A good rule of thumb is if in doubt, don’t plug it in. Most electronic devices like laptops and chargers don’t take much energy, but things like hair dryers and kettles require more watts and therefore a bigger and heavier voltage converter. If you need to use a converter, make sure it has enough power to run your electronics. This is where your smartphone or laptop can get very crispy, very quickly. Most devices that are dual voltage (they accept 110-120V as well as 220-240V) are automatic however some devices like hair dryers and even older laptops actually use a switch so check your device carefully the first time before plugging it in to an adapter.Īnd this is important: j ust because the plug looks the same, it doesn’t mean the voltage is the same. You can have the exact same plug in an outlet across the world, but the voltage may be different. On a laptop, there’ll be a sticker on the brick of your charging cord, and it’ll be on the backside of your smartphone or tablet charger (not on the device itself). You can usually find the voltage information on the device itself, just look for the input number. How do you find what voltage your electronics can use? If the voltage is DIFFERENT than your electronics, then you’ll need a converter. If the voltage is THE SAME as your electronics, then all you need is an adapter. Conversely, we do travel with multiple adapters all the time since they’re typically light and small. We’ve never traveled with one, opting instead to leave any electronics that aren’t multi-voltage or the proper voltage at home. They’re usually heavy, awkward and cost a lot more.
If the voltage is DIFFERENT, then you’ll need a voltage converter. Here’s an example: you plug your electronics into the eForCity Universal World Wide Travel Charger Adapter Plug, and select the prongs to fit into the outlet. Even if the shape of the outlet plug is very different, your electronics will be fine as long as the voltage is the same. If the voltage your smartphone charger or laptop (or any electrical appliance) uses is the same as the voltage at your destination, all you need is an travel adapter. So how do you know if you need a converter or an adapter? An adapter does NOT change the power output coming from the outlet.Ī voltage converter adjusts the power output from the outlet and converts it to the proper voltage. So here’s the important thing to know: the difference between a converter and an adapter.Ī travel adapter connects your plug end to the outlet wherever you travel. So, I thought I’d write a short, easy guide for all of us who just want to keep from frying our electronics overseas. Does anyone else find travel adapters and voltage converters confusing as hell?Įven after traveling the world for the last 10 years, I still need a quick brush up on how converters and adapters work whenever we travel somewhere new.
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