Occasionally, I invest in a piece of travel gear that doesn’t quite measure up as I had hoped. Such is the case with Quick Pass Luggage Tag from Magellan’s.

I really liked the idea. First, it works as an ID tag for a carry-on bag. But it also cleverly holds a mesh pouch that unfolds to carry a cell phone, keys and other items you need to shed before going through an airport metal detector.

I enjoyed using it for a few months. While approaching or standing in line at a security checkpoint, I’d just shuck my pocket change, phone, keys and other metal items and place them in the pouch. That way they went through the x-ray machine attached to the bag and easy to retrieve at the end of the checkpoint.

Unfortunately, after less than six months of use, the pouch began falling apart and became unusable. This might be fine for infrequent travelers. But as many times as I’m going through airports, it just didn’t hold up.

Of course, I can’t complain too much for $12.85. And Magellan’s customers give this gadget five out of five stars in their reviews, so apparently it works for some.

But for me, it just wasn’t durable enough for anyone who travels more than a few times a year. I finally tossed the Quick Pass Luggage Tag and now just put my metal items inside the carry-on bag.

I do enjoy browsing Magellan’s selection of travel gear and they offer some useful items. But for my use, the Quick Pass just doesn’t hold up well enough for frequent travel.