If you’re a frequent traveler and have trouble packing your suits and formal clothes, you are probably thinking of getting hangers for them. But, can you bring hangers on a plane? Yes, you can bring hangers on a plane and save your precious suits, as well as your sanity.
Keep reading further as we share detailed guidelines for carrying hangers on a plane.
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Can I Take Coat Hangers on a Plane?
Traveling is all fun and games until you open your bags and find wrinkly clothes inside. Buying heavy garment bags is also not a practical option for everyone. If you are carrying a suit on a plane, you may consider taking coat hangers for it. Now, if you’re wondering if it is allowed to bring hangers on a plane, there’s good news for you. Yes, you can bring hangers on a plane given that you follow the proper protocol of packing hangers in your luggage.
If you have an important meeting to attend or you simply want to keep your expensive suit safe and wrinkle-free, you can carry it on a hanger and request your flight attendant to hang it in the plane’s closet. There’s bound to be a free airplane coat hook in there!
Are Metal Hangers Allowed in Carry-on Luggage?
Now that you know that carrying hangers on a plane is permissible, it is time to explore this area further and see the rules and protocols.
If for some reason, you need to pack more than one hanger inside your carry-on, either just hangers or hangers with garments metal or wire hangers work best for this purpose.
According to TSA, metal or wire coat hangers are allowed in carry-on luggage. However, there is a catch to it. While the TSA says it is okay to travel with metal or wire hangers, they also state that the final decision lies in the hands of the TSA officer at the checkpoint. This means that if luck is not working in your favor, there is a chance that your TSA officer might not allow you to carry metal hangers in the carry-on.
Therefore, even though it is technically allowed, it is better that you avoid it to save your time and energy at the checkpoint. You may take the risk and try to charm the TSA officer with a smile and a compliment, but that still won’t guarantee that they will let you take metal hangers in carry-on luggage. Try plastic hangers instead.
Can You Bring Plastic Hangers on a Plane?
Now that it is established that carrying metal hangers on a plane is risky, you may consider taking plastic hangers instead. It is completely safe to travel with plastic hangers, though there is just one setback – plastic hangers can get damaged more easily than metal ones.
You may consider buying high-quality, hard plastic hangers to avoid the hassle of finding broken hangers in your luggage. Moreover, you can also check out these portable travel hangers that make it convenient to carry clothes in the luggage. These hangers also come in handy when you need to wash and dry clothes during your trip.
You can search online and in-stores and find a wide range of portable and folding hangers that are designed explicitly for carry-on or checked baggage. It is better to avoid carrying metal hangers or flimsy plastic ones that may snag your clothes and create a mess in the luggage bag. If you’re traveling with checked baggage and your trip is only for work, you may want to consider one of these rolling garment bags instead.
How to Pack Hangers in a Suitcase With Rubber Bands?
Whether you are taking metal hangers or wooden or plastic ones, packing them can be a hassle. They get scattered in your luggage or end up breaking if they are not sturdy enough or there is less space. The solution? Rubber bands to the rescue! Yes, that’s true. Rubber bands or elastic bands work like a charm when it comes to packing hangers properly and neatly tucking them away in the luggage.
Follow the instructions below on how to pack hangers with rubber bands:
• Place your hangers on top of each other in a neat stack and make sure they are properly aligned.
• Ideally, you should stack 6-8 hangers together if they are standard sized and 4-6 if they are thicker. Don’t forget to measure the height of your suitcase to ensure that they fit perfectly inside, both vertically and horizontally.
• Once your stack is ready, take long rubber bands and loop them around the hangers. Do not tie the rubber band too tightly, or it will break. Add 3 to 5 rubber bands if you have shorter ones and 2 to 3 if they are longer to ensure that your stack is tight and secure.
• You can place this stack in a box or the luggage and be assured that your hangers will remain secure and intact.
• If you are storing the stack directly in the suitcase, you can stuff clothing items like socks, t-shirts, and scarves between the triangular hollow space of the hangers and make more space in the suitcase.
Pro-tip: If you cannot find any long rubber bands, you may make a chain of rubber bands by looping them together and using this chain to pack your hangers in a neat and tight bundle.
The Final Verdict
You can bring coat hangers in your hand luggage, as long as they do not pose any health or environmental hazard.
Your best bet is to go for portable plastic or wooden hangers, as these get checked through the security checkpoint without any trouble. If you still wish to carry metal hangers, please ensure that they are not dangerous looking so your TSA checkpoint officer allows them.
However, while it is better to keep hangers inside your luggage to save you from juggling too many things; you may directly carry your suit on a coat hanger and request the flight attendant to hang the suit in the plane’s closet. Most airlines allow that, so you can take the chance and save your precious suits and dresses from wrinkles.