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Hate the idea of checking a bag at the airport? You're not alone. It's reasonable to fear losing your suitcase, having it open in transit, or seeing someone else inadvertently pick it up at baggage claim. But that's where luggage straps come in handy as they can be used to secure your bag and add another layer of protection in case your zipper fails. Some even have TSA-approved locks for an extra dose of security and, as a bonus, bold colors or designs can help your basic black bag stand out on the carousel. Carrying multiple pieces of luggage? Use a strap to lash them together, making it easier to get through the airport, too.

Our top pick is the Samsonite Luggage Strap which has a standout pattern that's not too garish. Samsonite is a brand we trust for both suitcases and travel accessories, and this strap comes in two versions: one with a TSA-approved lock and one without. 

Here’s our complete breakdown of the best luggage straps:

Why We Love It: It has a sturdy buckle and a subtle, stylish pattern.

What to Consider: The belt can loosen and slide off luggage if not used properly.

Samsonite is one of our go-to luggage brands, so it comes as little surprise that we're big fans of the accessories, too — and that includes this luggage strap. The real standout feature is its subtle crescent moon design. While it's a pattern you'll notice at baggage claim, it's not overwhelmingly flashy, especially the black option. 

We also appreciate the durability of this strap and its buckle, as well as the ease of adjusting the size when it's attached to your suitcase. (Note: If you're looking for a luggage strap with a TSA-approved combination lock, Samsonite makes a model of this product with that feature: find it further down our list.)

Price at time of publish: $8

Material: Plastic, polyester | Strap dimensions: 72 x 2 inches  | Adjustable: Yes | Closure type: Buckle

Why We Love It: It has a designated spot for your contact information.

What to Consider: It’s as basic as luggage straps come.

Luggage straps are generally pretty affordable, but this single strap is one of the best value products on the market (though you may find a better deal on a set when you factor in the per-strap cost). Price aside, the highlight of this luggage strap is a tag slot where you can put your contact information, just as you would on a bag tag. The downside is it only comes in a navy blue color. We do appreciate that it's adjustable, though, so you are able to use it with most suitcases.

Price at time of publish: $6

Material: Plastic, nylon | Strap dimensions: 71 x 2 inches | Adjustable: Yes | Closure type: Buckle

Why We Love It: It's rather stylish for a luggage strap with several colors to choose.

What to Consider: The bold, printed brand name on the strap may feel tacky to some shoppers.

If you already love your Rimowa suitcase, consider this over-the-top luggage strap from the luxury brand. Not only does it boldly display the name right across the front, it’s specifically designed to fit Rimowa's Cabin Plus, Check-in M, Check-in L, and Trunk Collection bags. No matter what suitcase you have (or covet), we do love the five colors that this luggage strap comes in, including beige and coral. Rimowa even issues limited-edition colors, like a red-and-yellow option for Lunar New Year.

Price at time of publish: $270

Material: Plastic, leather, aluminum | Strap dimensions: Not listed | Adjustable: Yes | Closure type: Buckle

Why We Love It: You can buy this strap in matching sets of two or four.

What to Consider: It's extra long, so it might not fit smaller bags.

For particularly arduous journeys, consider a heavy-duty luggage strap. Though this pick won't win any points for flair, it's really the durability that matters most; the strap is extra thick, so there's less of a chance of it ripping in transit. 

The straps come in sets of two or four and in three colors (red, blue, and black). We recommend using two straps on your suitcase, one in each direction, for extra security. This style is extra long, so it should cover the vertical dimension of most checked bags. And, as an extra bonus, it has a tag slot for your contact information.

Price at time of publish: $8

Material: Plastic, polypropylene | Strap dimensions: 79 x 2 inches | Adjustable: Yes | Closure type: Buckle

Why We Love It: There's a wide variety of patterns that will surely stand out at baggage claim.

What to Consider: It’s only sold in sets of two or four.

If you have a suitcase that blends into a sea of black on the carousel, go bold with your luggage strap like this option with a variety of unmissable patterns. The designs range from rainbow geometric shapes to colorful passport stamps. 

The strap is sold as a set of two or four in all patterns, which means it's easy to double up on your suitcase or share with the whole family. At 77 inches long, this strap is a bit longer than usual (and it's designed to fit suitcases from 20 inches to 28 inches).

Price at time of publish: $24

Material: Plastic, polyester | Strap dimensions: 77 x 2 inches | Adjustable: Yes | Closure type: Buckle

Why We Love It: The lock is TSA-approved.

What to Consider: It's on the pricier side, given the extra feature.

Luggage straps do provide security in the sense that they can help keep your bag closed during a journey through the airport, onto the plane, and back again. But they don't protect against theft. If you're a fan of luggage locks and luggage straps, consider going for a two-for-one deal with this luggage strap that features a TSA-approved combination lock. This specific model only comes in bright orange, but Samsonite does make another lockable model with less glaring colors.

Price at time of publish: $18

Material: Plastic, polyester, metal | Strap dimensions: 72 x 2 inches | Adjustable: Yes | Closure type: Buckle

Why We Love It: There’s a connector piece to prevent the two cross straps from sliding around.

