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This year, airlines have changed the rules surrounding power banks, most of which have to do with where you can keep them while flying. This comes after the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations agency that writes the global standards for air travel, set new rules regarding batteries on flights back on March 27, and it applies worldwide rather than to any one airline.
According to the new rules, you're limited to two power banks, both of which you'll have to put in your carry-on, and you can't recharge them from the aircraft at any point in the flight. ICAO also recommends you don't use a power bank to charge your phone while you're in the air, though it stopped short of banning that outright.
Where you can carry your power bank now
American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines all now have rules that require you to keep your power bank within reach, and on American and Southwest it has to stay visible while it's in use. United Airlines brought its version in on March 1, and American Airlines followed on May 1. In practice, that means your lap, the seat pocket, or the personal item under the seat in front of you. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which regulates civil aviation in the US, asked for this in a safety alert last August, pointing out that a battery stowed out of sight can burn for a while before anyone spots it.
You should check with your own airline, because some of the rules seem to be a bit different for some of them. Southwest Airlines is the strictest on how many power banks you can carry and has allowed just one per passenger since April 20. Alaska Airlines won't let you carry anything rated above 100 watt-hours at all, even though most airlines may approve a larger one on request. JetBlue Airways asks you not to charge anything from your power bank in flight, so on JetBlue you can carry two but you won't really be able to use them.
None of the six airlines have published anything about specific penalties for breaking the rules, so the crew on duty will decide what happens in case you're in violation.
Read More: Flying within China? Your power bank needs a 3C label
The power banks you should buy if you're replacing one
Before you jump at buying a new power bank, you should check if your existing one is compliant. The number airlines care about is watt-hours (Wh). The problem is that almost every portable battery has the capacity listed in milliamp-hours (mAh) instead. The math is that you need to multiply the milliamp-hours figure by 3.7, then divide by 1,000. That means a 10,000mAh charger is about 37Wh and a 25,000mAh one is about 92.5Wh.
The limit is 100Wh, or roughly 27,000mAh. You may be able to carry a bigger one, as anything between 100Wh and 160Wh needs your airline's approval before you fly. However, that's only going to be the case until January 1, 2027, when the new industry rules airlines follow will kick in, which will stop you from carrying a power bank above 100Wh at all. In other words, most battery packs are already within the limit, and a future-proof one is under 100Wh (unless we see more rule changes soon.)
If you're looking to buy a new one regardless, here are my top picks for flight-compliant power banks.
Anker
Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim, Qi2 magnetic charging)
Anker's slimmest MagGo model ($79.99) holds 10,000mAh, about 37 watt-hours. At 0.6 inches thick, it's so slim it disappears into a purse or pants pocket without adding bulk. It charges over USB-C at up to 30W or wirelessly at up to 15W for MagSafe-equipped iPhones. Anker is a reliable brand, and that matters when this is the only battery standing between you and a dead phone at the gate. It's the one to grab if you just need to keep a phone alive through a delayed flight without adding bulk to a bag.
Andrea Smith/Techlicious
INUI Pocket Rocket P50 (10K, 45W, Wristlet Cable)
If you want fast charging without the bulk, INIU's Pocket Rocket P50 ($32.99) delivers 45W of power in a body about the size of a deck of cards. With 10,000mAh, about 37 watt-hours, it also has plenty of juice for a long flight. In our testing, we really appreciated the detachable USB-C cable that doubles as a wristlet and the easy-to-read digital display that shows the battery level at a glance.
UGREEN
UGREEN Nexode Power Bank (20K, 165W, Retractable Cable)
UGREEN's 20,000mAh Nexode runs about 74 watt-hours and currently sells for $84.99, down from $99.99. It's about the size of can of Red Bull (4.49 x 2.13 x 1.97 inches) and outputs up to 165W split across a USB-C port and a USB-A port, enough to fill up many laptops. It has a convenient retractable USB-C cable that UGREEN rates for 25,000 retraction cycles, so you're not digging through a bag for a cord. I've used a UGREEN power bank for months, and it's held up very well. It's what we recommend you bring when having access to plenty of power really matters.
