What can I take in hand luggage — liquids, power banks and batteries?
How to pack a cabin bag so the security tray takes seconds, and the categories that are set by the airline and airport rather than by any universal rule.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 30 min
- Read
- 5 min
- Safety
- warning
Short answer
Pack so that liquids, large electronics and anything questionable can be lifted out in one movement without unpacking the bag. Power banks and spare lithium batteries always go in the cabin, never in the hold. Check the actual rules for your departure airport and airline — they differ by airport and by direction of travel.
Two separate things go wrong at security: taking something you should not have, and taking something perfectly permitted that is buried at the bottom of the bag. The second causes far more delay and stress than the first. Almost all of the fix happens at home, packing the bag in layers so the tray can be filled without excavating.
Safety
What you'll need
- A clear resealable bag for liquids
- Travel-sized containers (optional)
- A pouch for cables and small electronics (optional)
Step by step
- Check your departure airport's current rules, and the return airport's separately.Liquid limits have been changing at UK airports as new scanners are installed, and they are not uniform. The airport you fly home from may have different rules again. Assume the strict version unless that specific airport says otherwise.
- Check your airline's cabin bag dimensions and weight.These are set by the carrier and vary a lot, including whether a separate small personal item is allowed. Measure your bag with wheels and handles included, and weigh it. Gate fees are far higher than pre-booked hold luggage.
- Put liquids in a clear resealable bag at the very top or in an outer pocket.Where the limit applies, it is normally per container rather than in total, so a part-used large bottle is still not allowed. Solid alternatives — bar shampoo, solid deodorant, toothpaste tablets — are not liquids at all and sidestep the problem.
- Keep power banks and spare batteries in the cabin bag only.Never in the hold. Many airlines also cap the capacity of a power bank and the number you may carry, and some now require them to be visible or forbid using them in flight. Check your airline. Tape or cap the terminals of loose spare batteries so they cannot short against keys or coins.
- Pack laptops and large electronics in their own layer.A sleeve or the outermost compartment, so they slide out without disturbing anything. Whether they must come out varies by airport and scanner, so pack as though they will.
- Sort the sharp and the questionable before you leave home.Scissors, tools, razors, corkscrews, sports equipment and anything shaped like a weapon are restricted, with limits that differ between airports. If you are not sure, put it in the hold bag or leave it. Confiscated items are not returned.
- Deal with e-cigarettes and vapes as a separate category.They must normally be carried in the cabin and not in the hold, charging them in flight is generally prohibited, and some destination countries ban them entirely with real penalties. Check the destination as well as the airline.
- Empty your pockets into the bag before you join the queue.Keys, coins, phone, belt if you are wearing one. Doing it at the tray is what holds up a queue and what makes you leave something behind.
- Carry an empty water bottle through and fill it after security.A full one will not go through. An empty one saves airside prices and there are usually fountains.
- Keep the cabin bag as the bag you cannot lose.Medication, documents, valuables, chargers, a change of underwear and anything irreplaceable. If the hold bag goes astray, this is what turns a crisis into an inconvenience.
Tips
- Even on a cabin-bag fare, be ready for a full flight to have your bag put in the hold at the gate. Anything that must stay with you should be in a small bag inside it that you can pull out.
- Decant into small containers at home rather than buying travel sizes each trip — a set of refillable bottles pays for itself immediately.
- If something is borderline, ask at the airport information desk before joining the queue rather than at the tray.
Common mistakes
- Putting a power bank in a checked bag — It is prohibited by almost every airline because a lithium fire in the hold cannot be tackled. At best the bag is pulled and you miss the flight.
- Assuming the return airport has the same liquid rules — Rules differ by airport and by country. The bottle that came out fine on the way there can be confiscated on the way back.
- Burying liquids and the laptop in the middle of the bag — You unpack it on the belt, repack it under pressure with a queue behind you, and that is when things get left in the tray.
If it doesn't work
Bag pulled for a manual search
Cause: Dense packing, an unidentifiable object, or an unremoved electronic item — Fix: Let them search it, then repack in layers for the return leg. Loosely packed bags with electronics accessible are pulled far less often.
Told at the gate the bag is too big
Cause: Soft bag overfilled, or wheels and handles not counted in the measurement — Fix: Measure at home including wheels and handles, and use the sizer at check-in before the gate where the fee is lower or absent.
Questions people ask
Can I take a power bank in hand luggage?
In hand luggage yes, in checked luggage essentially never. Airlines set limits on capacity and on how many you may carry, and some restrict using them in flight. Check your specific airline's stated limits before you travel.
What are the liquid rules now?
They vary by airport as new scanners are rolled out and they are not consistent even within the UK. Check your specific departure airport, check the return airport separately, and pack to the strict version unless that airport confirms otherwise.
Do I have to take my laptop out at security?
It depends on the scanner at that airport, so pack as though you will. Keeping it in an outer compartment or sleeve means it takes two seconds either way.