We individually evaluate all products and services we recommend. If you click on links on our website, we may earn a commission.

3 Best TSA Approved Luggage Locks for Safe International Travel

Best Luggage Locks for International Travel

As you prepare for your next international journey, you might wonder about the best ways to secure your luggage. You’ve likely come across the term “best TSA approved luggage locks” and are eager to understand their significance and benefits.

The unsettling reality of international travel is the potential risk of theft or tampering. The last thing any traveler wants is to land in a foreign country only to find their belongings compromised. This concern becomes even more pressing when you consider the stringent security checks and the possibility of your locks being cut open.

With extensive research and firsthand experience, we’ve delved deep into the world of luggage security. Our findings? The best TSA approved luggage locks not only offer peace of mind but also comply with international security standards, ensuring your belongings remain intact and your journey remains hassle-free.

Our recommendations for TSA approved luggage locks include the sentry logo, ensuring they are perfect for international travel. We chose 3 varieties, all TSA-approved, so TSA agents can safely open your luggage if they see a need to inspect it more closely. Together, let’s explore the features of each chosen lock so you can make the best-informed decision.

Best TSA Approved Luggage Locks For International Travel (Updated List)

#PreviewProductRating
1Forge TSA Approved Cable Luggage LocksForge TSA Approved luggage lock Cable StyleBest Overall
2Talonport Keyless-Luggage LockTalonport Keyless Best Travel Lock For LuggageMost High Tech
3TravelMore TSA Approved Combination-Orange Cable Luggage LockTravelMore Combination Orange Cable Luggage LockBest for Families

The reality of international travel is that theft occurs all the time. The last thing you want to worry about is having your luggage stolen and not having any clothes or toiletries in a different country.

Not to mention, having a lock on your travel luggage is a great and effective deterrent from thieves taking your bag. It also gives you a sense of security, knowing your stuff is safe.

Quick Video Reviewing The Best TSA Approved Luggage Locks

Best TSA Approved Luggage Locks Product Reviews

Let’s look at 3 of our best TSA luggage lock reviews, with each one being the strongest TSA lock.

1. Forge TSA Approved Cable Luggage Locks (Best Overall)

Best Luggage Locks for International Travel: Forge TSA Approved Cable Luggage Locks (Best Overall)
Forge TSA Approved Cable Luggage Locks (Overall The Best Luggage Locks)

TheForge TSA Approved Cable Luggage Locks are an overall great brand of best luggage locks for international travel with many features.

My favorite feature is the TSA re-lock function. With the Forge TSA Approved Cable Luggage Locks, the agent has to re-lock your suitcase to remove their master key. Given that your bag doesn’t remain unlocked after any sort of inspection.

This lock complies with regulations with Travel Sentry, a global brand that is internationally recognized by the TSA and other airport security agencies.

The Forge TSA Approved Cable Luggage Lock is my overall choice of the best TSA approved luggage locks.

Benefits

  • Resettable combination
  • TSA needs to relock after the inspection
  • Veteran-owned business

Drawbacks

  • No open alert Indicator (A different Forge lock offers this)

2. Talonport Keyless Luggage Lock With Card Key (Most High Tech)

Talonport Keyless Luggage Lock
Talonport Keyless Luggage Lock with Card Key

The Talonport Keyless best TSA luggage locks are a pretty cool lock as it doesn’t use a combination or a key – it actually uses a slim card key to unlock. All you do is push the keycard in the slot, and the lock will unlock.

It comes with 4 sets of cards: 2 that are credit card size and 2 of smaller card size. In addition, all of the keycards come with holes to put a keyring through them.

The Talonport luggage lock keycards require no power, and there is no charging needed for these best luggage locks.

Benefits

  • No lock to pick by thieves
  • Keycards come in several sizes
  • Durable construction

Drawbacks

  • Smaller than other TSA-approved luggage locks for international travel.

3. TravelMore Best TSA Lock In Combination Orange Cable (Best for Families)

TravelMore TSA Approved Combination Orange Cable Luggage Lock is one of the best TSA approved luggage locks for families.

If you are looking for a simple design with several luggage locks, then the TravelMore orange luggage lock is your choice.

This best TSA combination lock comes in bright orange, so it’s easy to spot when hunting down your baggage.

Also, if you have a large family or simply have several bags that need to be locked, the TravelMore orange luggage lock comes in a 10-pack.

