How to Tell if your Luggage is Over 50 Pounds Without a Scale

One of the many things that I have to think about when traveling by plane is the weight of my luggage. This is because if my luggage is over 50 pounds,

I have to pay $20-50 extra in luggage fees before I get on the plane. Here are some tips on how I can figure out if my luggage weighs more than 50 pounds without using a scale.

 

How to Tell if your Luggage is Over 50 Pounds Without a Scale

Technically speaking, I cannot precisely measure the weight of my luggage without using a scale. A scale is the easiest way to weigh luggage. However, I can get 50-pound bags of dog food, lift those, and compare that weight to my luggage’s weight. I can also go to the local FedEx store, UPS store, or post office and weigh my luggage there. Their postal scales are quite large and extremely accurate, but I can also create my own makeshift scale and use that instead if I wish.

 

I Cannot Exactly Weigh My Luggage Without A Scale

Strictly speaking, I will state that you cannot measure the weight of your luggage without a scale. However, I can estimate the weight of my luggage.

It is worth noting that not all airlines have the 50-pound maximum luggage weight limit. Some airlines have lower maximum weights for passenger luggage.

The first step in this process is to pick up your luggage and become familiar with its weight.

 

Use 50-Pound Bags of Dog Food to Determine My Luggage’s Weight

There are plenty of things that weigh 50 pounds. In fact, I can even find bags of dog food that weigh 50 pounds.

One way to figure out if my luggage is 50 pounds is to pick up that bag of dog food to familiarize myself with the weight of 50 pounds.

I can lift the bag of dog food a few times so that I really know what lifting 50 pounds feels like. Of course, this method is not perfect, but it can prove effective in helping me tell if my luggage weighs 50 pounds or not.

After this, I can pack my luggage and compare the luggage’s weight to the weight of the dog food by lifting my luggage. If my luggage feels like it weighs more than 50 pounds, I can remove some items and decrease that weight.

One advantage of this method is that it is quick and easy. Dogs are an extremely popular pet, so if I have a 50-pound bag of dog food, this is one method I can use to roughly figure out the weight of my luggage.

However, the disadvantage of this method is that it is not 100% accurate and there are other answers to the question of how to tell if your luggage is over 50 pounds without a scale.

 

I Can Weigh My Luggage at My Local Post Office

One other method of weighing my luggage if I don’t have a scale is bringing my luggage with me and going to your local post office, UPS store, or FedEx store. Since they ship items all the time, they have postal scales that weigh the items they ship.

I might be able to convince them to let me weigh your luggage for free at the store if I ask politely.

The advantage of this method is that it may be free and I can be sure that the postal scale will measure my luggage’s weight accurately.

Of course, the disadvantage is that I might not be able to get to the local post office, UPS store, or FedEx store. In that case, I would recommend that you consider this next method instead.

 

I Can Create My Own Makeshift Scale

It’s entirely possible that I might not have any 50-pound objects around to compare my luggage’s weight to and I might not be able to go to the post office or UPS store to use their postal scale. If so, I can make your own makeshift scale.

First, I get together items that I know the weights of without any doubt. A gallon of water is a common item that many people use as part of the process of weighing your luggage. A gallon of water weighs 8.35 pounds.

Hand weights are another common item that you can use in this process since the weight is listed on the item itself. Of course, I can get other items as well, as long as I know their weight.

After that, I need to get a flat plank. The next step is to get something that I can utilize as a fulcrum for the scale.

A durable bottle or a kitchen bowl are two examples of items that work for this purpose. I have to ensure that whatever fulcrum I use raises the plank high enough off my floor so that both ends of it move as they need to move.

Next, I get my luggage and attach it securely to one of the plank’s sides. I recommend that you next put your plank on the fulcrum you are using.

After this, I attach the items that I know the weight of one by one on the opposite side of the plank until I’ve put 50 pounds of items on this side. Eventually, the plank should become balanced.

My luggage, along with the other items, should be hovering at an equal height on my makeshift scale up above the floor.

Once this happens, then I know your luggage weighs 50 pounds. If this does not happen, then it means that I have packed too many items and I will have to remove some and repack.

If the scale still doesn’t balance, I will have to keep removing items and repacking until it does. After it does, I should be fine going onto the plane with my 50 pounds of luggage.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About How to Tell if your Luggage is Over 50 Pounds Without a Scale

 

Do all airlines have the same 50-pound luggage limit?

Many airlines have this limit, but I always check and see what the luggage limit is for the airline that I chose. Some airlines have lower luggage weight limits.

 

Why should I weigh my luggage before I fly?

As previously mentioned, I have to pay a fee for additional weight. Additionally, dealing with excessive luggage weight can take time and will only complicate my airport experience.

 

What’s the best way to weigh my luggage without a scale?

Going somewhere with a postal scale and using that is the most accurate method of weighing my luggage. Even if you don’t own a scale, you can still be mostly sure your luggage weighs 50 pounds or less using the postal scale.