The best luggage straps
A luggage strap does two jobs - it takes the load off a zipper and it makes one black suitcase look like yours. Here are five that do them, and the one job none of them do.
By Michael W. · Last updated October 10, 2026
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Almost nobody buys a luggage strap until something has already gone wrong. A zipper has split on a carousel, or a bag has come round with its contents resettled, or somebody has walked off with a case that looked exactly like theirs. The strap is the cheap fix bought after the expensive lesson, which is why most people buy the wrong one.
There are really only four variables that matter: how long the webbing is, how much pull it takes before the buckle lets go, whether the lock on it can be opened by a TSA agent without being cut off, and how visible it is at twenty feet. Everything else on a strap's listing is decoration. The picks below are separated by those four things and nothing else, and each one names what it is bad at.
A strap is not a lock
A strap keeps a burst zipper shut and makes a bag easier to spot. It does not secure anything: TSA agents can open any strap with a combination lock on it, and a strap without one can be cut in seconds. If you are protecting valuables, the answer is not packing them in the hold, not a bigger strap.
Quick picks
The short list. Tap any row for the full write-up, including what each one is bad at.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Gorilla Grip Heavy Duty Luggage Straps (2-Pack) Rated to 500 pounds of pull, in a two-pack, so both halves of the bag are supported. | Overpacked checked bags | $11.99$13.9914% offView on Amazon #ad Price as of October 10, 2026. How we’re funded |
| 2 |  Travelkin Cross Luggage Strap with TSA Lock A cross strap that pulls both axes at once, with a TSA combination at the junction. | Long-haul and connecting itineraries | $14.99View on Amazon #ad Price as of October 10, 2026. How we’re funded |
| 3 |  Chelmon Luggage Straps (4-Pack) Four seat-belt-weight nylon straps in four colors, which solves identification as well as closure. | Households and group trips | $8.97$9.9910% offView on Amazon #ad Price as of October 10, 2026. How we’re funded |
| 4 |  Samsonite Add-a-Bag Strap Not a closure strap at all - it hangs a second bag off a telescoping handle. | Carry-on plus a personal item | $8.32$11.0925% offView on Amazon #ad Price as of October 10, 2026. How we’re funded |
| 5 |  Bright Color Suitcase Straps (2-Pack) Adjusts out to 78 inches, which is where most straps run out of webbing. | Large checked and trunk-sized cases | $6.90View on Amazon #ad Price as of October 10, 2026. How we’re funded |
The one that takes the load off the zipper
Gorilla Grip Heavy Duty Luggage Straps (2-Pack)
A zipper fails because the two sides of the bag are trying to separate and only the slider is holding them together. A strap wrapped around the case takes that tension off the closure entirely, which is the whole point of the category. This one publishes the number that matters - 500 pounds of pull force before it gives - and the listing names three ways to configure it, including threading it through a side handle so it cannot slide off the end of the case.
The specs that decide it
- Webbing: 36 x 2 in - short, so it suits carry-on and mid-size cases
- Pull strength: Rated to 500 lb of pull force
- Pack: Two straps, so you can cross them or do two bags
- TSA: TSA accessible - agents can open it without cutting
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Thirty-six inches is genuinely short. It is fine around a carry-on or a 25-inch case and it will not meet around a packed 30-inch bag, which is exactly the bag whose zipper is most at risk. Measure the girth of the case you actually want to strap before you buy this one rather than the longer options below.
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The one for a case with a zipper you do not trust
Travelkin Cross Luggage Strap with TSA Lock
A single band around the middle leaves the ends of the case free to bow open. A cross strap runs vertically and horizontally and joins at a central junction, which holds the lid down along its whole length rather than at one point. The junction on this one carries a three-digit combination lock, so an inspector opens it with the master key instead of cutting it off, and it has a slot for a luggage tag in the same housing.
The specs that decide it
- Webbing: 90.5 x 1.97 in total across both axes
- Fits: Cases from 18 to 32 in, on a slide buckle
- Lock: Three-digit TSA combination at the junction
- Extra: Tag slot built into the junction plate
Flaws but not dealbreakers
A cross strap is fiddly. It has to be fed around the case in two directions and re-seated every time the bag is opened, which is a genuine irritation on a trip with several stops. The three-digit combination is also the weakest common lock format - it is there so the strap is not cut off, not to stop anybody determined.
