TSA Bans Some Hairstyling Tools From Suitcases: Which Ones and Why

Cordless hairstyling tools that are powered by lithium metal or lithium-ion batteries or gas or butane fuel are allowed only in carry-on bags.

Travelers should check TSA rules carefully before packing hairstyling tools. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/TNS

By Karen Garcia Los Angeles Times

Styling your up-do while you’re traveling has become easier with the introduction of cordless curling irons and hair straighteners, but it has also gotten more complicated to fly with these hair care tools.

Lithium-ion batteries used to power cordless hairstyling tools allow these devices to have faster charging and longer usage times, and are thus more reliable, according to the Growth Market Reports, a market research and business consulting firm.

But replacing the cord with a battery for power is what’s keeping the devices out of the cargo section of the plane.

The Transportation Security Administration recently sought to iron out the details in a post on X.

Plug-in hair straighteners and curling irons don’t have any flight restrictions, so you’re free to pack them in your carry-on or check-in luggage.

But the TSA said their counterpart has restrictions: Cordless hairstyling tools that are powered by lithium metal or lithium-ion batteries or gas or butane fuel are allowed only in carry-on bags. That’s so that passengers or flight attendants can react if they start to overheat in the cabin. If they overheat or combust in your checked bag in the cargo area of a plane, it may take a while for anyone to notice.

As an extra protective measure, the hair care tool must have a safety cover securely fitted over the heating element.

What Are the Flight Restrictions for Cordless Hairstyling Tools?

Cordless hairstyling tools, with the specific battery, gas, or butane fuel, are allowed only in carry-on bags due to their combustible nature, according to a TSA spokesperson.

Lithium-ion batteries, for example, can overheat, resulting in heavy smoke and, in some cases, fire, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Items that are commonly powered by such batteries include battery packs, e-cigarettes, cellphones, and laptops. These items are allowed to travel with you only in your carry-on bag.

If the items “catch fire in the cargo area where checked bags are transported, there’s no one there to put it out,” Daniel Velez, spokesperson for Florida’s TSA, told the Florida Times-Union.

On a flight from Lihue, Hawaii, to Los Angeles International Airport in July, a passenger’s e-cigarette overheated inside their backpack, according to an FAA report of the incident.

The flight attendant secured the e-cigarette in a thermal containment bag without injury, damage to the plane, or flight interruptions.

There have been a total of 644 verified incidents of lithium batteries creating smoke, fire, or extreme heat between 2006 and 2025, according to the FAA.

Of the total number of incidents, 482 occurred in the passenger area of the plane and 136 occurred in the cargo area.

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