Can You Bring a Blanket on a Plane? (TL;DR – Yes!)

2022 is hopefully the year we get to start flying again and for the first time since our little girl was born.

Travelling with a child is certainly going to be a bit different for us, and one of the questions we had ahead of our flight to Adelaide that’s coming up is, can you take a blanket on a plane? So we did some research.

Yes, you can take a blanket on a plane, though the bigger question is what type of item does it count as. Most airlines agree that a blanket would count as your ‘personal item’ (usually a smaller item such as a laptop bag) so you are best if possible to fit it into your main carry on luggage.

The rest of this post covers all the research I did on this topic. Whilst it is a fairly simple subject, there are a few minor rules and complexities that are worth understanding so you don’t get caught out at check-in.

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Can You Bring a Blanket on a Plane?

As we discussed in the introduction, yes you can and it is fine to come into the main cabin of the plane.

The big discussion is what type of item does it count as.

The bigger airlines usually allow three types of item per passenger on a flight:

1. Your main carry on bag.
2. A smaller bag known as a personal item. This is very much a bag that is small enough to fit under the seat in front of you. It is not luggage – so think a purse, laptop or nappy bag.
3. A coat or something wearable.

It seems to be the consensus that a blanket does not count as a wearable item, therefore if you wanted to bring it on a plane not packed in your carry on it would count as your personal item and would mean you wouldn’t be able to bring a smaller bag such as a purse.

This blog post from Tortuga does an excellent job of describing exactly what counts as a personal item for the main airlines in the USA.

Please be conscious though that many airlines have different rules, so the best solution is to look up the specifications from your carrier or to send them a Tweet as the people below did.

The blanket would be a personal item, Jennifer, so we'd recommend fitting it into your bag.

— americanair (@AmericanAir) July 12, 2016

You're welcome to bring a blanket on board, Amber. Are you hoping to bring this as a personal item? ^AD

— United Airlines (@united) November 12, 2017

Can You Bring a Weighted Blanket on a Plane?

Yes, you can, though the same rules apply as with a regular blanket, it would be best to pack it into your carry on bag.

Thanks for showing us! Generally, a weighted blanket would be permitted in carry-on or checked bags. However, our officers always make the final decision whether to allow any item on the plane. You may consider packing it in checked bags. Safe travels.

— AskTSA (@AskTSA) July 18, 2018

Does the Blanket Have to Fit in Your Hand Luggage?

The blanket doesn’t have to fit in your hand luggage, though if you can’t it will be counted as your personal item (usually a smaller bag such as a purse).

In most situations, you will not be able to claim your blanket is a wearable such as a jacket, so you will need to either not take a personal item or fit your blanket in either your personal item or carry on.

READ NEXT: Can I Leave The Airport During a Layover?

Does a Blanket Count as Carry on or Is It Treated Like a Coat?

This will be down to the individual airline you are travelling with, not the security team, but generally, the answer is no, it will be counted as your personal item.

As we have already established, you can take a blanket on a plane so it will get through screening, the challenge will be how many items you are allowed to take with you on the plane.

@sommerdayedoll A blanket is allowed through the checkpoint. Airlines set restrictions for the size and number of carry-on items allowed. Please reach out to your airline so you won’t have any surprises when you get to the airport.

— AskTSA (@AskTSA) January 26, 2022

The recommendation from the TSA is to check with your individual airline on their carry-on restrictions before you travel so you are clear whether or not the blanket has to fit in your bag.

Can I Take My Picnic Blanket Spikes in Hand Luggage?

Many picnic or beach blankets come with plastic spikes to hold them in the ground on windy days.

See an example of this in the image below:

These picnic blanket or beach blanket spikes are not allowed in carry-on luggage and would need to be put in your checked baggage to allow them onto a plane.

Thanks for asking, Jenna! The plastic spikes for your blanket must be packed in checked bags.

— AskTSA (@AskTSA) July 2, 2019

READ NEXT: What Happens If I Show Up Late For a Flight?

Are You Allowed to Knit a Blanket on a Plane?

Remarkably (especially when you consider those small plastic spikes for a picnic blanket are not allowed) knitting needles and crochet hooks ARE allowed in carry-on luggage, so you conceivably could knit yourself a blanket whilst on a plane.

Here are two examples from the @AskTSA Twitter account that show you I haven’t lost the plot completely…

Thanks for checking, Shan! Knitting needles are allowed in carry-on bags.

— AskTSA (@AskTSA) October 17, 2017

For domestic travel, crochet hooks are allowed in carry-on. Check w/ airlines for int'l travel. See: https://t.co/w4iiZ4bdij

— AskTSA (@AskTSA) November 11, 2016

Why Would You Want to Take a Blanket on a Plane?

There are a few reasons I can think of for taking your own planet on a plane(< this is clearly a typo, but I found it funny when proofreading, so thought I’d leave it in for the amusement of others too!):

1. Many no frills airlines don’t have them, and even cheaper long haul flights often only carry a quota, not one per passenger.
2. The quality of airline blankets isn’t always great, and there have been reports published suggesting they only get washed every 30 days!
3. For a child who may get cold on the flight or have an attachment to a particular one.
4. Weighted blankets have been shown to help with everything from anxiety to autism, so there may be a medical reason to bring one on a plane.

The Best Blankets to Take on a Plane

What you’re looking for on a plane is a blanket that is both warm and packs down to a small size.

The suggestions I give below tick both of those boxes and are perfect for your next flight.

Finishing Up

I hope you’ve found this post useful, and have everything you need to make your decision about bringing your own blanket with you on the plane.

If you have any other questions add them to the comments below and I will research them and add them into the post.

I’m interested in what proportion of people take a blanket with them on a plane, so a quick vote below will show us who does and who doesn’t.

Thanks for reading and happy travels,

Ben

P.S.
For all my best travel tips check out this post.