You can bring clothes, most electronic devices, medicine, and solid food in your carry-on. Liquids must be in containers of 100 ml at most, inside a clear 1-liter bag, and knives, box cutters, and similar objects have to go in your checked bag.
In this article
Traveling with only a carry-on is more and more common, and the main question is always what are you allowed to bring in that bag?
There’s a long list of items you can bring in this bag with no problem, but there are some you simply can’t.
That’s why, to help you avoid problems, I’m telling you here which items you can bring in your carry-on.
I’ll sum it up by category so you can find the information more easily.
This list follows the rules of the United States and the European Union, with examples from Iberojet. Other countries and airlines may have differences, and the security officer has the final say.
Traveling with a carry-on is a good way to find cheap flights, but keep the following list in mind.
Bag size limits depend on each airline: see how to travel with only a carry-on and the size limits by airline, and if you’re flying with Iberojet, check Iberojet’s carry-on size limits.
Scissors, Knives, and Other Sharp Objects
Allowed: tweezers, nail clippers, and knitting and sewing needles, which are permitted in the US, and umbrellas, although you should check the size with your airline.
Not allowed: knives and pocketknives, although the US accepts round-tipped, non-serrated ones, such as butter knives, as well as plastic ones. The same goes for box cutters and loose razor blades, which have to go in your checked bag.
It depends: in the US, scissors must measure less than 4 inches (about 10 cm) from the pivot point, and on Iberojet they aren’t allowed if the blades are longer than 6 cm, so longer ones go in your checked bag. Disposable razors are allowed in the US, but on Iberojet razor blades can’t go in the cabin, so check with your airline.
It’s a similar story with canes: they’re allowed in the US, but Iberojet lists canes among blunt objects, so if you need one for mobility, let your airline know. A corkscrew is best checked, since the European Union mentions it among the objects that, depending on their size, must go in the hold.
As for a regular lighter, one is allowed: in the US, in your carry-on or on your person, and in the UK, in a resealable bag and on your person. The US doesn’t allow torch lighters, and with other airlines you should ask ahead of time. For matches, the US allows one book of safety matches in the cabin and none in the hold, while Iberojet bans matches on the entire plane.
Electronic Devices and Batteries
Keep in mind that most electronic devices can go in your carry-on: computers, cell phones, tablets, music players, cameras, e-readers, video game consoles, and electric shavers. That said, some have special rules.
Power banks travel in the cabin only, since they’re banned from checked bags, and the limit is 100 Wh per battery. Iberojet allows two at most and doesn’t let you use or recharge them on board. E-cigarettes also go in the cabin only. You must keep them from turning on by accident, and it’s a good idea to ask your airline whether it limits how many you can bring.
Hair dryers are allowed in the US, and a cordless curling iron with a lithium battery or gas goes in the cabin only, with a safety cover over the hot part. Drones get through security in the US, but the airline decides how they’re carried, mainly because of their batteries. Electric scooters and hoverboards, on the other hand, are banned by Iberojet from both the cabin and the hold.
Medicine
You can bring medicine on the plane. It’s a good idea to put it in a clear bag and carry a prescription that justifies bringing it. Iberojet also recommends keeping it in its original packaging and bringing only the amount you need for the trip. If you’re carrying a lot, it asks for a medical report in the language of your destination or in English.
Necessary liquid medicines can exceed 100 ml. On Iberojet, the exception covers those needed during the trip, presented separately at security. In the US they’re accepted in reasonable quantities for the trip, but you must declare them at the checkpoint. In the European Union, the volume limit doesn’t apply to them either.
If you use syringes for diabetes or another condition, in the US unused ones are allowed if they’re with the injectable medicine, and you must declare them too. For other destinations, check with the airline ahead of time to learn what’s required. Also make sure the medicine isn’t banned at your destination: that check is up to the passenger.
Liquids: The 100 ml Rule
This point is especially important, since it raises the most questions. Each container can hold 100 ml at most, and all of them must go together in one clear resealable bag, 1 liter at most, per passenger. You can’t spread them around your carry-on.
This rule applies to any liquid, such as water, drinks, soups, syrups, creams, toothpaste, lotions, perfumes, oils, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, shaving foam, contact lens solution, and aerosol or gel deodorants.
It also applies to jams, food sauces, pâtés, liquid cheeses, and anything else with a similar consistency. Anything over 100 ml has to go in your checked bag.
Duty-free liquids can go over that limit if they stay sealed in the security bag with their receipt. In the European Union, you can’t open that bag until your final destination, although security officers can. If you have a connection to the US, the purchase must be less than 48 hours old, and the authorities advise checking them anyway.
Some airports have changed this rule, as is the case in parts of the UK. Don’t count on it unless your departure airport confirms it, and remember that it may be different at your airport on the way back.
Can I Bring Coffee in My Carry-On?
Yes, you can bring whole bean or ground coffee, because solid food isn’t subject to the 100 ml limit. At security, you may be asked to take it out of your bag so it can be inspected. Liquid coffee does have to follow the 100 ml rule.
If you’re traveling from or to Costa Rica, keep this limit in mind: on those flights, Iberojet doesn’t allow 350 g or more of powdered substances in the cabin, and some airports apply additional screening to powders over 355 ml. If you’re bringing a lot of ground coffee, check with your airline or put it in your checked bag.
Other Food
Most solid foods can go in your carry-on, such as candy, cookies, potato chips, nuts, flour, and chocolate bars. If they’re liquid or creamy, they must stay within the 100 ml limit. Flour and other powders fall under Iberojet’s 350 g limit on flights to and from Costa Rica.
As for baby food, in the US formula, breast milk, toddler drinks, and baby food are accepted in amounts over 100 ml, without putting them in the 1-liter bag. You must tell the officers at the checkpoint. In the European Union, the volume limit doesn’t apply to them either. On Iberojet, the exception covers baby food needed during the trip.
Getting through security doesn’t mean you can enter the country with the food. Fruit, seeds, meat, and plants may be restricted at your destination. In the US, all agricultural products must be declared, and failing to do so can cost you the item and a fine.
Sports Equipment
If you play sports, note that in the US tennis rackets are allowed in the cabin if they fit within the airline’s size limits. So are skateboards, as long as you check the size and weight with the airline, and parachutes, packed separately from the rest of your baggage.
Baseball bats, golf clubs, and ski poles aren’t allowed in the cabin in the US and must go in your checked bag. Iberojet doesn’t accept bats in the cabin either.
A large toy, such as a tricycle, usually has to go in the hold because it doesn’t meet cabin size limits. Iberojet allows sports balls in the cabin and recommends bringing them partially deflated.
What You Can’t Bring in Your Carry-On or Checked Bag
According to Iberojet, these can’t travel in any baggage: explosives and fireworks, flammable items such as gasoline and solvents, compressed gases, corrosives, stun guns, pepper spray, and spare lithium batteries over 160 Wh.
As you can see, you can travel with a wide range of items in your carry-on, but if you have any doubts, it’s always a good idea to check with your airline.
