Goodbye to luggage worries: The apps and gadgets to pack, measure and track your bags

To ensure a headache-free trip as we head out on summer vacation, careful packing is key, as well as knowing where our luggage is at all times. EL PAÍS explores the most useful applications and gadgets to create personalized packing lists according to destination and trip duration; to measure the suitcases; and to track their location, as well as finding lockers to store them.

Creating personalized packing lists

The PackPoint app, available for iOS and Android, allows you to quickly create a list of everything you need to pack in your suitcase. The user indicates their gender, the destination, the date of the trip, the length of stay and whether it is for business or leisure. They also indicate what activities they will be doing, such as swimming, going to the beach, hiking, telecommuting, taking photos or dining out in fancy restaurants. There is even a box to tick indicating whether there is a laundry option available.

The application then compiles lists of everything you need for the trip, organized by category, taking into account the weather. For hiking, it lists a water bottle, cream, insect repellent and a first aid kit; for photography lovers, it lists memory cards, batteries, chargers and a tripod. The user can mark everything they put in the suitcase. While the app is free to use, a fee is required to customize the list.

Measuring your case with your cell phone

Airlines usually have quite strict regulations on the size of carry-on luggage. Some airlines such as Iberia or EasyJet incorporate a tool for measuring suitcases on their own apps. However, the app that has worked best in EL PAÍS tests is Kayak, available for iOS and Android. In the search tab, the user has to click on the measure-your-suitcase option. The app tells you to look for a clear space and scan the top and sides of the case. It then indicates which airlines will accept the suitcase and which will not. While these types of apps are not perfect and require a bit of practice for accuracy, they can get the user out of a jam.

Tracking the location of the suitcase

The aviation industry boomed in 2023. It reached a record 5.2 billion passengers, “surpassing pre-pandemic levels,” according to the annual report from aviation data company SITA, which highlights that the number of mishandled bags is 6.9 per 1,000 passengers. In 2023, 77% of mishandled bags were delayed bags, 18% were damaged and mishandled bags while lost luggage accounted for 5%.

A small error in sorting or labeling can cause a suitcase to be sent to the wrong place. There are gadgets that can be linked to luggage to track its location at all times. Among the most popular locators are the Tile, Samsung Galaxy SmartTag and Apple’s AirTag. If a suitcase is lost with one of these devices inside, the user can use the app to try to locate it. As well as consulting a map with the approximate location, the device can be made to emit a sound. While the Tile works with all types of devices, the Galaxy SmartTag is only compatible with Galaxy devices and the AirTag with iPhone or iPad.

Locating cheap and secure luggage lockers

Luggage lockers are useful for exploring a city without lugging suitcases about. The LuggageHero app, available for iOS and Android, can be used to find them. “More than 1,000 locations in over 150 cities worldwide” is the claim. The lockers are located inside stores, hotels, cafés or other businesses. With the app, the user can enter a location, and the day and the number of bags. They can also activate filters such as whether the place is open 24 hours or has Wi-Fi. They can then consult a list of places to leave their luggage, including the time, distance and price. A strong point in this app’s favor is that users rate the different locker locations.

When doing a search in Paris, the app shows several left luggage locations for just over one euro per hour and around five euros per day. For example, a left-luggage office located one minute from the Pompidou Center has a rating of 4.6 out of five with 293 ratings. “We left our bags while we went to an Olympic event before returning to the U.K. The owner was very helpful. Totally recommend it,” commented one user on July 30. Bookings are made from a cell phone. Upon arrival at the venue, the user starts a timer on the app and stops it when picking up the bags. This ensures that the user only pays for the time used. LuggageHero offers a guarantee of $500 or €460 for luggage, although insurance can be taken out on it.

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