How To Choose The Correct Travel Plug Adapter

by | | 0 comment(s)

Many customers often use the terms "Plug Adapter" and "Power Converter" interchangeably, which is not correct. A Plug Adapter, or Socket Adapter, is a very tiny device that simply physically changes the shape of your appliances' Power Plug so that it can fit in to a different wall outlet in a different country; it has no moving parts inside and has no motor or electrical parts.

A Power Converter, or Voltage Converter, is completely different because it deals with changing actual Voltage from one to another so that either American appliances can be used overseas or Foreign appliances can be used in the US; and while some Power Converters can be small, most are large and heavy.

Since Plug Adapters do not change Voltage, they are used mostly for items that are already Dual Voltage such as Cell Phones, Laptops, some Electric Shavers, some Hair Dryers, some Hair Straighteners, some Hair Curlers, some Clock Radios, some Portable Boomboxes, iPods, iPhones, and some other electronic items as well.

Different Plugs for Different Countries

To know which Adapter is the correct one for you, we must first understand their purpose and the issue they solve. Plug Adapters allow you to plug any power cord into a differently shaped wall outlet. For example, if you try to take an American appliance or electronic to Africa or Europe or Asia, you will see that your item won't fit into their foreign wall outlet because their wall outlets are shaped differently than American wall outlets. Here in the US, we typically use a 2-Flat Pin Plug.

But in foreign countries overseas, they use completely different plugs. This is where the Plug Adapter comes in. The Plug Adapter connects to the end of your appliance's power cord and allows you to then plug it into the appropriate wall outlet in the country you are visiting. It is important to keep in mind that a Plug Adapter does NOT convert Voltage.

A Plug Adapter has no electrical parts inside and is not a Power Converter; a Power Converter is completely different from a Plug Adapter. It is important to note that most American-bought appliances and electronics require an additional, separate Voltage Converter in combination with a Plug Adapter, in order to operate overseas. This is due to the "Voltage" difference between the US and every other country.

Voltage Outputs by Country

Now that you have a better idea of how Plug Adapters work, we can make one more thing clear that we haven't mentioned yet: some appliances and electronics are made Dual Voltage from the manufacturer. This means that those certain appliances and electronics will not need any Power Converters because they already accept both Voltages so they are referred to as being "Dual Voltage". These types of items are generally items that are common "Travel" related items, such as Cell Phones, Laptops, some Hair Dryers, some Hair Straighteners, some Electric Shavers, some Electric Toothbrushes, some Alarm Clocks, etc.

The only way to know for sure if your item is Dual Voltage is to look on the item itself. On the back or the bottom of your appliance, there should be a small label or sticker or inscription that has the electrical information written on it. There, all you have to do is look to see if it says "AC 100-240V". If it says that, then yes, that item can run on both Voltages. But, if you read "AC 110-120V", then no, that item is not Dual Voltage because it can only run on the American Voltage.

In order to give you a better idea of which voltage is used worldwide, besides looking at the map, we have comprised a list that may help you and have placed it below this paragraph; just search for the country you are traveling to. Please keep in mind that this list can change and is not permanent, due to countries being able to upgrade their infrastructure at any time. Also, please note that some countries are split voltage; their voltage is 110/120 in some parts and 220/240 in other parts.

There is no guaranteed way to know which voltage or plug type is used in these types of countries because it all depends on which specific area you are going to. So, for example, if you are travelling to Brazil or Saudi Arabia, you should check with the owner of the building you are living in or speak with the front desk clerk at the hotel you are staying at to find out which voltage or plug type they use there.


