Best USA Adapter

In the USA and Canada, the so-called NEMA plug is in use, which is the technical name of the socket standard. A NEMA plug is also used in Vietnam, China or Japan. In addition to the small two-pole plug, there is also a larger version with a third earth contact. An important difference between Germany and the North American region is the mains voltage. This is 230 volts in Germany and 125 volts in the USA. Due to this low voltage, European devices in the USA only work with half the power, while older devices often still have the option of manual changeover.Most end devices work without problems with all common mains voltages and a sticker on the device provides information about the possible operating voltages (about “110-240 volts”).If the voltages of the desired device are incompatible with the American mains voltage, travelers must use voltage converters. Converters offer a reliable conversion for short operating times up to two hours, for longer operating periods a transformer is used as an adapter. The decisive factor is the wattage of the end device.

The most important differences in the socket adapter are between the 2-pin plugs and the 3-pin plugs with the corresponding earth contact. Although socket adapters with only two contacts are narrower and usually cheaper, if there is no decisive argument against them, travellers should rather take socket adapters with earthing contact with them. Many suppliers also sell their socket adapters in compact sets, after all, most of today’s products at least include smartphones and tablets. Travellers with small children should also make sure that the socket adapter also has the appropriate child protection. Although flexible adapters are more expensive, they are not only suitable for the USA. With these systems, the contacts used in each case are simply extended with slide controllers. This is not only ideal for round trips and world trips, but also saves a lot of new purchases in the life of a frequent driver. But these world travel adapters also cost around 30,- Euro – single adapters are not so expensive even in a set

In addition to the use of an adapter, manufacturers such as Apple offer an additional option for charging end devices in the USA, Canada and many other countries. With a special Travel Kit the attachments are simply exchanged from the power supply unit to the socket. This is an elegant variant, in order to be able to use the accustomed technology with the accustomed comfort on site problem-free. If you are only on the road for a short time, you will find the much more versatile device in the universal adapter for the USA. However, the adapter does not always really have to fit the German plug, as smartphones, tablets and some laptops are loaded via USB. A USB charging port is therefore perfectly sufficient for short trips, especially if the hotel has hair dryers and the dry shaver is not a must.

Travelers should not think too late about a travel adapter, because while there are many possibilities and a large selection in Germany, buying locally is much more difficult. Often only the last-minute purchase remains at the airport and that is correspondingly expensive. But with the right adapter for the US standard NEMA in your luggage, your trip to America will be poorer in terms of one concern.