Can You Bring a Power Bank on a Plane? (Wh Limit and Airline Caps)
Yes. You can bring a power bank on a plane in carry-on, never in checked bags. TSA lists portable chargers as carry-on yes and checked bags no. The FAA treats power banks as spare lithium-ion batteries: 100 Wh or less without airline approval, over 100 Wh through 160 Wh with approval and a two-spare limit, and over 160 Wh forbidden on passenger flights.
Your airline can set stricter limits. Southwest allows one power bank at 100 Wh or less. Delta and JetBlue allow two. All three keep the bank out of the overhead bin.
Buying one? How to Measure Luggage the Way Airlines Do
Calculate watt-hours from the label
If the bank prints watt-hours, use that number. If it only prints milliamp-hours and cell voltage, divide mAh by 1,000 and multiply by volts. For example, a 20,000 mAh bank at 3.7 V is 74 Wh.
Worked example: a bank labeled 10,000 mAh at 3.7 V is 10,000 × 3.7 ÷ 1,000 = 37 Wh. A bank labeled 26,800 mAh at 3.7 V works out to 99.16 Wh (99.2 in the table), just under the 100 Wh line. The table below runs the same math for common capacities.
| Label at 3.7 V | Calculation | Result | FAA band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 mAh | 5,000 × 3.7 ÷ 1,000 | 18.5 Wh | Up to 100 Wh |
| 10,000 mAh | 10,000 × 3.7 ÷ 1,000 | 37 Wh | Up to 100 Wh |
| 20,000 mAh | 20,000 × 3.7 ÷ 1,000 | 74 Wh | Up to 100 Wh |
| 26,800 mAh | 26,800 × 3.7 ÷ 1,000 | 99.2 Wh | Up to 100 Wh |
| 30,000 mAh | 30,000 × 3.7 ÷ 1,000 | 111 Wh | 101 to 160 Wh: airline approval required |
Use the cell voltage on the label, often 3.6 V or 3.7 V. The 5 V USB output is not the cell voltage. Choose a bank at 100 Wh or less, and check your airline's limits. Read the current FAA lithium-battery rules and your airline's policy before the trip.
The FAA says newer lithium-ion batteries have the Wh rating marked on them, and its passenger battery page gives the same conversion: divide mAh by 1,000 to get amp hours, then multiply by volts. Use the manufacturer's printed Wh rating. If the label conflicts with your calculation or is unreadable, ask the manufacturer and airline instead of relying on the arithmetic to clear the bank.
TSA and FAA watt-hour bands
TSA's power-bank item page is blunt: carry-on bags yes, checked bags no. Spare lithium batteries, which include power banks and phone chargers, are prohibited in checked luggage. The officer at the checkpoint still has the last word.
FAA PackSafe sets the size rule:
- Lithium-ion batteries are limited to 100 Wh per battery for ordinary passenger carriage.
- With airline approval, you may carry up to two spare lithium-ion batteries over 100 Wh through 160 Wh.
- Batteries above 160 Wh aren't allowed on passenger aircraft.
- Spare lithium-ion batteries, including power banks, stay in carry-on. If the bag is checked at the gate or planeside, the banks come out and stay with you in the cabin.
- Terminals must be protected from short circuit. Retail packaging, tape over the contacts, a case, or a snug pouch all count.
- Damaged, defective, or recalled batteries stay off the aircraft.
The FAA also says many airlines set stricter quantity and Wh limits, including how many power banks each passenger may bring, regardless of capacity. The table below compares those airline limits.
IATA's operator guidance for the ICAO addendum that took effect on 27 March 2026 treats power banks as their own class, separate from spare batteries. Passengers are limited to two power banks. They must not be recharged onboard. IATA recommends they not be used to recharge a device onboard. The addendum allows airline approval for power banks over 100 Wh through 160 Wh, but IATA says that provision won't carry into the 68th edition of its Dangerous Goods Regulations, which takes effect on 1 January 2027. Pack a bank at 100 Wh or less unless your airline has explicitly approved a larger one.
Airline caps that are stricter than the FAA
Four airlines with public power-bank rules are compared below. Each is stricter than the FAA baseline on count, placement, or in-flight use, and we rechecked every row before this guide went live.
| Airline | How many | Wh cap | Where it rides | In-flight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest | 1 | 100 Wh | Personal item under the seat, not the overhead | Visible when in use. No seat-power recharge of the bank. |
| Delta | 2 | 100 Wh each, no exceptions | Under the seat or seatback pocket, not the overhead | Do not recharge the bank onboard. Do not use it to recharge a device during taxi, takeoff, or landing. |
| JetBlue | 2 | 100 Wh for non-mobility devices | Not checked, not the overhead | Do not charge the bank from seat power. JetBlue recommends against using the bank to charge other devices. |
| Emirates | 1 | Under 100 Wh, capacity rating on the bank | Seat pocket or bag under the seat, not the overhead | No using the bank. No charging the bank. |
Southwest has the lowest power-bank allowance among the US airlines listed: one bank. If you fly Southwest often, packing one bank at 100 Wh or less meets the count and capacity limits of the other US airlines in this table. You still have to follow each carrier's in-flight use rule. For bag dimensions, see the Southwest carry-on size guide.
