Where to buy outlet converters

All universal travel adapters have four different sets of prongs, which cover most countries most Americans tend to travel to. Next is the round Europe-style plug, aka the Europlug Type C. However, this is where we run into complications. This plug should work in most of Europe—it was designed, in fact, to fit into a wide range of European outlet types. For instance, parts of Italy, Switzerland, and Denmark each use different plugs from one another.

Should this double-round one work in those locations? Will it? Hard to say. Some universal adapters have one set of blades for this and the US style—you just manually rotate the blades into the correct position depending on where you are. In our testing, we had no trouble getting them to work. What are the places not covered by these four styles? Some parts of Brazil, South Africa, India, and more. This is invaluable information to check before you leave.

Case in point: One Wirecutter editor visited Iceland recently. It turns out the mystery sockets belonged to an obscure Italian system from the s that was popular in Iceland for a time. Luckily, the hosts had power strips in the house that her adapters fit into. There are approximately 70 billion universal travel plug adapters on the Web. Among those dozen or so actually different products, I saw a few distinctions that helped narrow the field.

Since most options had four USB ports, that seemed like a reasonable minimum to require. Their maximum power output, rated in amps, became a determining factor in our rankings. The higher the maximum output, the faster the port will charge your gear. Some plugs came with a replaceable fuse, which seemed like a good idea, and a few included a replacement for said fuse, which seemed even better.

This way, if either you plug the adapter into a sketchy outlet or a roommate at the hostel uses your adapter to plug in their completely necessary portable arc welder, the fuse will go, not your adapter. These fuses have a maximum power rating, and therefore the adapters have a maximum wattage rating. The short version is that recharging portable electronic devices is fine, but powering anything that has a motor or heats up is not.

The other option we considered and tested is individual plug adapters. In deciding which of these to test, we judged by size and available plug-type options. The universal travel adapters are far more similar to one another than they are different.

However, getting in a dozen and playing with them for a while revealed that some felt better put together than others. All had a US-style plug, so I tested each one in several outlets around my house—some new, some old.

I connected several chargers and plugs to the output side of each adapter as well. Again, not much difference. For the plug adapters, I tried plugging in several devices, as well as inserting them into outlets around my house.

I checked how tight the connections were and how they felt overall. Would they fall apart with simple use or perhaps hold up to being tossed around in bags for a few weeks or months?

These are all remarkably similar products. How they felt to use and their different features played a far bigger role in establishing our final picks. You may not have a USB-C device at the moment, but you likely will in the future. In addition, and just as important, is the maximum power output: 5. This was the highest of all the adapters we considered, which means you can charge more of your devices at higher speeds before hitting the max output. Keep in mind that the maximum output per USB-A port is 2.

This arrangement feels more secure than the semi-locking or slide-locking system that some other universals use. As these things go, the Epicka feels sturdy. The US and Australia share a pair of prongs—you twist the prongs manually to set them up for an angled Australia-style outlet.

The above details were what put the Epicka at the top of our list, but the adapter has a few other features that are the cherry on top, so to speak. One last note.

Best to follow the link above. Also, you may find another company selling a twin of this. The Epicka has the most reviews and offers free shipping with Prime. The other options we saw have few or no reviews, or charge outrageous shipping costs.

Just something to keep in mind. That is, unfortunately, a risk with every universal adapter. Epicka claims it will work in countries, but there are more than countries the exact number is harder to pin down than you might realize. Also, while the Epicka is a little smaller than some of the others we tested, all universal adapters are much bulkier than plug adapters.

As someone who has spent most of the past five years traveling, I feel plug adapters are far easier and less annoying to deal with. This is largely why we have two recommendations for that category. The Ceptics Plug Adapter set combines everything we were looking for in plug adapters: small size, solid build quality, and—well, small size is really the thing here. Each adapter is no larger than it needs to be to fit over the American-style prongs of your charger. The plastic feels solid and not flimsy.

Each adapter has the region or countries it should be used in written on the side. These are for the person who wants to travel as light and as simply as possible. I myself, and my friends who travel frequently, swear by these small, inexpensive adapters.

Laptops, yes; mini-fridges, no. For a hardcore traveler like me, these are my pick. The Ceptics White are small, but not as small as the Ceptics Black. This means your charger is less likely to fall out. Again, neither set of plugs we tested had loose connections, but this is always a risk, as chargers vary. One other difference: In place of the two-pronged US plug we saw type A in our other picks, this set includes the three-pronged grounded version.

