Important Things to Keep In Mind While Buying a Travel Adapter

1. Important Things to Keep In Mind  While Buying a Travel Adapter    Did you know that there are around twelve different types of             power sockets available around the world?              To our surprise as well, there are! Twelve different types of             power sockets needing different types of adapters and what       not.                            And we have to admit that it’s an unavoidable problem. To get               rid of it, an entire community of travel adapter manufacturers             sprung up to let frustrated vacationers charge their iPhones           and laptops without any problems.                              1​​

2. But keep in mind that not all power plug adapters are equal.               Therefore, there are a few things you must know before           buying one for your overseas trip.                        6 Things to Keep in Mind before Buying a Travel           Adapter:            It doesn’t Convert Voltages  One of the important things to make sure when you buy a travel             adapter is that it doesn’t convert the voltage. Just the layout of the             pins on your charger or appliance coming out from the power           socket.                                            In most countries, the usual voltage supply is 220-240 volts. Twice           the voltage that you use at home. The ​power plug adapters you buy should be able to handle this load. Otherwise, it would end up               as a non-working appliance with a burning smell.                                                    Make sure to check out the voltage capability of the socket on a             small sticker either on the charger or the device itself. If it doesn’t           support up to 240 volts, you would need to take a voltage             converter as well!                                              2​

3. The Size Matters  They are available in many shapes and sizes. Starting from small           and simple single-region adapters to larger ‘universal’ versions       that can be used in most countries. If you are traveling all over the             world, universal ones are convenient ones but their size can create         issues for travelers.                                                        The main problem with the large size is that they tend to fall out of             the socket if there is any weight on them like a heavy plug if the             socket is loose fitting. Plus, there is a good chance that they’ll           block the socket beside them.                                                      Thus, take the smallest adapter, or say a set of adapters that you           find would work well in all of your traveling destinations. Those               single-region versions are cheaper as well.                            Those Three Pin Plugs are Must!  Many old-fashioned adapters only have sockets for two-pin plugs.       But if you are the one who uses a MacBook, power strip or any               other devices with the round earth pin, then they won’t fit in this           kind of adapter.                                              3​

4. Therefore, make sure that you try the plug into your adapter           before buying it. This way, you can avoid a future problem and buy             a travel adapter that you actually need.                                  Don’t Do Airport Shopping  The airport is one of the most expensive places to shop whether               it’s food, drink, clothing and almost everything you can think of. If           you buy a travel adapter from an airport then you end up paying             thrice the actual worth of that adapter. A five dollar worth adapter             is sold for well over twenty dollars.                                                      Don’t just be that person, buy your adapter before you set out for             the journey. Buying early would let you pick the version you need,           type and a golden chance to test it before you leave!                                  4​

5. Don’t Buy Many of Them  If you are traveling with a family, you might have a bunch of             gadgets and appliances as well. Therefore, buying individual         adapters for them is an expensive exercise. Instead of that buy a           travel power strip or just pack one lying around at home.                                        As long as they don’t need to convert their voltages, you can               simply plug all your chargers into the power strip. Plug the power           strip into the travel adapter and that adapter into the wall. One of             the advantages is that it saves you money, provides some extra             space in your bag and spares you from the problem of never, ever             having that problem of enough power sockets in your hotel room!                                                                  Other Options  If you have electronics which can charge via USB, there is a better           option available! Many companies make compact power plug       sockets with two or four socket USB travel adapters. It will let you             charge multiple gadgets from the same adapter!                                            Some of them have clip-on plugs that allow you to use them in           various countries. You can power phones, tablets, Kindles,         portable batteries, even electric toothbrush with the same little         adapter.                                    5​

6.   Summing it up:  Before you ​buy a power plug adapter for your traveling​, just make sure that the adapter’s maximum power output, both for individual           sockets and as an adapter is whole. Make sure that the recent             iPads and smartphones and even other small devices require more           juice than the older devices. Therefore, look for power plug           adapters which support at least 2.4 MPs from each socket you plan           to plug your high powered gadgets into.                                                                                    If you found this article useful, here are some other Articles           that may be of interest.                Use of Power Plug Adapters  Essentials About Power Plug Adapters    6​