Between liquid limits, luggage weight, and endless other details, the last thing you need when traveling is the worry that someone will steal something out of your backpack – or even take the whole darn bag.
Fortunately, you can eliminate that fear by buying a luggage lock that costs less than your Uber ride to the airport.
Why I use Forge luggage locks
I bought two Forge luggage locks off of Amazon for $11.95. Had I wanted just one, it would have cost $6.95. In addition to being affordable, they have thousands of positive ratings. When it arrived, I didn’t need a screwdriver or any tools. I simply set a 3-digit combination to unlock it, tested it out a few times, and was all set.
TSA Approved Cable Luggage Locks, Re-settable Combination with Alloy Body
Forge
amazon.com
$11.95
The locks’ cords are flexible, which makes it easy to put on backpack zippers. I can turn it around at different angles to open it. The flexibility is even more helpful when I use it for lockers while traveling. Since the cord is small, it fits through locker holes at hostels, gyms, and any location where you can’t carry a backpack around, such as amusement parks or museums.
I can’t imagine traveling without locks – I would constantly be worrying about my bags being stolen. Some tourist attractions will rent you a lock, but that costs nearly as much buying one to own. It’s also nice to have my bags locked when I leave them in hotel rooms or Airbnbs that have strangers renting out other rooms. When I’ve used them at hostels, others seemed jealous and wished they had packed a lock.
Some people choose instead to bring thick, hard, completely metal locks because they believe it would be more difficult for thieves to cut through these locks. However, at most airports and tourist destinations, thieves are very opportunistic. They won’t steal a bag with any type of lock because it’s easy enough to find bags with no locks at all.
There are also disadvantages to hard metal locks. Firstly, for people who tend to overpack, every ounce matters for staying under luggage weight and metal locks are heavy. More importantly, the lack of flexibility can make it challenging to fit the lock in smaller holes and tough to open later.
While my Forge locks look as if they would be simple enough to break, they’re stronger than they look. The cables are tightly braided and made of steel. I’ve never had one even come close to tearing or breaking. If it did, I would contact the company because the locks have a lifetime guarantee. The lock is light (less than two ounces), but that doesn’t mean it’s weak. The product description claims it has a pull weight of more than 220 pounds, which is 70-100 pounds more than most other locks.
Most importantly, Forge locks are Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recognized and approved. Most TSA locks don’t need to be relocked for an agent to remove their key (meaning they could forget and not put your lock back on), but these require the TSA to relock your suitcase to take the key out. Using any lock that isn’t TSA approved is a rookie travel mistake.
I’ve lost track of how many countries I’ve brought my Forge locks to, but no matter how much I use them, they look exactly the same. There are no dents or scratches. It always unlocks quickly with my code and has never opened accidentally without my code put in. I’ve also been caught in the rain, and it hasn’t seemed to have any effect on the locks.
What does “TSA approved” mean and why is it important?
The TSA works to ensure safety for travelers, and a part of this means its officers work to prevent anything dangerous from coming onto airplanes. TSA officers check all bags before they go onto planes. Most of this is done electronically.
However, they often need to physically check inside luggage. If bags aren’t locked, they simply open them for inspection. When bags have locks that aren’t TSA approved, the TSA officer will cut the lock off, rendering it useless to use again in the future (obviously, this is a waste of your money). It also makes for a cranky TSA agent that might not be as worried about leaving the inside of your bag a mess.
However, if your luggage is has a TSA approved lock, they just match a code on the lock with a special “master” key and then relock it after inspection. This means TSA officers can get into your bag, but thieves can’t open it later to steal anything.
Do I really need a luggage lock?
You definitely need a luggage lock for checked luggage. It’s far too easy for somebody to grab a bag that isn’t theirs from a conveyor belt and walk away with it, either to take home, or take something from and put back later. When there are easy to open bags, in all likelihood they will choose those over ones with locks.
Even if you aren’t worried about thieves, locks keep your bags zipped so nothing falls out on accident. While hard luggage is unlikely to unzip, it’s very easy for backpacks to open on their own after being thrown around. Before I started using locks, I sometimes noticed my bags would unzip a bit on their own. While nothing was ever lost, small items easily could have fallen out if I were less lucky.
When you travel with only one bag and always keep it with you, a luggage lock is less important. You can keep an eye on your bag to make sure nobody takes it and it probably won’t unzip from your own careful handling. Still, having a lock on hand might be helpful more often than you think while traveling and if you’re going to bring one, it may as well be lightweight, affordable, and TSA approved. Even if you’re only slightly concerned about the items in your luggage, spending less than $7 is worth the peace of mind locks provide.
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July 15, 2021 at 12:21AM
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Traveling? Here's why you need 'TSA-Approved' luggage locks - SFGate
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