Is my battery allowed on a plane?

Lithium batteries are tightly regulated on board aircraft, because a damaged cell can trigger thermal runaway. The international rule (IATA/ICAO) does not think in milliamp-hours (mAh) printed on the packaging, but in watt-hours (Wh), which measure real energy. Our tool does the conversion for you and gives a clear verdict.

The thresholds to know

• Up to 100 Wh: allowed in the cabin with no formality (the vast majority of power banks).
• From 100 to 160 Wh: allowed in the cabin with the airline’s prior approval (often 2 spare batteries maximum).
• Above 160 Wh: banned as passenger baggage, in the cabin as well as the hold.

In every case, a lithium battery must travel in the cabin, never in checked baggage, with its terminals protected against short circuits.

How we calculate

If you only know the mAh, we apply the standard nominal voltage of 3.7 V to get the Wh (Wh = mAh × V ÷ 1000). A 27,000 mAh battery therefore works out to about 100 Wh, the upper no-formality limit. The result is indicative: the figure printed on your battery is what counts at the airport, and some airlines apply stricter rules.

Why it helps

This tool avoids a nasty surprise at security and helps you choose, if needed, a battery sized for travel. We suggest models from our catalogue that are cabin-compliant, ranked by relevance, so you can set off with peace of mind. For special cases (medical devices, several batteries, very high capacity), always check with your airline before departure.

Good practice on board

Beyond the threshold, a few simple rules prevent any incident. Carry the battery in your hand luggage, protect the terminals (cap, bag, tape) to avoid a short circuit against a key or a coin, and never put it in the hold where a runaway would go unnoticed. Some airlines forbid charging a device during the flight: when in doubt, keep the battery switched off.

High capacities deserve special attention. A portable power station almost always exceeds 160 Wh: it is therefore banned from aircraft, in the cabin as well as the hold, whatever the airline. For a long trip, several batteries below 100 Wh are better than a single one above the threshold. Always check the Wh figure printed on the case before you leave.

With over ten years in portable power, we know the constraints of travel: this tool condenses the rules to save you time when packing. If in doubt about a specific model or a given airline, the Wh figure printed on the case and the airline’s customer service remain the only references that count.