How to know if you need a plug converter or a transformer for traveling abroad?

There are a wide variety of shapes and sizes of power sockets in the world, ranging from the two flat prongs in the United States and Canada to the two cylindrical prongs in Continental Europe, or the three-pin plugs in the UK and Ireland, and the flat figure-eight prongs in Australia. With so many types of power plugs and sockets, the differences between plugs and sockets in various countries can be realized through a small plug converter. However, before going abroad, it is also necessary to check the voltage of the destination to ensure compatibility with the voltage used by your electrical appliances. Otherwise, a transformer is required.

The function of a plug converter is to change the shape of the plug and socket, and the change is visible; while the function of a transformer is to change the voltage level, and the change is invisible.

If only the shapes of the plug and socket are different, for example, when a Chinese electrical appliance (with a national standard plug) is used in Europe (with a European standard socket), only a plug converter is needed.

If there is a voltage difference, for example, when an American electrical appliance (with a US standard socket, voltage: 110V 60Hz) is used in China (with a national standard two-flat plug, voltage: 220V 50Hz), a plug converter is not required; however, due to the large voltage difference, if it is a fixed-voltage electrical appliance, a transformer is required to use it, otherwise it may cause the electrical appliance to burn out or not work.

There is a special kind of dual-voltage electronic product (basically modern portable 3C electronic devices), including laptops, smartphones, digital cameras, etc., which are designed to operate under voltages ranging from 100 to 220V. When using these devices abroad, only a plug converter is needed.

For some small fixed-voltage electrical appliances, such as curling irons, hair dryers, electric toothbrushes, etc., it is necessary to double-check whether the local voltage is the same as that of the electrical appliance. If they are the same, only a plug converter is needed; if not, both a plug converter and a transformer may need to be carried.

Common conversion sockets are divided into:

Multifunctional conversion plugs, which can handle plugs and sockets of multiple types.

Another type is one-to-one/multi conversion plugs, which can handle only one plug and socket at a time.

There are a wide variety of plug converters, and you should choose according to the actual situation.

If you are traveling to multiple countries at once and want to travel as lightly as possible, you can choose the DOACE X-35 Travel Converter, it is equipped with: Type I (commonly used in Argentina, Australia, China, New Zealand and other countries), Type A (commonly used in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan and other countries), Type L (commonly used in Chile, Ethiopia, Italy, Libya, Syria and other countries), Type G (commonly used in the United Kingdom, Scotland, Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore and other countries and regions), Type C (commonly used in most European countries, France, Spain, Greece, Türkiye and other countries), and USB fast charging interface, which can charge electronic devices at the same time.

If you are only traveling to one or two different countries, you can choose the corresponding plug converter in the multifunctional conversion plug DOACE PT-Ace3 Travel Adapter to carry.

Multifunctional plug converters are more practical, cost-effective, and take up less space during international travel, which is convenient for the journey!