh your bag by simply lifting up your luggage with the scale. As your bag dangles from the scale's strap or hook it will give you the precise weight in pounds or kilograms (which comes in handy if you're traveling on a foreign airline). Another perk to a handheld scale is that is small enough to stow in your bag so you can weigh things for your return trip.
The downside to a handheld scale is that it requires a good deal of arm strength. Consider this: If you're bag weighs 50 pounds, you'll need to be able to lift and hold 50 pounds for several seconds without letting the bag lean against your body in order to get an accurate reading. If that sounds like it may be difficult for you, there is another option.
Similar to your standard bathroom or kitchen scale, there are luggage scales that allow you to place your bag on top of the scale. However, unlike your bathroom and kitchen scales, these luggage scales have detached displays that make it easier to read. Although they may be larger and heavier than the handheld scales, I found a great thin option that would be easy to slide into a bag.
No matter which type of scale you choose, you'll want to know the one you're buying is high quality and user-friendly. That's why I've scoured the product specs and user-reviews of dozens of Amazon's luggage scales to find the four best digital luggage scales for frequent fliers.