No matter what bag you take with you on your travels, a luggage tag can quickly identify it if it gets misplaced or becomes misplaced.
A great luggage tag must be durable enough to withstand airline baggage handlers while standing out among a sea of black suitcases. We sourced several designs that combine toughness with visual flair that cater to different budgets and styles.
All the luggage tags we selected should remain securely fastened throughout an expedition and be easily identifiable upon first glance, meeting personal style preferences and travel needs simultaneously.
We provide options that either conceal or openly display your contact info, come in vibrant hues or subtle tones, securely hold business cards in place or allow for writing. Furthermore, we explored what electronic smart luggage tags can and cannot do; most individuals likely opting out.
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Clean Your Apple AirTag Luggage Now and Save With Luggage Trackers
Wirecutter has released their list of September’s 100 Most Popular Luggage Picks.
Travel The research offers more insight. Ovener Silicone Luggage Tag is ideal for almost any trip; it protects luggage against damages while remaining lightweight.
Consider: Famavala 2 Luggage Tag Set.
Ideal metal luggage tags: CPACC Aluminum Luggage Tags
Stay ahead of the competition: Art of Travel Neoprene Designer Luggage Tags can make you stand out in a crowd.
Should You Purchase an Intelligent Luggage Tag?
How We Selected and Assessedwettbewerb The Competition Ovener Silicone Luggage Tag’s versatile luggage tag can meet nearly all travel needs: Ovener Silicone Luggage Tag.
Ovener Silicone Luggage Tag. Our selection.
Strong and Easy to See
This robust silicone tag with metal cable construction features prominent display of its owner’s name while protecting their personal data. It comes in packs of two, making for convenient travel.
Are You Traveling and Need a Pack of Two Tags on Amazon For $8 each, this tag from Amazon (Pair) offers maximum protection while remaining discreet; perfect if: Traveling frequently requires hardy tags that offer easy identification while covertly conceal any contact info except your name.
Why it’s great: The Ovener Silicone Luggage Tag fulfills all our requirements for an entry-level luggage tag: it features an efficient yet cost-effective design; is constructed of tough yet flexible materials; should outlive even your luggage itself Featuring six vibrant colors as well as black and gray hues (two per pack); unlike similar tags which use metal cables that may wear through their casing over time; unlike this tag which includes an inbuilt metal grommet to prevent this happening again.
Your name and contact info remain hidden from other passengers; only your narrow window in silicone allows them to see them.
Flaws but Not Definite Dealbreakers: In order to access the information card fully, it requires unscrewing and unhooking a metal strap securing it to the case, allowing it to slip out easily. Most luggage tags we tested utilized this method as it allowed easy and quick access. Comparable with tags which display all information openly, however, this step adds one extra step compared to those which conceal all contact info from view – though for someone seeking privacy it might still be worth taking On one sample they had one loose metal grommet while our second set were flawless.
Color Options Available Include Orange, Black, Blue, Green Yellow and Purple
Are You Searching for Something Else?
Wirecutter has released their list of 100 Most Popular Carry-On Luggages in September 2022.
Visit Travel for more details, as well as Famavala 2 Luggage Tags for consideration.
Famavala Luggage Tags were our runners-up. Their attractive yet sturdy design won us over.
Plastic “leather” tags offer almost the same durability and security as silicone tags, protecting your personal information from public view while still offering distinctive patterns over neon-bright colors. For those preferring subtler patterns over vibrant hues, this might be an ideal solution.
At just $8 for two from Amazon, these luggage tags could be the ideal way to protect sensitive information while traveling – both come in brightly-colored options which could make an eye-catching display.
Why it’s great: The Famavala 2x Luggage Tags are almost as tough as Ovener luggage tags, yet feature synthetic-leather bodies decorated with decorative patterns instead of solid colors. Their four designs incorporate elements from old maps, space scenes, and psychedelic florals – four sets in total Their metal cables may never break or wear out; unlike Ovener tags which pass theirs through metal grommets for protection; instead these pass directly through its body, which could wear through over time compared to Ovener.
Famavala tags offer more security by concealing all your information behind a magnetically secured flap that remains out of sight – unlike Oveners which only conceal personal details such as your name or other data. You can still easily view this data without taking apart your tag; making this an attractive yet long-term choice that won’t look out of fashion quickly This may be perfect if you want something distinctive but not as loudly noticeable like Oveners.
