The ultimate guide to travel adapters

With our ever-increasing reliance on electronics, it’s safe to say that a travel adapter is the most important part of your travel kit. You may not realise it, but all your electronics including your smartphones, laptops, tablets and more, can all die from a single faulty outlet or power surge, and the only thing standing in the way of that happening is the travel adapter.

If you’re planning any travel soon, be sure to invest in a good, reliable adapter that’s fully compliant with the power requirements of your devices and the power grid of the country that you’re visiting. Here’s what you need to keep in mind.

Plug compatibility

Travel adapters come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but the only thing that really matters is whether they’re compatible with the plugs and sockets you intend to use. Officially, there are 15 types of plugs in the world, labelled as A, B, C, D, and so on up to O.

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India uses types C, D, and M, for example, while the UK uses type G, and the US uses types A and B. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) maintains a list of plugs, their operating voltages, frequency, and more, and you should refer to it before travelling.

You’ll need to keep this in mind when buying universal adapters as even those might not support all the regions you intend to visit.

Check voltage and frequency

Remember that a travel adapter only adapts the plug and not the electricity that’s flowing through said plug. The electricity that we get from sockets in India is AC voltage at 230V and 60Hz. In the UK, this is 230V at 50Hz while the US uses 120V at 60Hz.

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Indian chargers and electronic devices are therefore not compatible with these voltages and frequencies by default, and you’ll need to confirm this by looking up the rating of your device on the manufacturers’ websites. Some devices will have this information printed on the power adapter.

Thankfully, most laptops and phones come with chargers that are compatible with a wide range of voltages and frequencies, but again, double-check the chargers before carrying them with you and accidentally frying your electronics.

If your charger isn’t compatible, you might need to buy a voltage transformer or new charger that’s compatible with that country’s power grid.

Avoid travel adapters with a USB output

It might be tempting to pick up travel adapters with USB output. One less charger to carry, right? However, the USB standard isn’t universally enforced and the travel adapter you’re using might not have the necessary power and voltage protections that your device requires. Use travel adapters to adapt the plug, and use official chargers or ones from brands you trust to charge your devices.

Built-in surge protection and misc security

Look for a travel adapter with built-in surge protection. These are not common and might be more expensive, but the added electronics will ensure that your devices don’t burn out or explode because of an unreliable power grid. 

It’s also good to confirm that the adapter you’re getting is compliant with various safety standards such as CE and RoHS to ensure that your electronics remain safe. There’s nothing worse than travelling somewhere and then discovering that your phone died because of a cheap adapter.

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Keep these points in mind when buying a travel adapter, and travel safe! Do note that good adapters also fail from time to time so it’s important that you carry backup documents and even an emergency phone if necessary.