I’ve talked up the importance of digital luggage scales before, but the biggest disadvantage has been trying to track them down at a reasonable price. Not any more.
The pictured Balanzza scale — a successor to the one I wrote about last year — can be had in your local Officeworks for $26.98. (I imagine you can probably find it in other retailers as well, but Officeworks is pretty ubiquitous.) Even if you’re not pursuing a Hand Luggage Only-style project in the future, it’s a good way to avoid unexpected excess baggage charges.
Tim
Friday, August 21, 2009 at 9:25 AM“The pictured Balanzza scale”
Not very helpful since lifehacker.au images dont load.
http://media.lifehacker.com.au/wp//2009/08/balannza2.jpg
gets a 403 forbidden and has been that way for as long as i remember its really irriating.
Elly Hart
Friday, August 21, 2009 at 10:09 AMIs anyone else having this problem? I can see images fine…
Tim
Friday, August 21, 2009 at 7:26 PMHmm i just tried it on my laptop and it worked fine, so i have no idea why my desktop wont load it. My most humble apologies.
Wobble
Friday, August 21, 2009 at 8:58 PMI see images fine. Except I use Adblocker to block all the Nokia ads on the Lifehacker site.
Quinten Van Der Werf
Friday, August 21, 2009 at 6:26 PMNever had any trouble myself with Lifehack URL’s, and this image is loading just fine for me. Could it be a filter or a proxy server on your Internet causing that to be blocked? My bet would be that the double // in the URL is the problem in this case. Incidently, trying to paste the URL into an image host brings up the 403 error.
For your viewing pleasure I have copied the picture to IMGUR so you can see it:
http://imgur.com/XMmDS.jpg
Tim
Friday, August 21, 2009 at 10:01 AMThanks Angus. Nice scale, but (comparatively) expensive. I bought one from DX a while back, mainly for meauring large quantities of grain (I’m an all-grain brewer). But it came in handy for a recent holiday where we had significant luggage weight restrictions.
This is the one I bought for <US$10:
http://dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1164
40KG (88LB) capacity
20g / 1oz Precision
Sydney2K
Friday, August 21, 2009 at 10:42 AMThat is just… perfect! I have a clock face luggage scale, but it never occured to me that a fishing scale would do just as well- and sporting shops are all around!
Adrian
Friday, August 21, 2009 at 10:09 AMI managed to buy an analogue scale for $5 from one of those cheap odds and ends stores. Worked quite accurately, except that it won’t weigh anything thats over 10kg. The trick seems to be to fill put stuff in plastic bags, hang it off the scale then tally the totals. Keeping in mind I had to fill a large bag for under the plane and it had to be no more than 15kg, as I also had a bike to take.
simon
Friday, August 21, 2009 at 10:59 AMI picked up some fishing scales that do the same job on ebay for $20
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/50kg-Fish-hook-Scale-Waterproof-Digital-Travel-Luggage_W0QQitemZ120459209880QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Accessories_Tackle?hash=item1c0bedac98&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
It also comes with a built in calculator, clock, thermometor and tape measure in case you really need them :P
Wobble
Friday, August 21, 2009 at 9:00 PMI just normal floor scales. If you can’t place the bag on the scales properly, just weigh yourself and then hold the bag and weigh with the bag. Then use simple maths to work out the weight of the bag.
Price: $Free
If you request from the hotel, they can bring scales to your room to use if you wish.
Come on guys, think outside the square.
MtnBik3r
Friday, August 21, 2009 at 11:33 PMI purchased that Balanzza scale online, but it looks like if I’d waited I could have bought them cheaper at Officeworks.
I can vouch for them too, they do the job really well. Very comfortable and easy to hold.
elisa
Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 7:25 AMhas the world gone crazy? luggage scales are just another thing you need to cary what is wrong with the old bathroom scale and common sense. there has never been a time when I haven’t known if I was close to the weight limit when I’ve come home from a trip. a luggage scale would only have confirmed it for me.
Brandon Cheshire
Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 11:51 PMLuggage scales are essential for traveling in the USA. In Australia, a 23kg limit per traveler can be averaged, eg 1 bag 20kg, the other 24kg, average 22kg each, but in the USA, at the San Francisco US Airways check-in, we had to open cases on the floor and move 1 kg between cases or pay excess baggage. Then we bought baggage scales and didn’t make that mistake again.
Elle
Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at 12:12 PMAn australian company is selling them online: $29.95 including shipping: http://www.weightmate.com.au
Looks pretty fancy too!