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October 11, 2024 3:56 PM Subscribe
Do I have the right equipment to allow me to plug North American electronics and devices into EU (France) sockets?
This is what I own.
Is that all I need? When I was looking online I was seeing references to both converters and adapters. This seems to be an adapter. Do I need a converter as well?
And if I need something better/more reliable/etc. please tell me exactly what I need and where I can purchase it in a store in Ontario.
This is what I own.
Is that all I need? When I was looking online I was seeing references to both converters and adapters. This seems to be an adapter. Do I need a converter as well?
And if I need something better/more reliable/etc. please tell me exactly what I need and where I can purchase it in a store in Ontario.
Best answer: I have something like that and it did fine in the UK, Scandinavia and Spain, but whether you need a converter (something that adjusts to the voltage) as well as an adapter (something that adjusts to the plug type) is more dependent on what you want to plug in. Lots of things are dual-voltage on their own - the main things I was plugging in were my camera battery recharger (over a decade ago when my camera was better than what's on my phone) and a phone charger - both of those could handle North American or Euro voltage. I had a adapter/converter, but converters can generally only run for a short period of time, not something that takes longer like charging a battery.
posted by LionIndex at 4:04 PM on October 11, 2024
posted by LionIndex at 4:04 PM on October 11, 2024
Best answer: Adapters stand on their own. However, as ambrosen says the adapter you have is only useful for relatively low power operations. Basically don't try to run a hair dryer or a space heater with it.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 4:06 PM on October 11, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 4:06 PM on October 11, 2024 [1 favorite]
Lots of things are dual-voltage on their own
I think you would be very hard pressed to find a piece of electronics that isn't.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 4:08 PM on October 11, 2024 [1 favorite]
I think you would be very hard pressed to find a piece of electronics that isn't.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 4:08 PM on October 11, 2024 [1 favorite]
I think you would be very hard pressed to find a piece of electronics that isn't.
As people said above, it's really common for hair dryers/curlers/straighteners to be single voltage. They aren't all single voltage, but that's the most common thing that people would be traveling with that has a reasonable likelihood to be an issue.
posted by brainmouse at 4:17 PM on October 11, 2024 [5 favorites]
As people said above, it's really common for hair dryers/curlers/straighteners to be single voltage. They aren't all single voltage, but that's the most common thing that people would be traveling with that has a reasonable likelihood to be an issue.
posted by brainmouse at 4:17 PM on October 11, 2024 [5 favorites]
If you're buying a converter for a hairdryer, etc, I recommend just buying a cheap hairdryer w a France compliant plug built in. I don't know anything about electricity, but that converter makes your US hair dryer have barely any power/heat. Might as well save the space in your luggage for something useful.
posted by atomicstone at 4:39 PM on October 11, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by atomicstone at 4:39 PM on October 11, 2024 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Four things matter here: physical plug shape, voltage, frequency, and total power draw
What you have only adapts the plug shape, it does nothing for any of the others. The device you are powering *may* be able to cope with multiple voltages and frequencies, or it *may* not. For instance, some types of electric motors have their speed determined by frequency. You need to look at the label of your device to see whether it says 110V or 230V and 60 Hz or 50 Hz. For small DC power supplies, if they are switch-mode (newer and lightweight) they are normally universal, but older linear wall-wart power supplies -- the kind that are very heavy -- are definitely *not* universal.
Moreover some electronics are universal but have a switch to flip to toggle between 110 mode and 230 mode. Computer (desktop) power supplies are normally like this. (Internally they switch in a voltage doubler to convert 110 to 230 and the device always runs on 230.)
