Can You Bring A Speaker On A Plane? (through TSA)

Flying
credit: Yay

Determining what you are allowed to bring on a plane can be confusing. Items such as speakers are not an everyday travel item, but if you buy a speaker on your trip and bring it back with you, or if you are in a situation that requires you to travel with a speaker, are you allowed to take speakers with you onto the plane?

You can bring a speaker on a plane, so long as the speaker is not too large or too heavy. There are no TSA or FAA restrictions for speakers, but any speaker with a lithium-ion battery should be brought as carry-on. Larger speakers may be required to be transported in checked luggage.

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Can You Bring Speakers On A Plane?

There are situations when regular travel items must be brought with you for a flight, and it can be nerve-wracking to bring something along that you are not used to traveling with. This leads many airline passengers to wonder if they are permitted to take a speaker onto a plane.

You can bring speakers onto a plane. Speakers on not prohibited by the TSA or the FAA, and they are allowed to be transported on commercial airlines. There are some rules regarding speakers on planes, but you should not have any real problems getting a speaker onto a plane.

Portable Bluetooth speakers are easy to travel with, and they are permitted on aircraft. The only caveat is that any Bluetooth speaker with a battery capacity that exceeds 160Wh must be given special permission to be taken aboard.

Bluetooth speakers with a battery capacity of 100Wh – 160Wh are limited to two per passenger due to the limitations on these types of batteries for air travel.

Speakers with a battery capacity of less than 100Wh carry no restrictions other than size and weight. A speaker that is too large to be stored safely in the overhead compartment or under the seat cannot be brought as carry-on luggage, but it is not prohibited from being transported on the plane.

All speakers that are very large must receive airline approval before boarding. This means that if you are transporting a large speaker from a sound system or a party speaker, you must gain permission from the airline to travel with it, and it may require extra fees for transport.

Most speakers that a regular passenger would carry with them are perfectly fine to take on a plane, and other speakers can be brought along with special permission. All of this means that you should have no trouble traveling with a speaker, so long as your speaker is above-board in every way.

Can You Bring A Speaker Through TSA Checkpoints?

Speakers are not prohibited by the TSA, as stated by their regulations. This means that any regular speaker should make it through a TSA checkpoint without issue, but there is a chance that a speaker may be inspected by an agent on duty.

Speakers are safe items to bring onto planes, and they do not pose any threat or danger at all. No speakers that a regular passenger may carry with them are of any concern to the TSA, but they may be identified on x-ray machines, and this may lead to a luggage search in some instances.

Most TSA checkpoints will let a speaker pass without hesitation, but if the agents suspect foul play, the speaker may be inspected or confiscated.

Can You Bring A Speaker Through Airport Security?

Airport security is a separate entity from the TSA, and every member of the airport security staff must follow the protocols set by the airport itself.

This means that some countries or some airports may prohibit speakers for air travel, even though the TSA does not. It is always important to confirm with the airline that you are using to find out if you are permitted to travel with anything outside of the ordinary, including speakers.

Anything that a traveler may not normally move around with should be declared to the airline just to be sure that it is allowed on the craft. Declaring items such as these is important as airlines have different regulations regarding the transportation of items such as lithium-ion batteries, such as those that power portable speakers.

By declaring the speaker to airport security and the airline that you are using, you stand a better chance of being allowed to bring the speaker with you rather than it being confiscated before you get on the plane.

Can You Bring A Speaker In Carry-On Luggage?

Speakers are allowed to be brought onto commercial airlines by passengers, as there is no restriction imposed by any authorities regarding these devices, but should you bring your speaker with you as carry-on luggage?

It is always best to bring your speaker as carry-on luggage if possible. Speakers are somewhat delicate, and they can be easily damaged by cold vibrations and by being dropped or knocked too hard.

If your speaker contains a battery, it is likely to be damaged by the environment of cold and low air pressure within the cargo compartment of the plane and may even rupture due to these conditions.

This means that if your speaker is small enough and light enough to be brought as carry-on luggage, it is always best to do so. All personal portable speakers should be allowed into the plane as carry-on without issue from any authorities or crew.

Should You Pack A Speaker In Checked Luggage?

Speakers are allowed to be brought as carry-on luggage, but is it a better idea to bring your speaker as checked luggage?

The truth is that some airlines may require your speaker to be transported with your checked luggage; this may be the case if the speaker is large, if it is heavy, or even if it is deemed too dangerous to be brought into the cabin.

In this situation, be sure that your speaker is well protected with padding and insulation, if possible, in order to protect it from the conditions within the cargo compartment of the aircraft.

Speakers should be safe as checked luggage, but it is better to protect the speaker as well as possible beforehand.