Every day, hundreds of thousands of suitcases move through airports and airplanes.
Unfortunately, airport luggage theft isn’t uncommon. Thieves and even airport workers and TSA agents have been caught stealing luggage on several occasions. One way to protect your belongings is by getting a luggage locks.
Luggage locks aren’t meant to be invincible or unbreakable, but they will deter and slow thieves from opening your bags. There are numerous articles and videos out there showing how to break into TSA approved locks, however they’re missing the point. Thieves are looking for the path of least resistance. They don’t have time to wiggle and poke your lock. They’re looking for the suitcases that aren’t locked at all, or they will just walk off with the locked luggage and deal with the lock later.
If you have valuables like cash or jewelry, keep those close to you in your carry-on luggage or personal item. Don’t risk the chance of losing it when checking it in.
With a good luggage lock, you can deter thieves and check in your bags with confidence. Here is our list of the 7 best luggage locks for travelers:
1. Master Lock Combination Cable Luggage Lock
I’ve traveled around the world with this lock and haven’t had any issues. The Master Lock combination lock is easy to use and inexpensive. The cable also makes the lock more flexible and able to lock more items or zippers even if they have unusual shapes.
Get the Master Lock Combination Lock here on Amazon.com.
2. Lewis N. Clark TSA Key Card Lock
This simple lock doesn’t require any keys or combinations. The Lewis N. Clark TSA Key Card Lock uses a provided card, similar to a credit card to be unlocked. The cards can be kept in your wallet or passport holder, which is convenient for travelers who don’t want to bring cumbersome keys or those who tend to forget combinations. It’s also TSA approved.
Get the Lewis N. Clark TSA Key Card Lock here
3. Travelocity Combination Lock 4-Pack
If you’re traveling with several bags, you’ll need several locks. This TSA approved luggage lock 4-pack is branded by Travelocity. The combination locks are customizable and have a standard layout and build. The best part is this set costs only $20.
Get the Travelocity luggage lock set here.
4. Lewis N. Clark TSA Lockdown Triple Security Cable Lock
This luggage lock has a unique double cable design. The two cables allow you to lock your luggage to a non-movable object, or to lock your luggage zippers to the handle as depicted in the image below. You could potentially lock your luggage to a pole or chair, preventing thieves from being able to move the bag.
Get the Lewis N. Clark cable lock here.
5. Master Lock TSA Accepted 2-Pack Key Lock
Master Lock is an American lock company which has been around for almost 100 years. This luggage lock from Master Lock uses keys, which is good if you don’t like combinations – or tend to forget combinations. These locks come in several colors, making them easy to identify.
Get the Master Lock locks here.
6. Eagle Creek TSA 3-Dial Lock and Cable
Eagle Creek is known for their high quality travel gear and this lock is no different. This lock is a normal TSA approved combination lock but includes a durable steel cable. The cable allows you to lock your suitcase or backpack to a fixed object so crooks won’t be able to move it. It’s great for vacationers or backpackers, especially especially in hostels.
Get the Eagle Creek lock and cable here.
7. WordLock 4-Dial TSA Approved Luggage Lock
Not good at memorizing lock combinations? Don’t worry, I’m not either – but there’s a solution. This unique luggage lock from the brand WordLock uses password to unlock. You can customize your password using the 4 dials, making it easy to remember. The lock is made of solid metal and TSA approved.
Get the WordLock here.
All of the luggage locks included in this article are TSA approved. It’s highly recommended for you to get a TSA approved lock. Here’s some info about that from USA Today:
Federal regulations do not require air travelers to use TSA-accepted luggage locks or remove other types of locks, however passengers using non-TSA-accepted locks do so at their own risk. Should a bag require additional screening, TSA officers have the right to remove the lock to access the contents. Locks that do not open with TSA master keys may be cut from the bag, which may damage the suitcase in addition to destroying the lock. In lieu of a TSA-accepted lock, use plastic cables or zip ties; these can be removed easily by TSA and are inexpensive to replace.
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below.
Note: I try to be completely transparent with my readers, so I want to mention that I do make little commission if you end up purchasing some of these locks, which helps to fund this site. 🙂 Also, I haven’t purchased all of these best luggage locks, however I have tested quite a few.
I was just in Costa Rica with 2 of those locks and both worked great! The cable lock by Eagle creek was especially great to use while swimming. We hung our backpack from a tree and ran the able around the trunk. We still kept an eye on it, but it felt better to know that it was probably going to stay where we left it. 🙂
It also worked well in our B&B rooms. Locked our zippers and then locked the bags to the TV stand. No worries about our stuff.
Awesome. I’m a bit fan of Eagle Creek’s stuff.
Thanks for the post. The Eagle Creek 3-Dial Lock and Cable is great for attaching carry-on bags to a belt loop or belt when napping in an airport or on public transportation.
How easy are they to break especially the one with the cable, but surely small bolt cutters would make quick work of this?
DON’T EVER USE A TSA APPROVED LOCK!!!! They are very easy to pick. Plus the plans for the MASTER KEY is available on the internet (with a very simple Google search), anyone with a 3D printer can make a key in minutes. TSA locks are useless and offer ZERO security.
Hi Jason,
I agree, many TSA approved locks are very easy to pick. But I mentioned earlier in the article that invincibility isn’t the purpose of a lock.
Sure, any thief can obtain a master key and unlock your bag, but they can also simply walk off with your suitcase regardless of how good your lock is.
I bought the Masterlock from Amazon per your recommendation and they are good but the only issue is there is no release button on the top so it is hard to get the cable out. Not sure if you have had a similar experience. I ended up returning it and instead buying a similar style cable lock from TravelMore but theirs does have the top button release which makes it much easier to release the top cable. Here is the lock I bought if you are interested. https://travelmore.co/collections/tsa-approved-luggage-locks/products/tsa-approved-cable-luggage-lock-for-international-travel-black?variant=36709294919
HI! i have one of those and it’s really usefull 😉 but one question: how to lock a classical trekking backpack like the lowe Alpine you reviewed? thank you!
It’s pretty difficult if not impossible to loco a classic trekking backpack since there isn’t one main zipper. I would try to lock down the top lid and then maybe tying together some of the straps just to slow down potential thieves. Hope that helps!
These all look okay, but I was looking for something a little thicket that’d be harder to break.