The real benefit to the Ceptics Whites, however, is not their physical characteristics. This range is one of your only options if you want to buy a plug adapter for a specific region or country. Headed to India or South Africa? You can also buy the offset three-prong and in-line three-prong for Switzerland and Italy, respectively, as well as plugs for Israel and Brazil , both the thin and the thick European plugs, and of course, Australia and UK versions too.

These adapters are ideal for someone headed to a country not covered by a universal adapter, or who has multiple chargers they want to plug in while traveling. Every adapter you see in this guide merely sends the current from the wall directly to whatever you plug into it.

These are not voltage converters. However, for the vast majority of people, this is all you need. Take a look at your charger. If it only says "V—60Hz," it will almost certainly not work—or not work correctly—with a travel adapter.

The good news is, pretty much every hotel, hostel, and Airbnb will have a hair dryer you can borrow. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Best for the U. The right power adapter. Read on for the best power adapters that will keep your devices charged and ready to go, wherever you find yourself in the world. Plus, it comes with a European power cable in addition to three removable adapters for the U.

With two standard U. It automatically shuts down to prevent overloading, overheating, or short-circuiting, keeping you and your appliances safe. The converter measures 4. While it is priced higher than most adapters, the Foval Step-Down Voltage Converter also functions as a converter. If you were already planning on buying an adapter and a converter, this device will save you space and money. We took it on a trip to Ireland, and all we had to do was attach the correct adapter, plug it into the socket, and press the power button.

It started making a quiet whirring noise, and in a second or two our devices were charging at a normal pace. We charged plenty with it, including our phones, a portable charger, and our camera. Other than the expected slight delay, everything ran smoothly. In addition to a single AC power socket , it features two USB ports—all of which can be used simultaneously.

The downsides? Interchangeable input and outlet sockets allow you to use the power adapter in more than countries.

We took it on a trip to Ireland and used it to charge our phone, camera battery, and portable power bank. After plugging our devices into the adapter, there was an expected small delay in the electricity getting from point A to point B. After those few initial seconds, it charged our devices smoothly and without making a sound. We did notice a slight issue with some of the prongs getting stuck on the way out, but it was easily fixed by wiggling the slider back and forth.

Travelers from North America will also probably need a voltage converter for non dual-voltage devices. We tried the HAOZI with converters and found that it worked just as well with a converter as it did alone. Other key features include its solid construction and bright purple color—which makes it easy to spot and therefore less likely to leave plugged into the hotel room socket when you check out. With a total weight of 0.

You can use its dual ports to charge two electrical devices at the same time. The input on the front of the plug is universal: It accepts two-prong polarized U.

This comes in handy if you own foreign appliances that you want to use on your European travels. A built-in surge protector defends your devices against unexpected voltage spikes. The best part about this adapter—in our opinion, anyways—is its small, bright design. The 2. The Travel Ready can charge two electronics at once with a port on the top and side of the device. Since the Travel Ready also has built-in surge protection that gave us peace of mind that our electronics would be safely charged.

If you plan to travel anywhere outside Europe, this adapter will prove useless. Plus, it fits into the recessed, circular plug sockets found in many parts of Western Europe, as well as standard square-faced sockets. Its newly improved design features internal metal interfaces for better conductivity.

Be aware, though, that it is only suitable for dual voltage appliances. You can use the double ports to charge two devices simultaneously—which is especially handy in hotel rooms with limited plug sockets. The universal input accepts plugs from most countries except South Africa.

Designed in the U. The plug also works for British Overseas Territories and ex-colonies within Europe, including Gibraltar and Cyprus, as well as other destinations like Hong Kong and Dubai.

Your purchase includes three separate adapters, allowing you to utilize all of the sockets in your hotel room at once. Each power adapter features two inputs, both of which accept two-prong polarized U. Both are compatible with Type J plugs of the kind used in Switzerland and the bordering principality of Liechtenstein. They will come in handy for future trips to Jordan, Madagascar, Rwanda, and the Maldives, all of which also use Type J plugs.

These power adapters have two inputs each: one that accepts two-prong plugs from any country, and a universal input that accepts any kind of plug except for Type M South Africa. Make sure to use the adapters with dual voltage appliances of up to 3, watts only. The two-pack includes two Type L plugs for charging devices in Italy and the microstate of San Marino. Both adapters feature dual inputs, which allow them to accommodate two U.