The
Taylor #8120 Digital Luggage Scale is definitely useful and a good bargain considering the price. I don't think this works for all travelers because it simply does not feel durable enough to be used with luggage towards the top end of the 40 kg weight rating. But for those who take frequent trips with overnight bags, this will probably do the trick at a reasonable price.
PROS:
+ Great price for a luggage scale
+ Digital read-out
+ Can display weight in pounds or kilograms
+ Nice simple design that is small enough to take to the airport with you
CONS:
- Contruction seems to be of low durability
- Not well designed for use with heavier bags
- Not designed for two-handed use
This unit comes in a small cardboard box. It says it's rated for 88 lbs. I typically travel with two pieces of luggage that are around 50 lbs and I try not to go over that per bag. In any event, the unit itself feels like it's not very durable and over time may not work as well as standard scales I have used that don't have the digital read-out.
The unit comes with a small battery pre-installed. You just have to remove the plastic tab that keeps the battery from draining before use. Once you do that, you attach the strap to your luggage and you lift with one hand. The small LED screen will give you a readout. If you need more than one read-out you have to press the button in the handle to reset the unit.
The instructions are minimal but make one limitation of this scale clear. If you try to lift luggage with both hands, this unit will not give you an accurate reading. It is designed to work best when the luggage is attached to the scale and lifted with one hand by your side as if you were picking up your luggage to carry it. That's the first clue that 88 lbs is an unreasonable weight for this unit. Most people will probably not be able to lift an 88 lb bag with one hand.
The unit seems to be fairly accurate. I tested this with my work book-bag (which tends to be a heavy 35-40 pounds) and a few small pieces of luggage. I also took measurements with a floor scale, and this handle scale was accurate to within a few pounds. In that sense, it definitely fulfills the main requirement and is a good value considering other digital scales I was looking at were more expensive.
Anybody who experiences accuracy issues likely got a dud and should try again. These are definitely not the highest end electronics inside this scale. Similarly, if the battery seems drained the plastic tab might not have been properly aligned to stop the battery from activating before you recieved it. In both cases I would recommend returning the item and trying to get a new one.
But I have a different gripe. The main drawback is just the construction. I think a 60 lb bag is pushing it with this unit. I cannot even imagine trying to use this regularly with 80 lb bags of luggage. So if you looking to weigh bags at around 50 lbs or less, this is a handy accessory. Anything more than that and a more heavy duty alternative will probably suit you better.
Enjoy.