» What is it: A sleek, portable luggage scale that you can pop into your carry-on and use before you enter the check-in line at the airport, preventing those last-minute repacking episodes at the counter that hold up an already impatient line of fellow travelers. It comes with two lithium batteries.

» How it works: Push the button on the front to deploy the handles by which you raise your bag as it hangs from a large hook. The hook also deploys when you push the button. Another button toggles back and forth between pounds and kilograms. The back-lit display goes from blue to red when the bag is over the common 50-pound or 23-kilogram limit.

» The good: What separates this from so many other luggage scales is that it is designed for use with two hands. If you’re pushing the 50-pound limit on one checked bag, hoisting the scale and bag with one hand might be asking a lot. With two handles you can more easily lift it and see the digital weight display on top of the device. Our road test showed the device to be accurate. My bag started out at almost 60 pounds, so I decided to go with a second checked bag, which was free for international travel. I redistributed the weight, getting the original bag down to a smidge over 49 pounds. It sailed right on through the airline weigh-in.

» The bad: Somehow the scale’s plastic casing got scratched, probably while it was in a carry-on, or maybe while shoving the bag into the overhead bin and up against metal keys also in the carry-on. But there was no loss of function. Nice item.

» Cost: $23.99

» Available from: ebags.com or amazon.com, among other travel gear online retailers

———

Visit the Chicago Tribune at www.chicagotribune.com.