Tips
Before you try every combination
A few things that often open a forgotten lock faster, and how to make sure a full search never skips the right code. These are for your own lock.
Look for a reset button or key first
Many suitcases with a built-in lock have a small reset button or pin hole next to the wheels. It only resets the code when the lock is open, so it won’t help you get in, but remember it for setting a new code once you do. Locks marked TSA (a red diamond logo) can also be opened by airport security with a master key, and some brands help owners who show proof of purchase.
Try the factory code
Most new combination locks ship set to 000 or 0000. If the code was never changed, or someone reset it by accident, that’s the first one to try. Add it as a guess on the main page.
Try codes you use elsewhere
Birthdays (day and month, or the year), the last digits of an old phone number, a house number, 123, 1234 or a code repeated from another lock. Add them all as guesses: they are tried first and crossed off.
Pull gently while you turn
On many cheap luggage locks, keeping light pressure on the shackle makes the right digit on each wheel feel slightly different: a small give, a looser click or a gap you can see between the wheels. It doesn’t work on every lock, and it’s fine if it doesn’t on yours: the full search always works.
Pull firmly on every try
The most common reason a search “fails” is pulling too softly, or a wheel sitting between two digits. Line every wheel up with the marks on the lock before you pull, and give the shackle a proper tug each time.
Do it in batches
A 3-wheel lock takes under an hour at most. For 4 or 5 wheels, do a few hundred at a time while watching something. The page keeps your place in this browser, so you can stop and pick up later.