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Gadgets & Tech

How to Choose The Best Luggage Locks

If I’m going to check luggage (which I rarely do; see this post for why), then you’ll probably want to secure your belongings with a luggage lock.

But before you go out and buy that titanium, gold-plated, 12-star lock, know this: if your luggage is selected for intensive screening and a Transportation Security Administration agent can’t open it, the TSA will cut your lock right off.

So I highly recommend buying a TSA-approved lock.

TSA Seal of Approval

Essentially, ones where TSA has the master key. An agent can open the lock, examine whatever item caught the screener’s attention, and relock your bag.

As the TSA says on its website, “TSA has worked with several companies to develop locks that can be opened by security officers using universal “master” keys so that the locks may not have to be cut.”

(PIC: Rei TSA Indicator Shackle Lock.PNG)

Many Kinds of Luggage Locks

There are many, many kinds. I use these on Amazon.com (this is a referral or “affiliate” link; thank you for supporting our journalism) and these from REI.

I like them because they’re lightweight and even though they’re small, they seem pretty sturdy. The latest ones now have an “indicator shackle lock” that changes colors, from green to red, if opened by a TSA agent for inspection.

While I haven’t used any others recently, Top10BestPro.com ranked its 10 best.

(PIC: Tarris TSA Lock With SearchAlert)

Thefts OnBoard Flights

Also, having a spare lock inside your carry-on bag can come in handy if you must place your bag in an overhead bin that is far away from your seat or if you plan to sleep on a flight.

There have been reports of thefts onboard in just such circumstances. CNN reports a man had $260,000 stolen from his carry-on luggage in May of 2016.

For flights landing in Hong Kong, mid-air thefts rose 25% in 2014, CNN reported.

Found a TSA-approved lock you like? Share with the travel community in the comments section below.

A word of warning: The news organization The Intercept reported in 2015 that in a “spectacular failure” of security, hackers have been able to make 3D printed copies of the master keys for TSA-approved locks. When The Intercept asked the TSA for comment on this gaping vulnerability, the agency entrusted with transportation security in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks basically shrugged.

“The reported ability to create keys for TSA-approved suitcase locks from a digital image does not create a threat to aviation security,” TSA spokesperson Mike England wrote in an email to the reporter.

Bottom line: If you’re bringing an item that’s really, really valuable or sentimental, either don’t check it or leave it at home. It’s common sense.

–>LEARN MORE: How to Stay Safe While Traveling

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