By this point, you know what to expect at airport security checkpoints: belts and jackets off, computers out of bags (unless you have TSA PreCheck), water bottles emptied.
At least for now, you can leave your shoes on, even if you don’t have PreCheck, since the “shoes off” policy ended on July 8, 2025.
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Still, getting through airport security can make even the most chill traveler anxious, especially since falling to follow rules about what’s in your carry-on bag could mean losing expensive items or even missing your flight.
While you can pack full-sized bottles of shampoo, tubes of toothpaste and sunscreen, and even some kinds of alcohol in checked bags, there are plenty of other rules to know and those recently changed, too.
Image source: Beck/AFP via Getty Images
TSA agents are pulling these items from checked bags
The TSA banned items list was just updated, and anyone who travels with certain beauty products should be aware of the new regulations.
If you depend on a cordless device for your haircare routine when you’re on the road, check out the latest FAA “HazMat” guidelines regarding popular hair tools that are no longer allowed in checked baggage.
What’s the problem? They contain potentially hazardous materials.
Related: TSA issues stern warning after traveler’s arrest
Here’s what the FAA now says about cordless hair tools.
- Cordless curling irons or flatirons containing gas cartridges are banned in checked luggage.
- Butane-fueled curling irons or flat irons are banned in checked luggage.
- Gas refills (spare cartridges) for curling irons or flatirons are not permitted in checked luggage.
Note: These items are allowed in carry-on bags as long as they are fitted with safety covers over the heating elements to protect them from accidental activation.
Electric curling irons and hair straighteners with cords that plug into an electric outlet are allowed in both carry-on and checked baggage.
TSA’s battery rules have changed, too
In recent months, the TSA has cracked down on many items travelers could freely bring in carry-on and checked baggage.
For example, now all spare lithium batteries and power packs must be removed from checked luggage and kept with the passenger in the aircraft cabin (and if you happen to gate-check your carry-on, you must remove the batteries and keep them with you).
More on travel:
- U.S. government issues serious warning for cruise passengers
- Delta Air Lines makes a baggage change that travelers will like
- United Airlines passenger incident triggers quick response
The battery terminals on these devices must also be protected from short circuit.
Beyond power packs, the TSA continues enforcing other restrictions many travelers remain oblivious to: E-cigarettes, vape pens, and most electronic smoking devices are banned from checked bags for the same fire risk reasons.
Only one lighter is permitted per person, though torch lighters remain prohibited. All flammable materials are also forbidden.
Related: Common TSA security practice comes under political fire
Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration recorded 39 episodes involving lithium batteries on passenger flights, many of them involving power banks, and a fire on board an airplane is obviously very dangerous.
Just a couple of weeks ago, a flight attendant on a Virgin Australia flight was forced to extinguish a mid-flight fire that started when a passenger’s bag containing a lithium-ion battery caught fire, as reported in The New York Times on July 23, 2025.
If you aren’t sure what you can pack in your carry-on or checked baggage, always check the TSA’s “What can I bring” list tool before you head to the airport.
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Make a free appointment with TheStreet’s Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