If you *do* need to convert voltage and frequency, you need a much larger, much more expensive device. And then you need to figure out how much power your device wants to draw, because a transformer that can power a 1300W hair dryer is going to be quite large and heavy, compared to something that uses little power. It would be much, much simpler to buy a 230V hair dryer in this example, than to buy a heavy expensive transformer that you'd have to lug around. But again, that's just one example, it totally depends on the specifics.
posted by Rhomboid at 5:12 PM on October 11, 2024 [7 favorites]
What you have only adapts the plug shape, it does nothing for any of the others. The device you are powering *may* be able to cope with multiple voltages and frequencies, or it *may* not. For instance, some types of electric motors have their speed determined by frequency. You need to look at the label of your device to see whether it says 110V or 230V and 60 Hz or 50 Hz. For small DC power supplies, if they are switch-mode (newer and lightweight) they are normally universal, but older linear wall-wart power supplies -- the kind that are very heavy -- are definitely *not* universal.
Moreover some electronics are universal but have a switch to flip to toggle between 110 mode and 230 mode. Computer (desktop) power supplies are normally like this. (Internally they switch in a voltage doubler to convert 110 to 230 and the device always runs on 230.)
If you *do* need to convert voltage and frequency, you need a much larger, much more expensive device. And then you need to figure out how much power your device wants to draw, because a transformer that can power a 1300W hair dryer is going to be quite large and heavy, compared to something that uses little power. It would be much, much simpler to buy a 230V hair dryer in this example, than to buy a heavy expensive transformer that you'd have to lug around. But again, that's just one example, it totally depends on the specifics.
posted by Rhomboid at 5:12 PM on October 11, 2024 [7 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks everybody.
The goal is not to travel with a hairdryer, but I still have to make some inquiries about that. Primarily, I just need to worry about my laptop and cell phone.
posted by sardonyx at 8:14 PM on October 11, 2024
The goal is not to travel with a hairdryer, but I still have to make some inquiries about that. Primarily, I just need to worry about my laptop and cell phone.
posted by sardonyx at 8:14 PM on October 11, 2024
Laptop and cellphone are probably fine, for a probability of like 99%. Manufacturers save by making the charger innards universal and also assume people will travel.
I had a decent travel hairdryer with dual voltage until I blew it by not flipping the voltage switch the right way when coming back to 230V land. It was plugged in and turned on for maybe 10 seconds and that was enough to partially melt the casing. As long as you're careful about actually flipping that switch, dual voltage hairdryers and straighteners work fine - Babyliss makes them, for one.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 10:04 PM on October 11, 2024 [1 favorite]
I had a decent travel hairdryer with dual voltage until I blew it by not flipping the voltage switch the right way when coming back to 230V land. It was plugged in and turned on for maybe 10 seconds and that was enough to partially melt the casing. As long as you're careful about actually flipping that switch, dual voltage hairdryers and straighteners work fine - Babyliss makes them, for one.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 10:04 PM on October 11, 2024 [1 favorite]
I had a adapter/converter, but converters can generally only run for a short period of time,
You missed the words "cheap, simple" in that sentence. Those play a bit fast and loose with AC 'conversion' like only using half of the AC waveform with optionally shaving off the rough edges, which generally heats them up. Which they *may* have protection against. Or they're underspec-ed autotransformers.
A proper voltage converter for a device drawing several hundred watts or more, like a hairdryer, has a substantial weight. You don't want that in your travel luggage so the advice to get a 230V model locally is sound. For smaller stuff that's 110V AC only which you definitely need to take along for some reason, a sufficiently specified transformer could be around 1lb.
posted by Stoneshop at 11:32 PM on October 11, 2024 [1 favorite]
You missed the words "cheap, simple" in that sentence. Those play a bit fast and loose with AC 'conversion' like only using half of the AC waveform with optionally shaving off the rough edges, which generally heats them up. Which they *may* have protection against. Or they're underspec-ed autotransformers.
