Is my power bank allowed in carry-on?

Type your battery's mAh and voltage. We compute watt-hours and tell you instantly whether it's under the 100 Wh limit (no approval needed), 100–160 Wh (airline approval needed), or over 160 Wh (banned by ICAO).

Capacity (mAh)

Printed on the side of the battery. Common: 10,000–30,000.

Nominal voltage (V)

Default 3.7 V — typical single-cell Li-ion. Multi-cell or USB-PD: see preset.

The 3 ICAO bands (apply globally)

≤ 100 Wh

Allowed in carry-on, no approval. Up to 20 spare batteries per passenger. Most consumer power banks, laptop batteries and camera batteries fall here. Never in checked baggage — spare lithium batteries are banned from the hold.

100 – 160 Wh

Carry-on only with airline approval. Max 2 batteries per passenger. Larger pro camera batteries, mobility-scooter batteries, drone batteries often fall here. Request approval when booking — most carriers approve via email within 24–48 hr.

> 160 Wh

Banned on commercial passenger flights (cabin and hold). Special cargo-only shipping required. This includes most e-bike batteries, large hoverboard batteries, and high-capacity professional film equipment.

Authority sources FAA Pack Safe – lithium batteries ↗ · IATA lithium battery guidance ↗ · TSA – portable chargers ↗

Why watt-hours matter, and where 100 Wh comes from

Spare lithium batteries — powerbanks, drone packs, camera batteries, laptop spares — must travel in carry-on, never in checked baggage, because of the fire risk in unpressurised cargo holds. ICAO's three-tier rule decides what's allowed: under 100 Wh is unlimited; 100–160 Wh allows a maximum of two spares with prior airline approval; over 160 Wh is banned from passenger aircraft entirely. Many cells are labelled only in milliamp-hours and volts, so this calculator does the mAh × V ÷ 1000 = Wh conversion and shows which ICAO band you land in.

Last reviewed: May 2026

⚠️ Some airlines impose stricter limits than ICAO baseline (China CAAC requires the Wh rating to be visibly printed on the battery casing — unmarked power banks are confiscated at security on Chinese domestic flights). Always confirm with your airline if your battery is close to the 100 Wh threshold.