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The agent must relock the bag to retrieve their key

Forge Open-alert cable locks, 4 colours, 4-pack

Four cable locks in four colors, with the cable measured end to end and as a locked loop — and a mechanism that will not release the screener’s key until the bag is shut again.

Four Forge TSA cable locks in four colors with their open-alert indicators

Forge Open-alert cable locks, 4 colours, 4-pack

Four cable locks in four colors, with the cable measured end to end and as a locked loop — and a mechanism that will not release the screener’s key until the bag is shut again.

Amazon reference
B07DPBCV79
EAN
0857009008298
  • Publishes the cable two ways: 4 in end to end, and a 1.5 in internal loop when locked — the figure that decides what it will go round
  • States that the screener must relock the bag to remove their own key
  • Does not mention the red-diamond TSA marking

Best for: Four bags that have to be told apart on a carousel, with the cable flexibility a shackle lacks

≈ $25
Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Amazon reference
B07DPBCV79
EAN
0857009008298

Two things on this listing are better than anything else on the shelf, and one of them is a measurement almost nobody publishes. The cable is given as 4 inches end to end and as a 1.5 inch internal loop when locked — which is the figure that tells you what it will close around. A pair of zip pulls, comfortably; a bag handle, not at all. The 26-inch cable lock further up this shelf is the tether; this is a zip lock with cable flexibility.

The second is the relocking mechanism. The screener’s master key is captive until the lock is shut again, so a bag that has been inspected cannot be left hanging open — and the listing makes the comparative claim that most TSA locks do not work this way, which is the maker’s assertion rather than something the page demonstrates. The open-alert indicator is there as well, so an inspection leaves a visible trace.

The four colors are the practical touch. Four identical black locks on four bags mean four codes and no way to know which lock belongs to which case; four colors turn the code into a color. The construction is specified as special alloy bodies with braided and sheathed steel cables and hardened steel ends, under an unconditional lifetime guarantee. Forge sells the same lock as a two-pack with identical text at a higher price per lock. And as everywhere on this shelf, the page says “TSA RECOGNIZED AND ACCEPTED” without confirming the red-diamond marking this hub asks you to look for.

Availability

Read on the day this page was built: $25 at the American Amazon shop.

Read from Keepa on the day this page was last revised; stock and price both move without notice.

Prices quoted in this text were read on 2026-10-07. The live price is at the top of the page.

What travelers ask

Why publish the loop length as well as the cable length?

Because they answer different questions. Four inches end to end tells you how much cable there is; a 1.5 in internal loop when locked tells you what it will actually close around — a pair of zip pulls, yes; a bag handle, no. Of seven American locks on this shelf, this is the only one to publish both, and it is the distinction that separates a cable zip lock from the 26-inch tether further up this shelf.

What does "the agent has to re-lock your suitcase" mean?

That the master key is captive until the lock is closed. The listing makes a comparative claim about it — "Most TSA locks on the market do not need to be re-locked by a TSA agent after their inspection is completed" — and the mechanism is real: the screener cannot retrieve their key from an open lock, so the bag cannot be left hanging open. One other maker on this shelf describes the same thing. Whether most locks lack it is the maker’s assertion, not something this page proves.

Four colors or two locks?

Forge sells the identical lock as a two-pack in orange and as this four-pack in four colors, with bullets that are word for word the same. The four-pack is cheaper per lock — and the colors are not decoration: four identical black locks on four bags mean four codes to remember and no way to tell which is which, while four colors make the code a color.

More tsa locks

  • Four Fosmon TSA approved combination luggage padlocks

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    A four-pack of conventional shackle padlocks whose own listing understates its combination count as "hundreds" where it is a thousand.

    Amazon reference
    B076JHYV2Z
    EAN
    0879565510527
    • Four locks in one purchase, each with its own settable code
    • A zinc alloy body with a hardened steel shackle, stated light and strong
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    Amazon reference
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    EAN
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    • States the combination count correctly: up to 1,000 for three digits
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    Amazon reference
    B0DQ85WNF5
    EAN
    0717097196300
    • A key mechanism rather than a dial, which this hub names as one of its three comparisons
    • Publishes the shackle diameter, 0.12 in, and a stated pull resistance of 220 lb
    • Does not mention the red-diamond TSA marking, as none of the eight American listings here does

    Best for: Someone who would rather carry a key than remember a code, with four bags to lock

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