Plug Types





COUNTRY - VOLTAGE - FREQUENCY - OUTLET TYPE
(IN ORDER)
COUNTRYVOLTAGEFREQUENCYOUTLET TYPE
Afghanistan220 V50 HzC / F
Albania230 V50 Hz
C / F
Algeria230 V50 HzC / F
American Samoa120 V60 HzA / B / F / I
Andorra230 V50 HzC / F
Angola220 V50 HzC
Anguilla110 V60 HzA
Antigua230 V60 HzA / B
Argentina220 V50 HzC / I
Armenia230 V50 HzC / F
Aruba120 V60 HzA / B / F
Australia240 V50 HzI
Austria230 V50 HzC / F
Azerbaijan220 V50 HzC / F
Azores230 V50 HzB / C / F
Bahamas120 V60 HzA / B
Bahrain230 V50 HzG
Balearic Islands230 V50 HzC / F
Bangladesh220 V50 HzC / D / G / K
Barbados115 V50 HzA / B
Belarus220 V50 HzC / F
Belgium230 V50 HzE
Belize110 V / 220 V60 HzB / G
Benin220 V50 HzE
Bermuda120 V60 HzA / B
Bhutan230 V50 HzD / F / G
Bolivia230 V50 HzA / C
Bosnia & Herzegovina230 V50 HzC / F
Botswana230 V50 HzD / G
Brazil127 V / 220 V *60 HzA / B / C / I
Brunei240 V50 HzG
Bulgaria230 V50 HzC / F
Burkina Faso220 V50 HzC / E
Burundi220 V50 HzC / E
Cambodia230 V50 HzA / C / G
Cameroon220 V50 HzC / E
Canada120 V60 HzA / B
Canary Islands230 V50 HzC / E / L
Cape Verde230 V50 HzC / F
Cayman Islands120 V60 HzA / B
Central African Republic220 V50 HzC / E
Chad220 V50 HzD / E / F
Channel Islands (Guernsey & Jersey)230 V50 HzC / G
Chile220 V50 HzC / L
China, People's Republic of220 V50 HzA / C / I
Colombia110 V60 HzA / B
Comoros220 V50 HzC / E
Congo, People's Rep. of230 V50 HzC / E
Congo, Dem. Rep. of (formerly Zaire)220 V50 HzC / D
Cook Islands240 V50 HzI
Costa Rica120 V60 HzA / B
Côte d'Ivoire

(Ivory Coast)

