If you travel to Japan or the USA and come across type B wall plugs, the first few days you surely will be reminded of a scared emoji face. This third pin is used to connect to the grounding once plugged in. The differences between model A and B is that the type B plug comes with a third rounded pin and is somewhat longer than the flat ones. These are the plugs that you will find in the USA or Japan and you will need an adaptor to be able to transform the cable from your type C plug to this model with flat pins and wall slots. Usually one of the two pins in the plug is thicker than the other. If you leave Europe, the advice is to carry a universal adaptor just in case.īoth plug types A and B are characterised by their two parallel flat pins with a small hole. It is the best way to be prepared for when you see those weird pins or those wall plugs that often remind us of an emoji. One of the main advantages of plug type C is that, because of its simplicity in two pins, it is compatible with types E, F, and K with two holes and types J, K or N with three holes in the female.īefore taking a trip or if you plan to import an electrical appliance from another country, it is very important to know the types of plugs in the world. What is colloquially known as the male and female, an expression we use for most cable connections.

Type C consists of two round parallel pins while the wall plug has two holes where it is connected. This is the one used mainly in Spain and in most countries in Europe. The type of plug you know best is the type C or sometimes called 'Euro-plug'. We are going to review all plug models in the world. We can find everything from type A to type N plugs. Each of them receives a letter to name it.

The result is that nowadays there are 16 different types of plugs in the world. Therefore, each manufacturer initially selected a type of plug based on the most popular type of plug in the country where it was going to sell its electrical appliances. No one imagined that in a few years we would travel laden with mobile phones, cameras, hair dryers, headphones and whatever is to come. Therefore, it was only necessary for the plug to match the type of wall plug. At the time, however, it was impossible to predict that the world would change so much and that we would travel around the world laden with electrical appliances.Īlmost all electrical devices, whether lamps radios televisions or industrial machinery, were fixed. Looking back, the race to popularise the use of electricity began in the late 19th/early 20th century. The basic reason that not all countries use the same type of plug is due to non-globalised technological development and that no consensus has been reached to standardise them between manufacturers and countries. These are broad rules and to be safe and prepared you are better off understanding exactly which plug type is used in the region you are travelling to.Why don't all countries use the same plug? However, in Asia you will find that different plug types are used across different countries. A European plug will typically be type C, whereas a US plug type will typically be type A. Some plug types are used across wider regions. But to make sure, check on the adapter itself as this information will be marked there. However, you can get an adapter and travel converter combo unit, and in most instances adapters are capable of handling voltage between 100v and 240v. You may need a transformer that can convert the voltage safely to use on your laptop or phone, as well as an adapter if the plug type is different from the UK. Choosing what’s right for you depends on your needs.

There are USB travel adapters, voltage converters, differing plug types, wireless adapters, dual travel adapter/converters and even universal travel adapters.

When it comes to finding the right international travel plug adapter you can be spoilt for choice. Everything you need to know about your international travel plug adapter

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