Flaws but Not Dealbreakers: Though more ornate than Oveners, these tags may not be quite as noticeable from afar. Their metal cable could rip through narrow plastic bodies when pulled too strongly, potentially rupturing your plastic body altogether.
Style Options: Six different designs are currently available.
CPACC Aluminum Luggage Tags are our pick for best metal tags.
Check out CPACC Aluminum Luggage Tags as another fantastic option.
All-metal durability These metal luggage tags offer similar toughness as silicone ones and should easily cover everything except your name. Unfortunately, however, they’re more prone to scratching paint or people.
Amazon is offering this set of five Ovener luggage tags at just $9 each that will keep your personal information hidden while still standing the test of time and wear and tear.
Why we love it: While metal luggage tags may have hard edges that could snag fabric and scratch paint or people, CPACC Aluminum Luggage Tags have an aluminum alloy body with stainless steel cable for superior security – offering similar performance as more costly metal tags at an extremely reduced cost.
This tag comes in sets of either two, five, or seven with each color offering something special and highly visible luggage carousels and also colors that blend harmoniously into their surroundings.
Faults but Not Dealbreakers: As with the Ovener tag, this tag requires disassembling its strap clasp to read its card inside. While this process doesn’t take too much time or effort, several steps must be completed prior to reading its contents.
Red, Black, Blue, Gold, Green Pink & Silver Are Color Options Available
Best way to stand out in a crowd: Art of Travel Neoprene Designer Luggage Tags.
There are also the Art of Travel Neoprene Designer Luggage Tags which make great additions.
This whimsical luggage ID tag, created by various artists, comes in nine unique patterns to bring some character and excitement to your luggage identification system.
Amazon sells two artistic luggage tags at $20 each that add a personal touch and enhance the luggage experience for $20 total. Perfect if: You prefer something artistic to personalise your experience.
Why it’s great: The Art of Travel Designer Luggage Tags were some of our brightest-looking luggage tags we tested, featuring nine designs by six artists representing various styles. Simply wrap their single-piece neoprene tag around any luggage handle (or anywhere) and tuck its label end through its loop end before tightening until taut – no chance for tears here; edges are securely stitched. While they might not outlast silicone or metal picks in terms of longevity, but should still last many years of travel.
Informational component is fairly basic–it consists of a small, clear plastic card in an equally transparent pocket that’s always visible. Due to being transparent, you can still view its design through it; additionally, adhesion between card and holder ensures greater stability for its presentation.
Flaws but Not Dealbreakers: Unlike our other picks, this wallet doesn’t hide any personal data; however, due to its clear plastic information card it may be hard to distinguish from its background pattern at a distance even though your data is not being hidden. In addition, no closure was available on its card pocket but we had no issues with cards falling out; though its loop-through design appeared secure.
Styles: Each artist may contribute multiple designs; designs may change periodically.
Should You Consider Investing In An Advanced Luggage Tag?
As travelers ourselves, our first recommendation for most travelers is luggage tags with cards containing information printed on them. While electronic smart luggage tags may help faster locate lost bags; after reviewing all available types however none proved suitable enough for regular travel luggage use.
Smart tags with Bluetooth tracking capabilities are one of the fastest ways to quickly locate luggage. Our research revealed that Apple AirTag (for iOS users) and Tile system (for Android users) were among the top Bluetooth trackers available; particularly popular were Slim and Sticker trackers by Tile; when far enough away from your phone to break contact, Find My or Tile apps will record its last seen location, giving you a greater chance of retrieving whatever object it may have been attached to upon returning home.
AirTag stands out from smart luggage tags by responding quickly when your bag goes missing. Apple’s Find My App can assist in tracking down lost iPhones, Macs and AirTags quickly. Practically speaking, this means if your AirTag-equipped suitcase gets lost on an airport shuttle and someone with an Apple device identifies it instantly, its location will be reported back to you instantly (though those responsible won’t know who identified it). Though Tile trackers operate similarly, their scope is much smaller; as over one billion Apple devices worldwide are registered with Find My, the likelihood that an intelligent luggage tag tracker could reach Apple’s enormous user base would be virtually insurmountable.