220 V50 HzC / E
Croatia230 V50 HzC / F
Cuba110 V / 220 V60 HzA / B / C / L
Cyprus230 V50 HzG / F**
Czech Republic230 V50 HzE
Denmark230 V50 HzC / E / K
Djibouti220 V50 HzC / E
Dominica230 V50 HzD / G
Dominican Republic120 V60 HzA / B
East Timor220 V50 HzC / E / F / I
Ecuador110 V60 HzA / B
Egypt220 V50 HzC / F
El Salvador115 V60 HzA / B / C / D / E / F / G / I / J / L
Equatorial Guinea220 V50 HzC / E
Eritrea230 V50 HzC / L
Estonia230 V50 HzC / F
Ethiopia220 V50 HzC / F
Faeroe Islands230 V50 HzC / K
Falkland Islands240 V50 HzG
Fiji240 V50 HzI
Finland230 V50 HzC / F
France230 V50 HzE
French Guyana220 V50 HzC / D / E
Gabon220 V50 HzC
Gambia230 V50 HzG
Gaza230 V50 HzH
Georgia220 V50 HzC / F
Germany230 V50 HzC / F
Ghana230 V50 HzD / G
Gibraltar230 V50 HzC / G
Great Britain (see United Kingdom)
Greenland230 V50 HzC / K
Grenada230 V50 HzG
Guadeloupe230 V50 HzC / D / E
Guam110 V60 HzA / B
Guatemala120 V60 HzA / B / G / I
Guinea220 V50 HzC / F / K
Guinea-Bissau220 V50 HzC
Guyana240 V60 HzA / B / D / G
Haiti110 V60 HzA / B
Honduras110 V60 HzA / B
Hong Kong220 V50 HzG
Hungary230 V50 HzC / F
Iceland230 V50 HzC / F
India230 V50 HzC / D / M
Indonesia230 V50 HzC / F
Iran230 V50 HzC / F
Iraq230 V50 HzC / D / G
Ireland (Eire)230 V50 HzG
Isle of Man230 V50 HzC / G
Israel230 V50 HzH / C
Italy230 V50 HzC / F / L
Jamaica110 V50 HzA / B
Japan100 V50 Hz / 60 Hz **A / B
Jordan230 V50 HzC / D / F / G / J
Kenya240 V50 HzG
Kazakhstan220 V50 HzC / F
Kiribati240 V50 HzI
Korea, North110 V / 220 V60 HzA / C
Korea, South110V / 220 V60 HzA / B / C / F
Kuwait240 V50 HzC / G
Kyrgyzstan220 V50 HzC / F
Laos230 V50 HzA / B / C / E / F
Latvia230 V50 HzC / F
Lebanon230 V50 HzC / D / G
Lesotho220 V50 HzM
Liberia120 V60 HzA / B
Libya127 V / 230 V50 HzD / F
Liechtenstein230 V50 HzJ
Lithuania230 V50 HzC / F
Luxembourg230 V50 HzC / F
Macau220 V50 HzD / G
Macedonia230 V50 HzC / F
Madagascar127 V / 220 V50 HzC / D / E / J / K
Madeira230 V50 HzC / F
Malawi230 V50 HzG
Malaysia240 V50 HzG
Maldives230 V50 HzD / G / J / K / L
Mali220 V50 HzC / E
Malta230 V50 HzG
Martinique220 V50 HzC / D / E
Mauritania220 V50 HzC
Mauritius230 V50 HzC / G
Mexico127 V60 HzA
Micronesia, Federal States of120 V60 HzA / B
Moldova230 V50 HzC / F
Monaco230 V50 HzC / D / E / F
Mongolia230 V50 HzC / E
Montenegro230 V50 HzC / F
Montserrat230 V60 HzA / B
Morocco220 V50 HzC / E
Mozambique220 V50 HzC / F / M
Myanmar (Burma)230 V50 HzC / D / F / G
Namibia220 V50 HzD / M
Nauru240 V50 HzI
Nepal230 V50 HzC / D / M
Netherlands230 V50 HzC / F
Netherlands Antilles127 V / 220 V50 HzA / B / F
New Caledonia220 V50 HzF
New Zealand240 V50 HzI
Nicaragua120 V60 HzA
Niger220 V50 HzA / B / C / D / E / F
Nigeria230 V50 HzD / G
Norway230 V50 HzC / F
Oman240 V50 HzC / G
Pakistan230 V50 HzC / D
Palau120 V60 HzA / B
Panama110 V60 HzA / B
Papua New Guinea240 V50 HzI
Paraguay220 V50 HzC
Peru220 V60 HzA / B / C
Philippines220 V60 HzA / B / C
Poland230 V50 HzC / E
Portugal230 V50 HzC / F
Puerto Rico120 V60 HzA / B
Qatar240 V50 HzD / G
Reunion Island230 V50 HzE
Romania230 V50 HzC / F
Russian Federation220 V50 HzC / F
Rwanda230 V50 HzC / J
St. Kitts and Nevis230 V60 HzD / G
St. Lucia230 V50 HzG
St. Vincent230 V50 HzA / C / E / G / I / K
Samoa230 V50 HzI
San Marino230 V50 HzF / L
Saudi Arabia110 V / 220 V ***60 HzA / B / C / G
Senegal230 V50 HzC / D / E / K
Serbia230 V50 HzC / F
Seychelles240 V50 HzG
Sierra Leone230 V50 HzD / G
Singapore230 V50 HzG
Slovakia230 V50 HzE
Slovenia230 V50 HzC / F
Somalia220 V50 HzC
South Africa230 V50 HzD / M
Spain230 V50 HzC / F
Sri Lanka230 V50 HzD / G / M
Sudan230 V50 HzC / D
Suriname127 V60 HzC / F
Swaziland230 V50 HzM
Sweden230 V50 HzC / F
Switzerland230 V50 HzJ
Syria220 V50 HzC / E / L
Tahiti220 V50 Hz / 60 HzC / E
Tajikistan220 V50 HzC / F
Taiwan110 V60 HzA / B
Tanzania230 V50 HzD / G
Thailand220 V50 HzA / B / C
Togo220 V50 HzC
Tonga240 V50 HzI
Trinidad & Tobago115 V60 HzA / B
Tunisia230 V50 HzC / E
Turkey230 V50 HzC / F
Turkmenistan220 V50 HzC / F
Uganda240 V50 HzG
Ukraine230 V50 HzC / F
United Arab Emirates240 V50 HzG
United Kingdom230 V50 HzG
United States of America120 V60 HzA / B
Uruguay220 V50 HzC / F / I / L
Uzbekistan220 V50 HzC / F
Venezuela120 V60 HzA / B
Vietnam220 V50 HzA / C / G
Virgin Islands110 V60 HzA / B
Yemen230 V50 HzA / D / G
Zambia230 V50 HzC / D / G
Zimbabwe240 V50 HzD / G

This entry was posted in no categories.

You must be logged in to post comments.