Can you take a power bank on a plane? The carry-on rule and the 100 Wh limit
Yes, in your carry-on, and never in the checked bag. The limit is in watt-hours, which is not always on the label, and since March 2026 the international rules also cap how many you can carry.
On this page
Yes, you can take a power bank on a plane. It goes in your carry-on, never in the bag you check in, and it has to be under a size limit measured in watt-hours, a number that is not always printed on the power bank. Since 27 March 2026, the international rules also limit how many you can carry and say they must not be recharged on board.
The short version
- Power banks and spare lithium batteries go in carry-on baggage only, never in checked bags.
- If your cabin bag is taken at the gate to go in the hold, take the power bank out and keep it with you.
- Up to 100 Wh: allowed without asking. Over 100 Wh and up to 160 Wh: only with the airline's approval, and the FAA limits you to two batteries of that size. Over 160 Wh: not allowed in passenger baggage.
- No more than two power banks per person under the international rules that took effect on 27 March 2026. For most batteries the FAA sets no general limit, but many airlines do.
- Don't recharge a power bank on board, and don't use it to charge other devices during the flight.
- Protect the terminals so nothing metal can touch them.
- Your airline can be stricter than all of this, so check before you fly.
The carry-on and size rules come from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the TSA, and the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) gives the same Wh limits. The two-per-person limit and the charging rules are international changes that took effect on 27 March 2026, as the CAA sets out.
Why not the checked bag
The FAA's page is plain about the risk. Every lithium-ion battery can overheat and go into what is called thermal runaway, and that can happen without warning if the battery is damaged, overheated, wet, overcharged or badly packed, or simply because of a manufacturing fault. The FAA adds that flight crews are trained to recognise and respond to lithium battery fires in the cabin, and it requires spare batteries to travel there.
That is also why the gate check matters. When a cabin bag is taken to go in the hold, the FAA says every spare lithium battery and power bank has to come out of it and stay with you.
If a battery is swollen, damaged or getting hot, don't fly with it. The CAA says batteries showing signs of damage, overheating or swelling should never be carried on an aircraft. On board, tell the crew straight away if anything starts to overheat, swell or smoke.
From mAh to Wh: working out your number
Power banks are usually sold by their capacity in milliamp-hours (mAh). The limits are in watt-hours (Wh), which also takes the battery's voltage into account. The FAA notes that newer batteries have the Wh rating marked on them. If yours does not, the formula is:
Wh = voltage (V) × mAh ÷ 1,000
Say a label reads 10,000 mAh at 3.7 V. That is 3.7 × 10,000 ÷ 1,000 = 37 Wh, well under 100 Wh. Those numbers are only an example: use the ones printed on your own power bank.
| Rating | What the rules allow |
|---|---|
| Up to 100 Wh | Carry-on, no approval needed |
| Over 100 Wh, up to 160 Wh | Carry-on, only with the airline's approval (the FAA allows two batteries of this size per person) |
| Over 160 Wh | Not allowed in passenger baggage |
A note on our own two. The product pages for the 20000mAh Mini Power Bank with LED Display and Dual USB and the 5000mAh Power Bank with 4 Built-In Cables and Flashlight list capacity in mAh only. They do not give a voltage or a Wh rating, so we are not going to state one for them. Read the label on the power bank itself before you fly. If you cannot find the voltage or the Wh figure, ask your airline rather than guessing.
Two per person, and no charging on board
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) rules for passengers changed on 27 March 2026, and the CAA has set out what that means for power banks. It says a passenger may carry a maximum of two power banks, that a power bank must not be recharged on board, and that it should not be used to charge other devices on board. The CAA also says you may be asked to keep a power bank in the seat-back pocket rather than in the overhead locker.
The FAA's page for flights under US rules still sets no quantity limit for most batteries, but it says many airlines, domestic and international, set their own limits on how many power banks each passenger may bring. On an international trip, plan on two.
In practice, that changes how you pack. Charge the power bank fully before you leave for the airport, charge your phone from it before boarding, and use the seat's own power outlet on the plane if there is one. If you own both of our power banks, those are your two.
Airlines can also set stricter Wh limits than the ones above.
Packing it
The battery terminals have to be protected from short circuit, which means they must not be able to touch other metal. The FAA lists several ways to do it, including keeping the battery in its retail packaging, covering the terminals with tape, or putting it snugly in a plastic bag or protective pouch. The CAA's list is much the same.
The organisers below keep your kit together. They are not sold as battery protection, so cover each power bank's terminals with tape, or put it in its own plastic bag or protective pouch, before it goes in one:
- The Double-Layer Electronics Organizer with EVA Hard Shell names power banks among the things it is made for. It has a hard EVA outer shell, a nylon lining and two layers with mesh and elastic compartments, and the listing says the double layer keeps cables and chargers apart from accessories.
- The Water-Resistant Travel Cable Organizer Pouch is a softer polyester pouch with several compartments, for a smaller kit.
- The Compact Cable Organizer Box is a plastic case of roughly 10 to 15 cm with separate compartments, which suits cables, a charger and earbuds.
Whichever you use, it lives in the cabin bag, not the checked one.
Which of our two to bring
The 20000mAh Mini Power Bank has a digital display that shows the remaining charge and two USB outputs, so it can charge two devices at once. It comes with a charging cable. Its listing gives no output wattage, so it is one for phones and small devices rather than a laptop.
The 5000mAh Power Bank has the smaller listed capacity, with four built-in charging cables, LED indicators for the remaining battery and an LED torch. The built-in cables mean one less thing to lose in the bag.
Both listings say to keep them away from water and extreme heat.
Before you fly
- The power bank is in your carry-on, not the checked bag
- You know its Wh rating, from the label or the formula
- You are carrying no more than two (the international limit)
- Its terminals are covered with tape, or it is in its retail packaging or snugly in a plastic bag or protective pouch of its own
- It is fully charged before you leave for the airport
- It is not swollen, damaged or running hot
- You have checked your airline's own power bank rules
Sources
About this guide. The rules, safety and health points follow the sources above. They are general information, not advice for your situation, and airlines can set stricter rules of their own, so check with yours before you fly. What we say about our own products comes from their product pages. We sell some of the things mentioned here.
