Delta Power Bank Rules 2026: Two Banks, 100Wh, No Overhead Bin

Can you bring a power bank on Delta? Yes, two, and the number that matters is 100

Delta’s rule is short, and stricter than the FAA baseline in one way that catches people: there is no “with airline approval” tier for power banks. Under 100Wh, fine. Over 100Wh, no, whatever the airline you flew last week allowed.

How this page was built. VoyageHacks read Delta’s “Battery or fuel-powered items” page on 16 September 2026 and quotes it directly below, alongside the FAA PackSafe rule and IATA’s 31 March 2026 operator guidance. Where Delta publishes nothing on a point, the page says so rather than guessing. All 38 carriers are compared in power bank rules by airline.

Delta’s power bank rules in one table

What Delta’s page says, word for word

These are the sentences a gate agent is working from, read on 16 September 2026:

• “No more than two power banks may be carried per person, and they may not exceed an aggregate total of 100 Wh each, with no exceptions.”
• “Lithium batteries or power banks (i.e. portable chargers) may not be stored in an overhead bin.”
• “In the interest of safety, passengers should store spare lithium batteries, including power banks, in a place that is easily accessible such as underneath the seat in front of you or in the seatback pocket.”
• “Additionally, power banks must not be recharged on board the aircraft or be used to recharge a portable electronic device during taxi, take-off, landing.”
• “Any lithium ion battery containing more than 160-watt hours is prohibited from carriage on all passenger aircraft.”
• “Each person is limited to a maximum of 20 spare batteries.”
• “If you are traveling to South Korea, please be advised that not complying with regulations could result in significant financial penalties.”

That last line is there because South Korea banned in-flight use and charging of power banks on 26 January 2026 and enforces it with fines. On a Delta flight to Seoul, the Korean rule applies on top of Delta’s.

Is your power bank under 100Wh?

Delta’s limit is in watt-hours, and most power banks are sold by milliamp-hours. Read the Wh figure printed on the case; if only mAh is printed, use the conversion the FAA and American Airlines both publish: Wh = mAh x 3.7 / 1,000.

Anker prints 99.54Wh on the 27,650mAh Prime bank, which is why it is the largest model in the grid above. Nothing marketed at 30,000mAh flies on Delta.

Where the bank goes in the cabin on Delta

Delta’s stowage rule is the one most people break by habit. The roller bag goes in the overhead bin, and the power bank is in the roller bag.

Move it before you board. Delta wants the bank “underneath the seat in front of you or in the seatback pocket”, which in practice means your personal item or the pocket itself. The reason is response time: a lithium cell in thermal runaway gives little warning, and crew can reach a seat pocket in seconds and a bin three rows back cannot be reached quickly.

Two situations to plan for:

• Gate-checked carry-on. On a full flight Delta will tag roller bags at the gate. The FAA requires all spare lithium batteries and power banks to come out of a bag checked at the gate or planeside, so take the bank out before you hand the bag over.
• Smart bags. Delta does not accept smart bags with a non-removable battery at all, carry-on or checked, on mainline and Delta Connection flights. A removable battery must come out and travel in the cabin with you.

Using and charging a power bank on a Delta flight

Delta’s wording is precise, so read it precisely:

• Recharging the bank itself from the seat’s USB or AC outlet is banned for the whole flight.
• Charging your phone from the bank is banned during taxi, take-off and landing.
• During cruise, Delta’s page publishes no prohibition. If you charge a phone from the bank at altitude, keep the bank in the seat pocket or on your lap, not in a closed bag, so it stays within reach.

Compare that with Lufthansa, Emirates and Qantas, which ban any use of a power bank in flight. Delta is in the middle of the range: stricter than United, looser than the long-haul carriers.

Recalled power banks are banned on Delta, by federal rule

Delta’s page says damaged, defective or recalled lithium batteries “must not be carried in carry-on or checked baggage” and points to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. That is the FAA’s rule too, so it is not a matter of the agent’s discretion.

