About portable power banks…

I have taken a few fllights in the last couple of weeks.

What the airlines announce is that power banks can't be charged while in flight. You can use them but only to charge something and they must be in sight.

They don't just magically combust while not being used.

The airlines' point is that they want the bank to be accessible should it take fire.
I was in China in July 2025, they had had a couple of cases of fires within planes, they were impounding power banks at security checks, but those that had a Chinese safety mark. Interestingly, they did not accept the CE Europe safety mark.

I’ll chalk battery pack fires up to stored energy while people drop, abuse, or stress the battery case. Consumers either using old batteries that have degraded internally or they're buying cheap low-quality batteries and their defects. Plus batteries need to shed heat during use, yet you see people stuffing them down into bags while they are actively charging. All the while the ever increasing demand for higher watt and faster charging.

I bought a battery back in 2015 when I was hiking and wanted to be able to re-charge while days out on a trail. I carried it a couple of times to Europe but with larger batteries in mobile devices and plugs everywhere, it just became unnecessary kit. After it sat on the book shelf for a few years, unused and uncharged I disposed of it. That's my thought - I don't have a concern at home, and I stopped carrying a battery altogether.

Great question to be honest.. hearing about those incidents kinda freaks me out sometimes while traveling with a powerbank too

Can a power bank catch fire when it is not being used (ie magically combust)?

Yes, a power bank does not have to be connected to a phone or charger to catch fire. If there is a fault inside its battery, it can overheat even when it is not being used. Physical damage and manufacturing defects can cause a short circuit inside the battery, which may lead to a fire.

https://www.cnbctv18.com/business/aviation/power-bank-fire-on-planes-why-lithium-batteries-can-be-dangerous-and-how-to-carry-them-safely-20009743.htm

https://goenergea.com/blogs/news/power-bank-fires-why-they-happen-and-how-to-avoid-them?srsltid=AU7gw4Woh5nxE8aa6_TFM2ckaL-k9Dovak-KNcrDimFfTotn5VibXmEs

What safe place at home should we be storing them in if not in use?
Should it be fireproof?

S J I've been thinking about that too. I am tempted to buy a fireproof safe to stick them in or this fireresistant battery storage bag :

Then I went looking for one that might be safer. The two that come up most often tend to be

• • Anker Prime (A110A): Features Anker's proprietary MultiProtect safety suite and ActiveShield 2.0, which checks internal temperatures millions of times per day to prevent overheating.
• • UGreen Nexode Series: Built with flame-retardant outer shells and precise digital controllers to safely manage power distribution across multiple connected devices simultaneously.
  

But i found two recalls on Anker batteries. One in 2025 and one in 2024. None for the UGreen. Both are Chinese companies and both are made in China ... that doesn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Of all the things to worry about in my life, I’d rank “battery packs catching fire and burning my house down” near the bottom.

It is exceedingly rare for a single particular battery to cause a fire.

But it does happen

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq62jyk6ne4vo

I’m not one to overly worry about things but there is no harm in being aware.

Make sure any batteries and battery packs are from a reputable brand and source. I’m all for a bargain but this is not the time to go for a cheap online bargain.
When you are charging don’t do it near points of exit that would be blocked in the unlikely event of a fire.

Chris, I'm not so sure.

I saw this movie— Sharknado— where sharks were flying around in tornados and biting people. Since we get the winds, I bought some shark repellent just in case.

I too have lithium batteries galore at home— an Anker, a laptop, a phone, a watch, an iPad, a Tonka truck-- oh, sorry no batteries in that. Anyway, to be safe at home, I keep a bucket of water handy at all times.

Happy travels!

@Frank - your info about battery use during flight is wrong. Some airlines prohibit charging AND use during flight. I flew TAP in April and that's their rule.

Regardless of what IATA DGR allows for or requires, whomever owns the actual metal (airplane) chooses what to follow.

[I ship LI batteries for work and have this issue all the time, and it's gotten far worse in the last 10 yrs].

