I like universal adapters, with various buttons and switches for configuring the prongs to fit any socket worldwide. My laptop cube doesn't block any USB ports, so I can charge all my devices simultaneously with just one adapter. My current adapter (which, full disclosure, also happens to be my top pick) has one plug I use for my laptop, plus four USB ports and a USB-C port. However, you can usually get away with a one-plug adapter if it has additional ports, such as USB or USB-C ports. You may think you need to carry three or four travel adapters-one for your laptop, one for your phone, one to charge your camera battery, and so on. Best Laptop Bags and Backpacks for Traveling and Commuting Types of Ports.This makes planning and packing easier and reduces the risk of breaking or bending a prong while in transit, which will likely render your adapter useless (and necessitate buying one from an overpriced airport tech store). The best travel adapters are retractable, meaning the prongs that go into the wall retract into the body of the adapter when not in use. But most modern adapters are small enough to hold in your palm (a tad smaller than a Rubik's Cube, if you will) and weigh no more than a pair of socks. That's changed, although you'll still find some older, oversized designs on the market. Travel adapters used to be big, bulky chunks of plastic with just one plug. I've become an expert on using travel adapters, whether I like it or not. I've used adapters specific to one socket type, supposed global adapters that actually weren't, and overpaid by nearly double for an adapter in an airport when I realized I left my sole adapter in my checked luggage. So, my experiences have run the gamut, from carrying a chunky converter only to realize it didn't work in my hotel room's sockets to successfully packing just one converter that did it all. And in my years as a travel writer, I've been to around 40 countries, including some less-touristy destinations like Lesotho. In college, I studied abroad in the mid-2000s, when some devices worked internationally, but others would all but blow up if you plugged them in without a voltage converter. My first international trips were with my parents as a child, when my biggest concern was making sure my reusable battery charger would work to power up my Gameboy while visiting Europe. Show more The Expert: As a travel writer in my mid-30s, I've been traveling for a while. Here are the best travel adapters to buy before your next international getaway. Travel adapters may not be the most stylish travel accessory, but they're certainly one of the most essential. The concept is simple: plug the travel adapter directly into the wall socket, then plug your device or USB cord into the front. That includes sockets that fit two rounded plugs, as you'll find in much of Europe, to the slanted, three-prong sockets you'll find in Australia. Electrical outlets and sockets vary from country to country in fact, there are 15 different types of power sockets requiring a variety of plugs. You've arranged your international data plan on your phone, your laptop is charged, and you've even bought an extra memory card for gorgeous vacation photos.īut all of that is only useful if you remember one necessary, if not-so-glamorous, piece of travel equipment: a travel adapter.Ī travel adapter is a small device that allows you to plug your electronic devices into outlets in different countries. One of the most exciting times before a big vacation, especially one that you've been planning for months (or years), is finally having your bag packed and ready to head to the airport.
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