Yes — a battery heated jacket is allowed on planes; wear or pack the jacket and keep the removable battery or power bank in your carry-on.
What The Rules Say In Plain Language
Heated jackets run on small lithium packs or USB power banks. Aviation rules treat those batteries like any other lithium item. You can bring the garment through security and on board. The battery pack goes in your cabin bag, not in checked luggage. If the pack is built in, the jacket should ride with you in the cabin and stay powered off.
Two bodies set the baseline you’ll see echoed by airlines worldwide: the U.S. FAA PackSafe lithium battery page and the TSA heated jacket page. Their guidance boils down to: spares in carry-on only, devices off, and protect battery terminals.
Quick Allowance Table
This table lists the jacket, its battery, and extras.
| Item | Carry-on | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Heated jacket (no battery attached) | Yes | Yes |
| Heated jacket worn on person | Yes (power off for takeoff/landing) | — |
| Heated jacket with removable battery attached | Yes (recommend detach) | No (remove battery first) |
| Removable lithium battery or USB power bank (spare) | Yes (terminals protected) | No |
| Installed lithium battery that’s non-removable | Yes (device off) | Discouraged; check airline |
| Charging cable and adapter | Yes | Yes |
Tip: If gate-checking a bag, pull the battery or power bank out before handing the bag over.
Bringing A Battery Heated Jacket On Flights: Practical Rules
Most heated jackets use a 5–10 volt pack between 20–60 Wh. That’s well under common limits. You can carry multiple small packs if they fit your allowance and each pack stays below its watt-hour cap. Packs in the 101–160 Wh range need airline approval and a cap of two spares.
Carry-On Versus Checked
Carry-on is the safe, speedy choice. You’ll keep eyes on the battery, you can answer any questions at screening, and you avoid last-minute gate checks trapping a pack in the hold. If you must check the garment, remove any detachable battery and place it in your cabin bag with the terminals taped or in a sleeve.
Security Checkpoint Tips
- Pop the battery out of the pocket before the X-ray. Place it in a small tray or your electronics bin.
- Turn the jacket off and fold it with the wiring visible so agents see what it is at a glance.
- Bring the product card or a quick photo of the battery label. Agents like seeing voltage and Wh.
On Board Etiquette
Cabins can run warm. If you do switch the jacket on, use the lowest setting and power off for taxi, takeoff, and landing when asked. Never place a blanket over a running heater with blankets or stack items on top; the controller needs airflow.
Battery Basics You’ll Want Handy
Airline and airport staff look for the watt-hour number on lithium-ion. It’s printed as “Wh.” If you only see volts (V) and milliamp-hours (mAh), use the quick math: Wh = (mAh ÷ 1000) × V. A 7.4 V, 5,000 mAh pack equals 37 Wh. Well within the small-battery band.
Installed Vs. Spare
Installed means the battery is inside a device and used to run it. Spare means it’s not plugged in. Spares always live in carry-on. Installed batteries may sit in checked baggage only when the device can’t turn on by accident, but that’s a poor fit for heated apparel since buttons can be pressed by pressure in a suitcase.
Protecting The Terminals
Short circuits are what rules try to prevent. Use a cap, a small case, or a zip bag around each pack. Tape over exposed contacts if needed. Keep packs separate from keys and cables that could bridge the contacts.
Make Packing Simple And Safe
Use a slim pouch in your personal item for batteries and the controller. Label it “jacket power” so you can grab it fast if a gate agent needs you to pull it. Store packs at partial charge and avoid crushed pockets that pinch wires.
Checklist Before You Leave Home
- Confirm your pack’s Wh is printed or calculated and below any airline cap.
- Detach every removable battery; keep none in checked bags.
- Cap terminals; stash each pack in its own sleeve or small box.
- Power the jacket off; coil and secure the cable and controller.
- Pack a lightweight non-heated layer in case the cabin is already warm.
When Airline Approval Is Needed
Batteries rated 101–160 Wh usually need a yes from your carrier and come with a two-spare limit. You request approval through the airline’s special items desk or chat. Heated-wear packs rarely reach that size; if yours does, print the approval to show at check-in.
Battery Limits Cheat Sheet
These common limits help you size things up at a glance.
| Battery | Capacity | How You May Carry It |
|---|---|---|
| Lithium-ion (typical heated-wear pack) | ≤ 100 Wh | Carry-on only for spares; installed in device ok in cabin |
| Lithium-ion, larger | 101–160 Wh | Up to two spares in carry-on with airline approval |
| Lithium-ion | > 160 Wh | Not allowed for passengers |
Brand And Battery Types You’ll See
Heated apparel brands ship their own 7.4 V packs or point you to a USB power bank. Either way, the chemistry is lithium-ion. Some packs look like a phone charger with a USB port; others have a round plug and an on-pack level button. If you’ve swapped in an off-brand power bank, double-check its Wh figure and any airline cap on the number of spares.
What If The Jacket Has A Fixed Battery?
If your jacket’s battery can’t be removed, treat the garment like a device: keep it in your carry-on or wear it. Pack it so the power button can’t be pressed. If you’re forced to check it, tell the agent the battery is fixed and ask for guidance; many carriers prefer fixed-battery wearables stay in the cabin.
Troubleshooting At The Airport
If An Agent Has Questions
Be friendly and matter-of-fact. Say, “It’s a heated jacket; here’s the battery and the watt-hours.” Show the label, and point to the cable. Offer to keep the battery in your personal item. That clears most issues in seconds.
If You Forgot And Put The Pack In A Checked Bag
Tell the desk before the bag goes down the belt. They’ll ask you to pull the battery out and carry it with you. If the bag is already loaded, they may retrieve it. That delay beats sending a lithium pack into the hold.
Smart Ways To Pack For Smooth Travel
Keep Heat Under Control
Choose the low or medium setting; high can feel toasty on the ground but too warm in the aisle. Use short bursts and let the jacket rest. If anything smells hot, switch off and unplug the pack.
Spare Packs And Numbers
Two small packs handle a long travel day. Rotate them and keep both in the same pouch so you never leave one in a seat pocket. If an airline limits the number of spares or asks for capacity, you’re ready with the figures.
Why These Rules Exist
Lithium cells pack dense energy. Damage, crushed bags, or stray metal can trigger a short. Cabin crews are trained and equipped to handle a battery incident you can see and reach. That’s why spares ride in the cabin, never the hold, and why devices stay powered off when stowed. Some carriers restrict in-flight use of power banks, so charge packs before boarding and follow crew instructions if asked to unplug or switch the heater off.
Bottom Line For Heated Jackets
Wear your heated jacket or pack it up top. Keep the battery with you and protect the contacts. Check the watt-hours, stay under the caps, and you’ll breeze through security and boarding with warm hands and zero drama.