What does 100ml actually look like?
Last updated · A visual guide to the airport cabin liquids rule.
100ml is about a small yogurt pot, less than a third of a Coke can, or 3.4 US fl oz (6½ tablespoons).
Rule basis: Standard 2006 international cabin liquids rule — still in force at the vast majority of airports.
What to do: If a bottle is labelled over 100ml, leave it at home or check it. Security won't measure what's inside — they look at the label.
Liquid Limits is a travel planning tool, not an official aviation source. Always confirm with the airport before you travel.
100ml, drawn to scale next to things you know
Each bar is proportional to actual volume. The blue bar is the 100ml limit.
- Eye-drop bottle10 ml
- Hotel shampoo30 ml
- 100ml — the limit100 ml
- Coke can330 ml
- Water bottle500 ml
Is it really that small? Everyday things, ranked.
Green = fits the 100ml rule. Red = won't, even if half-empty.
- FitsEye-drop bottle10 ml
- FitsEspresso shot30 ml
- FitsHotel shampoo30 ml
- FitsTravel deodorant50 ml
- FitsAirbnb conditioner75 ml
- FitsTravel toothpaste75 ml
- Fits100ml travel bottle100 mlExactly the limit
- Too bigStandard toothpaste125 ml
- Too bigWine pour (large)175 ml
- Too bigSmall water bottle250 ml
- Too bigCoke can330 ml
- Too bigStarbucks tall350 ml
- Too bigEvian bottle500 ml
The single thing most travellers get wrong
Security goes by the printed bottle size, not how much liquid is inside. A half-empty 150ml moisturiser is still rejected. A 200ml shampoo with 50ml left is still binned. If the label says > 100ml, the bottle doesn't fly — full stop.
This single rule causes more confiscations than any other. Decant into a real 100ml travel bottle if you want to keep your product.
100ml in every unit
Useful when the bottle label is in ounces, cups or spoons.
| Unit | 100ml is… |
|---|---|
| Millilitres | 100 ml— the rule |
| US fluid ounces | 3.4 fl oz— what TSA prints |
| UK fluid ounces | 3.5 fl oz |
| Teaspoons (US) | ≈ 20 tsp |
| Tablespoons (US) | ≈ 6¾ tbsp |
| Shot glasses | ≈ 2¼ shots— 44ml each |
| US measuring cup | ≈ 0.42 cup |
| Coke can (330ml) | ≈ 30% of one |
100ml compared to real toiletries
What 100ml means for the products you actually pack — and how long a travel-size bottle lasts.
| Product | Typical size | 100ml lasts… | Fits rule? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face serum / vitamin C dropsBottles are tiny; you’ll finish one fast | 15–30 ml | 3–6 weeks | Fits |
| Contact-lens solution (travel)Travel packs are built for the rule | 60 ml | 1–2 weeks | Fits |
| Mouthwash (travel)Often sold as 100ml exactly | 60–100 ml | 5–7 days | Fits |
| Perfume / cologne (small)Fragrance bottles are usually under 100ml | 30–50 ml | 2–4 weeks | Fits |
| Shampoo (travel bottle)The classic travel-size refill | 100 ml | 4–6 washes | Fits |
| Hair conditioner (travel)Slightly thicker so uses more per wash | 75–100 ml | 3–5 washes | Fits |
| Toothpaste (travel)A pea-sized blob each time | 75–100 ml | 2–3 weeks | Fits |
| Moisturiser / body lotion (travel)Depends how dry the climate is | 100 ml | 1–2 weeks | Fits |
| Shaving cream / gel (travel)Aerosol cans add volume; check total weight | 75–100 ml | 2–3 weeks | Fits |
| Deodorant roll-onRoll-ons are almost always under 100ml | 50 ml | 2–3 weeks | Fits |
| Sunscreen (face tube)Body bottles are usually 150ml+ | 50 ml | 1 week (generous) | Fits |
| Standard shampooMost supermarket bottles are 3–4× the limit | 250–400 ml | ≈ ¼ bottle | Too big |
| Full-size toothpasteThe most commonly confiscated item | 125–150 ml | ⅔ of a tube | Too big |
| Body moisturiser (pump)Decant into a 100ml pot or buy at destination | 250–500 ml | ≈ ⅕ bottle | Too big |
| Full-size mouthwashWay over; buy travel packs or use tabs | 500 ml | 1 week | Too big |
How many 100ml bottles fit in a 1-litre bag?
Up to 10 in theory. In practice 7–8, because the bag has to close.
4 × 100ml = 400ml. Comfortably under.
Open the full calculatorWhy is the airport limit specifically 100ml?
The 100ml figure comes from a 2006 international response to a foiled UK plot to mix liquid explosives onboard. Regulators settled on 100ml because it's small enough to make a viable device impractical, while being a clean round number every country could agree on. Twenty years later, most airports still enforce it — even those with CT scanners often roll back to 100ml when guidance changes.
What does a 100ml bottle look like in real life?
Picture a hotel shampoo bottle, a standard eye-drop bottle scaled up a little, or a single-serve yogurt pot. It's shorter than a deck of cards stood on end. Most supermarket toiletry bottles are 200ml–500ml; you have to specifically look for "travel size" to find 100ml or smaller.
Is 100ml the same as 3 ounces?
Almost. 100ml is 3.4 US fluid ounces, not 3. The TSA's "3-1-1 rule" rounds down to 3.4 oz in writing, but the underlying allowance is 100ml. If your bottle says 3 fl oz on the label, you're well under. If it says 4 fl oz, you're over.
FAQs
How big is 100ml?
About the size of a small single-serve yogurt pot, or roughly less than a third of a standard 330ml Coke can. In US fluid ounces it's 3.4 fl oz.
Is 100ml the same as 3.4 oz?
Yes, 100 millilitres equals 3.4 US fluid ounces. TSA, UK and EU airports all use the same actual limit — they just print it in different units.
Is a small water bottle 100ml?
No. The smallest disposable water bottles in supermarkets are usually 250ml or 330ml. A 100ml bottle is the size of a hotel shampoo or eye-drop bottle.
How many tablespoons is 100ml?
Just under 6¾ tablespoons (a US tablespoon is 14.79ml). About 20 teaspoons. Roughly 0.42 of a US measuring cup.
Does a half-empty 150ml bottle count as 100ml?
No. Security goes by the labelled bottle size, not how much liquid is inside. A 150ml bottle is rejected even with 30ml in it. This catches more travellers than any other rule.
Why is the airport limit 100ml?
It's a 2006 international rule, set after a foiled UK plot to mix liquid explosives onboard. 100ml is too small to assemble a viable device — and it's the round-number figure regulators agreed on globally.