Best Luggage Locks in 2023 [TSA Approved]

Going on a trip is always a whole lot of fun. However, something that gives many people anxiety is leaving their luggage alone on an airplane and with baggage handlers. The unfortunate reality is that sometimes luggage get broken into and items get stolen.

Of course, the best way to prevent your items from getting stolen is by having a good luggage lock. That said, not all luggage locks are built the same. Some luggage locks simply aren’t worth the money, whereas others will actually keep your belongings safe.

The trick is knowing which luggage locks are good and which ones are not. However, what you then also need to consider is that TSA agents still need to be able to get into your luggage for inspection. You don’t want your lock broken by TSA agents, which means that you should get a TSA-approved lock.

This means that the TSA agents can use their keys to get into your luggage without having to break the lock. It’s a pretty nifty invention.

Whatever the case may be, today we are here to help you find the best luggage locks that the market has to offer. We’re going to take a look at the top five contenders for the best luggage locks of 2023. Let’s get to it and help you find a good TSA-approved luggage lock that will keep your belongings safe.

Best Luggage Locks: Reviews

1. Anvil TSA Approved Luggage Lock

Here we have a TSA-approved luggage lock that keeps your luggage safe while also allowing TSA agents to inspect your luggage without issue.

Review

For one low price, you get a set of two high quality luggage locks. You can also buy a single one, although it won’t be quite as cost-effective. This luggage lock is designed to be extremely durable, as it is made with very high-quality zinc alloy, combined with hardened steel shackle.

This should make it very difficult for any would be thief to make their way into your luggage. Although it might not be the number one most durable lock in the world, for the low price it comes in at, there is really nothing to complain about.

This is a combination lock with a total of four digits. Yes, you can set your own combination, so you can use the one that works best for you. Four digits should be easy enough for you to remember, yet hard enough for criminals to figure out.

What also stands out about this lock is that its size is ideal for all types of luggage, as it should fit most zippers.

This is a TSA approved lock, which means that the bottom of it has a special keyhole for TSA approved keys. This means the TSA agents can open up the lock to inspect your luggage, all without having to go through your combination.

Then, there is a special mechanism in place to ensure that the TSA agents must re-lock the lock before moving on. This helps to ensure that your luggage is locked once they are done.

Pros

• 2 for a low price
• Fairly durable and secure
• TSA approved
• 4-digit combination – set yourself
• Fits most luggage

Cons

• Gets jammed easily

2. Lumintrail TSA Approved Luggage 4 Digit Resettable Combination Lock

Here we have another pair of secure combination locks, with this one coming complete with a steel cable to secure your luggage even further.

Review

What we have here is a pair of all metal combination locks. These combination locks feature an extremely durable metal body combined with a hardened steel shackle that is resistant to being broken or cut, with either force or cutting tools.

Keep in mind that you get two locks and a steel cable for under $20. This is a very good price and it should be good enough for most basic purposes. It’s not like these locks would keep master thieves out forever, but they should be more than good enough for basic airline travel.

These are four-digit combination locks, and yes, you can set your own combination. We like having four digits because it should be secure enough so that a thief cannot guess it in a short period of time, yet it is short enough to be easy to remember. Moreover, the combination is resettable if needed.

This is also a TSA approved lock, which means that it has a keyhole in the bottom that TSA agents can use to get into your luggage with their special key. However, to ensure that your luggage is always locked, the TSA agents must re-lock the lock before removing their key.

On the side note, the shackle on this lock is made to be small enough to fit most zippers and pieces of luggage. We also like how it comes complete with a steel cable, as this allows you to secure additional pieces of luggage with ease.

Pros

• Quite durable
• Ideal for basic needs
• Should fit most luggage
• TSA approved
• Combination can be reset

Cons

• Steel cable is not the best in the world

3. Master Lock 4688D TSA Approved Luggage Lock

This is another TSA approved combination lock, with this single unit costing about as much as all of the double packs above. We think that it is likely the toughest contender on the list so far.

Review

This is a combination lock that is made with an all-metal body. It also comes complete with a vinyl covered cable shackle. The combination of these two items should be more than durable enough to resist tampering.

In fact, the cable shackle is designed to resist abuse that happens from baggage handling equipment. In terms of durability, this is by far the most durable lock on the list.

Keep in mind that this is a three-digit combination lock, which does make things very easy to remember, although it does also make things a little bit easier for thieves. That being said, you can always set the combination yourself, which is quite useful.

Yes, this is a TSA-approved combination lock. This means that TSA agents can use their special keys to get into the lock, so they can inspect your luggage. They must then relock this lock before moving on. It’s the perfect type of lock to use on airlines. Moreover, thanks to its size, it should be ideal for any and every piece of luggage out there.

Pros

• Very durable design
• Resists tampering
• Easy-to-remember combination
• TSA approved
• Fits most luggage

Cons

• 3-digit combo is not quite as secure

4. Lewis N Clark Triple Security Lock

What we have here is one of the most durable and secure combination locks for your luggage that you could possibly buy.

Review

One of the things that we really like about this particular luggage lock is the fact that it comes complete with braided steel cables on either side. This makes it very easy to lock various pieces of luggage together, or to lock zippers together that are far apart.

These braided steel cables are about as durable as humanly possible, so nobody’s going to be cutting through them at any time. These steel cables are designed to be tamper-proof.

Keep in mind that these braided steel cables actually act as the shackles. However, either way, they are extremely durable and nearly impossible to get through.

