PickGlobe
Travelling with gadgets raises a handful of practical questions that regulators have answered, though the answers are spread across different official pages. This guide collects them in one place: how aviation rules treat power banks, what you can carry as liquids in hand luggage in the UK and the US, how to read the power ratings on USB-C chargers and cables, and what the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) recommend for headphones and personal audio devices.
Airline and airport rules change, and each airline can be stricter than the regulator, so treat this as a map and check your airline, your departure and transit airports and the official page before you fly. Each section has its own source and "last checked" date.
This guide is based on the public sources listed in each section. We have not tested any charger, power bank, headphones or luggage, and we make no claim that a product complies with any standard.
Quick checklist
- Power banks go in your cabin bag, not the hold (UK CAA), with the watt-hour figure printed on them.
- Work out watt-hours if only mAh is printed: volts × amp-hours.
- Liquids in hand luggage: containers of 100 ml (3.4 oz) or less, in one clear bag, with exemptions for medicines and baby food; check each airport.
- Check your airline for cabin bag dimensions and power bank limits.
- For USB-C power, match the charger's watts to the device, and read the cable's stated rating.
- For headphones, look for what the maker says about volume limits, but do not read that as a safety claim.
Power banks on planes
Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), "Changes to rules on the carriage of lithium cells, batteries and power banks" (changes effective 27 March 2026). Last checked: 15 October 2026.
Power banks contain lithium batteries. The CAA's rules for the UK:
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where | Cabin baggage only, not the hold |
| How many | Up to two per person |
| Size | Up to 100 Wh needs no airline approval. Above 100 Wh and up to 160 Wh needs the airline's approval |
| Lithium metal banks | No more than 2 g of lithium |
| Use | A power bank must not be recharged on board and should not be used to charge other devices |
| Protection | Each unused power bank must be protected against short circuit: original packaging, taped terminals or a separate pouch |
| Testing | Batteries must meet UN test 38.3 |
Working out watt-hours
If only mAh is printed, use this arithmetic: watt-hours = volts × amp-hours. A 20,000 mAh power bank at 3.6 V is 3.6 × 20 = 72 Wh, under the 100 Wh line. Check the label, because the voltage printed may differ, and prefer a power bank that prints its Wh figure.
Other countries
The US Federal Aviation Administration page was blocked when we tried to read it, and a search summary we saw said US limits follow a similar pattern, with 100 Wh without approval and 101 to 160 Wh with airline approval. We did not verify that, and airlines may be stricter, so check the rules for each country on your route. Our shorter guide to travelling with a power bank covers the same UK points.
Liquids in hand luggage
Sources: GOV.UK, "Hand luggage restrictions: liquids"; US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), "Liquids, aerosols and gels rule". Last checked: 15 October 2026.
| United Kingdom (GOV.UK) | United States (TSA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Container size | At most UK airports, 100 ml per container, even if part-filled. Some airports allow up to 2 litres | 3.4 oz (100 ml) or less per container |
| The bag | Where asked, one clear resealable bag per person, about 1 litre (roughly 20 cm by 20 cm), closing without being tied, shown at security | One quart-size bag, kept separate from the carry-on |
| Larger containers | Not in hand luggage at airports with the 100 ml cap | In checked baggage |
| Medical, diet, baby | At all UK airports, up to 2 litres for essential medical needs, special diets, and baby food or milk | Medications and infant and child nourishments are exempt |
| Duty-free and airport purchases | Can pass if sealed in a security bag with a visible receipt; do not open until your final destination | Duty-free liquids over 3.4 oz bought within 48 hours on inbound international trips may be allowed in a sealed tamper-evident bag with the receipt, though TSA recommends checking them |
| Other | Frozen liquids are not allowed. Check the departure airport, any transit airport and the return journey | Anything that alarms gets additional screening |
TSA says rules may change with airport technology, so check before you fly. The TSA page does not say "one bag per traveller", mention PreCheck or list recent changes, so we do not state them.
Cabin bag size
Size limits are set by each airline, so check yours. A search summary of a Northern Ireland Trading Standards test said airport bag sizers can measure larger than airline limits and advised leaving about half a centimetre of margin. We did not verify it on the original page, so treat it as a prompt to measure your bag with some tolerance. For luggage listings, compare internal and external dimensions, whether wheels and handles are included, and the empty weight. Our guide to choosing a handbag or backpack online covers listings.
USB-C power and charging
Source: USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), "USB charger and Power Delivery" page. Last checked: 15 October 2026.