Models to check for before you pack, all under CPSC recalls:

The A1689 is the Anker Zolo 20,000mAh 30W with a USB-C cable, still widely recommended in 2026 because it is cheap. Air Canada names it, the A1681 and the A1647 on its own restricted-items page as prohibited on board. The model number is printed on the case; Anker’s recall page checks a serial number.

The three banks in the grid above are models A1259, A1383 and A1340, none of which is recalled as of 16 September 2026.

How Delta compares with the other US majors

If you connect from Delta onto a partner such as Air France or KLM, the stricter rule on either leg is the one to pack for. Air France also caps power banks at 160Wh but requires advance approval above 100Wh, and KLM bans use in flight.

What changes on 1 January 2027

For Delta passengers, nothing. IATA’s operator guidance of 31 March 2026 states that the provision allowing 100 to 160Wh power banks with airline approval “will not be carried into the 68th edition” of the Dangerous Goods Regulations, in force from 1 January 2027. From that date every airline’s ceiling for a power bank is a flat 100Wh. Delta already applies that rule today, which is why a bank that passes on Delta in 2026 will pass everywhere in 2027.

Before you fly Delta: the 60-second check

1. Count them. Two power banks maximum. A third stays home or goes in a companion’s bag.
2. Read the Wh. Printed on the case, or mAh x 3.7 / 1,000. Over 100Wh does not fly on Delta.
3. Check the model number against the recall table above.
4. Move it to your personal item or the seat pocket before the roller bag goes up.
5. Charge the phone at the gate. No charging from the bank during taxi, take-off or landing, and no charging the bank from the seat.
6. Flying to Seoul? No use or charging at all, under Korean law.

Delta’s SkyMiles fares, bag fees and cabins are covered in our Delta review. For a bank that passes every carrier’s rule, see best travel power banks, and for all 38 airlines side by side, power bank rules by airline.

Frequently asked questions

How many power banks can I bring on Delta?

Two. Delta’s battery page states that no more than two power banks may be carried per person, and each may not exceed 100Wh, with no exceptions. Both must travel in the cabin, never in a checked bag. Delta also caps every passenger at 20 spare batteries of all kinds, but for power banks specifically the number is two.

Does Delta allow power banks over 100Wh with approval?

No. Delta is one of the few airlines with no approval tier for power banks: its page says each power bank may not exceed 100Wh, with no exceptions. The 100 to 160Wh allowance on the same page applies to other spare lithium ion batteries, such as camera batteries, limited to two per passenger, not to power banks. A 30,000mAh bank, about 111Wh, cannot fly on Delta at all.

Can I use a power bank during a Delta flight?

Not during taxi, take-off or landing. Delta’s page states that power banks must not be used to recharge a portable electronic device during those phases, and must not be recharged on board the aircraft at any time. The page is silent on the cruise phase, so charging a phone from a power bank mid-flight is not prohibited by Delta’s published rule, but the bank must stay within reach while you do it.

Can I put a power bank in the overhead bin on Delta?

No. Delta states that lithium batteries or power banks may not be stored in an overhead bin. Delta asks you to keep spare batteries, including power banks, in a place that is easily accessible, such as underneath the seat in front of you or in the seatback pocket. Put the bank in your personal item before boarding rather than in the bag that goes up.

Can a power bank go in checked luggage on Delta?

No. Spare lithium batteries and power banks are carry-on only under FAA rules, which Delta applies. If your carry-on is checked at the gate, take the power bank out first and keep it with you. Delta also refuses smart bags with non-removable lithium batteries as both carry-on and checked baggage on all mainline Delta and Delta Connection flights.

How do I know if my power bank is under 100Wh for Delta?

Read the Wh figure printed on the case. If only mAh is printed, multiply by 3.7 and divide by 1,000: a 10,000mAh bank is about 37Wh, a 20,000mAh bank about 74Wh, and 27,000mAh is about 100Wh, which is Delta’s ceiling. Anything marketed as 30,000mAh or more is over the limit.

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