Delta's power-bank line is a hard 100 Wh with no exceptions. Delta still publishes an over-100-through-160 Wh spare-battery band for lithium batteries that aren't installed in a device. Check Delta's power-bank limit separately from its spare-battery allowance. A camping power station is not a spare camera battery.
Carry-on only, including at the gate
A power bank in a suitcase going to the hold is the failure mode. Put it in the bag that stays with you. A personal item under the seat is where Southwest, Delta, and Emirates tell you to keep it.
If the gate takes your carry-on, pull the power banks out before the bag goes down the jet bridge. The FAA states that spare lithium batteries and power banks must be removed from a bag checked at the gate or planeside and kept with you in the cabin. The same rule applies if you're traveling with a carry-on and a backpack and the spinner gets tagged.
Protect the terminals. A bank bouncing against keys or another pack is the short-circuit case the FAA is writing about.
Overhead bins, seat power, and in-flight use
Carrying the bank in the cabin doesn't mean you can put it in the overhead bin. Southwest, Delta, JetBlue, and Emirates all keep power banks out of the overhead bin. The point is that crew can reach a pack that starts to heat.
Airlines also restrict recharging the bank from aircraft power. IATA's operator guidance says passengers must not recharge a power bank onboard. Southwest, Delta, JetBlue, and Emirates say the same in plain language. You can't use aircraft power to recharge the bank.
Using the bank to charge a phone depends on the carrier:
- Emirates, since 1 October 2025: no using the bank to charge a device, and no charging the bank.
- JetBlue: power banks shouldn't be used to charge or power other devices during flight.
- Delta: do not use a power bank to recharge a portable electronic device during taxi, takeoff, or landing.
- Southwest: when the bank is in use it must be visible, not stored in a bag.
Follow the crew on that flight. Tell them if a power bank is swelling, smoking, or too hot to touch, as the FAA advises. Cabin electronics such as Bluetooth headphones are a separate rule set from the lithium spare.
Smart bags and power stations
The lithium battery built into a suitcase is still subject to battery rules. Southwest tells you to remove the battery before the bag goes in the overhead bin. Delta doesn't accept smart bags with non-removable lithium batteries at all, as carry-on or checked.
The FAA lists lithium battery powered generators, including stand-alone and backup units and the batteries in a solar power system, as over the 160 Wh limit and forbidden on passenger aircraft in carry-on and checked bags. Those are camping power stations, not a 10,000 mAh phone pack. Leave them at home.
A clothes steamer is a different TSA item. Empty the tank. Cordless models pick up these lithium rules if they use a spare pack.
FAQ
Can you put a power bank in checked luggage?
No. TSA and the FAA both require spare lithium-ion batteries, including power banks, in carry-on only. If a gate agent takes your cabin bag, remove the banks and keep them with you in the cabin.
How many power banks can you take on a plane?
The FAA doesn't set a count for ordinary banks at or under 100 Wh, and it limits banks over 100 Wh through 160 Wh to two spares with airline approval. IATA's operator guidance caps passengers at two power banks. Southwest and Emirates allow one. Delta and JetBlue allow two.
Is a 20,000 mAh power bank allowed on a plane?
A 20,000 mAh bank at 3.7 V converts to 74 Wh, below the FAA's 100 Wh threshold. It still belongs in carry-on and the carrier's count and use rules apply. Confirm the manufacturer's printed Wh rating. A 30,000 mAh bank at 3.7 V is 111 Wh, which needs airline approval, and Southwest, Delta, JetBlue, and Emirates all cap power banks at 100 Wh.
Can you use a power bank during the flight?
It depends on the airline, and their policies differ. Emirates bans using the bank and charging it. JetBlue says it shouldn't be used to charge other devices. Delta blocks use during taxi, takeoff, and landing. Southwest wants the bank visible while it's in use. IATA recommends against using a bank to recharge a device onboard. Follow the crew.
What happens if the gate checks your bag?
The power banks come out first. FAA PackSafe says spare lithium batteries and power banks must be removed from a bag checked at the gate or planeside and kept with the passenger in the cabin. Put them in a pocket or the under-seat bag. Do not let them ride in the hold with the spinner.
Do you need the Wh number printed on the bank?
Wh is the unit the FAA and the airlines use. If the case prints Wh, use it. If it only prints mAh, convert with cell voltage, usually 3.6 V or 3.7 V. Emirates requires the capacity marking to be clearly visible.
Read the Wh on the label, or calculate it with the formula above if you only have mAh and cell voltage. Pack the bank in the under-seat bag, not the overhead and not the hold. Check your airline's current policy the morning you fly. Airline power-bank rules have tightened since 2025, and the number allowed varies by carrier.
Primary power-bank sources
Filed in Travel Tips