The suitcase that weighs itself

The self-weighing suitcase is now cheap by comparison.

The self-weighing suitcase is now cheap by comparison.

Published Sep 23, 2014

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London - Between choosing what to take and worrying about excess baggage fees, packing to go on holiday can be rather a stressful experience.

But now there’s a suitcase that will help lighten your load – by letting you know exactly when you go over your weight allowance.

It weighs items as you pack, so you always know whether you can squeeze in one more pair of shoes.

And rather than having to mess about with your bathroom scales, it will present you with a handy digital reading on a screen built in to the side.

The self-weighing suitcase was designed by an Australian company, TUL Thestrelie, which is trying to raise £50 000 on the “crowdfunding” website Kickstarter to put it into production, helping travellers avoid nasty £45 (about R800) excess baggage fees.

There are other suitcases on the market that come with built-in scales in their handles, but they require you to fill, zip and lift up the case before weighing.

The TUL version goes one better with a device that works when the bag is partly open and on its side.

To weigh the case and its contents, you simply close the lid – without having to shut the zips – and press a button. Sensors in the base detect how heavy the contents are, while cleverly hidden electronics convert the result into a reading on the small LCD screen.

It is powered by a rechargeable external battery pack and comes with an impact protection layer to pad the sensors – as well as a luggage lock.

On its Kickstarter page, the company says: “TUL is a suitcase with a built-in weighing function. Simply close the lid of the designated suitcase, and without having to entirely enclose the zips, the press of a single button will let you know the weight of your luggage.” - Daily Mail

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