Before heading off to the sights, smells and tastes of foreign lands, having a well-ticked packing checklist is a smart move all-round. With our reliance on charged devices well and truly here to stay, a suitable travel adapter should be right at the top of your travel essentials.
We've ranked the top 10 best travel adapters for UK travellers and holidaymakers journeying to Europe, the USA, Asia, Australia and more! With USB charging adapters, universal plugs and international voltage converters available on Amazon, Argos, Tesco, and John Lewis. After reading this article, you can safely use your electronics wherever you are in the world!
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A trusty travel adapter is an essential, venturing item. Through charging phones, laptops, tablets and other devices, they can be rightfully seen as the lifeblood that keeps the show on the road when travelling abroad. In this buying guide, we share our advice on how to choose the right one for your next journey.
The compatibility of your soon-to-be travel adapter is its most important feature. By learning the different types of adapters out there and the type of plug you need for the country you're visiting, you'll be in a pretty position to snap up a suitable adapter, quick smart!
Unfortunately for travellers, socket types around the world vary tremendously depending on the country and region they are in. This makes knowing the correct plug type you'll need before getting to a new place crucial knowledge.
There are 15 officially recorded plug types worldwide, including types A, B, C, D all the way up to O. Luckily though, it's not actually as confusing as it sounds and many plugs are interchangeable between one another. For instance A and B types are both compatible with North America, Central America, Japan, Venezuela and the Caribbean.
The most readily used and popular adapters for travellers from the UK are type C for Europe and South America, along with type I for Australasia and China in addition to types A and B. Just like Ireland and Hong Kong, here in the UK, we run type G, meaning your adapter needs to have the three pronged G plug for devices going in.
In these modern charging times, USB ports can be considered just as important, if not more important, than plugs. With almost every portable device requiring a USB charger, or being USB compatible at the very least, look for travel adapters that provide up to 4 individual USB ports.
Over the last few years, USB-C ports have grown in popularity, with the latest smartphones, laptops and tablets including them for their dual charging potential. However, USB-A ports are the recognised USB type that most charging cables come equipped with as a standard, meaning this is what travel adapters are more likely to have.
People who enjoy simplifying their lives with as few items, or as little confusion, as possible should prick their ears for this one. Universal, worldwide or international adapters as they're also known, create a certain assurance that no matter where you are in the world, you'll be charged.
These travel adapters typically benefit from internal sliding prongs that are ready to protrude when called upon. Interchangeable clip on plugs are another popular universal adapter type, which can be particularly useful when visiting places with obscure plugs like South Africa, Switzerland and Italy, just make sure to check what's included before you buy!
A downside to universal adapters is they're typically quite a bit larger than region specific adapters. Due to their all encompassing prong designs they are also more prone to breaking with small parts that can snap or break.
Voltage is the measured pressure from an electrical power source that pushes an electrical current along a conducting loop. In a similar fashion to plug types, different countries have varying degrees of voltage coming from their sockets.
Many countries have a low voltage of between 100V - 127V. However, high 220V, 230V or 240V voltage sockets are the go to standard in Europe, Asia, Australia and in the UK. Travel adapters can be compatible with both low and high voltage sockets, but be sure to check for safety and to avoid damaging your devices.
With a multitude of electronics on hand, we all enjoy knowing that next to our bed, waiting patiently, is our own dedicated charger. A multi-pack is a great way of stemming off any potential in-family bickering while on holiday when the entire family's devices are simultaneously reaching the red zone.
These days you can find multi-packs for region and country specific sockets, with both USB port types as well as ones for UK plugs. Look for multi-packs that offer between two and five travel adapters to quench your families insatiable thirst for charge.
£25.99
iBlock Cube's universal adapter will cater to all your charging needs while overseas. With retracting plug types C, I, A B and G at the ready, you'll be smugly confident that no matter where you are in the world, you can rely on your charging cube's compatibility!
This is also the only adapter to include two USB-C ports in addition to three USB-A ports for a forward-thinking touch. It even comes with a dedicated carry case to prolong its life and keep it out of harms way when not in use. Bring this adapter wherever you're heading to eliminate any possibility of being stranded in foreign lands without charge.
£24.99
Go Travel's universal adapter has flipped the old-fashioned charging trends by giving you four USB-A charging ports. This uncompromising USB focus in design ensures the families phones and tablets won't be left for dead.
Featuring clip on plugs G, I, C, and with an integrated plug A, this adapter will be compatible with over 100 countries and territories, with a voltage range of 110 - 240V to accommodate both low and high voltage countries. This is an extremely well-made travel adapter, for which the price reflects.
£20.99
This universal charger is suitable for use in over 200 countries, securing is a place near the top of the list! With retracting plug types G, I, C, B and A, this adapter will have your back on your country-hopping travels.
Not only is it extremely versatile but it's also packing four USB-A ports, and a sneaky USB-C port too. This is a great addition to account for the ever-growing amount of modern devices that run on USB-C chargers.
£13.99
Lencent have created a universal adapter for the charging needs of today, with a four USB-A port design. This makes it the perfect adapter for an entire family's phone charging needs.
You can clip on and off C, I, A and G plug types, making this universal adapter compatible with over 150 countries. All country voltage levels have been considered too, resulting in a great addition to any family holiday!
£7.99
Let's face it, most of us like spending our holiday tokens in the warm and vibrant countries of Europe. That's why this C plug adapter cuts straight to the charging chase, giving the British people exactly what they need.
This single travel adapter features a pair of UK plugs, alongside two USB-A ports so you can charge four devices all at once. With just the one output, this is a clever double act of the slimmest kind that's rated for 110 - 250V.
£12.99
Within the universal adapter game, it doesn't get much cheaper than this offering from Lysleda! Adapting its plug type for over 150 countries from Europe, to the Americas, Asia, Australia and Japan, this is a force to be reckoned with.
Two USB-A ports have also been built into the construction, to give you a good amount of charge for multiple devices at once. Rated for both low and high voltage countries, pick this one for a sure-fire trip of a lifetime.
£9.99
Here is the perfect compact charging companion to sweep you off your feet . With just two USB-A ports, these adapters have an incredibly sleek design that strips it back to the bare, modern day essentials.
This makes it ideal to bring along on European city breaks when you need your phone charged, and not much else. Of course, if you require standard UK plug charging for a laptop or hairdryer, then you may want to consider it as an addition to a plug socket adapter.
£7.99
Master Plug have upped the multi-pack ante to bring you and your family not one, not two, but three individual travel adapters for the one low price. Each are plug type B, making them ready to use in all of North and Central America, Canada, Japan and the Caribbean.
This scope certainly covers a large amount of popular UK holiday destinations, making them a versatile choice. Equip the family with one or two of these packs for a truly charged kind of holiday that's set to be remembered with the camera's batteries full.
£6.99
Keeping with the 'light and simple is best' approach, Invero have a great deal running on two travel adapters suitable for Australia, China, Singapore and Argentina.
Rated for 250V of unrestrained power, this is a desirable two pack that'll take up next to no space on your next big trip abroad. A popular offering that's cheap and, by all reports, very well made too!
£3.00
Safe and Sound have got your back when heading across the channel with this plug type C travel adapter. Also known as the Euro-plug, this plug features two round pins that are compatible with most countries in Europe along with South America and Morocco.
The voltage range hasn't been stated, but you could bet your flight tickets on it being suited to Europe's 230V sockets, giving you a fast charge every time your devices call for it. A very simple travel adapter to keep packing light and easy!
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