Can I Take A Robot Vacuum On A Plane

We all know the feeling of juggling a million things at once and desperately needing a little help around the house. For some of us, that help comes in the form of a Roomba – the little, self-contained Robot vacuum cleaner that operates automatically, and has taken over the world due to its convenience and relatively low price.

However, many people are unsure if they are authorized to carry their robot vacuum on an aircraft. Thus, I would provide an answer to the frequently debated topic in this blog post. “Can I Take A Robot Vacuum On A Plane?”

The short answer is, fortunately, yes! You can take a robot vacuum cleaner with you on an airliner. However, this depends on some factors such as the type of vacuum cleaner you own, and the airline you would be touring with. 

Many people could give you an answer like it is impossible to fly with a Roomba – This can be true based on the factors I shared.

The federal aviation administration (FAA) has a policy that prohibits all devices such as robot vacuums, as well as laptops, smartphones, and e-cigarettes that operate with lithium-ion storage cells in checked cargo because it could result in a fire if the bag is being mishandled. 

Some airlines even made this policy stricter such that you can’t pack it even in your carryall bag, alongside your screened bags. And depending on your journey or class of trip on BA, you may confront authoritarian boarding deputies who will not permit the Roomba because of its irregular size.

In general, most airlines authorize you to carry a small appliance, such as a robot vacuum, as long as it meets the particular size and weight constraints 

How To Make Your Travel Easier With Your Robot Vacuum 

Moving forward, there are a few things you can do to make your journey with your robot vacuum a little easier. 

Here are rare tips for transiting with your robot vacuum:

• Confirm with your airline.
• Put your robot vacuum sweeper in your carryall suitcase.
• Empty your robot vacuum before packing it.

Confirm from your airline 

The first thing you should accomplish to make your trip with your robot vacuum easier is to confirm with the airline you boarded to see if they have any constraints on lithium-ion storage cells and nickel-metal hydride batteries (NiMH). 

You might be wondering why I mentioned the nickel-metal hydride battery. Well, this is because most Roombas are made with them, and airlines do not indicate if devices using NiMH kind of battery can be traveled with. 

Although robot vacuums produced with NiMH storage cells are not liable to have the same problem as vacuum sweepers made with lithium-ion storage cells. However, it is important to confirm. By confirming, you won’t have to face the TSA – Transportation security administration.

Put your robot vacuum sweeper in your carryall suitcase

Before you would be authorized to go into the plane, all your loads would be examined, and if anything that is deterred is found in your luggage, you would be inquired to take them out.

Just in case your airline permits you to transit with your Roomba, so you don’t have to go through the stress of rearranging it, pack it in your carryall suitcase. Rearranging it, how? 

As aforementioned, the FAA doesn’t allow machines with lithium-ion batteries in surveyed suitcases. So, if you loaded your Roomba in your surveyed suitcase, you’d be asked to pack it in your carry-on at the terminal. Plus, imposing it on your carry-on would prevent it from getting damaged in transit. 

Empty your robot vacuum before packing it

If your airline permits you to travel with your robot vacuum, they expect you to do some specific safety things such as emptying your Roomba before you pack it in your bag. 

You can empty your robot vacuum sweeper by taking away its battery. This way, the machine – vacuum cleaner would be in your surveyed luggage while its battery would be in your carry-on. This is a great way to avoid baggage damage due to the vacuum cleaner vacuuming your baggage automatically. 

Further, take note battery power of the vacuum sweeper you are touring with because the FAA is usually particular about the storage cell size. Just ensure the battery of your robot vacuum is no more than 100Wh, and then, your trip with your Roomba would be made easy.

Why do you need to take your robot vacuum on a plane? 

This topic might have appeared weird to you because you feel there’s no need to take a robot sweeper with you when traveling. However, there are theories as to why most persons take their robot cleaner with them on an aircraft, and those reasons would be listed and discussed below. 

• Long vacations. 
• Relocation. 

Long vacations 

Most people have listed countries or resorts that they would love to visit on their bucket lists, maybe during summer or after taking a long leave from work. And when they finally get to go for a vacation in any of those places listed, they would have to lodge in a home or hotel. 

There is no way anyone would want to stay in a room or house filled with dirt, plus, instead of paying someone to do the cleaning, they take their vacuum sweeper with them. 

Aside from that, some people take their robot cleaner with them for their long vacation, so it doesn’t get stolen while they are away. 

Relocation

Another reason why most people take their robot vacuum cleaners with them is due to relocation. For people who get transferred due to work or probably had to move to change the environment, they have to relocate and since the Roomba is part of their baggage, they have to take it with them to their new place. 

Basically, the robot vacuum cleaner is more like a pet manufactured to operate to ease the stress of cleaning. Thus, like you can take your favorite animal with you anywhere, the robot cleaner can be carried just like that. 

How do I take out the battery in a robot vacuum?

Taking out the storage cell in a Roomba is quite easy when you follow the right instructions. The robot vacuum is like a mobile phone or a technical device, so you should take note of certain instructions when taking out its battery. 

I will provide you with the necessary guidance you need to discard the battery from your Roomba low. 

Necessary material 

• Phillips head screwdriver- very important for some vacuum.

Instruction

Step 1

Switch off the Roomba 

It is vital to switch off the vacuum cleaner before you think of removing its storage cell. You can damage it if you remove the storage cell without turning it off. 

Step 2

Find the storage cell 

The next thing to do is find where the battery is in the robot vacuum. I can’t give a specific place where the storage cell would be because there are different types of robot vacuums. Just make use of the reader’s manual to find the storage cell in the vacuum. 

Step 3

Loosen the screws

When you find the storage cell in the robot vacuum, you will see that it has been screwed with about 4 bolts on each side. So, you just need to loosen the bolts used to hold the battery in place. If there are two batteries in the vacuum cleaner, loosen the bolts of the storage cells. 

Note- Some vacuum cleaners might require the need of the Phillips head screwdriver indicated in the materials needed. 

Step 4

Take out the battery

After loosening the bolts, the storage cell (s) would be very easy to take out, but still, it is advised that you bring out the battery carefully. 

This is because there are things in the battery spot that can get spoiled if you bring the storage cell out forcefully. 

Step 5

Package the battery

Since you would be traveling with the Roomba and it is important to remove the storage cell, I would advise that you package the battery (s) in plastic. 

Putting the battery in plastic would prevent the wiring of the battery (s) from being in contact with any metal item. 

Even if you are not traveling with your Roomba and you need to take out the battery, kindly put the battery in plastic while you do what you need to do with the main machine. 

However, for traveling, don’t forget that the main cleaner should be kept in your checked bag after removing the storage cell. 

Conclusion- Can I Take A Robot Vacuum On A Plane?

Taking a robot vacuum on a plane is possible based on some factors which are the airline and the type of vacuum. These factors are important due to the federal aviation administration’s (FAA) policy that no device that uses lithium-ion storage cells should be packed in checked bags.

However, to avoid losing your Roomba because it isn’t allowed by your airline, it is advised that you confirm before packing your vacuum.