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The one for a family traveling with four bags
Chelmon Luggage Straps (4-Pack)
Traveling as a group turns the carousel into a sorting problem: four similar cases, four people, and no way to tell at a distance whose is whose. Four straps in four bright colors fixes that and keeps every zipper supported at the same time. The webbing is the same nylon class used for vehicle seat belts, two inches wide, and each strap adjusts across a three-foot range so it will go round a carry-on or a large checked case.
The specs that decide it
- Pack: Four straps, each 2 in wide
- Length: Adjusts from 3 ft to 6 ft
- Material: Nylon webbing, the class used for seat belts
- Colors: Neon orange, green, blue and red
Flaws but not dealbreakers
There is no lock of any kind on these, so the only thing stopping a curious hand is the buckle, and a quick-release buckle is exactly as quick for everybody else. They are also long enough that there is loose tail webbing left over on a small case, which flaps and eventually snags on a conveyor.
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The one that stacks the second bag on top of the first
Samsonite Add-a-Bag Strap
This solves a different problem from everything else on the page. If you are walking a long terminal with a roller and a second bag over your shoulder, the shoulder is doing work it does not need to do. An add-a-bag strap loops a tote or a duffel onto the extended handle of the case so the wheels carry both. It weighs a tenth of a pound and packs flat inside the bag it is going to carry.
The specs that decide it
- Job: Attaches a second bag to a telescoping handle
- Size: 8.6 x 2.4 x 0.8 in folded
- Weight: 0.1 lb
- Not: Not a closure strap - it does nothing for a zipper
Flaws but not dealbreakers
It only works if the second bag has something to loop through and the roller has a telescoping handle, which rules out most backpacks and every bag with a fixed handle. A stacked bag also raises the roller's center of gravity, so the case tips over more easily on a curb or a moving walkway ramp.
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The one that actually reaches around a 34-inch bag
Bright Color Suitcase Straps (2-Pack)
The largest checked cases are the ones most likely to be overpacked and the hardest to find a strap for, because a lot of straps top out around 60 inches. This one adjusts from 46 to 78 inches and the listing states a fit range up to a 34-inch case. The buckle is a quick-release, which matters more than it sounds when you are re-opening a large bag at a check-in desk that has just told you it is two pounds over.
The specs that decide it
- Length: Adjusts from 46 to 78 in
- Fits: Cases from 20 to 34 in
- Width: 1.96 in webbing
- Buckle: Quick-release, TSA approved
Flaws but not dealbreakers
It is a commodity strap with no brand behind it, which means no warranty worth claiming and no consistency between production runs. It also has no lock, and at this length there is a lot of spare webbing to manage on anything smaller than a checked bag.
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How the straps compare
| Pick | Length | Lock | Pack | Main flaw |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gorilla Grip | 36 in | None - TSA accessible | 2 | Too short for a large case |
| Travelkin cross strap | 90.5 in across two axes | 3-digit TSA | 1 | Fiddly to re-seat |
| Chelmon 4-pack | 3-6 ft each | None | 4 | Loose tail webbing |
| Samsonite add-a-bag | n/a - handle loop | None | 1 | Does nothing for a zipper |
| Bright color 2-pack | 46-78 in | None | 2 | No brand behind it |
Why checked-bag zippers fail, and what a strap actually fixes
A suitcase zipper is not holding your clothes in. It is holding two sides of a box together against everything inside pushing out, and the force goes through a slider about an inch long. Overpack the bag and that slider is carrying the whole load. Drop the bag on a corner and the load spikes. Zippers on checked bags fail at the moment of impact, which is why the failure is discovered at the carousel rather than at check-in.
A strap wrapped around the girth of the case takes that outward pressure and routes it through two inches of webbing instead of an inch of zipper slider. That is the entire mechanism. It is why pull rating is the specification worth reading and why a strap that merely looks heavy duty is not the same as one that publishes a number.
It is also worth being honest about what the strap cannot do. It will not stop a case cracking, it will not stop a wheel shearing off, and it will not keep anybody out. If the bag itself is the weak point, the answer is a better bag - our best checked luggage shortlist is sorted by what fails first.
