Packing Checklist: Weight, Space and Power Before You Travel

Most packing problems show up at the airport: a bag that is over the limit, a plug that does not fit, a phone down to a few percent. All three can be fixed at home. This checklist covers weight, space and power, and shows which specifications matter for the gear that helps with each.

1. Know your weight limit before you pack

Baggage allowances differ by airline, route and ticket type, and they change, so look up the current rules for both checked and carry-on bags on your airline’s own website. Note the limit for every bag you plan to take, then weigh the empty suitcase first. The case alone can use up a good share of the allowance.

A hanging luggage scale lets you check the result at home. In our digital luggage scale comparison, all eight models list a capacity of 110 lb (50 kg), so capacity is rarely what separates them. Look at these points instead:

• Readout step. The listings give steps from about 0.01 lb to 0.1 lb (roughly 5 g to 50 g). A finer step shows small changes, which matters when you are a pound or two from the limit.
• Display. All eight use an LCD, and several add a backlight, which helps in a dim hallway or hotel room.
• Battery. The scales that name a battery type use coin cells or AAA batteries, so check that spares are easy to find, and remember to pack one.
• Extras. Auto shut-off and a tare function appear on some models; the tare function is handy when you want to weigh the contents of a bag without the bag.

Leave a small margin below the limit. Your scale and the airline’s scale may read slightly differently, and a bag packed to the exact ounce leaves no room for souvenirs.

2. Make space by compressing soft items

Soft items such as sweaters, jackets and bedding take up a lot of room for their weight, which is where vacuum storage bags help. Shoes, toiletries and anything fragile don’t belong in them. One caution: compressing a bag changes its volume, not its weight, which is why the scale comes first.

The vacuum storage bag comparison shows how much the sets differ:

• Set size. Sets range from a single jumbo bag to 24 bags in assorted sizes. A larger set is only useful if the sizes match what you actually pack, so count how many bulky items you have.
• Closure. Nearly all use a zipper closure, and one adds a valve seal. Run a finger along the seam each time you close a bag.
• Pump. Some sets include a hand pump, and one includes a rechargeable cordless pump. A set without a pump needs a household vacuum cleaner, which you won’t have in a hotel room.
• Material. Bags are made of plastic, polyethylene or nylon-and-polyethylene blends. Some sets are described as reusable, which makes sense if you travel often.
• Travel sizes. A set that lists travel sizes suits a carry-on better than jumbo bags made for bedding.

3. Get plugs and voltage right

A travel adapter changes the shape of the plug so it fits the socket at your destination. It does not change the voltage. Check the label on each charger you plan to use: many phone and laptop chargers state a range such as 100–240 V and work in most countries with only an adapter. A device rated for a single voltage needs a converter, or you should leave it at home.

The travel adapter comparison helps you pick by the points that matter:

• Plug types. Several models list types A, C, G and I, which together cover North America, much of Europe, the UK and Australia. Look up the plug type at your destination first, because a single-country adapter is fine for a trip to one place.
• Outlets and ports. The models list anywhere from one to seven outlets, and some add USB-A and USB-C ports. Count the devices you charge at night.
• Total output. Several name a total output of 45 W in the product title, and one names 28 W. Such a figure is normally shared among all ports in use, so it limits how fast a laptop can charge.
• Size and weight. A compact adapter fits a pocket; a larger one with several outlets is better left in a hotel room.

4. Pack one charger for everything

The fewer chargers you bring, the less you can leave behind. A 100 W USB-C charger can power a laptop and can usually charge a phone or tablet too, because USB-C devices draw only what they need. A small phone charger is a different case, and our answer on laptop charging with a phone charger explains when it is enough. The eight 100 W USB-C chargers compared in our ranking are all rated at 100 W; most list a single port and one lists four. If you travel with a laptop and a phone, a multi-port model saves a second charger and a second outlet. If you only bring a phone, a charger this size is more than you need. In both cases, check that the plug on the charger is one your adapter can accommodate, and pack a USB-C cable as well.

5. The night-before checklist

• Airline limits for checked and carry-on bags looked up for every flight
• Empty suitcase weighed, then the packed bag weighed with a margin below the limit
• Bulky soft items compressed, with a pump or a plan for a vacuum cleaner
• Plug type at the destination confirmed and the adapter packed
• Voltage range checked on every charger you are bringing
• Charger, cables and spare batteries for the scale in the hand luggage
• Phone and power bank charged before leaving for the airport

The comparisons linked above are based on manufacturer specifications; nobody on our team has handled the products. Our methodology page explains how scores and awards are calculated, including how we weigh each criterion. To decide which gear is worth the money in the first place, read our answer on which travel accessories are worth buying.