Monday November 24, 2008 4:53 PM CST - By: Michael Kwan
http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/335/C16624/

You may be getting ready to visit your relatives this holiday season and this could involve all the fun associated with flying through the airport. As you know, airlines have all kinds of restrictions as to what you can and cannot bring with you onto the plane, so it’s good to be aware of these restrictions before you hop in that cab to the airport. Arriving at the check-in counter, you don’t want to be told by the airline representative that your luggage is overweight and you have to pay some rather nasty fees for that extra bulk. Cash is tight enough already. Forking out an extra hundred bucks because your luggage is too heavy just exacerbates the situation.

That’s why it’s a worthy investment to consider something like the New Balanzza Ergo. This is a digital luggage scale that will easily fit in any bag, giving you a a near-instant reading of just how heavy your bag happens to be.

First Impressions

The New Balanzza Ergo comes from the same people that brought you the first Balanzza Digital Luggage Scale, except this one has been redesigned to be more ergonomic (hence its name). The grooves in the handle make it a lot easier for you to pick up heavier weights.

The bold green paintjob is a little off-putting and I would have preferred some different color options, but you are buying something like the Balanzza Ergo for its functionality and not its aesthetics. The included strap is a little shorter than I expected, but you should have no trouble wrapping it around the handle on your luggage or day bag.

Unfortunately, the strap (at least I think it’s the strap) comes with a weird new product smell. It’s that weird blend of new plastic and new rubber, but I imagine that this odor will dissipate over time.

How to Use the Balanzza

After installing the included pair of AAA batteries, using the Balanzza Ergo is a remarkably straightforward process. You have a simple monochromatic display and a trio of buttons that’ll do everything you need it to do.

First, you’ll want to turn the thing on by hitting the power button on the far left. The middle button lets you swap between pounds and kilograms, and the right button resets the scale back to zero in case you happened to be pulling on the strap when you turned it on.

Next, you’ll want to unbuckle the strap and wrap it around whatever it is you want weighed. While the Balanzza Ergo is designed as a digital luggage scale, there is no reason why you can’t also use it for other purposes, like shipping boxes across the country. You’ll need to come up with some clever way to use the strap to pick up a large box, but the possibility is there.

After securing the strap, you simply lift the luggage (or whatever) using only the Balanzza and your luggage will tug on the strap accordingly. After determining an accurate weight reading, the Balanzza will beep and you can set your item down. Read the display and you know how much it weighs. Simple.

Pros, Cons, and Final Thoughts

There’s not much that I can find at fault with the Balanzza Ergo. I like how the battery is replaceable and not a built-in thing, because it makes this a lot easier to swap when you run out of juice. The display is simple, but effective, as are the three buttons used as the interface.

It would have been nice to see this in a color other than bright green, especially if you’re a corporate type that needs a more conservative appearance for everything that you carry while traveling. The relatively short strap could be a pro or a con, depending on your perspective. The shorter strap makes this product more portable and less dangly, but it also means that it won’t wrap around larger items.

The Balanzza Ergo Digital Luggage Scale is not the sexiest product on the market, but it is a very useful gadget for travelers who tend to pack on a few more pounds (I’m talking luggage, not your waistline) during the holidays. It’s priced at an affordable $24.99 and is available now.

Travel Girl
Nov 2008

Check the article photo HERE.

Gear review: Digital luggage scale
November 2, 2008

Name: Balanzza Digital Luggage Scale

What it is: Handheld portable scale for weighing luggage

How it works: Hook the sturdy fabric strap around the handle of your suitcase, then use the device’s plastic handle to lift your bag off the ground for a few seconds. After the beep, set the bag down and the digital scale shows the bag’s weight in pounds or kilos.

The good: A winner for the heavy packer or souvenir collector tired of unhappy surprises at the check-in counter. Carry this device and there’s no more embarrassing digging through your suitcases at the counter to redistribute weight among your bags. No more overweight luggage charges. No more trying to translate pounds to kilos on overseas flights. And no more worrying on your way to the airport about just how far you’ve overshot the limit and how lenient that desk agent might be.

The bad: If you’re packing up to the very last ounce, this battery-powered device adds 10 ounces more to the load. The battery door also has a tendency to pop off with wear and abuse, but it’s nothing a little tape can’t fix.