What to Consider: The tag slot is not see-through, which may make it hard to spot if your bag gets lost.

The most secure way to use luggage straps is to make a cross pattern with two straps, wrapping one strap around your suitcase horizontally and another around it vertically. However, this product is already specifically designed to be used in that configuration. There is a special connector piece that keeps the two straps from sliding around, and reduces the chance that either strap accidentally slides off. This pick comes in five bright colors for easy identification, as well as black if that’s more your style.

Price at time of publish: $11

Material: Plastic, polyester | Strap dimensions: 72 x 2 inches | Adjustable: Yes | Closure type: Buckle

Why We Love It: The straps come in multicolor and single-color sets.

What to Consider: They're a smidge shorter than standard.

This set of luggage straps is a steal: at $17 for a set of six, that means you're paying less than $3 a strap. Whether you plan on using one or two per suitcase, there are plenty of straps to go around. The straps come in both single-color packs, ranging from black to lime green, or there’s a multi-color set with six different colors. 

Do note that the straps are slightly shorter than standard at just 70 inches long, so you might not be able to fit the strap around a large suitcase if you're wrapping it in the vertical direction. However, you could work around this by connecting two straps end to end.

Price at time of publish: $17

Material: Plastic, nylon | Strap dimensions: 70 x 2 inches | Adjustable: Yes | Closure type: Buckle

Why We Love It: It can also be used to attach your personal item bag to your luggage handle.

What to Consider: It will not fit vertically over large suitcases.

The vast majority of luggage straps are made from a woven material that has no give — but this model is an entirely different style. The elastic straps, which are arranged in an X pattern, stretch around the width of your suitcase to help keep it closed and automatically adjust to fit the suitcase. While the strap is stretchy, it's not very long, so it likely won't fit vertically around a large suitcase. But there's another use for this smaller strap: you can use it to attach your personal item to the handle of your rolling checked bag.

Price at time of publish: $13

Material: Plastic, nylon | Strap dimensions: Not listed | Adjustable: Yes | Closure type: Buckle

Why We Love It: They're extra durable to carry the weight of multiple bags.

What to Consider: It takes a lot of adjusting to get the straps positioned just right.

Luggage straps can also be used to connect multiple pieces of luggage, so you only have to use one hand as you're wheeling two, or even three, suitcases through the airport. With these strong straps, you'll have to do quite a bit of adjusting to get the fit just right — you need to make sure the wheels of the additional bags reach the ground, which could be complicated if you end up tilting your bag to roll it instead of holding it upright. Still, we love that this frees up an extra hand for you to use your phone or hold your passport and boarding pass.

Price at time of publish: $14

Material: Plastic, nylon | Strap dimensions: Varies | Adjustable: Yes | Closure type: Buckle

Why We Love It: It has extra storage for your phone, passport, and other accessories.

What to Consider: It’s not meant to keep your bag closed.

While the elastic luggage strap mentioned earlier on our list can be used to attach carry-on bags to luggage handles, we prefer this model for the task for one main reason: it has a special storage unit that can be used to hold your phone, passport, headphones, or any other small items that you want to have easily accessible. That way you don't have to dig through a smaller bag, which will be securely strapped to your suitcase and potentially harder to access. You can use this luggage strap on both carry-on and checked bags, making it a very versatile tool, but it’s not one you’d leave on your suitcase when checking it in.

Price at time of publish: $30

Material: Plastic, nylon | Strap dimensions: 71 x 2 inches | Adjustable: Yes | Closure type: Buckle

Why We Love It: You’ll never misidentify your luggage when you’ve got this customized strap on it.

What to Consider: The strap is short.

Forget tag holders — you can embroider your name, phone number, or email right on this strap itself. Or you could choose a nickname or a short phrase as really anything goes, as long as it’s under 16 characters, including spaces. This strap comes in three bright colors for visibility, and you can choose from six different thread colors and two fonts for the embroidery. The one downside is that this strap is short, measuring just 64 inches at its maximum extension. There's a chance it won't fit around large suitcases, so measure your bag before ordering.

Price at time of publish: $19

Material: Plastic, polypropylene | Strap dimensions: 64 x 2 inches | Adjustable: Yes | Closure type: Buckle

While most luggage straps are adjustable, double-check the measurements to make sure they can fit around your suitcase. Take into consideration which way you plan to attach the strap as well — the vertical measurement will be longer than the horizontal measurement. 

For visibility purposes, you might want to choose a stand-out color or pattern, which will make your suitcase easily identifiable at baggage claim. That said, if your suitcase itself has a bold pattern, you could opt for a more neutral look for the luggage strap to contrast.

Luggage straps are designed to surround your suitcase, helping to keep it closed. Simply wrap the luggage strap around your packed and zipped suitcase, adjust it to fit snugly, and close the buckle.

Yes, luggage straps are TSA-approved, but they must be removable by the TSA. If the only closure is a buckle, that is acceptable. If there's a lock involved, that specific lock must be TSA-approved.

For this article, T+L contributor Stefanie Waldek read dozens of customer reviews and incorporated her own experience to compile a list of the very best luggage straps.

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