Traveling With Dual Voltage Appliances
January 22, 2010 by Travel Guide Greg
Filed under Travel Guides
Dual voltage appliances are great for travel because all you need is the correct adaptor plug (or plugs) for the country that you are going to visit.
So just exactly what does “dual voltage” mean?
They are appliances that are designed to operate on voltage anywhere between 110 and 240 volts without damage. They can be used almost any where in the world, and the beauty of it is they eliminate the need for voltage converters or transformers. Dual voltage appliances should be clearly marked as such at the power connection point.
Some accommodate automatically… my spouse’s curling iron does. On other appliances you may need to flip a switch, I need to change the setting on my electric razor. You might want to change that setting as you pack so you don’t forget to change it once you arrive.
If your shaver or curling iron isn’t dual voltage, you’ll probably need a voltage transformer or converter so it will work. And so you won’t burn it up or worse… like blow a fuse in your Bed and Breakfast or something.
Here’s a little story… My spouse’s old curling iron was not dual voltage. She used to plug it in and unplug it in short intervals as she used it. That wasn’t optimal, but it worked. When we were traveling with a friend in France, I told her about the scheme. She tried it too… only she didn’t unplug her curling iron as soon as she should have…
She didn’t burn up her curling iron, but you should have seen how she fried her hair…. and it was in the FRONT!!!! It took her weeks to grow it out. The good news is we’re still good friends, and the moral to that story is get an appliance with dual voltage or use a voltage converter!
How do you know if your appliance is dual voltage? Look on the box when you buy it, or on the appliance. Somewhere on that electronic gizmo, it tells you what the electrical input requirements are…. Look on the back, or the bottom, or the handle. If it says something like 110/240 volts, the appliance is dual voltage. You won’t need that transformer/converter but you may still need an adaptor.
Most modern electronic equipment like laptops are multi-voltage, meaning they will operate on voltages ranging from 110-240 volts. So you will be OK with just an adaptor… You can go ahead and charge your computer, cameras, and camera batteries and even your MP3 player.
Look for dual voltage appliances when you’re preparing for your trip. That way you won’t have to buy and pack a converter or transformer…. just pack your adaptors and you’ll be ready electronically anywhere in the world.
