What to Stop Taking Off at Airport Security, According to the TSA

For most of us, the dread of going through airport security is up there with doing taxes or going to the dentist. It's a necessary evil, but with the help of a little insider advice, it can be considerably less painful. Curious as to how to cut down on the hassle and time spent at airport security (in case you haven't yet sprung for TSA PreCheck), we consulted Lisa Farbstein, the spokesperson from the TSA's Office of Public Affairs, on the subject of what not to take off at airport security (but that many people do anyway). "For the most part," Farbstein says, "travelers do not need to remove their jewelry. There is rarely a need to remove most watches, earrings, rings, or necklaces."

But as with many things travel-related, there are caveats. "Travelers who are wearing huge bulky jewelry with a lot of metal should remove the items and put them into their carry-on bags and not in a checkpoint bin," says Farbstein. "Why? Because putting the items into a carry-on bag means that the items won't accidentally be left behind in a bin by mistake." She also gave us genius advice if you're wearing a bulky non-metal necklace: Simply turn it around so that it hangs down your upper back, thus avoiding a chest pat-down.

Now that you have the details on the protocol of wearing jewelry through security, go on to shop travel accessories and subtle jewelry pieces that will make your time spent at the airport so much easier.

Takeaway: There is rarely a need to remove most watches, earrings, rings, or necklaces.

This post was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.