Can I Take Power Banks on Flights? We Explain the Rules (2025)

Power banks are tailor-made for travel, but if you’re jetting disconnected somewhere, location are a fewer rules astir taking them connected flights you request to beryllium alert of. I ne'er alert without a mates of portable chargers successful my manus luggage, because they're perfect erstwhile you request your telephone and different mini gadgets to support you entertained, thief you navigate, and enactment successful touch. A fewer airlines person deed nan headlines precocious pinch stricter rules connected flying pinch portable chargers, truthful let's excavation into what precisely is going connected and nan precise rules you request to follow.

Read our Best Power Banks and Best MagSafe Power Banks guides for our recommendations.

Can I Take a Power Bank connected a Plane?

There are 2 main rules astir flying pinch powerfulness banks, and they’ve been successful spot for respective years now:

• You must person powerfulness banks successful your carry-on. They cannot beryllium successful checked luggage that goes into nan hold
• Power banks must not transcend 100 watt-hours (Wh). That equates to 27,000 milliamp-hours (mAh). You tin cipher Wh pinch nan look V × Ah (voltage x amp-hours)

It whitethorn beryllium imaginable to alert pinch powerfulness banks up to 160 Wh connected immoderate airlines, but mostly only pinch anterior approval. You are not allowed to alert pinch powerfulness banks that transcend 160 Wh.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and nan Transportation Security Administration (TSA) successful nan US, nan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) successful nan UK, and nan International Air Transport Association (IATA) and galore different charismatic bodies astir nan world are successful statement connected these rules, but individual airlines tin besides person their ain rules.

How Many Power Banks aliases Batteries Can I Take?

The rules connected this vary. The IATA says you tin person up to 20 spare batteries aliases powerfulness banks, but they must beryllium successful your carry-on and nether 100 Wh each. You tin person up to 2 160-Wh powerfulness banks aliases batteries pinch anterior approval. The FAA guidelines are similar, pinch a fewer exceptions for things for illustration electrical wheelchairs. But individual airlines whitethorn person stricter rules.

What About Batteries Inside Devices?

When batteries are wrong devices (phones, laptops, aesculapian devices), they are allowed to spell into checked baggage, provided they are turned disconnected (completely switched disconnected and not successful standby aliases hibernation). Any spare batteries for these devices are taxable to nan aforesaid rules arsenic powerfulness banks. The IATA says you tin return up to 15 portable physics devices connected flights successful your checked and carry-on luggage. Again, airlines whitethorn person their ain rules connected this.

Are There Any Other Power Bank Flight Rules?

Yes, location are respective further rules worthy keeping successful mind, though immoderate of these rules are seldom checked.

• Power banks must beryllium for individual use
• They must not person immoderate signs of harm (look retired for swelling aliases defects)
• They must not person been recalled
• Spare batteries should beryllium enclosed successful nan original packaging aliases a abstracted bag
• When terminals are exposed, for illustration pinch a spare laptop battery, they should beryllium taped over

Can I Use a Power Bank connected a Plane?

While location is nary wide norm against utilizing a powerfulness slope connected a plane, immoderate airlines person forbidden their usage aft recent incidents that caused powerfulness banks to overheat and origin fires. Others authorities that nan powerfulness slope must beryllium successful plain position erstwhile being utilized to complaint something. If you are utilizing a powerfulness slope connected a formation and it shows immoderate motion of overheating (feels very warm, emits smoke, aliases swells), you should discontinue usage instantly and alert a formation attendant.

Which Airlines Have Strict Power Bank Rules?

Always cheque successful pinch your hose earlier you travel. You tin usually find a breakdown of what is allowed by searching for “[your hose name] restrictions.” Here are a fewer examples of airlines that person brought successful stricter policies connected powerfulness banks, but this is not an exhaustive list, and rules tin alteration quickly.

• Southwest Airlines says portable chargers must beryllium visible anytime you're utilizing them (they cannot beryllium successful a container aliases overhead locker)
• Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Emirates, EVA Air, Singapore Airlines (and fund subsidiary Scoot), South Korean Airlines, and Thai Airways each forbid nan usage of powerfulness banks onboard

Advice for Taking Power Banks connected Flights

If you do intend to return powerfulness banks connected flights, I person a fewer tips for you to guarantee things spell smoothly.

• Inspect nan powerfulness banks and make judge location are nary signs of harm aliases swelling.
• Make judge that nan capacity is stated intelligibly and doesn’t transcend 100 Wh aliases 27,000 mAh.
• Fully complaint nan powerfulness banks and gadgets earlier you time off nan house.
• Check your airline’s website to find retired if location are immoderate restrictions connected nan number of powerfulness banks you tin take, really they should beryllium stored, and really they tin beryllium utilized onboard.
• Make judge your powerfulness banks are successful your carry-on luggage, ideally successful a abstracted pouch aliases bag. If you’re taking spare batteries, support them successful nan packaging aliases portion immoderate visible metallic terminals pinch electrical tape.
• Use outlets astatine nan airdrome to apical up your gadgets earlier you committee and minimize nan request to usage powerfulness banks during nan flight. Many planes person charging outlets now, truthful you whitethorn moreover beryllium capable to complaint onboard.
• If you do usage a powerfulness slope to complaint during a flight, support it connected nan tray array successful beforehand of you truthful you tin watch retired for immoderate issues and guarantee it doesn’t overheat.

If you’re looking for a good, reliable, safe powerfulness bank, I urge nan Nimble Champ ($60) aliases nan Anker Laptop Power Bank ($95). If you person an iPhone aliases Qi2 phone, see 1 of nan best MagSafe powerfulness banks.