Sun Sentinel
Sunday November 3, 2008

Check the article photo HERE.

Hooters Magazine
Sept/Oct 2008

Check the article photo HERE.

Travel Age West
2008

Check the article photo HERE.

http://www.product-reviews.net

Balanzza, makers of the first digital luggage scale for travelers, announces the release of its new model, the Ergo. This improved model comes equipped with a more visible LCD display and ergonomic handle, which makes it easier than ever to weigh your luggage before arriving at the airport. Balanzza helps travelers avoid unexpected overweight charges at the airline ticket counter, as well as the inconvenience and embarrassment of having to redistribute belongings on the airport floor.

The Ergo comes at a time where airlines have begun charging for the first piece of checked luggage and overweight fees are rapidly increasing. Overweight fees are added to the checked luggage fees, which means one piece of overweight luggage can cost travelers an upwards of $65 to $100 depending on the airline (see fee chart below). The need for travelers to pack smart and weigh their luggage has never been more evident.

“We’re very excited to bring travelers the new and improved Balanzza Ergo model in the midst of all the fee changes among all the airline carriers,” said Ronald Kritzler, president of Balanzza. “Balanzza saves travelers money and allows them to be informed and prepared when they reach the airline counter. The Ergo’s new contoured design and easy to read display makes it easier for travelers of all ages to use.”

Weighing only 8 oz and with its compact size, Balanzza Ergo is easy to pack and assist you on your way back from any trip. Whether you are returning with souvenirs and gifts or brochures and samples from a business trip, your luggage can often weigh more than it did when you left home. The Balanzza Ergo digital luggage scale is always with you to help you save money by avoiding excess weight surcharges.

How does it work? With Balanzza Ergo, you simply secure the scale to the handle by using the scale’s strong strap (no hooks). Next, you lift the luggage with one or two hands with the unit’s ergonomic handle and the automatic hold feature will beep indicating that the weight has been registered and stored on the display. Then, set the luggage down on the floor and read the weight on the large digital display.

When traveling, I adhere to this rule: The usefulness of a travel accessory is directly proportional to A), the number of times it is (efficiently) used and B), the level of importance to the trip. A passport is used a couple of times, but it’s key. Downy portable toilet paper? Important, my friends.

Judged by this standard, the Ergo digital luggage scale from Balanzza isn’t special. But it might prove to be useful for heavy travelers and those constantly on the move.

The scale is a handheld intended to weigh luggage, and is secured by a tough band to handle heavy loads. Unfortunately, airlines have pushed up prices based on weight, (a passenger is usually charged, on average, about $50 extra for every 50 lbs), and making weight at each stop doesn’t fit my other vacation rule: no worries.

Of course, you could always keep the packing super light like you’re supposed to, but some people are hardheaded pack rats and want to take everything with them.

I think I would use this device differently: To measure the weight of my daily backpack, which often feels heavy and overloaded. If it doesn’t fit the body max of what I should be carrying (15% of my body weight), it could force me to lighten it up. But I already have my local grocery’s meat scale for that daily weigh-in.

Jodie Andrefski
on Jul 8, 2008 at 01:14 AM
www.gadgetell.com

With all the latest changes to weight restrictions on baggage by practically all of the airlines, more and more travelers find themselves trying to figure out if their stuffed suitcase is going to make that new 50-pound limit or be slapped with a whopping $125 (or more!) surcharge.

Well, you could try to stand on your scale and weigh yourself with and without bag and hope your scale is on. (Although this method is rather cumbersome trying to lean around the bag attempting to see the display, and can also be a problem once you are on the return flight and jammed in all those goodies from your trip to Kalamazoo). Or, you could purchase Balanzza. Absolutely brainless to operate; the Balanzaa weighs your bag in seconds. It runs on 2 AAA batteries, and itself weighs in at a mere half-pound, so you can even throw it in your suitcase without much worry of tipping those scales too much. The model pictured here is their latest available.

All you have to do is slip the Balanzaa’s strap through the handle of your luggage, pick up your bag and wait for the beep. The LED will quickly show just how much your bag weighs in at…and if you have to remove a couple trinkets or that pair of extra Docs to hit the new airport weight limit. The Balanzaa can measure up to 100 pounds, so if you are carrying something over that, well, I suggest you bring your Visa for that surcharge.