At a time when overweight luggage fees have increased -- and airlines are trying to cut costs and save money -- it's even more unlikely they'll give you a break for overweight luggage.  To help prevent wasting money, [M]adshrimps will today review the Balanzza Mini scale aimed for travelers.

The Balanzza Mini is available from Balanzza.com with a $24.95 MSRP -- and select brick and mortar retail stores offer the portable scale.  You can find it online at Amazon for less than $20, which makes it an even more appealing gadget.   This brief review is more of a confirmation of the device's legitimacy, as it's a fairly straight forward item.  It comes in either grey or green and uses two CR2032 batteries (which are included), with weight displayed in both pounds and kilograms.

The gadget is significantly smaller than its larger big brother, but can weigh bags up to 100 lb, with checked luggage for most passengers is normally under this weight.  The Balanzza Mini is extremely easy to use, as all that's required is to clip the unit to your luggage, turn it on, then pick it up off the ground.  It's done weighing the luggage after a beep (which should be fairly soon after you begin weighing an item).  

Each time I used it I discovered the scale was very reliable, and a much better idea than trying to weigh luggage on your bathroom scale.  I've found the clip can sometimes be difficult to release, but it's good to make sure it's so durable to ensure it can hold such heavy weight.

A friend used it and was about a half-pound away from the Southwest baggage limit, but the Balanzza Mini helped him accurately weigh his luggage.  (My friend has had to dish out extra cash to the airlines because his bags have been too heavy from souvenirs and  useless junk he wants to hoard.)

Final Thoughts

If you're a frequent flyer constantly paranoid of getting hit with overweight luggage fees, give this little gadget a try.  If you have heavier luggage you're checking, the larger model feels more comfortable when weighing heavier items.  As a frequent traveler, I found the Balanzza Mini to be a useful, ultra-portable gadget that I now take with me every time I fly.