Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Flying Can Be A Hair Curling Experience: Traveling With Curling/Straightening Irons

Hair. Some want it curly and some want it straight. Some even prefer no hair (this post won’t apply to them). In my case, I would like more hair, but such is life.

Back to the matter at hand – curling and straightening irons are common travel items we see every day at both the checkpoint and in checked bags. But believe it or not, we get a lot of search hits on our web page from folks trying to figure out if these are permitted on an aircraft. I am happy to report that these items, with the exception of the type that requires a butane cartridge (see below), are permitted in your carry-on and checked baggage.

The only kind of curling and straightening irons you have to be concerned with are the types that take a butane cartridge. These are only allowed in your checked baggage, as long as you only have one and a safety cover must be over the heating element. No spare cartridges are allowed. This type of iron is not permitted in your carry-on luggage.

Remember, you can always use our new “Can I Bring” tool on the
web, or you can go here to download the My TSA app. “Can I Bring" allows you to type in an item and see if it’s permitted or not. If the item is not listed, you can suggest that we add it.

Blogger Bob
TSA Blog Team