Fire depts in the US will tell you that non charging LIs absolutely can and will combust. I've seen news reports of LIs catching fire in electric scooters, bikes, etc. Thermal runaway is a real concern. I suspect the older the battery (and the greater the ## of charging cycles it's been through) the greater the risk of fire (plus the cheap manufacturers, too).
https://people.com/mom-dies-days-after-toddler-was-killed-in-fire-started-by-lithium-ion-battery-from-e-scooter-family-said-she-gave-as-present-12177342

"Make sure any batteries and battery packs are from a reputable brand and source."

Yes, good suggestion. And even then, I can attest that good brands can overheat.

Wandering around Sofia just a few years ago, Anker phone-sized charger got very, very hot. Really hot. Hot to touch.

Was it charging my phone? Probably.

Was it in my purse? Yes, in the outside pocket. Next to my phone.

Maybe it was getting hot from the sun? Possible, it was a dark colored purse.

I don't remember all the details, so maybe I could have kept it from getting hot.

What I do remember, these few years later, is that when I called Anker and explained what was happening, they replaced it immediately. No fuss. No charge to me. Right away.

Another benefit of buying from a respectable brand and source - in this case, Anker. And the replacement charger has never overheated under similar use conditions.

Make sure any batteries and battery packs are from a reputable brand
and source.

I have yet to determine how to do that. Everyone says Anker, but theirs are getting recalled because of fire. They may be great just the same but having great marketing and a great distribution network and having their name at the end of every tongue does not mean safe or safer than …. I have googled and googled and googled and I cannot find an independent testing report or scientific evaluation of the brands available.

This article implies in the title that it has the answer, but read it and you will discover that it doesn’t have any answers: https://3ceasy.com/which-power-bank-is-safest-a-deep-dive-into-certifications-cell-quality-and-protection-circuits/?srsltid=ARcRdnrda2UZVFt8uNzerXy8dVvkcR_gsCQW8Oio3DyRoMHoX_4_62Ws

Anker testing - https://www.anker.com/my/power-safety
Compliance with UL, CE, CCC, UN38.3

Thats what I said these guys are great at marketing. And it may legitimately be the best and safest power bank ever created. I just don't know. No one knows.

The first three certifications are mandatory testing certifiations needed to be permitted to sell your product in the US, Europe, China. The UL (US) is done by a third party. The CE does not require it be done by a thrid party "yup, checked it last night, its fine". The CCC is China and I have no idea, nor woudl I be inclined to give it much weight. The UN38.3 is the UN and pertains to standards for shipping. I suspect its thrid party, but not sure.

So with that then we have proven the Anker power bank meets the absolute mimimum standards for sale on 3 continents and can be shipped from China to the point of sale. Now if you were to go to BestBuy or here that would be MediaMkt I suspect that every power bank being sold has the same certifications. If I were to buy one from the Asian discount makret in China Town, possibly not.

The UL standard was revised in June of this year, but it takes forever to get those changes approved and issued, so I suspect its close to 2 year old data. The CE was last updated I think in 2024 with an upgrade concerning crush testing coming soon. But fires continue and have been increasing in number substantially each year (thats probably just more and more "old" power banks on the streets).

Now, who makes the safest power bank? No idea. There are no comparative tests; just minimum standard that were met by the power banks that burst into flames or in the case of Anker, were recalled.

Thanks for all the different points of view.
This last trip I did not use my power bank at all even though I had it with me.
My phone did not get low enough in battery even when out for whole days of taking photos, using maps etc.
I’m thinking of getting rid of them altogether.

UL is not a requirement in the US.

Its true, no Federal law. But if it is something that can be listed, major sales outlets will require it to be listed or their insurance may not pay for injury or damage. Anything that falls under city or state jurisdiction will probably be required to be listed, but I dont see how that would includ power banks. But it does establish the minimum standard on the market and dont buy one in the US that isnt listed.

"They don't just magically combust while not being used."

Yes they can and do! Which is why they don't want them in the baggage hold or in the overheads, places where they are not being used.