Explore available smart tag options
Not to be outdone by Bluetooth trackers, there are also various smart tags on the market which we would strongly advise against using.
Smart luggage tags designed to be smartphone-friendly may include QR codes or unique website addresses designed to be read on smartphones; however, we found these to be counterproductive as they rely on someone having smartphone literacy, which may or may not be the case; additionally, each step adds another barrier between discovering information contained therein and finding out about you – should your home address not be visible upon first glance, phone numbers or emails would suffice instead.
RFID luggage tags may also be found on the market, although like their QR Code counterparts they require technical expertise as well as a tracking reader for accurate use. While some airlines utilize them, their additional costs often make little sense and won’t add much benefit anyway.
Now for something truly creepy: tracking devices can be used to easily track down luggage anywhere it travels. They typically cost over $100 and require a monthly subscription fee ranging from $25-50; instead of communicating through Bluetooth with your phone directly, these trackers connect directly with cell towers – effectively turning them into smart phones without phones.
Costly devices with potentially creepy uses. Every company selling such devices emphasizes how easily these products could be misused to track other things (car or purse for example); or possibly monitoring someone else. Due to how easily such items could be misutilized and tracked by others, we would hesitate before recommending such items as gifts.
How We Tested With so many luggage tags on the market, we focused on selecting and testing those with outstanding reviews from Amazon and prominent travel companies. While there were several choices that met specific styles, our primary criterion for selection was sturdy construction: that means it had to withstand being grabbed regularly by baggage handlers, taxi drivers, ride-hail services, hotel employees or others grabbing it – with our failure point often being its strap attachment; thus we searched for ones which provided strong attachment and could endure regular use without snapping or breaking.
We gathered tags designed to make an eye-catching statement or simply blend in, depending on your personal style preferences. When selecting these options, we considered how important it was for extended contact info (other than name) to remain concealed from casual view; most of our selections did so; however an option is also available should someone prefer having their entire information freely visible.
Once we had collected over 40 tags, we spent time sorting through them all to select 14 most promising candidates, looking for visual appeal, strength, and any potential flaws which might lead to their failure. I repeatedly tugged and smashed each tag in search of potential failure points. As previously discussed, where a strap comes into contact with your body is typically where failure lies; even the strap itself could collapse at any moment; for this reason, all our picks feature durable and secure materials and types in their straps. Leather straps may become frayed over time, while plastic ones could become more fragile as time progresses. Metal cables tend to be stronger, but may break or wear through over time – for best results, get something with metal straps (you can purchase additional straps here if desired) for longevity and indestructible use.
I also installed and tested old Tile Pro and Slim models to see how well they would perform with luggage tags. Because Bluetooth range can differ depending on factors such as walls between you and your Tile, your mobile device model, etc, we did not attempt to verify its claims on range; rather they will likely be much lower in practice than claimed.
Arlo Skye offered leather tags at an equivalent cost to Tumi’s selection, featuring more subdued colors like black, beige and gray; unfortunately gray remains unavailable; as of fall 2023 both black and beige tags had returned while gray remains unavailable – both items can now be purchased.
The Talonport Bag Tag appeared to be more durable than its aluminum counterpart and came equipped with both leather and metal straps – offering both durability and a lifetime replacement guarantee – but was significantly more costly.
Tufftaag had sharper metal edges than other options we considered, which wasn’t ideal. Although initially selected as our favourite choice, long-term testing revealed it to be just as rugged and convenient compared to our expectations, while one tester appreciated its space for multiple address cards. Overall though, most users may prefer Ovener or CPACC due to their soft silicone materials providing superior cushioning than more costly metal options like Tufftaag or CPACC models.
Tumi and Incase tags used to be our go-to brands; unfortunately both no longer manufacture products.
Ria Misra and Christine Ryan offered their expertise to edit this article.
Meet Your Guide (Guidance).
Geoffrey Morrison is Wirecutter’s former AV editor, current Editor-at-Large, travel writer, photographer and former travel photographer. His expertise lies in action cameras, gimbals, travel backpacks and photography gear related to these. Furthermore, his book Budget Travel for Dummies as well as sci-fi novel Undersea are popular references.
Additional Reading Here’s How to Clean Your Luggage Regular maintenance can go a long way toward keeping your luggage looking its best between trips – here’s how.
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