If you’ve travelled by air recently, you’ve probably noticed the warnings about power bank use. Once an indispensable part experience, they are now frowned upon for use during the flight due to the associated risk of catching fire 40,000 feet above the ground. Not great/
You can still use them on the down low, but no-one wants to be that guy causing the plane to make an emergency landing, do they? And do you really trust that power bank you bought for twenty quid on Amazon? I get nervous whenever mine feels moderately warm to the touch.
It’s can be a pain in the butt for those looking to stay juiced during long-haul flights, as the seat back USB ports often rely on old USB-A technology requiring a specific cable different to the USB-C to USB-C cables now used the rest of the time.
However, a new breakthrough in battery technology means we could be entitled to use the handy travel accessory safely on planes once again. The Singapore-based firm BMX (not to be confused with the wheelie enthusiasts) has just released three new power bank models which use semi-solid-state batteries instead of Lithium-ion batteries.
What’s the difference, you ask? Well a Lithium-ion battery is packed with liquid electrolytes on the inside. They can cause the swelling, over-heating or, in the worse cases combustion. The semi-solid-state alternatives dispense with most of the liquid in favour of, as the name would suggest, solid material. That’s a lot less susceptible to the aforementioned risks.
The tech is best evidenced by the super-slim SolidSafe Air, which went on show at CES 2026 and is now available to buy. It’s only 6.8mm thick so won’t add a ton of girth to your phone. It’s got a 5,000mAh battery pack, supports Qi2 magnetic charging and can carry 15W of power to the phone via that connection. Plug it in with a USB-C cable and you’ll get a slightly faster 20W charging speed. It’s also made with a titanium-reinforced chassis for good measure. There’s also a SolidSafe 5K and SolidSafe 10K option. They start at $59.99. UK availability is yet to be confirmed.
Of course, it’s still up to the airlines to get on board with you using the semi-solid-state technology, but we’ll have a little more piece of mind carrying the power banks in our carry on case.
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