It’s pretty common knowledge that aerosol cans and flying don’t go together all that well. However, the solution to how to pack aerosol cans for flying isn’t as widely known. Many an unfortunate traveler has reached their destination only to find an entire can of sticky hairspray exploded all over their luggage. If you’re planning a trip soon and are wondering how to pack aerosol cans for flying to avoid such a mess, then we’ve got some tips and tricks for you. 

When it comes to answering how to pack aerosol cans for flying, there’s a short answer: It depends. To address that question, we have to ask you one: How big is the aerosol can you’re wanting to fly with? 

If you’ve ever flown before, the rules regarding how to pack aerosol cans for flying probably won’t be a big surprise. Most aerosols are considered liquids, so if you want to pack them in your carry on luggage, they’ll need to abide by the liquid size rules set by the TSA (if you’re traveling in the US, that is. You’ll need to check the guidelines elsewhere). 

To address the perils of bigger aerosol cans and flying, we’ll have to get into some science. You’ll need to know how to pack aerosol cans for flying in the cargo hold, since the pressure there can do some surprising things to your aerosols. Let’s dive right in.

A quick warning…

Some aerosols are not allowed at all. If they’re flammable, like WD-40 or spray paint, aerosol cans and flying shouldn’t mix. We didn’t want to get any farther before clarifying that for some products, there’s no good answer as to how to pack aerosol cans for flying.

However, there aren’t too many people who need to take spray paint on vacation. Other types of aerosol cans and flying can definitely work out well. If you need to know how to pack aerosol cans for flying, you’re most likely trying to bring personal are products, like hairspray or deodorant or other common items that aren’t as dangerous at high pressures. We’ve got suggestions for those things coming right at you.

How to Pack Aerosol Cans for Flying in Your Carry-On Luggage

This is where those TSA liquid rules come into play bigtime. You can, of course, always look up in depth regulations on what they do and do not allow on their website, but we’ll give you a brief overview of the relevant rule for aerosol cans and flying. 

The “3-1-1” Rule

The most pertinent regulation here is called the “3-1-1 rule.” Old pros are well acquainted with these requirements, but we’ll go over them for anyone not in the know. The three stands for 3 ounces (really, 3.4 to be precise). That’s the size of container for liquids, gels, pastes, and aerosols that’s allowed in your carry-on. Even if you’ve got just a little splash of product left at the end of a bigger can, it’s not allowed. The whole container must be 3.4 ounces or smaller. 

The first “1” refers to the size of the bag your little liquids and aerosol cans need to be in: 1 quart. They need to be contained in a clear, resealable, plastic bag. So if you’ve got a lot of toiletries to bring, they might not all fit, and even if you’ve got an aerosol can that’s 3.4 ounces, if you can’t manage to stuff it in the bag with the rest of your products, you’re out of luck.

That brings us to the last “1” in the liquids rule. It’s there because you’re only allowed one of these quart-sized bags of liquids and gels and whatnot. So, that means that if you want to combine aerosol cans and flying by bringing one in your carry-on, you need to have a can 3.4 ounces or smaller that will fit in your single quart-sized bag. 

Aerosol cans and flying in a carry-on bag can be a tricky business. We’ve just gone through how to pack aerosol cans for flying in that scenario, but if you’ve got a bigger can, then you’ll need to put it in your checked bag. Which brings us to the next section.

How to Pack Aerosol Cans for Flying in Your Checked Bags

There are special considerations you need to take into account for situations in which you need to get a bigger aerosol can from point A to point B. If it’s to big to fit in the liquids bag in your carry-on, then you’ll need to pack it into your checked bag. This undertaking is best done with some caution. Or, of course, you could always ditch it entirely. You know, if you want to have nothing but bad hair days for your whole trip. 

As that is not a great option for most of us, we need to learn how to pack aerosol cans for flying in the cargo hold. But first, let’s get into the science of why aerosol cans and flying is such a fraught combination. 

Why is combining some aerosol cans and flying such a dangerous thing?

First of all, it’s not dangerous in most circumstances. The vast majority of aerosol cans will arrive at your destination in tact, and the worst thing most people see is a little leak. It’s not going to explode except in rare circumstances. 

For example, the Federal Aviation Administration did a test in which a lithium ion battery overheated next to an aerosol can. The can of dry shampoo exploded, and a massive fire ensued. It’s situations like these where you’d need to be worried about catastrophe striking your luggage, not your everyday packing scenario. Plus, the takeaway here was that these batteries should not be packed in the cargo hold, not banning dry shampoo. So you don’t need to worry about your deodorant bringing the plane down.