USB Power Delivery (PD) lets USB carry more power and data over one cable. Devices negotiate how much power they need, and either side can supply it.
| Revision | Maximum power | How |
|---|---|---|
| Before revision 3.1 (announced 2021) | 100 W | 20 V at 5 A, with cables rated for 5 A |
| Revision 3.1 | 240 W | Fixed voltages of 28 V, 36 V and 48 V (for 140 W, 180 W and 240 W) plus an adjustable mode |
USB Type-C release 2.1 defines the 240 W cable requirements.
Certification
The USB-IF says companies need a current trademark licence to use certified USB logos, and that products must pass compliance testing and appear on the Integrators List and the Certified Product List. The page does not explain what individual logos mean, so do not rely on a logo alone.
Buying checklist
- Check the wattage your device needs and that the charger can supply at least that.
- Find the cable's power rating on the cable or the listing. The cable's wattage is stated there, not by a logo.
- Check the product on the USB-IF Integrators List.
- Buy from sellers that show the full model number.
- Stop using a damaged cable or a swollen power bank.
A power bank's Wh figure matters for flights (above), and its output wattage matters for charging. They are different numbers. Our guide to chargers, cables and power banks and USB Power Delivery have more.
Headphones and safe listening
Sources: WHO, "Deafness and hearing loss" fact sheet (3 March 2026); WHO publication "Safe listening devices and systems: a WHO-ITU standard" (18 September 2019). Last checked: 15 October 2026.
The WHO fact sheet says over 1 billion young adults are at risk of permanent but avoidable hearing loss from unsafe listening habits. It points to its Make Listening Safe initiative and a WHO-ITU standard. The fact sheet itself does not give loudness or duration limits. The standard's publication page says it sets out design requirements for personal audio devices, developed over two years with governments, industry, civil society and users, and recommends that devices:
- Track sound allowance: software measures how much of a safe exposure the user has used, based on level and duration.
- Offer two modes: 80 dB for 40 hours per week for adults, and 75 dB for 40 hours per week for children.
- Build a listening profile with suggested actions.
- Limit volume: lower it automatically after prolonged loud listening, and let parents set a password-protected maximum volume.
- Provide safety information about safe listening and the risks.
These are recommendations to device makers, not a legal requirement for what you buy. We could not verify other figures that appeared in search summaries, such as the name of the standard, an exposure figure for 100 dB or a default volume rule in the EU, so we leave them out.
What to look for on a listing
Whether the maker lists a volume limiter, a parental volume lock or in-app listening-level information. These are the maker's claims, so read them as such. A listing should not say a product meets the standard without evidence from the maker, and no product can be called "safe" on this basis alone. For hearing concerns, see a doctor or audiologist. See our guide to headphones and safe listening.
Packing and buying checklist
| Item | Check |
|---|---|
| Power bank | Wh printed or calculated; in cabin bag; protected against short circuit; airline limits |
| Charger | Watts at least what the device needs; model number visible |
| Cable | Stated power rating; undamaged |
| Liquids | 100 ml or less, one clear bag, exemptions understood, airport rules checked |
| Cabin bag | Airline dimensions; measure with some margin |
| Headphones | Maker's volume-limit claims noted as claims; listening time sensible |
| Returns | Check the return window before you travel. See online shopping rights and returns |
| Overseas purchases | Check duties and carrier fees. See customs and importing |
What we could not verify
- US FAA power bank limits (the page was blocked).
- Travel plug types and voltage by country (the source was blocked), so we give no guide to adapters and converters.
- Phone case and screen protector claims such as "9H" or "military grade".
- The original source for the cabin bag margin.
- The WHO-ITU standard's technical number and any EU rules on personal audio volume.
Related complete guides
- Wi-Fi, Cooling and Smart Home Basics: Smart home basics and Wi-Fi.
- Home Safety Buying Guide: Heaters, Alarms, Cords, Candles, Furniture and Smart Devices: Extension cords, power strips and home safety.
- Customs, Duties and Import Taxes When You Buy from Abroad: Duties when you buy gadgets from abroad.
The short version
Keep power banks in your cabin bag, carry no more than two, calculate watt-hours (volts × amp-hours) if only mAh is printed, and check the 100 Wh and 160 Wh lines with your airline. Carry liquids in containers of 100 ml (3.4 oz) or less in one clear bag, with exemptions for medicines and baby food, and check each airport. For USB-C, match charger watts to the device and read the cable's stated rating rather than a logo. For headphones, treat volume-limit features as a maker's claim and follow the WHO-ITU recommendations on listening time and level.
Sources: UK CAA, changes to rules on lithium cells, batteries and power banks; GOV.UK, hand luggage restrictions: liquids; US TSA, liquids, aerosols and gels rule; USB-IF, USB charger and Power Delivery; WHO, deafness and hearing loss fact sheet; WHO, safe listening devices and systems: a WHO-ITU standard.
