Can You Bring a Puff Bar on a Plane?

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If you want to enjoy using disposable vaping devices during your next vacation or business trip, then you’ll need to know – can you bring a puff bar on a plane?

When you want to use these disposable vape pens, you’ll also need to know whether they should be packed in your carry-on bag or your checked luggage.

Whatever your questions about flying with disposable vapes, this post will help to put your mind at rest.

You can take a puff bar onto a plane, but this is only permitted in cabin luggage. Both reusable and disposable vapes are strictly prohibited from the cargo hold. This is because they pose a fire risk.

Photo of a hand with the vapes

Don’t pack that disposable vape until you’ve read the following article! Covered is which bag to pack your disposable e-cigarettes into, why they might pose a fire risk and what the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) guidelines are.

This is the complete guide to bringing disposable vape pens on an aircraft.

TSA Regulations and Puff Bars

While the final decision about what’s allowed on a plane rests with airport security at your departure point, it’s useful to refer to what the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has to say.

The TSA is a US government body overseeing passenger safety during transportation. Their remit includes air travel.

TSA rules are a good general guideline to go by – though they are not the be-all and end-all. They mainly cover flights that leave from, arrive in, or transit the US.

So if, for example, you’re traveling between European Union countries only, then you should check with your airline before you travel. This is good practice anyway, as rules may change without warning.

Puff Bars in Carry-on Luggage

Both disposable and re-usable vaping devices can be packed into your carry-on luggage. In fact, you can only bring puff bars on planes when you pack them this way.

Puff Bars in Checked Luggage

A puff bar in fact belongs in a carry-on bag only. Vape pens of any type are prohibited when it comes to checked luggage.

If your carry-on bags end up as checked luggage instead for any reason, then you must remove any reusable or disposable electronic cigarettes before they go into the hold.

Why a Puff Bar Must Go Into a Carry-on

Photo showing different kinds of e cigarettes

So disposable vapes are strictly prohibited from checked luggage. Why is this?

All vape devices are seen by airport security as a fire risk. It doesn’t matter whether you’re flying internationally or taking a short domestic flight. Nor whether you use reusable e-cigarettes or disposable vapes.

Every vaping device is equal when it comes to airport safety and security. As e-cigarettes contain lithium batteries as well as vape juice, they could catch fire.

So you can see why unattended vaping devices could be a problem.

You can only take a vape on a plane when you carry it into the flight cabin. If a fire did break out, this way it can be detected and controlled right away. An unattended fire in the hold would clearly pose a big risk to everyone on board.

Though the risk may be small, it is nonetheless a risk. All passengers must therefore take reasonable steps to prevent any heating element from being activated during the flight.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) offers some additional guidance on this. They advise that passengers could remove any battery, use a protective cover or case and make sure the device is switched off.

Any lithium-ion batteries must be 100 Wh or less, and lithium metal batteries should be 2 grams or under. Extra batteries should also go into the hold.

You can find out more about what the FAA says here.

Bringing a Puff Bar on a Plane – FAQs

Photo of a vape on a table

Can You Bring a Puff Bar on a Plane as a Minor?

Previous passengers have asked this question via Twitter, and the TSA’s answer was yes. As far as they’re concerned, a puff bar can be taken as long as it’s packed into carry-on luggage rather than a checked bag.

However, the TSA is concerned with aircraft safety only. They are not the police. Different rules apply in different states and countries. Age limits will also vary.

A puff bar carried by a minor may thus be confiscated by the authorities if it is deemed illegal in a place of departure, transit, or arrival.

Photo showing an airport staff checking the items from a luggage of a woman

Will TSA Take My Vape Out of My Carry-On?

While there’s no specific reason for the TSA or other airport staff to take a vape out of a carry-on, they may decide to do so for inspection purposes.

As with all passengers and all items carried, security checks are in place all over the world and sometimes these involve closer examination of luggage.

Vape products must be carried in the aircraft cabin, so there’s no reason for security officers or baggage handlers to remove them from your bag.

If they are taken out, they should be replaced after the inspection has taken place.

If your carry-on has to go into the hold instead, then the TSA or other airport staff will have to remove it from your bag as it cannot go into the hold. This is because it is a fire risk.

Can You Bring Disposable Vapes on a Plane?

You can bring disposable vapes onto a plane – as long as they are packed into your carry-on bag and not your hold luggage.

All types of puff bars are seen as a risk to passenger safety if left unattended in the hold. This is because of the fire risk posed by lithium batteries.

Bringing a Puff Bar on a Plane – Final Thoughts

In most cases, a puff bar is fine to bring on a plane as long as it’s packed into your carry-on bag. As it’s a fire risk, you cannot pack it into hold luggage where it would be unattended.

Don’t forget that the usual restrictions regarding liquids apply to vaping liquids as well. Cannabis products are also illegal in most locations worldwide.

Do check with your airline before you travel. Different rules might apply to your departure and destination country. The regulations may also change at any time.

Photo showing a hand with a vape on it and a text overlay that reads Can you bring a puff bar on a plane