Generally, no. Most airlines and aviation safety authorities require portable power banks and spare lithium batteries to travel in carry-on baggage only, not in checked luggage — the concern is fire risk from a damaged lithium battery, which is more manageable if it occurs in the cabin than in an inaccessible cargo hold.
This rule applies regardless of the power bank’s watt-hour rating; the cabin-only requirement and the separate 100 Wh capacity limit are two different rules that both apply. A power bank under 100 Wh still needs to travel in the cabin, not the hold.
Devices with a lithium battery built in and not removable — a laptop, most phones — are generally fine in checked luggage per most airline policies, since the power-bank-specific rule targets standalone batteries and battery packs rather than every lithium-containing device. As always, confirm the specific airline’s current policy before traveling.
Check with your airline and read the label before you follow anything here. Lithium battery watt-hour limits, liquids allowances and lock policies differ by carrier and by country, and change over time — the figures published by the airline or security authority you are actually traveling with take precedence over anything written on this site. A power bank or spare battery is carried exactly as its manufacturer and your airline specify, never estimated. We report what is published — a watt-hour rating, a size limit, a lock's official recognition — and this site describes the equipment only: nothing here is a guarantee about what a specific checkpoint will allow on a specific day.
Last reviewed 26 August 2026