Can You Take an Electric Skateboard on a Plane? The Honest Answer
You’re heading on a trip and you want to bring your electric skateboard. Can you take it on a plane?
The short answer: it depends entirely on your battery. Most electric skateboards cannot fly. A small number can — if the battery is under 100Wh. Here’s everything you need to know before you show up at the airport.
Why Most Electric Skateboards Cannot Fly
Airlines don’t ban electric skateboards because they dislike fun. They ban them because of the battery.
Lithium-ion batteries can catch fire if they are damaged, short-circuited, or overheated. A fire at 35,000 feet is a serious problem. This is why aviation authorities around the world — including the FAA in the United States and IATA internationally — set strict limits on how much lithium battery energy can be brought onto a plane.
The problem is that most electric skateboard batteries are simply too large. A typical electric skateboard runs a battery between 200Wh and 800Wh. The FAA limit for carry-on batteries without special approval is 100Wh. That gap is why most boards stay on the ground.
The Three Watt-Hour Rules You Need to Know
The FAA sets the baseline rules that all US airlines must follow:
| Battery Size | Can You Fly? |
|---|---|
| Under 100Wh | Yes — allowed in carry-on without special approval |
| 100Wh to 160Wh | Maybe — requires airline approval in advance, rarely granted for skateboards |
| Over 160Wh | No — prohibited on all passenger flights, no exceptions |
One important note: batteries must always travel in your carry-on bag, never in checked luggage. If a battery catches fire, the crew needs to be able to reach it quickly. A fire in the cargo hold is far more dangerous.
Airlines Can Be Even Stricter
The FAA rules are the minimum standard. Individual airlines can and do add their own restrictions on top.
American Airlines explicitly bans all lithium-ion powered personal transportation devices — regardless of battery size. Some airlines in Europe and Asia are even stricter, with certain carriers refusing electric skateboards entirely. In September 2025, Southwest Airlines introduced new rules requiring mandatory battery removal from all mobility devices before boarding.
Always call your airline directly before you travel. Do not rely on what worked for someone else last year. Policies change, enforcement varies by airport and staff, and the last thing you want is to have your board confiscated at the gate.
Which Electric Skateboards Can Actually Fly?
Only boards with batteries under 100Wh are reliably airline-friendly. There are not many options, but they do exist. The two most practical right now are the Verreal Mini and the Exway Wave.
Verreal Mini — More Range, Better Value
The Verreal Mini is built specifically with travelers in mind. It comes in two battery configurations:
Verreal Mini — Single Battery (92.5Wh) — $359
One 92.5Wh battery, comfortably under the 100Wh limit. You can carry it on without any special airline approval. Real-world range is around 9–10km on a single charge.
Verreal Mini — Dual Battery (92.5Wh × 2 = 185Wh total) — $429
This is where the Verreal Mini gets interesting. Two 92.5Wh batteries — each one individually under the 100Wh limit — give you roughly 20km of real-world range. That is actually useful for getting around a city.
The catch: when flying with the dual setup, you need to remove one battery before boarding and carry it separately in your bag. At your destination, install it back in a few minutes. One battery stays in the board, one goes in your bag — both under 100Wh, both legal.
If you want to add a second battery later, an extra 92.5Wh battery unit costs $99.
Exway Wave — Easier Battery Swaps, Higher Price
The Exway Wave Air Version runs a 99Wh battery — just under the 100Wh limit — and is one of the most well-known travel boards on the market.
Exway Wave Air Version (99Wh) — $549 Real-world range is around 10km on a single charge. The board itself is well-built and the battery swap system is very convenient — easier than the Verreal Mini if we’re being honest.
The problem is 10km is not much. If you want more range, an extra 99Wh battery will cost you another $179. So to get meaningful range out of the Wave, you are looking at $549 + $179 = $728 total.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Verreal Mini (Single) | Verreal Mini (Dual) | Exway Wave + Extra Battery | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $359 | $429 | $728 |
| Battery | 92.5Wh | 92.5Wh × 2 | 99Wh × 2 |
| Real Range | ~10km | ~20km | ~20km |
| Airline Legal | ✅ Both batteries under 100Wh | ✅ Both batteries under 100Wh | ✅ Both batteries under 100Wh |
| Battery Swap | N/A | Need to remove one to fly | Easier swap system |
The Verreal Mini dual battery setup gives you the same airline-legal range as the Exway Wave with an extra battery — at $299 less.
How to Calculate Your Board’s Battery Size
If you are not sure whether your current board qualifies, use this formula:
Wh = Voltage (V) × Amp Hours (Ah)
If your battery shows milliamp hours (mAh), divide by 1000 first to get Ah.
Example: a 10S2P battery using 3000mAh cells
- Voltage: 10 × 3.7V = 37V
- Capacity: 2 × 3Ah = 6Ah
- Total: 37 × 6 = 222Wh — not airline-friendly
Most standard electric skateboards will fail this test. Only purpose-built travel boards pass it.
Practical Tips for Flying With a Travel Board
Before you travel:
- Call your airline directly and confirm their policy on electric skateboards
- Get written confirmation if possible — a reference number or email
- Print out the battery specs (Wh rating) from the manufacturer’s website
- Check the policy again close to your travel date, as rules change
At the airport:
- Carry the battery in your carry-on, never in checked luggage
- Be ready to show the battery’s Wh rating to security staff
- Protect the battery terminals — tape them or use a protective cover
- Arrive a little earlier than usual, as security may take a closer look
What you can always check: The board itself — deck, trucks, wheels — with no battery installed can always be checked as sports equipment. Only the battery is restricted.
The Honest Summary
Most electric skateboards cannot go on a plane. If you want to fly with your board, you need a purpose-built travel board with a battery under 100Wh.
The Verreal Mini and Exway Wave are the two most practical options right now. Both are solid travel boards — but they appeal to different types of riders.
If you are buying with your head, the Verreal Mini dual battery setup at $429 gives you the same 20km of airline-legal range as the Exway Wave equivalent setup, at $299 less. For a travel board you will use a handful of times a year, that is a meaningful saving.
If you care about how the board looks and feels in your hands, the Exway Wave is the more premium option. The build quality is noticeably higher, the finish is cleaner, and it simply looks better. The Wave is the kind of board you pull out of your bag at the airport and people notice. The Verreal Mini gets the job done reliably — it just does not turn heads the same way.
Neither board is wrong. It comes down to whether you are optimizing for value or for the overall ownership experience.
Whatever board you choose, always confirm with your airline before you travel. Rules change, enforcement varies, and no blog post — including this one — is a substitute for a direct call to your carrier.
Ride smart.