Best TSA Luggage Locks

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Be clear about what a TSA-approved lock is for. Every one of them has a secondary keyway that screening staff can open with a universal key, which means the lock cannot stop anyone holding that key or a copy of it, and the honest purpose is to deter opportunistic tampering and keep zips from working open in transit. It also stops a screener cutting the lock off, which is what happens to a non-approved padlock on a bag checked in the United States. With that understood, the first real choice is combination against keyed. Combination locks have nothing to lose and nothing to leave in a hotel room, and set-your-own models let you pick a number you will remember rather than carrying a printed code around. Keyed brass locks open faster and are sold in packs of four with matching keys, which suits several bags in a family but turns one lost key into several dead locks. The second choice is the shackle. A rigid steel loop is stronger and fits standard zip pulls, while a flexible braided cable threads through awkward pairs of pulls, a duffel's D-rings, or a zip and a fixed loop together, which is often the only way to secure a soft bag. Brass or plated bodies resist the corrosion that seizes cheap cases. Buying a matched multi-pack means one combination for everything.