8 Best Travel Adapters (2026): My Top Recommendations

Published 2 July 2026 · europe

Travel Adapter Comparison Table Travel Adapters: Your Questions, Answered What Type of Adapter Do You Need? AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron There are 15 plug types in use

Travel Adapter Comparison Table Travel Adapters: Your Questions, Answered What Type of Adapter Do You Need? AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron There are 15 plug types in use across the world. Universal adapters tend to cover all of these types. Type A and Type B are used in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Japan. and are used in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Japan. Type C is common across Europe, South America, and Asia. is common across Europe, South America, and Asia. Type E and Type F are found across Europe in places like Germany, Russia, and France. are found across Europe in places like Germany, Russia, and France. Type G is used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and a handful of other places. is used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and a handful of other places. Type I is used in Australia, New Zealand, China, and Argentina. Some countries are not usually covered by universal adapters, such as India (Type D), Israel (Type H), and South Africa (Type M or N). You'll need to buy specific plug adapters for those places. To avoid any surprises when you land, double-check what type you need before you travel. If you're visiting just one destination, a basic plug adapter that caters to one plug type is all you need. For trips to multiple destinations or for frequent flyers, a universal travel adapter can prove more versatile. The universal adapters I recommend here have the bonus of including multiple USB ports for charging several mobile devices from a single outlet. Do You Really Need a Voltage Converter? AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron Photograph: Simon Hill Voltage converters are big, heavy, and expensive, and they don’t always work, so it’s probably best to avoid them. The reason you might think you need one is that the AC sockets on all of our recommended travel adapters do not convert the voltage coming from the socket. This means plugging into a UK socket will deliver 220 volts at 50 hertz, which is very different from the 120 volts at 60 hertz you can expect in the US. Don't worry! Your gear won't get fried. You just need to make sure anything you plug into one of these universal travel adapters has something like this printed on it: Input: 100–220V 50/60Hz That should include most modern gadgets. If your device or charger can’t handle a variable voltage, it’s probably best to leave it at home. Most places provide hair dryers, irons, and kettles, so there’s no need to take them with you. It's also often cheaper to buy a set with the correct plug at your destination and save the luggage space and hassle. If you are determined to try a voltage converter (again, I don’t recommend doing so), the Ceptics 2,000-watt Travel Voltage Converter ($70) seems to work well. It has a special 2,000-watt outlet for hair dryers, but only ones that work via a mechanical switch (anything with an electronic circuit board for automatic switch-off or temperature control won’t work and is at risk of being fried if plugged in). It also has two outlets that go up to 200 watts, one USB-C port, and three USB-A ports, though the ports do not support fast charging. What About Wattage? AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron Travel adapters and chargers usually state the wattage they can deliver for USB-C and USB-A ports, retractable cables, and wireless charging.