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In August 2025, NBC News reported that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced new rules around checking cordless hair appliances, such as curling irons and flat irons, which use gas cartridges and butane. Thankfully, this still means you can bring them with you, as long as they can fit into your airline’s standard carry-on. However, extra gas cartridges are a no-go for either carry-on and checked-in luggage. Similar to the TSA’s stand on electronics, cordless curling irons and hair straighteners that use lithium-ion batteries are also not allowed in checked bags. In addition, the TSA also requires some sort of safety cover designed to keep it from heating up during transit. Similar to why TSA confiscates some power banks, this is likely because of the predisposition of lithium batteries to be fire hazards in general. Lastly, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mentions that regardless what kind of cordless curling iron you bring, you’re limited to one per person.
But of course, as with all of the TSA’s rules, it’s still going to depend on the officer present during the inspection if your particular hair appliance model can slide through or if it’s going to be confiscated. While the TSA doesn’t specifically state how much this violation could cost you, civil penalties can reach over $17,000. So, if you’re not sure if your appliance makes the cut, it’s best if you keep it in your carry-on or even just leave it at home, just in case.
In general, butane is considered a highly flammable substance, which makes these appliances a hazard everywhere and not just in the air. Because it’s still allowed on the plane, but not in your luggage, it’s likely that the TSA knows it’s not always a hazard. However, they have determined that there are still risks to having it on-board, so everyone is better off with it being easily accessible should they cause any trouble. In the passenger cabin, you’ll be surrounded by cabin crew, who are trained personnel that can handle a range of issues, including a potential fire.
Since the TSA is a U.S.-based agency, it’s also possible that the country you are traveling to or the airline you are flying with may have different rules as well. And, of course, each airline might have its own instructions related to handling, such as not being allowed to be used in-flight. To play it safe, the hair appliances with the least amount of restriction that you can consider bringing are electric straightening irons and curling irons that still use cords. Although even if the TSA does let your curling iron or hair straightener through, it doesn’t mean that bringing it is a good idea. Apart from whether or not it’s TSA-approved, here are other things to consider when packing them on your next flight abroad.
Before you even think of adding any hair appliance to your luggage, you should always check if it’s matches the voltage of the country you are visiting. For example, popular haircare tools like the Dyson Airwrap aren’t dual voltage, so if you decide to plug it into sockets that are different from where you bought them, it could spell trouble. Apart from becoming unusable, plugging hair care tools into the wrong voltage could also damage it permanently or invalidate its warranty. For this reason, you might want to check with your specific device’s operating manual or website for more information, wherein they sometimes list what countries allow use.
To play it safe, you may want to just purchase flat irons or curling irons specifically designed for travel, which still use cords and are rated to work at your destination. Apart from having dual voltage capabilities, these will typically be more compact in size and easy to store in your luggage. While there are some cheaper Dyson alternatives that do have dual voltage capabilities, you may still need to invest in travel adapters to make sure they fit into the local plug. In some cases, some travel adapters also have voltage converters, which can come in handy if your hair appliance model is designed to work with them, such as the highly-rated 250W BESTEK International Power Adapter that claims it can handle power-hungry hair appliances like curls and straighteners.