Getting All Charged Up!

Wouldn’t it be nice if every country in the world had identical electrical outlets, so us wanderers could plug in anywhere, without any problem?  I can dream, can’t I?

Up until now, we have always carried a bunch of different adapters.  Although this worked, we were always afraid of losing one, or leaving the exact one we needed at home.

Recently, I came across this little beauty.  It’s compact, lightweight, and claims to work in over 150 countries.

The little green tab slides down to release one of the four plug options, which the manufacturer claims correspond to what the  World Standards has designated as A, B, C and D   type plugs.

I’m not so sure about that–the pictures on the website look different from the plugs in my gadget, but I guess I’ll find out.  What I like best is the addition of  two USB ports.  This allows me to charge an iPhone, an iPad and my camera battery–all at the same time, using just one outlet.

Because one of the included plugs is designed for use for the USA, I decided to take it for a spin while still at home, and yay, it worked beautifully.  All three items charged quickly.

I got mine at Staples, because I had a coupon, (I do so love a bargain!) but you can also buy direct from the manufacturer via the internet.  Either way, it will cost about $30.

By the way, this is NOT a converter, so if your appliances can’t accept a variety of voltages you will need a converter along with your adapter.  My iPhone and iPad so far have worked quite happily in the US (120 volts) and everywhere else I’ve plugged in, like Slovenia and Zimbabwe (220), South Africa and Italy (230).  I have no idea what that all means–I just know if the volts don’t get along, you end up with a fried appliance–and I have the hair dryer to prove it!