Worldwide Travel Adaptors

Worldwide (also called universal) plug adaptors attempt to solve the problems faced by frequent travellers by providing a global travel adaptor in one package. Whilst some companies make 'world kits' they are really nothing more than a collection of individual plug adaptors - bulky and it's easy to lose the component parts. A true worldwide travel adaptor has the advantage of being one single, compact unit that has selectable pins that are configured to fit the most commonly found sockets around the world. The selection is usually made using a slider which pushes out the desired pins from the body of the adaptor. An added advantage is that these adaptors will also accept multiple plug types so they truly approach an 'any plug to any socket' solution.

How do They Work?

See the Skross World Adaptor in action. We think that this is one of the best thought out universal adaptors, notice that it even comes with a compartment for spare fuses.

Which Adaptor is Best?

This ultimately depends upon your needs but in choosing you should consider the following points:

• Is USB connectivity required?
• Do you need to operate earthed appliances?
• What power do you need?
• Connectivity - does it cover all the countries that you will be travelling to?

Many people swear by the Swiss World Adaptor but we are seeing a lot of knock offs around and don't recommend them because of this. If you want the best check out our favorite picks in the recommended adaptors section. There are some excellent products out there whether you want a budget version, need onboard USB, prefer a good all rounder, need a earthed adaptor or have a high power requirement we've got you covered.

USB Connectivity

Many worldwide adaptors now include one or more USB ports which enables you to charge a wide range of compatible electronic hand-held devices such as mobile phones, tablets, MP3 players, GPS, game consoles and bluetooth accessories such as headsets and headphones.

If this kind of functionality is important to you make sure that the model you choose includes this option as not all of them do. Sometimes the USB charging module is a separate unit that plugs into the adaptor itself so you will not be able to charge USB devices and use the adaptor to plug in your other appliances at the same time. Most adaptors now have now moved to integrated USB ports, overcoming this problem. The trend is towards more and faster USB ports with USB-C ports now appearing on the high end models.

Earthed vs Unearthed

The UK is different to many countries in that all sockets are earthed and all plugs have a earth pin (even though it is not always used). Many countries have a mixture of 2 pin (unearthed) and 3 pin (earthed) sockets and this complicates the use of travel adaptors.

In general most travel appliances will not need a earth connection as it is generally larger appliances that need earthing. The majority of travel adaptors (both worldwide and country specific) are unearthed, only connecting to the socket with 2 pins. If you need to connect a earthed appliance then you will need a earthed 3 pin adaptor that is specifically designed to be used with earthed equipment.

How do you tell if an appliance needs earthing? Unfortunately it's not so simple because these days many appliances are fitted with a 3 pin plug as standard (irrespective of whether they need it or not). If the earth pin is plastic then the appliance does not need to be earthed. Other than that you would need to dismantle either the plug (if it's not the moulded in variety) or the appliance to see if a earth wire is connected or contact the manufacturer / check the manual.

A word of warning - If you purchase a 3 pin (earthed) adaptor it will generally only be able to connect to earthed sockets because the plug will not push in unless the socket has a hole to accept the 3rd pin. The European Schuko plug is an exception to this as it uses two side clips as opposed to a pin for earthing. Whilst most countries have fitted only earthed sockets as standard for many years now there are still a lot of the older type of 2 pin sockets in many counries including the US and Europe. You may find that you need one adaptor for your earthed appliances and a separate one for the unearthed ones.

To make matters more complicated an increasing number of modern sockets have shutters fitted to the live and neutral slots. This is a safety measure to ensure that children can't poke paper clips and the like into the socket and electrocute themselves. The downside is that the slots are usually opened by the earth pin (which is longer) as you push the plug in. This means that you may not be able to use unearthed adaptors in this type of socket even if your equipment doesn't need earthing.

Power Requirements

Cheaper adaptors tend to be rated at 2.5 A or lower, better ones may be capable of operating at up to 10 A or more. If you have higher powered appliances such as a hairdryer or iron you may need to select a high power adaptor.

Connectivity

The most obvious thing is to check that the adaptor is compatible with the sockets in all the countries that you will be visiting. In general most universal style adaptors can connect to sockets of the following types:

• Type A / B - USA, Canada, Central America, Japan
• Type C / E / F - Spain, France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Portugal, Eastern Europe, Belgium, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Tunisia and Morocco
• Type G (Standard UK Plug) - UK, Ireland, Cyprus, Malta, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong
• Type I - Australia, China, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Argentina

Some adaptors also cover:

• Type J - Switzerland
• Type L - Italy

Most universal adaptors do not cover:

• Type D - India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Namibia
• Type H - Israel
• Type K - Denmark
• Type M - South Africa
• Type N - Brazil

Unearthed worldwide adaptors can be used in all but the South African sockets as their sockets will generally accept type A, C or I plugs.

The best universal travel adaptors that we have seen will allow you to connect all of the following plugs to any of the sockets:

Input Plug Types Accepted
Type A Plug	Type B Plug	Type C Plug	Type E Plug	Type F Plug
Type G Plug	Type I Plug	Type I (ungrounded) Plug	Type J Plug	Type L Plug
Output Suitable for These Sockets
Type A Socket	Type B Socket	Type C Socket	Type F Socket	Type G Socket
Type I Socket	Type J Socket	Type L Socket

Voltage Considerations

Please be aware that whilst a universal travel adaptor will allow you to physically plug your devices into a different socket it will not change the voltage or frequency of the supply. If the supply voltage is different in the countries that you will be visiting you will have to check any appliances that you wish to use carefully to see what voltage / frequency is specified.

Items such as laptops will often specify "100 - 240V 50/60 Hz" either on the equipment or the power supply (if it has one). If not then you may need a transformer to operate your appliance. It is worth noting that trying to operate a 230V device on 120V usually results in reduced performance but is generally not dangerous (but it may damage the device!). On the contrary operating devices designed for 120V on 230V is highly dangerous and may result in fire, serious injury and irrepairable damage to the device.

Frequency Considerations

A transformer or voltage converter may solve the voltage issue but will not alter the different frequency of the supply. Some countries use 50 Hz, others 60 Hz. In practical terms this makes little difference as most travel appliances will run at either frequency. Some items with motors, such as hairdryers and some clocks will run a little faster or slower than intended but it is not likely to be problematic. Check your device - it may say 50/60 Hz which indicates that it is compatible with either frequency. If you are in doubt or have expensive equipment check with the manufacturer first as some equipment may be damaged by running on an incorrect frequency. Here is a useful discussion on the effects of different supply frequency.

Our Recommendations

Product recommendations are not available at this time

Countries Usually Supported