12 surprising carry-on items you’re not allowed to take through airport security

According to the TSA, snow globes are allowed through if they are approximately tennis-ball size or less, and appear to contain less than 3.4 ounces of liquid. However, if you’re bringing back a travel memento from a trip, it’s usually a safe idea to pack it in your checked bag. 

When it comes to Magic 8 Balls, the future is clear: Leave them at home, or put them in your checked bag. 

“For carry-on bags: We asked the Magic 8 Ball  and it told us… Outlook not so good,” TSA wrote on its official website. “For checked bags: We asked the Magic 8 Ball and it told us… It is certain!”

If you’re traveling to or from the UK around the holidays, you might want to avoid packing this traditional British Christmas item. TSA guidelines state that “English Christmas crackers” are not allowed in carry-on or checked bags. 

Made from a cardboard tube wrapped in brightly colored paper, crackers contain small gifts that come out when pulled on either end. When both ends of the cracker are pulled, there is a bang.

That’s because, inside, there are two strips of card, attached to each end of the cracker. The two pieces of card have a slight overlap that is treated with gunpowder. When each end of the cracker is pulled, friction is generated where the card overlaps, creating a small explosion on the part containing gunpowder.

A US Transportation Security Administration spokesman told Airport Parking and Hotels that these items are prohibited from flying in checked or carry-on bags.

“They are flammable and should not be brought on airplanes. They fall in the same category as sparklers and fireworks,” they said.

Soup is allowed on flights if you are carrying less than or equal to 3.4 fluid ounces, but any amount larger than that is prohibited in carry-on bags, the TSA reported.

Cast-iron cookware, such as skillets and pans, are not allowed in carry-on luggage. While the TSA website does not expand on why these items are prohibited, heavy cast-iron items could cause serious injuries or damage if used as a weapon.

Other types of pots and pans are allowed in carry-on and checked bags.

Alcoholic beverages with more than 70% alcohol, or over 140 proof, are also prohibited from both carry-on and checked bags.

Some high-percentage alcohols that would be affected by this ban include Hapsburg Absinthe XC, Sunset Very Strong Rum, Devil’s Springs Vodka 160, and Golden Grain 190, which contains 95% alcohol by volume.

Alcoholic beverages that contain more than 24% but not more than 70% alcohol are limited in checked bags to no more than 5 liters and no more than 3.4 liquid ounces in carry-on bags.

The TSA prohibits foam toy swords from being brought on planes in carry-on bags, but they can be packed in checked bags.

That being said, lightsabers are allowed to be brought on board, per TSA guidelines. 

The TSA recommends that you pack these items in your checked bags, instead. The agency also notes that “replicas of explosives, such as hand grenades, are prohibited in checked and carry-on baggage.”

Water guns packed in a carry-on should be emptied of all liquid, or contain less than the 3.4 ounces allowed through security. 

TSA officers also have the option to prohibit or confiscate any item that goes through the security screening checkpoint “if they believe it poses a security threat,” TSA guidelines state.

Anything that could be used as a weapon is usually banned from carry-on bags, and full-sized scissors are no exception.

TSA’s website states that scissors are allowed in your carry-on, but must be less than 4 inches in length from the pivot point and wrapped or sheathed securely “to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors.”

TSA guidelines explain that fertilizer is not allowed in carry-on or checked bags. The Street reported that this is because fertilizer is deemed a hazardous material, as it can be flammable and could be a risk for explosion. 

TSA guidelines state that gel-filled heating pads are not permitted in carry-on bags but can be checked. Electric heating pads that do not contain gel or liquid are not restricted in any way.

After a series of dangerous incidents in which the phones overheated, Samsung recalled the devices on September 15, 2016, and again on October 13, 2016. The Department of Transportation issued a 2016 statement banning both recalled Galaxy Note 7 phones and refurbished versions.

“We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority,” then-Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in 2016. “We are taking this additional step because even one fire incident inflight poses a high risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk.”

“The fire hazard with the original Note 7 and with the replacement Note 7 is simply too great for anyone to risk it and not respond to this official recall,” said US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) chairman Elliot F. Kaye. “I would like to remind consumers once again to take advantage of the remedies offered, including a full refund. It’s the right thing to do and the safest thing to do.”

In a December 2016 statement, Samsung said 93% of recalled Galaxy Note 7 phones had been returned, but that the company was rolling out a software update that month that would render the phones unusable.

“Consumer safety remains our highest priority,” it said in the statement.