Yes, in your carry-on bag or on you, never in a checked bag. The FAA allows a power bank up to 100 Wh, one over 100 Wh and up to 160 Wh only with your airline’s approval, and nothing bigger.
The FAA limits, per power bank
| Watt-hours | Carry-on | Checked bag |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 100 Wh | Yes | No |
| Over 100 Wh, up to 160 Wh | Yes, with airline approval, 2 at most | No |
| Over 160 Wh | No | No |
TSA’s checkpoint list allows power banks and phone chargers in carry-on bags and not in checked bags.
Find the Wh on the label
The FAA says a lithium ion battery’s Wh rating should be marked on it. Anker prints 25,600mAh/94.72Wh on the bottom of its 735 Power Bank.
If the label gives only mAh and volts, divide the mAh by 1,000 and multiply by the volts, or type both into the power bank Wh calculator.
How many you can bring
Under 100 Wh, the FAA sets no limit on how many, as long as they’re for your own use. Power banks carried to sell or hand out, such as vendor samples, aren’t allowed.
Airlines can be stricter than the FAA on how many power banks you bring and how big they are. Check your airline’s rules before you fly.
Packing it
Protect the power bank from damage and from short circuit, such as in its own pouch or the box it came in. A damaged or recalled power bank can’t fly in any bag.
If a power bank gets hot, swells, smokes or burns during the flight, tell the flight crew at once. The FAA says crews are trained to deal with lithium battery fires in the cabin.
Power stations and big battery packs
The FAA doesn’t allow large power banks, power stations or generators over 160 Wh on passenger planes, in any bag. It says lithium battery generators, such as back-up generators and those in a solar power system, are over that limit.
To find the battery a phone, camera or other device takes, see What Battery For.