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Air travel these days is more security-conscious than ever, as even the seemingly innocuous can cause an emergency. For example, in 2024, a passenger’s laptop caught fire on a Breeze Airways flight, leading to a forced landing. Due to a process known as thermal runaway, batteries can sometimes be unpredictable – spontaneously overheating, and in extreme cases, emitting smoke or fire. Therefore, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) maintains an encyclopedia of rules and regulations on what items it allows on a flight, to ensure the safety of passengers.
You’re generally allowed to carry everyday electronics in carry-on luggage, including phones, laptops, and smartwatches. You can even cram in your hair straighteners and curling irons, although these electronics have certain TSA restrictions.
You don’t want to unknowingly add prohibited electronic items to your carry-on luggage, and end up with a delay to your travels. To help you avoid security hassles and to keep everyone safe, here are seven electronics you shouldn’t have as part of your carry-on.
Stun guns and tasers
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The TSA bans stun guns, tasers, and electric shock devices from airplane cabins, and for good reasons. These devices release a sudden bolt of electric shock, immobilizing the receiver. While the basic operation is similar, a stun gun requires close range, and tasers can fire projectiles from a distance. Now imagine the panic in the cabin if someone sneaks one of these on with the wrong intentions. Therefore, for everyone’s safety, these devices should be kept out of the cabin. If you want to carry a stun gun or a taser with you, it may be permitted in your checked baggage, but with some conditions.
The rules focus on preventing activation and safely managing the lithium batteries. You must make the devices inoperable, by engaging the built-in safety locks and removing the power source. If the device runs on a lithium battery, it must be powered off and protected from accidental activation. If you have a spare lithium-ion battery, you must carry it with you in the cabin – never in a checked bag.
Power banks beyond certain limits
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A power bank is a useful gadget that comes in handy when travelling. On a long flight, you can rely on this portable charger to keep your device running. Though many aircraft come with charging ports, if your device uses a USB-C port and the airline has a Type A, then it’s a waste. Generally all power banks under a 100 Watt-hour (Wh) rating are allowed in carry-on bags, but they are completely prohibited in checked baggage. However, if you are flying to go camping with drones, cameras, or mini-projectors, a power bank above this limit may be required for sustained use of these devices. Plus, high-performance laptops like the MacBook Pro, Dell XPS 17, and ASUS ROG work best with power banks over 100 Wh for extended charging.
You need prior permission from airlines to pack 100–160 Wh power banks, and all power banks over 160 Wh are prohibited from passenger baggage. With recent incidents involving these gadgets, the airlines have gotten even stricter. For example, in South Korea, after a power bank in an overhead cabin caught fire, it was ordered that all portable chargers be kept with passengers or below the seat.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
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While smartphones are allowed on a plane, the infamous Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is an exception. Released with great pomp and fanfare in 2016, the reviews praised the Note 7 for its 3,500 mAh battery and premium processor at the time. On paper, the phone looked impressive, but soon videos of it went viral with reports of overheating, fire, and smoke emission. On 5 October 2016, a replacement Galaxy Note 7 on a Southwest Airlines flight started emitting smoke just before takeoff, adding a final nail to the coffin. Soon after the FAA ordered a complete ban on the controversial Note 7, which is still valid. Samsung had no option but to recall the devices or offer replacements.
The phone’s poor design, thin insulation, and welding defects were attributed as the reasons for frequent mishaps. Samsung tried damage control and released a non-exploding Galaxy Note 7R, a refurbished Note 7, but it was too late. If you have to hear from the FAA/TSA not to carry a phone on an airplane, that’s a bad sign. Samsung’s reputation plummeted, with around 40% of users back then vowing to never buy another Samsung phone, a Note 7 recall survey found. If you own a Samsung Galaxy Note 7, do remember it’s outright banned from airplanes; carrying it with you will only make it end up in the trash bin before you board a plane.
Certain smart bags are not allowed
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Everything around us is getting smarter, from fans to doors to even window curtains. Why would an essential like a bag stay behind? Smart bags allow you to plug in your dying phone for charging, track it with GPS, or lock it to enable anti-theft measures. Some smart bags even come with a motorised wheel, making travel more convenient.
They mostly operate on a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery, and you will be disallowed from bringing the bag as carry-on if it has unclear Wh labeling or is rated more than 160 Wh. Although the FAA allows up to 100 Wh battery smart bags in the cabin, some airlines, like United Airlines, Delta, and American Airlines, allow them only if the battery is removable. This is to ensure that the cabin crew can handle the batteries in case of any fire hazard, as they are trained for that very situation.
The FAA rules outline that smart bags can be checked only if the batteries have a tiny wattage of less than 2.7 Wh, or a lithium content of no more than 0.3 g, similar to an Apple AirTag tracker. If batteries are bigger, they must be removable, and you must carry them in the cabin. These batteries fall under the FAA’s spare battery policies that allow 0–100 Wh batteries in carry-on, and up to two 101–160 Wh batteries per passenger with airline approval.
Power tools and drills
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Airplanes are not workshops where one can pull out the power tools and start an expo. Tools like drills, drill bits, impact drivers, nail guns, angle grinders, and any tool above seven inches are barred from being carried in the cabin. Sharp-edged tools like chisels and grinders can be used as weapons and, therefore, are best kept away, no matter if they are equipped with a battery or not. If you insist on traveling with these, where do they go? In your checked luggage, of course.
Power tools go into your checked cargo, but ensure that any batteries installed are switched off and protected to prevent accidental activation. Airlines, as per the FAA’s spare battery rules, allow you to carry Li-ion batteries in the cabin, but they must be individually safeguarded. Furthermore, damaged or recalled power tools and batteries are prohibited, unless rendered safe, so it’s always best to double-check your gear before you make the trip to the airport.
Hoverboards
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Hoverboards, also known as self-balancing wheels, are fun self-riding vehicles that are battery-operated and use a gyroscope and sensors to keep the rider balanced. You might assume with it being a battery-powered gadget, airlines would allow it in carry-on luggage. However, there are no special rules set by the FAA, and the TSA has left the decision to the discretion of the airlines. Almost all the airlines, including American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, and JetBlue, don’t allow hoverboards on their airplanes.
The reason why they’re not permitted is because most consumer hoverboards do not come with easily removable batteries, making it difficult for cabin crew to handle them in case of a fire. Hence, airlines have no choice but to prohibit the gadgets. So, if you are planning to bring one to an airport, prepare for airline staff to have a ride on it while you fly.
Cordless power saws
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Those sharp edges on a power saw are enough for it to be banned from being carried in an airplane cabin in any capacity. You are allowed to add it to checked luggage, but only if you sheath and properly wrap it, plus double-check it’s completely turned off and protected to prevent accidental activation. Ultimately, it’s up to the TSA agents and airlines to make the final call whether to permit such a tool or not.
Many cordless portable power saws use Li-ion batteries, and they must follow the FAA’s battery policies just like other power tools. If you are uncertain whether your tool will be allowed in checked baggage, it’s best to contact the TSA beforehand and ensure you have the correct details to avoid a tangle at security. If it is allowed, and you pack it wrong, your beloved power saw could be left behind with the airport staff.
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