The main body of this lock is made with an all-metal design, mainly with cast zinc alloy that is nearly indestructible. If that wasn’t enough, it also has a heavy-duty ABS plastic housing that adds another layer of security. This is by far one of the most durable locks on the list today. In fact, it’s one of the most durable locks on the market.

This lock features a three-digit combination that you can set yourself. Now, we would prefer if it was a four-digit combination lock, as it would make it a little more secure. However, three digits is also nice because it’s easy for you to remember.

Keep in mind that this is a TSA-approved lock, so TSA agents can get into it with their own key. This is ideal for airline travel because TSA agents can inspect your luggage without having to break the lock. On a side note, thanks to the size of the braided shackles, this lock should work for most pieces of luggage.

Pros

• TSA approved
• Heavy-duty braided steel shackles
• Durable body
• Easy-to-remember combination
• Fits most luggage

Cons

• Three digits is not overly difficult to guess

5. SURE LOCK TSA Compatible Travel Luggage Locks

If you are looking for some simple yet high-quality luggage locks that won’t cost you a fortune, this is a good option for you to check out.

Review

Here we have a very simple three-digit combination lock. It features a simple lever at the bottom, so you can easily reset the combination on your own. This means that you can choose the combination that is going to be the easiest for you to remember.

Now, three digits is not the most secure combination lock in the world, but it should be good enough. After all, it will still take the criminal a decent amount of time to guess the combination, even with just three digits. Realistically, this should be more than enough for basic airline travel.

Yes, this is a TSA-approved lock. This means it has a keyhole so that TSA agents can use their own special master key to get into your luggage. It’s good because it allows TSA agents to get into your luggage without having to break the lock.

It also comes complete with an alert system, so you will be alerted when TSA agents inspect your luggage. There is a little red tab that pops up when TSA agents use their key.

Other than that, this is a perfectly normal lock, one that features a metal body with a plastic housing. It should be more than durable enough to resist attempts to break into it.

It also comes complete with a braided steel shackle. This braided steel shackle is very tough and nearly impossible to cut through. However, it’s also designed to be flexible, so you can easily weave it through zippers. Yes, thanks to the size of the braided shackle, it should work fine for most pieces of luggage.

Pros

• Very durable
• Easy to use
• Set your own combo
• Fits most luggage
• TSA approved

Cons

• 3 digits is not overly secure

Buyers Guide

There are a few important factors that you need to keep in mind before purchasing any kind of luggage lock.

1. Types of Locks

The first thing that you want to consider is that you generally have combination locks and key locks. Combination locks are ideal because you never have to worry about losing a key. Of course, people lose keys, and this can be problematic when you need to get into your luggage.

However, with a combination lock, you never have to worry about losing keys. That said, you do have to worry about remembering the combination. Moreover, you do also have to worry about other people guessing the combination and getting into your lock. The trick is of course to have a high-quality combination lock.

2. Material

The next thing that you need to pay attention to when choosing a luggage lock is what material the lock in question is made out of. Generally speaking, something like zinc alloy is going to be best. Although, any high-quality and hard type of metal will do just fine.

As you can see from our reviews today, many of these locks feature mental bodies with ABS plastic housings. This helps to make them even tougher. Furthermore, you then also want to pay attention to the shackle. As you can tell from our reviews today, there are two main types of shackles.

You have a steel shackle that is solid in nature, and a braided steel shackle that is flexible. Generally speaking, braided steel shackles work best because you can move them through zippers that are further apart. Braided steel also tends to be tougher than solid steel shackles.

3. Lock Combination

You then want to pay attention to the lock combination itself. As you can see from our reviews, these locks generally come with either three- or four-digit combinations.

We personally recommend going for a four-digit combination, as it’s just harder for these to guess in a short period of time. Yes, you do have to remember one more digit, although this realistically should not be very difficult. The more numbers there are in a combination, the more secure the lock is going to be.

4. Durability

This doesn’t really relate to the above section on materials, but the bottom line is that the lock should be made out of something solid. You need a lock that is going to be resistant to cutting tools as well as prying tools.

You also need the lock in question to be resistant against basic impacts. Luggage handlers aren’t overly gentle with luggage, so you need a lock that can withstand a whole lot of punishment.

5. Safety

As far as safety is concerned, here we are talking about the safety of your country. Of course, you want TSA agents to be able to get into your lock, to help keep your country safe.

Therefore, you do need to get a TSA-approved lock that TSA agents can unlock with their own key. This means that TSA agents need to be able to get into your luggage without having to smash your lock.

FAQs

1. What is a TSA Approved Luggage Lock?

A TSA-approved luggage lock is a special type of lock that allows TSA agents to use their master key to unlock the lock. This allows TSA agents to inspect your luggage without actually having to break the lock. It therefore keeps your luggage safe from thieves, while allowing TSA agents to protect you and your country.

2. Are Luggage Locks Safe?

All things considered, for the low prices that they come in at, and for their small size, they are quite secure. Although luggage locks are not the most adorable of all locks in the world, they’re good enough for basic travel purposes.

3. What do I do if My Luggage Lock is Stuck?

If your luggage lock is really stuck, you might be able to grease it up a bit. However, in many cases, you might just need to cut it away.

Conclusion

We think that the best luggage lock on the list today is the Anvil TSA Approved Luggage Lock. It’s simple, durable, and effective.