Liquids in Hand Luggage: UK Rules for Toiletries (November 2026)

You can take liquids in hand luggage in the UK, but the container limit depends on your airport. Many still apply 100ml per container. Some now allow up to 2 litres. This guide was checked on 1 November 2026 against gov.uk and four airport websites.

Rules have changed several times since 2024. Treat this page as a snapshot and check your own airport before you travel.

Liquids in hand luggage at a glance

• Most UK airports: containers of 100ml or less, in one clear resealable bag where the airport asks for one.
• Airports with newer scanners: containers of up to 2 litres, and some of them let liquids stay in your bag.
• Always check: your departure airport, and your return airport abroad.
• Safest option: pack full-size toiletries in the hold bag, or switch to solids.

What gov.uk says about liquids in hand luggage

The gov.uk liquids page says most airports do not allow liquids over 100ml through security. The limit applies even to a part-filled container.

Where a clear bag is needed, gov.uk says it must hold no more than a litre and measure about 20cm x 20cm. It must be sealed, not tied at the top. You are limited to one bag each.

Gov.uk also says not every airport requires the bag. It adds that some airports allow containers of up to 2 litres. It does not name those airports. For the rest, it points you to your airport.

Gov.uk recommends packing liquids in the hold bag if you can. It warns that security staff will not let through anything they consider dangerous.

UK airport liquid rules compared (checked 1 November 2026)

Airport pages differ in wording and none of them showed an effective date. We read each one on 1 November 2026. Gov.uk says most airports still use 100ml. Three of the four airports below say 2 litres. Both are right. They cover different airports. Check the airport you leave from.

Airport	Liquid limit	Bag rule
Heathrow	Up to 2 litres per container, Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5	Liquids can stay in your cabin bag. No clear bag rule on the page
Gatwick	Up to 2 litres per container, no 100ml limit	No clear bag mentioned. Not in metal or double-walled containers
Manchester	100ml per container (page last updated April 2026)	Under 100ml no longer needs a plastic bag and can stay in your hand luggage
Edinburgh	Up to 2 litres per container, several containers allowed	No clear bag mentioned. Liquids can stay in your bag

We could not open Birmingham Airport’s security pages when we checked, so it is not in the table.

Metal bottles need care at the 2 litre airports. Heathrow and Edinburgh both say to empty metal or insulated bottles before security. Gatwick says liquids must not be in metal or double-walled containers.

What counts as a liquid

Gov.uk counts drinks, liquid or semi-liquid foods, cosmetics, sprays, pastes, gels and contact lens solution as liquids. Frozen liquids are not allowed.

That covers most of a wash bag:

• Toothpaste is a paste.
• Shaving gel, hair gel and moisturiser are gels or lotions.
• Spray deodorant and hairspray are sprays.
• Aftershave and cologne are liquids.
• Roll-on deodorant is a liquid.

Edinburgh adds that gels, pastes, lotions and liquid-solid mixtures count as liquids, including food.

Gov.uk does not list bar soap, solid shampoo bars or stick deodorant. Nothing on the pages we read treats them as liquids.

Exemptions: medicines, baby food and duty free

Gov.uk says containers of up to 2 litres are allowed through security at all UK airports if they are for essential medical purposes, special dietary needs, or baby food and baby milk.

Airports word this differently. Manchester says you may carry only the quantity of liquid medication your journey needs and, for containers over 100ml, proof it is prescribed to you. Heathrow says to bring a prescription or doctor’s letter if you need more than 2 litres. Edinburgh recommends a prescription or doctor’s note.

Duty free follows a separate rule. Gov.uk says liquids bought at an airport or on a plane can go through if they are sealed in a security bag at purchase with the receipt visible. Do not open the bag until you reach your final destination. Staff may open items to screen them.

Flying home from abroad

The flight home follows the rules of the airport you leave from, not UK rules. Gov.uk says countries outside the UK may have different liquid rules, including for transit and transfer passengers. Check the return airport’s website before the trip. A bottle that passed in Edinburgh may be binned somewhere with a 100ml limit.

Solid toiletries as a workaround

The simplest fix is to swap liquids for solids. Bar soap, a shampoo bar, solid cologne and stick deodorant avoid the container question altogether, since none is on gov.uk’s list of liquids.

Keep the shaving kit and brush in the same place as the solids. A hanging bag helps here. Our Premium Mens Hanging Leather Wash Bag is full-grain German calf with two zip compartments and three mesh pockets. It folds to 28cm x 18cm x 8cm, so it fits a carry-on side pocket.

Put the clear liquids bag on top of your cabin bag where you can reach it. The wash bag holds everything that is not a liquid.

Can you take a razor in hand luggage?

Yes for most razors. Gov.uk’s liquids and sharp items pages do not mention razors by name, so we checked airport pages instead.

• Disposable and cartridge razors: allowed. Gatwick lists razors with the blade set into a plastic moulding, and razors where the blade is fully and permanently enclosed, as allowed in hand luggage.
• Loose razor blades: hold luggage only. Heathrow and Manchester list razor blades as not allowed in hand baggage, and Gatwick’s wording excludes razors that are not set in a plastic moulding.
• Electric shavers: allowed. The gov.uk electrical items page lists electric shavers as allowed in both hand and hold luggage.
• Safety razors: the pages we read do not mention them by name. Because a safety razor uses a loose blade, put it in the hold bag.

Security staff can still refuse anything they consider dangerous, so a shaving kit in the hold bag is the low-risk choice.

Wet shavers who fly cabin only should look at the Italian Calf Leather Hanging Toiletry Bag. It comes with a 9cm x 12cm leather-bound travel mirror, which helps in a poorly lit hotel bathroom.

Before you pack: a checklist

1. Check your departure airport’s liquids page this week.
2. Check the return airport’s page for the flight home.
3. Decant liquids into containers that meet the limit, or move them to the hold bag.
4. If you need a clear bag, use one that holds no more than a litre and is about 20cm x 20cm.
5. Swap liquids for solids where you can.
6. Keep prescription medicine in its original packaging with proof it is yours.
7. Put loose blades and safety razor blades in the hold bag.
8. Empty metal bottles before security.
9. Keep duty free sealed in its security bag with the receipt visible.

Chargers and cables travel better in one place too. The tech organiser is a grey zip case, about 24cm x 18cm x 10cm, with three removable padded dividers and five mesh pockets. It holds an electric shaver charger alongside phone cables and earphones.

Where the rest of your toiletries go

The clear bag or the loose liquids go through security. Everything else lives in the wash bag, in the cabin or the hold.

If you are choosing one, see our guide to the best men’s wash bags, which compares nine bags on size, lining and hanging hook.

Sources checked on 1 November 2026: gov.uk liquids, gov.uk electrical items, and the airport pages linked in the table.