A proper voltage converter for a device drawing several hundred watts or more, like a hairdryer, has a substantial weight. You don't want that in your travel luggage so the advice to get a 230V model locally is sound. For smaller stuff that's 110V AC only which you definitely need to take along for some reason, a sufficiently specified transformer could be around 1lb.
posted by Stoneshop at 11:32 PM on October 11, 2024 [1 favorite]
I don't know anything about electricity, but that converter makes your US hair dryer have barely any power/heat
Au contraire. Feeding 230V AC to a 110V AC hairdryer will double the current through the it (Ohm's law), and quadruple the power (voltage times current). Best case something inside will just go *pop*, worst case the dryer, your hair and your hand will be on fire, with a serious chance of an electric shock.
posted by Stoneshop at 11:37 PM on October 11, 2024 [1 favorite]
Au contraire. Feeding 230V AC to a 110V AC hairdryer will double the current through the it (Ohm's law), and quadruple the power (voltage times current). Best case something inside will just go *pop*, worst case the dryer, your hair and your hand will be on fire, with a serious chance of an electric shock.
posted by Stoneshop at 11:37 PM on October 11, 2024 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Primarily, I just need to worry about my laptop and cell phone.
Just look at the (sometimes very small) print on their adapters. You'll very likely see something like "Input voltage" somewhere in between all the certification marks, part and patent numbers. If it says "100-240V AC" they're OK to plug in in France, and you only need a socket adapter. In case your laptop power supply has a pluggable power cord instead of a lump that sits directly on the wall socket, I would suggest to get a French power cord that has the other end matching the input on the power supply.
posted by Stoneshop at 11:54 PM on October 11, 2024 [1 favorite]
Just look at the (sometimes very small) print on their adapters. You'll very likely see something like "Input voltage" somewhere in between all the certification marks, part and patent numbers. If it says "100-240V AC" they're OK to plug in in France, and you only need a socket adapter. In case your laptop power supply has a pluggable power cord instead of a lump that sits directly on the wall socket, I would suggest to get a French power cord that has the other end matching the input on the power supply.
posted by Stoneshop at 11:54 PM on October 11, 2024 [1 favorite]
Be careful with these types of adapters - some are quite dodgy and can pose a safety risk.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 8:45 AM on October 12, 2024
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 8:45 AM on October 12, 2024
I got a couple of these things, on the advice of a former colleague, and they've been great, if you're looking for something that's a little safer!
posted by limeonaire at 9:44 AM on October 12, 2024
posted by limeonaire at 9:44 AM on October 12, 2024
Multiple trips to France in my recent history. You will have no problems.
Since you're asking about phone and laptop, it's a near certainty that they'll work on European outlets, and all you have to deal with is the shape of the plugs. The adapter should be fine.
On preview, the set that limeonaire just posted looks really nice.
posted by gimonca at 9:56 AM on October 12, 2024
Since you're asking about phone and laptop, it's a near certainty that they'll work on European outlets, and all you have to deal with is the shape of the plugs. The adapter should be fine.
On preview, the set that limeonaire just posted looks really nice.
posted by gimonca at 9:56 AM on October 12, 2024
If you have a USB charging cable for the phone, just plugging it into the adapter will work just fine.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 11:59 AM on October 12, 2024
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 11:59 AM on October 12, 2024
Those all-in-one adapters are often awkward to use. Consider getting an adapter / USB charger like this one. That way you can charge your phone and maybe your laptop directly off the USB ports and still have a US style plug. The model I linked works most everywhere in Europe. They also make several universal adapters with USB charging.
BTW in Europe the ungrounded Type C connector works pretty much everywhere with its two prongs. But the story with grounded plugs is more complicated and varies by country. Personally I avoid buying grounded adapters for travel.
posted by Nelson at 9:57 AM on October 14, 2024
BTW in Europe the ungrounded Type C connector works pretty much everywhere with its two prongs. But the story with grounded plugs is more complicated and varies by country. Personally I avoid buying grounded adapters for travel.
posted by Nelson at 9:57 AM on October 14, 2024
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Hairdryer and straighteners? Almost certainly not.
posted by ambrosen at 4:02 PM on October 11, 2024 [4 favorites]