PackVolt
Methodology

How PackVolt builds its guidance

PackVolt is a public information tool. It turns your battery input into watt-hours, then compares the result with the most common passenger-facing lithium battery guidance published by aviation authorities and IATA. It does not contact your airline, inspect your booking, or guarantee boarding.

Inputs and conversion

  • If you enter Wh, PackVolt uses that value directly.
  • If you enter mAh, PackVolt estimates watt-hours using Wh = (mAh ÷ 1000) × V.
  • If the battery label already shows Wh, that printed value should override any estimate.

Core bands

  • Up to 100 Wh: treated as the most common consumer-friendly range.
  • 101–160 Wh: treated as an approval-sensitive range where airline confirmation is often needed.
  • Above 160 Wh: treated as outside normal passenger baggage guidance.

Configuration matters

  • Power banks and loose spare batteries: handled conservatively as spare lithium-ion batteries, which usually means carry-on only.
  • Installed batteries in devices: sometimes handled more flexibly than spare batteries, but high-capacity devices can still require approval.
  • Quantity: the app adds caution when the number of spare batteries becomes unusually high or exceeds the common two-spare pattern in the 101–160 Wh range.

Safety overrides

If you indicate that the battery is damaged, swollen, recalled, leaking, overheating, or otherwise unsafe, PackVolt treats that as a hard stop regardless of watt-hours.

Important limits

  • Airlines, airports, and countries can impose stricter rules than the baseline guidance here.
  • Some carriers publish quantity caps even for batteries below 100 Wh.
  • Travel with unusual equipment, camera rigs, drones, or medical devices may require specific carrier guidance.
  • Borderline or mislabeled batteries should be verified directly with the airline before travel.

Primary sources behind the logic

  • FAA PackSafe: carry-on only for spare lithium batteries and power banks, with explicit 100 Wh and 101–160 Wh passenger guidance.
  • EASA dangerous goods guidance: spare batteries and power banks in carry-on only, terminals protected, do not recharge or power devices on board.
  • IATA batteries guidance: passenger handling depends on configuration and watt-hour rating, and spare batteries are not allowed in checked baggage.