Can You Bring a Hoverboard on a Plane? No — Banned

No. Hoverboards — also called self-balancing scooters — are banned by virtually all major airlines from both carry-on and checked baggage. This ban applies worldwide and is not a discretionary policy: it is driven by aviation safety rules around large lithium batteries, reinforced by a documented history of hoverboard battery fires.

If you need a hoverboard at your destination, you will need to ship it separately or buy and rent at the destination.

Why Hoverboards Are Banned: The Battery Problem

Aviation safety agencies regulate lithium batteries on aircraft because lithium-ion fires are difficult to extinguish in the confined environment of an aircraft cabin or cargo hold. The international rules draw a line at 160 watt-hours (Wh) per battery:

• Batteries up to 100 Wh: allowed in carry-on (spare) or in devices in carry-on and checked bags
• Batteries from 100 Wh to 160 Wh: allowed with airline approval only
• Batteries over 160 Wh: banned from passenger aircraft entirely

Hoverboard battery packs are almost universally over 160 Wh. A typical entry-level hoverboard battery is around 150–180 Wh. Performance models routinely use packs of 300–400 Wh or more. Even the smallest hoverboard batteries tend to sit right at or above the 160 Wh line.

This means a hoverboard battery cannot legally travel on a passenger aircraft under any circumstances — carry-on, checked, or cargo hold.

The Fire History Behind the Ban

The battery capacity issue alone would be enough to trigger a ban, but hoverboards also have a documented record of fire incidents that accelerated airline action.

In 2015 and 2016, reports of hoverboard fires during charging — and in several cases during transport — became widespread. Cheap lithium-ion cells and poor battery management systems in early products meant some hoverboards posed a genuine fire risk even when stored. Airlines began issuing explicit bans starting in late 2015 and early 2016.

The combination of oversized batteries and a fire history makes hoverboards one of the most definitively banned consumer electronics in aviation.

Airlines That Explicitly Ban Hoverboards

These airlines have issued explicit bans on hoverboards in both carry-on and checked baggage:

• Delta Air Lines — banned from all bags
• American Airlines — banned from all bags
• United Airlines — banned from all bags
• British Airways — banned from all bags
• Ryanair — banned from all bags
• easyJet — banned from all bags
• Lufthansa — banned from all bags
• Emirates — banned from all bags
• Air France — banned from all bags
• Singapore Airlines — banned from all bags

This list is not exhaustive. Virtually every major commercial airline worldwide has issued the same ban. If an airline is not on this list, that does not mean they accept hoverboards — check their specific dangerous goods policy before assuming.

Other Electric Mobility Devices: Same Ban

The same logic and the same ban applies to related devices:

Electric scooters — Lithium battery packs in e-scooters typically range from 180 Wh for small folding models to 500 Wh or more for performance models. All exceed the 160 Wh aircraft limit. Banned from all airline bags.

Segways and self-balancing electric vehicles — Same battery characteristics, same ban.

OneWheel and similar electric skateboards — The OneWheel battery is approximately 130–200 Wh depending on model. Even the models with batteries nominally below 160 Wh are banned by most airlines because the product type is associated with hoverboards, and airlines apply categorical bans rather than battery-by-battery assessments.

Traditional electric bikes and e-scooters — Banned for the same reason. E-bike batteries are almost always well over 160 Wh.

Is There Any Exception?

In theory, if a lithium battery is removable and is rated under 100 Wh, it might qualify for carry-on transport under standard spare battery rules — and the device itself without a battery might be allowed in checked luggage. This is theoretically possible for some electric skateboards with removable, small batteries.

In practice, virtually no airline will accept a hoverboard under any exception. Airlines apply categorical bans on product type, not case-by-case battery assessments. Do not arrive at the airport expecting a security or airline agent to inspect your battery and grant an exception.

What to Do Instead

Ship via ground courier. Companies like FedEx and UPS have specific policies for lithium battery shipments. Ground transport does not have the same flight safety constraints. Check with the carrier for current rules on shipping lithium battery devices — the rules change and require proper packaging.

Buy or rent at the destination. If you need a hoverboard or electric scooter at your destination, renting on arrival or purchasing a cheap model there and leaving it is often more practical and cheaper than trying to ship your own.

Consider alternatives. For short-distance personal transport at your destination, folding bicycles (without electric motors) and push kick scooters are allowed in checked luggage.