Many people worry about the pressure in an airplane causing issues with their aerosol cans. It’s true that extreme pressure differences between the inside and outside of the can cause problems. However, those types of extremes aren’t really seen on planes. The bigger concern in terms of aerosol cans exploding is intense heat, which also isn’t very prevalent on planes. The short answer is that aerosol cans and flying can be dangerous, but only in very specific and rare circumstances where something else out of the ordinary has already occurred. For the most part, the only concern you should have with aerosol cans and flying is minor leaks.

With all that in mind, though, some aerosol cans and flying are not a permissible combination under any circumstances. You don’t need to worry about toiletry aerosol products as long as each container is 18 ounces or fewer and you’re not trying to travel with more than 70 ounces total. Those are compliant with TSA rules, and they won’t explode in the air.

Solutions for Leaking Aerosol Cans and Flying

Here’s probably what you came for in the first place. You’ve been tossing your hairspray or spray deodorant into your checked bags only to find them soaked in product upon arrival. You’re trying to learn how to pack aerosol cans for flying so as to avoid this messy end.

The good news is that the solutions are pretty simple. Many people advocate for taping the lid onto the aerosol can so that it doesn’t fall off as the bag is jostled. That way, the actuator cant’ get accidentally pressed. You can also throw it in a plastic bag, like the quart-sized one for your carry-on liquids. Other people swear by wrapping a towel around the aerosol can and holding it in place with rubber bands. If you combine all three of these preventatives, you should be able to arrive without any aerosol mishaps. You should (hopefully) have prevented any leaks. If taping the cap doesn’t work, the towel and bag are good safeguards.

These tips go for all liquids you want to travel with, by the way. There’s a chance that any of them could leak all over your luggage. Taking these precautions can help you avoid that. 

Safer Alternatives

We’ve dumped a lot of information on you. After that particularly scary section about aerosol cans and flying and exploding, you might be a little wary of throwing an aerosol can in your luggage, even though there’s very little pressing danger. If you’re looking for some safer alternatives to a traditional, sometimes-explosive aerosol product, we’ve put together some suggestions. 

The first is to just get a different form of whatever product you want to take with you. You don’t need to know how to pack aerosol cans for flying if you’re not traveling with any. Spray deodorant can be substituted with the solid kind, and you can pack a tube of liquid sunscreen instead of the aerosol varieties. You can also get pump bottles of products like hairspray (and if you need help identifying aerosol products, you can check out our guide here).

Plus, there’s always the option of buying the products you need when you get to you destination. It might not be the most fun way to start off a trip, but if you really can’t live without your preferred hairspray for the duration of your vacation, then you might be out of other options. Aerosol cans and flying isn’t the only way to get the items you need on your trip. You should definitely explore all your other options.

We also don’t want to scare you off aerosol cans and flying entirely, though. As we mentioned in a previous section, there are definitely ways people have had success traveling with their aerosol products. Not every tale of aerosol cans and flying ends in a sticky mess all over your neatly packed clothes. These are just things to keep in mind.

Another Kind of Aerosol

These are all great ways to get around figuring out how to pack aerosol cans for flying. However, there are also aerosol options that are safer than the traditional way they’re packaged. Know that bag on valve aerosols are generally safer than traditional aerosol products.

We can’t guarantee that they won’t leak during your flight. However, they don’t use the harmful propellants that other aerosols use. Bag on valve aerosol cans use compressed air or nitrogen to squeeze the product out of a bag within the can. Other types of aerosol use propellants like butane and propane. It’s no wonder they’re tricky to bring on planes. 

If all this talk about aerosol cans and flying has made you a bit scared of the whole technology, don’t be. But do know that you have options. We’ve written extensively on the benefits of opting for bag on valve aerosol products elsewhere on this blog, and you can see one of our more recent posts here.

Now you know all about aerosol cans and flying.

To pack or not to pack, that is the question. You need to take all of your circumstances into account to answer it. At this point, you should know how to pack aerosol cans for flying, or at least a few good options to try. We’ve been over what aerosol products belong in your checked bags, which ones are small enough to fit in your carry-on, and which ones should always be left at home. If you’re going to brave putting your aerosol cans in your luggage, then you probably want to take some precautions in case of a leak. A plastic bag and a towel will likely do the trick. 

We’ve also taken you through some other options for getting your personal products of choice when you’re away from home. There should be plenty of other options available to you in one form or another. Whether that’s solid deodorant, pump bottle hair spray, or sunscreen in a tube, you can definitely find alternatives to aerosol cans and flying for most products. Others should just be left at home or purchased when you get to your destination.  

No matter how you choose to deal with aerosol cans and flying, you’ve got plenty of options on the table. Good luck finding the right one.