Benefits

  • Simple design with a 3-digit combo
  • Weatherproof
  • It comes in bright orange

Drawbacks

  • Combo numbers are a bit small

Travel Tip:

Luggage locks are not only useful for luggage but also can be used for lockers. So, when traveling abroad and staying at places that offer locker storage, use your luggage lock!

What To Look For When Buying The Best TSA Approved Luggage Locks

Everyone has different preferences on what is important or not when deciding on the best luggage locks for international travel, but I want to offer my opinion on the most important things that the best suitcase locks for international travel should have.

TSA Approved And Best TSA Approved Luggage Locks

If your checked bag gets flagged for inspection when you are not around (during boarding), TSA agents have the right to cut your lock.

However, TSA recognized that locks on luggage for international travel could help with this. A TSA-approved lock has a ‘master’ key area where agents have the ability to open your lock and not need to break the lock.

Open Alert Indicator

Some TSA-approved locks have notifications that turn on if the lock has been opened. This is a great feature if you want to know if your bag has been open during your travels.

Reputable Brand Name

When it comes to security, you want to ensure you are relying on well-known brands that have a solid reputation. As a matter of fact, all the best TSA lock brands that we mention in this article are very well-known, reputable brands that have been around for decades.

Multiple Color Options

I think this is a great feature as it makes your luggage stand out in a sea of baggage on a carousel. Besides, it is a much nicer option instead of some colorful ribbons that most people use.

best tsa approved luggage locks symbol

FAQs About The Best TSA Approved Luggage Locks For International Travel

Here are some commonly asked questions about the best TSA approved luggage locks that may have come to mind.

Why is there an extra keyhole at the bottom of luggage locks?

This is the master key lock for TSA agents. They use this to open your lock if they need to during any sort of inspection.

Will Color locks fade over time?

The locks with different colors use durable paint that prevents chipping or fading away and are perfect for the best TSA locks for luggage.

What is better, key or combination?

It boils down to personal preference, but a combination is better as you are more likely to lose a key than the combination in your memory. The combination is great for the best TSA approved luggage locks and possibly the best travel luggage locks.

Note:

It was recently brought to my attention that anyone can buy a key to a TSA approved lock. These keys will open 80% of the locks. My take on this is that I prefer to use the lock and take my chances. If someone uses a universal key purchased on the black market, I cannot stop them. But my chances of having secure and safe luggage are better with a lock.

Additional Resources

If you are looking for more tutorials, walkthroughs, and troubleshooting on TSA Approved, here are some additional posts about TSA Approved:

Conclusion

So that concludes our list of some of the best TSA approved luggage locks that are on the market today. As you can see, several options are available, and all of them are great locks that will keep your personal belongings safe.

Many of the locking luggage for international travel have the best TSA approved luggage locks built in, but if you don’t have one of these cases, the next best thing is one of the 3 luggage locks we reviewed.

Happy travels, my friends.

Photo of author

Jay Neill

My name is Jay Neill, a travel lover and luggage enthusiast. I will be your travel luggage guide here. The intention of this site is to help you choose the best travel luggage for your individual needs.

15 thoughts on “3 Best TSA Approved Luggage Locks for Safe International Travel”

  1. A great review on the best luggage locks for international travel. I have been travelling internationally for most of my life so I appreciate information about good luggage locks. It seems that gone are those days of the little brass colored padlocks with tiny keys that were previously used to lock our baggage. I quite liked the hi-tech one with the key card to open it. But I guess, in the end I would probably go for the Forge because it has to be locked again before TSA can get its key back.

    Reply
  2. Now that we are traveling again, I feel that we have so many places where we want to go. But what is sure is that my husband, kids and I will go to visit my parents and my husband’s parents. So we have to trips programmed. And we would like to have our suitcases locked. the TravelMore Combination Orange Cable seems to be our best option. Do you agree to set the same combination to all the locks? Would it have some negative effect I may not think of right now?

    Reply
    • Hey Ann, 

      Yes, the TravelMore Combination Orange Cable is my recommendation for families as it comes in a pack of ten and has a bright orange color where the kids can hunt down their bags as a game when it comes time to collect their bags on the baggage carousel. 

      Reply
  3. My husband has had valuables stolen from his luggage on a trip to South Africa when he didn’t lock his suitcase, so we learnt the hard way how important it is to have a good luggage lock. I prefer a combination lock to having to use a key, so the Forge TSA approved lock really appeals to me. If one does forget the combination, is there any other way in which the lock can be opened at home then?

