Can you take 100ml or 150ml on a plane?

Can you take 100ml or 150ml on a plane: Size limits

Understanding can you take 100ml or 150ml on a plane remains essential for smooth airport security passage. Travelers often face delays when carrying oversized containers through checkpoints. Learning the specific size restrictions helps protect your items from confiscation and ensures compliance with standard airport security protocols for all carry on luggage.

The Quick Answer to Airport Liquid Rules

You can only take 100ml (3.4 oz) or less per container in your carry on luggage. Anything larger - like a 150ml bottle - will be confiscated at security if it is a liquid, aerosol, or gel.

If you are packing a 150ml container, you must place it in your checked baggage. There are generally no volume limits on liquids in checked bags, provided they are securely packed to prevent leaks.

Lets be honest - the airport security line is stressful enough without playing guessing games with your toiletries. Airport security globally confiscates millions of prohibited items annually, and oversized liquids make up a significant portion of these discarded items. ^[1]

But there is one counterintuitive mistake that many travelers make regarding half-empty bottles - I will explain it in the container capacity section below. ^[2]

Decoding the TSA 3-1-1 Liquid Rule

To understand how much liquid you can take on a plane, you need to know the 3-1-1 rule. This standard applies across the US, UK, and most international flights, creating a universal baseline for carry on liquid size limits.

It breaks down simply. You get 3.4 ounces (100ml) per container, 1 quart-sized clear resealable plastic bag, and 1 bag per passenger.

A standard quart-sized bag typically fits several travel-sized bottles if packed efficiently. If you try to stuff more in and the bag cannot close, agents have the right to reject it.

Wait a second. (Pattern interrupt)

Does a 150ml bottle count if it is almost empty?

Container Capacity vs. Remaining Liquid

Here is that critical mistake I mentioned earlier regarding half-empty bottles. Security agents look at the printed volume on the container itself, not how much liquid is actually left inside.

I learned this the hard way. I once brought a 150ml tube of expensive face wash that was basically empty. I figured it was perfectly fine because there was maybe 20ml of product left inside.

Dead wrong.

The agent threw it right in the trash. It took me a few minutes of frustration to realize the rule is strictly about the containers maximum capacity. If the bottle says 150ml, it is banned from the cabin - no matter how flat or empty it appears.

What Counts as a Liquid for Airport Security?

The carry on liquid size limit does not just apply to water, juice, and shampoo. It covers aerosols, gels, creams, and pastes as well.

Toothpaste, peanut butter, mascara, and aerosol deodorant all fall under this restriction. The general rule of thumb is simple: if you can squeeze it, smear it, or spray it, it counts as a liquid.

Unpopular opinion: The hardest part isnt the liquids themselves, but the weird gray areas. For instance, frozen liquids are technically solids. But if your ice pack is even slightly melted and slushy at the checkpoint, it counts as a liquid and must be under 100ml. Ive seen countless people lose their expensive gel ice packs because they thawed on the way to the airport.

Strategies to Avoid the 100ml Limit

Most travelers waste precious space in their liquid bags. By swapping liquid shampoo for solid bars, you free up more space in your quart-sized bag capacity.

I used to cram everything into one plastic bag and struggle to zip it shut, terrified it would burst open. The realization came when I figured out I did not need liquid versions of everything. Solid sunscreen, solid perfume, and solid toothpaste tablets changed my packing game completely.

Make the switch.

You will never stress about whether are 150ml bottles allowed in carry on again once your core toiletries are entirely solid. Save that valuable liquid allowance for things you absolutely cannot replace, like contact lens solution or specific skincare serums.

Carry-on vs. Checked Baggage Liquid Rules

Carry-on Luggage

Strictly limited to 100ml (3.4 oz) or less per container

Available during the flight, but requires unpacking at security

Essential medications, hand sanitizer, and small travel-sized toiletries

Must fit inside one transparent, quart-sized, resealable bag

Checked Baggage (Recommended for 150ml+)

No volume restrictions on standard liquids; 150ml or larger is perfectly fine

Inaccessible during the flight; retrieved at baggage claim

Full-sized shampoo, large sunscreens, wine bottles, and bulk liquids

No clear bag required, but items should be double-bagged to prevent leaks

The Expensive Skincare Mistake

David, a consultant flying out of Chicago for a three-day conference, packed his favorite 150ml styling gel in his carry-on backpack. He assumed it would pass security because he had used more than half of the product during previous trips.

At the security checkpoint, the X-ray scanner flagged his bag. He opened it and tried to reason with the agent, pointing out that only about 60ml of gel actually remained at the bottom of the tube.

The agent explained the strict container capacity rule and tossed the $40 product into the disposal bin. David was frustrated, realizing he could have simply squeezed the remaining gel into a cheap 50ml travel tub before leaving home.

For his next flight, he bought a set of reusable 100ml silicone bottles. He decanted his 150ml products, passed through security in under five minutes without a bag check, and never lost an expensive product again.