TSA banned this popular tech accessory from checked luggage. Here’s why
New rules from the Transportation Safety Administration might make packing for your next trip just a touch more complicated.
When it comes to charging your phone, the type of charging method might be an afterthought, especially when packing for a flight.
Portable chargers and power banks made with lithium batteries can feel like they're easy to stow in a checked bag. After all, they are usually quite small and do not take up much space in a bag.
For short flights, some folks might choose to pack their charging packs in a checked bag.
However, a new rule announced by the TSA in February might cramp your style: lithium battery-powered portable chargers and power banks are no longer allowed to be packed in a checked bag.
Why did the TSA change the rules for power banks?
As reported by the New York Post, lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries must be prevented from short-circuiting, and cannot be stored in the cargo hold, where checked bags end up.
"When a carry-on bag is checked at the gate or at planeside, all spare lithium batteries and power banks must be removed from the bag and kept with the passenger in the aircraft cabin," the Federal Aviation Administration advisory reads. "The battery terminals must be protected from short circuit."
This is because they pose a risk of overheating in the cargo hold and consequently exploding.
What causes lithium batteries to catch fire?
Lithium batteries, when overheated, can undergo a process known as thermal runaway.
In a thermal runaway, the lithium-ion battery cell experiences a reaction that causes an uncontrollable self-heating state. This can result in the battery exploding, ejecting gas and shrapnel, creating severely high temperatures as well as fire and smoke, which all pose a risk to other baggage stored in the cargo hold of a plane.
This can happen for several reasons, including when the battery is overheated, damaged, overcharged, exposed to water, or due to manufacturing defects.
What other items have lithium batteries?
While power banks and portable chargers are the first devices that might come to mind, they are not the only commonly used devices that are powered by lithium batteries.
As reported by the New York Post, cameras, laptops, tablets, cell phones, watches, calculators, e-cigarettes, and vape pens are also commonly powered by rechargeable lithium batteries. This means they are covered by the TSA's ban on lithium batteries in checked baggage and can only be packed in carry-on bags.
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