    Reply
  4. I believe we should do all that we can to make sure when we travel our luggage is safe because I have come across many luggage that was open. Don’t know how it got that way but I am sure that the owners were not happy. We should secure our luggage with locks that are strong. Thanks so much for sharing this post on the types of locks to invest in when traveling internationally.

    Reply
  5. Hi Jay. Thank you for very interesting article. I was recently looking for good luggage lock for international flight, but its not easy to choose with so many options on market. Most important thing is to have TSA approved one and I really like Talonport Keyless product. Its elegant, don need a key and price is reasonable. Looking forward to test it in practice.

    Reply
  6. Thanks for your article! Getting safe luggage is essential when you travel. My sister lost some clothes in her luggage whrn we travelled to Cameroon in the 1990s. Since then, we have been very paranoid with our luggage every time we travel. I have a lock similar to the Forge one and it works for me so far. Otherwise, I also like Talonport because it looks modern and futurist.

    Reply
  7. What is TSA? This has to be one of the best sites that recommends locks for traveler’s because it’ll help you identify the bag more and theft prevention. I don’t how idiotic people can steal luggage, but hey they do them and you just get the gadget that they can’t get into your luggage. After all your luggage has everything in it and it would be a shame if you end up it getting stolen. A tracking lock would be good too.

    Reply
  8. It has been a couple of years since I did any international travel either for business or with my family for a vacation. I must admit I was unaware that locks had been developed that allow the TSA, and I presume security inspectors in other countries to unlock your luggage without breaking your lock. I remember that basically after 9/11 I pretty much stopped using locks on my luggage, except I think when traveling to places where I knew theft from your luggage while in transit was very common. I do have a couple of basic questions.

    Surely those who are determined to steal from your luggage could also avail themselves of a master key especially if it is just a metal key? I think we all suspect luggage handlers but it could equally well be others who work in airports. Wouldn’t a next step be to have smart locks so every key had a unique identifier and the lock would generate a log entry every time a specific unique key was used to unlock or lock the luggage? Or maybe that is just a bit over-the-top. Thanks, Andy 

    Reply
  9. I’m chuckling 🙂 Not having toileteries.

    But seriously this is an eye opener – the flexibility of the locks working both as luggage and locker lock! Hadn’t thought about it. Which means these reviewed are very hard or are they?

    The 3 key combination on these locks are kind a few for really luxurious goods like gold withdrawn from ATMs in Dubai ❤ Other than that these lock ROCK!

    Reply
  10. Thank you for sharing this very educational article on modern Luggage locks – The Best Luggage Locks for International Travel: TSA Approved. Technology has inproved everything including locks. Finding TSA approved locks is amazing , no more broken locks in the event of inspection when the traveller is not around. The locks provide a certain level of security for all travellers.

    Reply
  11. This was an excellent review. I travel often and I think I will go with the Forge TSA Approved Cable Luggage Locks. I like that TSA would need to relock them after they complete an inspection of my bags, as I want to keep the bags protected at all times. My mom actually had souvenirs stolen before and that really hurts because those were memories of a great trip.

    Reply
  12. It is interesting to find that TSA  is not required to relock your luggage after they opened it for inspection without your presence. That being said I must say that the lock of preference from the aforementioned locks is the Talonport Keyless Luggage lock. It appeals to me. The reason it appeals to me is there is no opening for a thief to use for picking the lock, however if they are tech savvy they could find the right frequency or master code for the unlocking of the luggage.

    The other two locks are valuable in and of themselves for different reasons. The Forge Cable Luggage Lock for the reason that it gives you a notification that your luggage has been opened or tampered with. The TravelMore luggage lock for the fact that it has a three digit code for the lock and for the ability to spot the orange lock quickly.

    Jerry

    Reply
  13. Hi Jay

    Thank you for the exposure of these best luggage locks. You basically revealed to me the locks I have been using are at risk and could be cut if one of the airports want to open the bag. I never heard about the TSA approved locks and is something I will definitely invest in. 

    I believe the first option is the best, but I would love to have a notification lock when someone opens my luggage. Do you perhaps have some lock options that come with the notification option? I will really appreciate your help before I start traveling again!

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Jenni Elliott Cancel reply