These Were The Most Commonly Found Gadgets In Lost Luggage For 2025

An unfortunate fact of airline travel is that sometimes you don't return home with your luggage. While carry-on bags are easy to keep track of, the rest of your luggage, including checked bags with allowed electronics, runs the risk of getting lost. With all the luggage that goes unclaimed every year, there are some items more commonly misplaced than others according to The Found Report from Unclaimed Baggage. The most commonly found gadgets in lost luggage for 2025 were cellphones. That year, over 51,000 phones were found in luggage that never got picked up. 

The second most common were generic accessories such as chargers and cables with over 41,000 unclaimed, followed by some 40,000 headphones, which were often forgotten in airplane seatback pockets. Finally, coming in with almost 35,000 found, were tablets. While losing a cable may not seem like that big of a deal, some of these finds are surprising given how expensive and inconvenient that tech would be to replace. Fortunately, per Unclaimed Baggage, all of these lost gadgets have their data erased and are reset to factory settings. 

It's a good idea to try and keep important tech with you when flying. However, there are some electronics that TSA bans from carry-on bags. Should something go missing, it is the airline's responsibility to find your bag and reimburse you for the items within, though that comes with terms and conditions that vary based on category, travel destination, and more. If your airline has an app for tracking luggage, it is a good idea to take advantage of that. And if your luggage gets lost, you can file a claim with the airline. 

However, if your bag is not found within two weeks, most airlines will declare it lost. Each situation is unique and depends on where you are flying to and from, what you have in the luggage, and what airline you are dealing with. Most luggage that is never reunited with its owner, in the U.S., goes to a warehouse in Alabama,  where Unclaimed Baggage takes over. At this point, items from lost luggage are recycled, donated, or sold on the Unclaimed Baggage website, much like any online retail store.

While phones were the most commonly found gadgets in lost luggage for 2025, there were less common items as well, that don't necessarily qualify as useful travel gadgets that fit in your carry-on. Like a bionic knee that was discovered while still being used in clinical trials. One of the most expensive gadgets found was a T530 thermal camera valued at about $12,000. There was also a 2023 MacBook Pro with enough accessories on it to be valued at an estimated $7,200. 

For those who like retro tech, Unclaimed Baggage found a barometer from 1941 and a Kellogg candlestick telephone from the 1900s. It's interesting to see what kinds of things get lost or left behind as people move about the world. So, the next time you're flying, make sure to hang on tightly to your cellphone and avoid having it show up on the 2026 Found Report.