A small appliance's battery is not a power tool's battery
The difference is whether the battery comes off.
Most power tools take a removable battery pack (the 21V one), which is why "tool and battery shipped separately" is common.
Most small appliances have the battery welded into the machine (vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, cleaning brush). You cannot take it out.
That difference decides which UN number the shipment falls under.
"Packed in equipment" and "shipped on its own": what changes?
The UN number is different.
| Number | Meaning | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| UN3481 | Lithium batteries packed in equipment, or packed with equipment | Your vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, cleaning brush — the battery sits inside the machine |
| UN3480 | Lithium batteries shipped on their own (not in equipment) | You send a separate batch of spare batteries |
This is the most commonly confused point: in the same shipment, machines travel as UN3481 and spare batteries as UN3480, and the declaration and packing requirements differ.
If you ship complete units only, with no spare batteries, the consignment is UN3481. If you supply spare batteries to the customer, that batch is UN3480 and has to be handled separately.
The 100Wh line applies to small appliances too
It applies. It is not a power-tool-only rule.
Watt-hours = voltage × amp-hours:
- 12V × 2.5Ah = 30Wh
- 21V × 4Ah = 84Wh
- 21V × 6Ah = 126Wh (above 100Wh)
Small-appliance batteries are usually smaller (vacuum cleaners and cleaning brushes are mostly 3.7V–12V), so most stay under 100Wh.
But do not assume it: high-capacity vacuum cleaners and hair dryers with a battery can come close to or cross the line.
What you do: ask the supplier for the battery's voltage and amp-hours, and multiply it out yourself.
Which battery does your product have?
The three categories on our site are not the same.
| Product | Battery | Removable? |
|---|---|---|
| Handheld vacuum 620 | Built-in lithium | Usually not |
| Stand hair dryer F4/F5/F7 | Built-in (the 1500W model is corded — check which one) | Depends on the model |
| Cleaning brush QX-018/019/020 | Built-in lithium (Type-C charging) | No |
Watch the hair dryer: our F4/F5/F7 is a 1500W corded model with no battery, so battery shipping rules do not apply to it. A hair dryer with a battery is what those rules cover.
That one difference changes the shipping method for the same product completely.
Air freight or sea freight?
It depends on the battery — and on the destination.
- Air freight: the strictest battery rules. Some airlines refuse lithium-battery cargo outright; others require an extra declaration.
- Sea freight: more relaxed, but still needs the UN38.3 report and correct packing.
In our experience: small appliances with batteries mostly go by sea. Air is used for urgent orders or samples only.
One warning: whether an airline accepts the cargo is decided by the airline, not by the forwarder. The same forwarder may say yes today and no tomorrow, because the airline's policy changed.
Which documents do you need?
Three. If one is missing, the shipment can be refused.
- UN38.3 test report — required by battery model, not by machine model. Change the battery supplier on the same machine and you need the report again.
- MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) — the chemical information for the battery.
- Dangerous goods declaration (DG declaration), where applicable — depends on the airline and the port of discharge.
Packing: the battery must be protected against short circuit, the outer carton must meet UN packing standards, and the Class 9 label must be applied.
How do you check whether a supplier knows this?
Ask four questions. A supplier who cannot answer them has not done it.
- "What is the UN number for this battery?" — UN3481 or UN3480 means they know. "A battery is a battery" means they have not done it.
- "Is the UN38.3 report for the battery model or the machine model?" — the correct answer is the battery model.
- "What are the battery's voltage and amp-hours?" — they must give numbers, and you multiply out the Wh yourself.
- "Can the battery in this machine be removed?" — this decides the UN number, and it also decides how the battery is replaced after sale.
Of the four, the first screens people best.
A common trap
"Our battery is UN38.3 certified" — the sentence itself is wrong.
UN38.3 is a test report, not a "certification". A report carries a model, a validity period and the laboratory that issued it. What you check is: is the battery model on this report the same battery model as in your shipment?
If it does not match, you have nothing.
Sources
| Fact | Source |
|---|---|
| UN3481 (packed in / with equipment) vs UN3480 (shipped alone) | Article on this site, `/en/blog/power-tool-battery-shipping-regulations` (checked 2026-10-29) |
| The 100Wh threshold; Wh = V × Ah | Same |
| The eight UN38.3 tests | Same |
| Packing needs a UN-certified box + Class 9 label | Same |
| Three documents (UN38.3 / MSDS / DG declaration) | Same |
| Air freight has the strictest rules | Same |
| The three products on site (vacuum 620 / hair dryer F4-F5-F7 / cleaning brush QX-018-019-020) | Online product catalogue (checked 2026-10-30) |
About the hair dryer: the F4/F5/F7 page on our site describes a 1500W stand hair dryer (corded). A corded model has no battery, so battery shipping rules do not apply to it. A hair dryer with a battery (if one exists) would be covered.
For a quote on appliances with batteries, talk to our Yiwu sourcing team → Request a quote