What TSA approved means on a strap, and what it does not
Two different claims get made with the same three letters. TSA accessible means the strap has no lock and can simply be unbuckled, so an inspector opens it in a second and re-buckles it. TSA approved lock means there is a combination lock in the strap that carries a master keyway, so an agent opens it with their key rather than cutting the strap off.
Both are fine. What is not fine is a strap with a non-TSA padlock through the buckle: a bag selected for inspection gets opened either way, and the only question is whether your strap survives the process. If your bag is pulled and the lock cannot be opened, it is cut.
Three digits is a deterrent, not a defense
A three-digit combination has a thousand permutations and can be worked through by hand in a few minutes. It exists so the strap is not destroyed during an inspection. Treat it as a way of keeping the strap, not a way of keeping your belongings.
Measure the girth, not the suitcase
The single most common returned-item complaint in this category is a strap that does not go around the bag. That happens because listings describe fit in suitcase inches - a number that refers to the case's height - while the strap has to travel around its girth, which depends on depth and width as well.
Take a tape measure around the case the short way, over the lid and under the base, with the bag packed as you actually pack it. That figure is what the strap has to exceed, with enough spare to thread the buckle. A 36-inch strap is a carry-on strap. A large checked case usually needs something past 60 inches, which is why the longest pick on this page exists.
- Carry-on, 21-22 in: roughly 36-50 in of webbing.
- Mid-size checked, 25-27 in: roughly 50-65 in.
- Large checked, 28-32 in: 65 in and up, and check the stated fit range.
- Expanded bags: add the expansion gusset - usually about two inches of depth, which is four inches of girth.
If you are not sure what size case you own in the first place, suitcase sizes in inches sets out what the numbers on the label mean.
How we chose these picks
Every strap here was checked against its live Amazon listing before it was written up, and the figures in the specs - webbing length and width, pull rating, pack count, lock type - are the ones the listing publishes. Where a listing does not state a number, this page does not invent one.
- A published length. A strap with no stated length is unbuyable, because length is the only thing that decides whether it fits.
- A stated pull rating or a material we can name. Nylon seat-belt webbing is a real specification. 'Heavy duty' on its own is not.
- An honest lock claim. We separate TSA accessible from TSA approved lock, because the listings frequently do not.
- Different jobs. Five straps that all do the same thing is not a shortlist. The add-a-bag strap is here because it solves a problem the others cannot touch.
We do not run a lab and we do not claim to. These are cost-checked picks assessed on published specifications and the trade-offs between them - our methodology sets out exactly where the line is.
What we passed over
Straps with a built-in luggage scale. They sound efficient and they are two compromised products in one: the scale is harder to read than a dedicated one and the strap has a rigid lump in it. A separate scale costs very little - see the best luggage scales.
Straps sold as anti-theft. Nothing in this category is anti-theft. A strap is cut with a pocket knife and a soft bag is opened through the fabric. The honest framing is zipper support and identification.
Printed personalized straps with your name on them. A name on the outside of a bag tells everybody on the concourse who you are, and the privacy argument against it is the same one we make on the best luggage tags. Use a color, not a name.
How to choose a luggage strap
- Measure the girth of the packed bag. This decides everything and it takes thirty seconds.
- Decide whether you want a lock at all. If the bag is going in the hold on a route with a reputation, a TSA combination keeps the strap from being cut. If not, a plain buckle is faster and has nothing to forget.
- Pick a color you will not see on anybody else. Black defeats the point. Neon is not a style choice here, it is the feature.
- Buy a pair, not a single. A second strap crossed the other way holds a lid down far better than one strap pulled tighter, and spares are useful.
- Put a contact card inside the bag anyway. The strap helps you find your bag. The card inside is what helps the airline find you.
Frequently asked questions
Do luggage straps actually stop a suitcase bursting open?
Are luggage straps TSA approved?
What length luggage strap do I need?
Will a luggage strap stop someone stealing from my bag?
Can I use a luggage strap on a carry-on?
Do straps count toward my baggage allowance?
Read next
- The best luggage covers
- The best luggage tags
- The best luggage scales
- The best checked luggage
- What not to pack in checked luggage
- Suitcase sizes in inches
More in Luggage, or see every roundup and comparison on the site.