Air travel is one of the most expensive methods for travelling across country. Ticket prices are exorbitant, seats are more tighly packed than ever, and the days of free in-flight food are over. Just when you thought you were already paying too much to fly, airlines hit you with overweight luggage fees that can quickly add up. These fees can range from $50 upwards of $100 per bag, even if your bag is only 1 lbs. over the 50 lbs. limit. Consumers need an accurate method of weighing their luggage to make sure it stays under the 50 lbs. limit, and the Mini Digital Luggage Scale from Balanzza fits the trick.
The first thing I noticed when trying to start up my Balanzza Mini Digital Luggage Scale was that the battery installment was actually quite tricky. Included are two 3V lithium batteries, which is nice, however these free batteries are useless if you can't figure out how to install them. I literally spent around 8-10 minutes trying to figure out the right configuration, which ended up stacking both batteries inside the unit, with both "plus" sides facing me. I'm used to having the batteries be in the opposite direction of each other, so this was a little surprising, hence my initial confusion. Obviously, users of the Mini Digital Luggage Scale have complained, because on Balanzza's homepage is a large image link to a battery installation guide for the Mini. Of course, some hints that this guide existed would have been nice on the product packaging, but at least it's available somewhere. I must confess, this was not a good start for a product branded as being a super consumer-friendly device, hence it's "Mini" moniker.
After I figured out the battery installation, I proceded to test out the unit on various travel-associated items. I chose my large luggage bag as the first item to test. The securing strap is very sturdy, as is the sealed metal loop attaching the strap to the device itself. After taking a second or two to stabilize, the device sounded a quick "beep", just as the directions said it would. The result – 19.0 lbs. In order to test the accuracy of this measurement, I placed my piece of luggage on my household bathroom scale, and the reading was 19 lbs. So far, so good for the Mini.
Next, I chose to weigh a few items that add up quickly whenever I travel – my skis and ski boots. My skis registered 10.2 lbs. and my boots combined measured 9.4 lbs. Upon testing each set of items on my bathroom scale, the readings from the Mini were confirmed.
For potential non-US users, the device can weigh in kilograms as well. I tested this setting on my 19 lbs. luggage piece and the reading was 8.6kg; at 2.2 lbs. per kg, this reading was perfect.
Lastly, the device turns off on it's own after about 60 seconds without use. However, the manufacturers suggest removing the batteries in between long periods of unuse.
Overall, the Mini Digital Luggage Scale worked well. It's function is pretty simplistic, but it does function very well. Forgiving my initial battery installation setback, the device is overall very solid. One question for readers, however, is why not just weigh your luggage on a bathroom scale before heading to the airport. First, the Mini reports a significant figure after the decimal point, which can be crucial for bags very close to the common 50 lbs. limit. Most bathroom scales round to the nearest integer, so if that reports 50 lbs., but the actual weight of your bag is 50.4 lbs., chances are you're going to be coughing up an extra $50-$100 to the airlines. This problem is eliminated with the Mini. Additionally, if you are apt to to go shopping while on vacation, it would be important to make sure your purchases' combined weight doesn't put your bag over 50 lbs. when heading back home.
Some readers will be fine with using their bathroom scale for weighing their bags, but for consumers who want an extra level of certainty, the Mini Digital Luggage Scale from Balanzza is a great option at a reasonable price.
[Balanzza Mini Digital Luggage Scale] – $21.00
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