<p>No. Vapes, e-cigarettes, spare batteries and power banks must never be packed in checked luggage that goes in the aircraft hold when flying from Heathrow or any other UK airport. They have to be carried in your cabin bag instead. This is current UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) guidance, and getting it wrong is one of the most common reasons a bag is pulled off a flight at the last minute, causing delays for everyone on board. Checked 2026.</p>
<h2>Why hold luggage is banned for these items</h2>
<p>The concern is fire risk. Lithium batteries, the kind used in vapes, power banks, phones and laptops, can occasionally overheat and ignite if they are damaged, poorly made, or short-circuit. In the cabin, crew can spot smoke or heat quickly and respond with an extinguisher. In the hold, a battery fire can go undetected for much longer and is far harder to reach, which is why aviation regulators treat it as a serious safety issue rather than a minor packing rule. The CAA has reported that incidents involving overheating or malfunctioning passenger devices nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025, and it now runs an ongoing “Pack Right, Safe Flight” campaign reminding passengers to keep these items with them in the cabin.</p>
<h2>What must travel in the cabin, not the hold</h2>
<div class="table-wrap"><table><thead><tr><th>Item</th><th>Where it must be carried</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Vapes and e-cigarettes</td><td>Cabin only, never in hold luggage</td></tr><tr><td>Spare (loose) lithium batteries</td><td>Cabin only, never in hold luggage</td></tr><tr><td>Power banks</td><td>Cabin only, maximum 2 per passenger</td></tr><tr><td>Phones, tablets, laptops</td><td>Cabin recommended; if placed in hold, must be fully powered off and protected from damage</td></tr></tbody></table></div>
<p>If your cabin bag is taken from you at the gate to be placed in the hold because of limited overhead space, a common occurrence on full flights, remember to remove any spare batteries, power banks or vapes from it first and keep them on your person or in a small bag you keep with you.</p>
<h2>Power banks: the two-per-person limit</h2>
<p>UK guidance allows a maximum of two power banks per passenger. They must never be recharged while on board the aircraft, and cabin crew may ask you to keep a power bank in your seat-back pocket rather than in the overhead locker during the flight so it stays within easy reach if anything goes wrong. Airlines can apply additional restrictions on top of this baseline, so check with your airline before you travel if you are carrying more than one power bank or a particularly high-capacity one.</p>
<h2>Battery size limits: what the watt-hour rating means</h2>
<p>Lithium battery restrictions are based on the battery's power rating in watt-hours (Wh), which is printed on most batteries and power banks. If it is not printed, you can calculate it by multiplying voltage by amp-hours (or by milliamp-hours divided by 1,000).</p>
<div class="table-wrap"><table><thead><tr><th>Battery size</th><th>Rule</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Under 100Wh</td><td>Common in phones, laptops and cameras. Carry in the cabin, generally without needing airline approval.</td></tr><tr><td>100Wh to 160Wh</td><td>Found in some power tools and larger power banks. Airline approval required before you fly.</td></tr><tr><td>Over 160Wh</td><td>Prohibited in passenger baggage entirely. Must be shipped separately as dangerous goods cargo.</td></tr></tbody></table></div>
<p>Most consumer power banks and phone or laptop batteries fall well under the 100Wh threshold, so this mainly affects unusually large power banks and certain specialist equipment. If you are unsure of a battery's rating, checking with your airline in advance avoids having it confiscated or refused at the gate.</p>
<h2>Damaged or swollen batteries</h2>
<p>Any battery or power bank showing signs of damage, swelling, overheating or an unusual bulge should not be carried on a flight at all, in the cabin or the hold. Electrical Safety First, which has worked with the CAA on its battery safety campaign, recommends checking your devices before you pack and disposing of a damaged battery safely at a local recycling point rather than travelling with it or putting it in general waste.</p>
<h2>What happens if you get it wrong</h2>
<p>If a vape or an unaccompanied lithium battery is found in checked baggage at Heathrow, the bag can be pulled from the aircraft for manual inspection, which delays that passenger and can hold up the whole flight while the hold is re-checked. In more serious cases, an incorrectly packed battery that starts to smoke or overheat during the flight can force a diversion. Given how common these devices are, with the average passenger now carrying around four lithium-powered gadgets, this is not a rare edge case; it is one of the most frequent causes of last-minute baggage delays at UK airports.</p>
<h2>How this fits with Heathrow's other security rules</h2>
<p>This battery and vape rule is separate from Heathrow's rules on liquids and bag size at the security checkpoint; see the <a href='https://heathrowairportguide.pages.dev/articles/heathrow-hand-luggage-rules-bag-size-and-liquids-2026'>full guide to Heathrow's hand luggage and liquids rules</a> for the 2-litre liquids allowance and the two-bag size limit. It is also worth planning your <a href='https://heathrowairportguide.pages.dev/articles/how-early-to-arrive-at-heathrow-before-your-flight'>arrival time at Heathrow</a> with enough buffer in case your bag needs a manual recheck for a misplaced battery. If you are travelling with an <a href='https://heathrowairportguide.pages.dev/articles/flying-with-an-assistance-dog-at-heathrow-the-rules'>assistance dog</a> or need extra help through the airport, none of the battery restrictions above change, but check with your airline about any battery-powered mobility equipment separately, as those often have their own specific approval process.</p>
<h2>The takeaway</h2>
<p>Keep vapes, spare batteries and power banks in your cabin bag, never in a suitcase that gets checked into the hold, and stick to a maximum of two power banks per person, never recharged in flight. Phones, tablets and laptops are best kept in the cabin too, and if one does end up in the hold it must be completely powered off and protected from damage. When in doubt about a specific battery's power rating, check with your airline before you travel rather than risk your bag being offloaded at Heathrow.</p>