Pack to the Baggage Scale, Not to the Suitcase — Free
Almost nobody finds out their bag is 3.4 kg over at home, where they could have fixed it in five minutes. They find out at the counter, with a queue behind them and a card out. This card turns your packing list into a weighed label: each item sorted heaviest first, a running total against your airline's figure, and the single item that crosses the line.
The proof surface
Free path: the card computes locally in the browser with no key and no account. Where an AI step helps, any free chat assistant works — Google AI Studio's free tier and Groq's free tier were both no-card and rate-limited when this page was reviewed on 2026-09-13 (limits change; check before you rely on them).
Why the flat version breaks
A packing checklist is a memory aid, not a measurement. It cannot tell you that the hardback guide plus the camera body is what put you over, because a checklist has no numbers at all. Sorting the same list by weight turns packing from a guess into one decision: what comes out.
How to weigh the bag in four passes
One line per item, in kilograms. Shoes, chargers, books and gifts are where the number hides; three t-shirts can be bundled as one line if you never repack them apart.
23 kg is only the common long-haul hold allowance. Cabin limits, sports allowances and the piece-vs-weight rule all differ, so the number that matters is the one on your confirmation email.
The label sorts heaviest first, so the item that crosses the line is boxed rather than buried. If you are over, removing the boxed item is usually one decision instead of three.
Move the heavy item to the cabin bag, delete it from the list, and re-run. A second weigh of the same list is a real measurement; a guess about what you took out is not.
SAMPLE DATA, NOT A VERIFIED CLAIM: Northline hold bag · 23 kg limit · camera kit 2.4 kg · hardback guide 0.68 kg · gifts 1.1 kg. Replace these values with your own source before you rely on anything.
What breaks first
Estimating every weight
Guessed numbers turn a measurement back into a feeling. Weigh the shoes, the laptop bag and the toiletry kit on a kitchen scale once — those three are usually the difference between a 21 kg bag and a 24 kg one.
Using the cabin limit for a hold bag
The card will happily measure against 8 kg and box almost everything. Enter the limit for the bag you are actually checking, and check the piece count too — one bag at 23 kg is not the same allowance as two.
Ignoring what the airline does not count
A worn coat, a duty-free bag and a stroller are usually exempt. If your list includes something you will carry rather than pack, take it out of the list instead of trimming real luggage.
What you pay otherwise
| The usual route | What it leaves out | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Airport excess baggage fee | Charged per kilo at the counter, at the worst possible moment | charged per kg, one way |
| Booking an extra bag in a panic | Usually more than the overweight fee on the first bag | often the priciest option |
| Leaving things behind | The camera body and the gifts stay home, and you notice at the hotel | the trip's real loss |
| This page + the free weighed baggage label | Computed in your tab, result on screen before you type anything | $0 |
Try the free weighed baggage label
A Porto packing list is already weighed against 23 kg, heaviest item first. Change the limit to 20 and the overflow band moves down the list immediately.
Open the free weighed baggage label →Keep the work if you will use it again
Every list, every re-weigh, the sorted order and the overflow band, with no account.
Weighing, sorting and the overflow marking stay free. The one-time tier adds a printable sheet you can tape to the suitcase plus the saved lists behind it.
Boundary: This measures the numbers you enter. Airline allowances, cabin restrictions and sports-equipment rules are set by the carrier and change; confirm yours on the booking before you travel.