Carry your power bank in your cabin bag, not your checked luggage, and make sure its rating is printed clearly on the case. Airlines and stations set the final rule, so confirm with each carrier on your route before you pack.
It is a small item, but a confiscated power bank means a dead phone on a day of maps, tickets and translation. A few minutes at home removes that worry.
What should you check before you pack?
Do three things at home, with the power bank in your hand.
- Find the rating on the case. If it is missing, faint or scratched off, replace the power bank.
- Photograph the label, so you can show it on your phone if staff ask.
- Read the baggage page of every airline you will use, including the domestic ones in China.
The capacity limit is set by each airline and the aviation authority, and it can change. Your airline’s own page is the place to read the current figure.
Where do you carry it?
In your hand luggage, where you can reach it. Spare batteries are normally kept out of the hold because a fault in the cabin can be dealt with quickly. If a gate agent asks you to move a power bank, do it without argument.
Keep the cable and power bank together in a small pouch so they come out of the bag in one piece at security. Pack your plug adapters in the same pouch.
What happens at a China train station?
Expect X-ray bag checks at station entrances, and arrive 30 to 40 minutes before departure at major stations[1]. That early arrival also gives you time if staff ask about a battery.
Train travel is ticketless, so your passport is also your ticket at the gate[2]. Keep both your passport and your power bank at the top of the bag. Our guide to booking high-speed rail tickets covers the rest.
Does the choice of train or flight change this?
The habit is the same on both: rating visible, battery in the cabin bag, time to spare. The rail versus flight tool helps you compare the two on time and effort, and rail versus domestic flight covers a regional trip.
What is the simplest habit?
Charge the power bank and your phone to the top before you leave the hotel, then carry the power bank for emergencies only. Find the rest of the checklist on the preparation topic page, and download offline maps so a flat phone never leaves you lost.