● Independent UK buying guidance
Smart luggage can contain trackers, digital locks, scales, motors or charging power banks. The rule depends on the battery's chemistry, rating, purpose and whether it can be removed—not simply whether the suitcase is called smart.
Reviewed 1 September 2026
Shortlist
Specifications can change by model or generation. Confirm the exact product before buying.
Charging features without blocking check-in
Usually the safer smart-luggage design because the power bank can travel separately in the cabin when the bag is checked.
You must actually remove the power bank before checking the bag and comply with the airline's capacity limits.
Low-power finding
Small tracking devices are treated differently from charging power banks, but airline conditions still apply.
Do not assume every rechargeable tracker or electronic tag uses the same permitted battery type.
Avoid unless clearly within the permitted exception
The highest-risk design at check-in because staff may be unable to accept it when the battery cannot be removed.
IATA guidance states that non-removable batteries outside the small-battery threshold can make smart luggage forbidden in both cabin and checked baggage.
01
IATA says a battery installed primarily to charge other devices is treated as a power bank. It must be removable from smart luggage so it can be carried in the cabin when the suitcase is checked.
02
Current IATA passenger guidance distinguishes very small installed batteries—up to 0.3 g lithium metal or 2.7 Wh lithium ion—from larger non-removable batteries. Do not estimate. The rating and chemistry need to be identifiable from the product documentation or marking.
03
A small coin-cell item tracker does not provide power to other devices. That difference matters, but the operating airline remains the final practical checkpoint. Rechargeable GPS devices, electronic tags and smart locks can use different cells, so check the exact model.
04
IATA publishes industry guidance, while airlines apply conditions to their own operations and routes. Read the dangerous-goods or baggage page for the operating carrier and contact it before travel if the product documentation is unclear.
Common questions
Often only if the power bank or removable lithium battery is taken out and carried in the cabin. Very small installed batteries may fall within a separate exception. Check the exact bag and airline.
Not when the suitcase is checked. IATA guidance treats a battery intended to charge other devices as a power bank that must be removable and carried in the cabin.
Small coin-cell trackers are different from power banks and are widely used, but passengers should still check the operating airline's current rules for electronic tracking devices.
Watt-hours measure battery energy. IATA uses 2.7 Wh as part of the small non-removable lithium-ion battery threshold for smart luggage. Use the manufacturer's marking rather than guessing.
No. The operating airline and airport staff apply the current safety requirements to the exact battery and journey.