Need to Verify - Electrical Question

I'd suggest buying one over there. I just looked at the "Boots the Chemist" website (they are a 'drugstore' that you see EVERYWHERE in the UK). They have one blowdryer listed for a little at 8 GBP! That one was the house brand, but they also carry brand names you will recognize. I'm certain you can find what you need there, and not have to worry about either burning out your appliance or blowing the fuse (or worse) at your accomodations.

Thank you all so much for the helpful answers! I really am attached to this tool and believe the best thing to do is find one on European voltage and just save it to use when I travel. I will check out the website suggested! I am hoping to just order one on-line though as I don't really want to take time out from vacation to shop for something like this although maybe that will be my only option. For some reason this tool, a 1" Hot Air Brush, is very difficult to find. Thanks again, love this helpline!!!

You're correct, with that appliance you'll need a converter plus adapter. You can find several travel converter/adapters to choose from on Amazon.com. Alternatively, you could buy a dual voltage blow dryer and/or curling iron. If you did that, you'd only need plug adapters.

You are correct but didn't go far enough. The voltage converter MUST handle at least 250 watts. Most converters are designed for low wattage conversion - 50 watts or less. Your will need a heavy and expensive high voltage converter. And then your hair dryer probably will not perform at the current level and, it is possible, that over time your hair dryer will be damaged. For that reason most do not recommend using a converter but either buy a dual voltage or buy one in Europe.

Is this a combo appliance (a hair-drying curling iron) that you're really attached to? Otherwise, I'd get a new dual-voltage one(s). They don't need to be expensive. Look at sites like Magellans; buy at Amazon.com, Target, WalMart, Ulta, etc. Personally, I avoid the higher wattages, too, in hair dryers. 1875w may tax a precarious electrical system :-( Others will say they've had no problems with their dryers, but that's a consideration you may want to take. Heck, 1875w wreaks havoc on many American wiring systems!

I would suggest that once you arrive in Ireland/England that you buy the gadget you need. Price on that type of stuff is low. Wife bought many devices and has used them for a number of years. many stores have them. Also consider an extension cord. They never have outlets by the place you need it.

I just checked the Boots site for a "hot air brush" They have several. The link below is for a Remington one that costs about 18 GBP. You will have NO PROBLEMS finding a Boots in London. There are several at Gatwick and Heathrow. At least 2 (or 3?) in Victoria Station, and pretty much one on every other corner. Hubby and I love their products. http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/EndecaSearchListerView?storeId=10052&searchTerm=10109736.P&ta=1&typeAhead=true&langId=-1&catalogId=10551#container

Hi Toni, I found the exact air brush I need on the boots website but after registering, found out they will not ship this product to the U.S. Also tried Amazon.UK and they also will not ship it to U.S. We are going to Ireland first, then on to London. Are these stores also in Dublin? Guess I can look that up on the web. If so, I can just make time to buy one when we get there. So odd that I can't get a European voltage appliance mailed to a US address - not sure what's up with that! Thanks again, really appreciate the help! :0)
Happy Travels!!

There is at least one in Dublin Airport- but the site said it was "airside" so you might not be able to access it. There were at least 4 (maybe more ) listed in Dublin itself- so you should not have a problem.

I have ordered from both Boots (for a London arrival) and from Amazon.fr (for a Menton arrival) and had items ordered and timed for delivery to my hotel/B&B a few days ahead of my arrival. I addressed it to "SURNAME, JUNE15" hotel address I e-mailed each to give them a heads up that a package would be arriving for me. It worked like a charm both times and I was given my box when I checked in.

Jaye, did you try Amazon.com ( the USA site), too? There was a recent thread about European hair dryers; I was surprised at how many were available to American shoppers (NOT dual-voltage). Just be sure to tie a red ribbon around your European appliances when you return home!!! (It wouldn't be quite the disaster as the other way around, though...)

Love it!! I just returned from 3 weeks in Germany, etc. and my first purchase was a hot air curling brush!! Didn't take but a few minutes and they had plenty of options. I bought it at an appliance store: they carried everything from refrigerators to alarm clocks to curling irons, all in one small shop. I was in and out in under 10 min. So you might look for a shop like that. Even if you find a converter, it still might not work well. I've had that happeneither it's not hot enough or it just dies. I don't bother now. I either find a dual voltage appliance or buy it there. BTW, I love Diane's suggestion to order online and have something delivered to the first hotel. I never thought of that and imagine it could be useful for all sorts of things!

Diane, great idea, never would have thought of that! Eileen, yes, I did try to buy it on the US Amazon also, put the actual number in (Sassoon Tangle Free Airstyler VSHA6471UK) but when I did, it just gave me the same tool but with a different model number that does NOT say it is worldwide voltage like the UK one! Angela, thanks for sharing that info!! :0) I found a Boots store nearby our hotel in Dublin and will check out that first but if they don't have what I want, will look for an applicance type store as you recommended. I should have done this a long time ago!! Best to just buy the right voltage and use it for travel only!! Does anyone know WHY we can't order Euro voltage small appliances on-line? Seems really strange to me! Thanks again everyone - you are AWESOME!!!! :0)

A couple of thoughts... first, I find it hard to imagine a hair dryer with a wattage of only 250w. I would have expected a thousand more. Only 250 w would take all day, I would have thought. I don't know about curling irons. The other thoughts are that Boots don't have the greatest selektion or the keenest prices of all places. I don't know if Superdrug is in the town you will be looking in but that's where I'd go, if I hadn't found what I wanted in a supermarket like Tesco, Waitrose (John Lewis) or Sainsburys. I'd probably head to a decent sized Tesco and get whatever bits they had on offer. My wife got a really great dryer from Waitrose a couple of years ago (own brand) for well under a tenner (£10). Converters + high wattage appliances = likely trouble + (probable sparks, smoke, maybe a lick of flame, and possibly taking out the circuits at your hotel). BTW - most decent hotels and good B&Bs have dryers either in the room or at Reception.

Hey Nigel! I love reading your advice! This is not a high voltage as it's not truly either a dryer or a curling iron but a neat combo of both called a Hot Air Brush. My hair is actually mostly dry before I even use it - I tell ya, us women and our hair! :0) Thanks for the information on the other places to go and look though, really appreciate that - sounds like I won't have any problems finding what I need in one of the places mentioned. I definitely don't want to have electrical issues! Not sure why I didn't think to do this earlier but that's why I love this helpline, great ideas and advice - priceless! Can't wait to visit your lovely country for the first time soon!!! :0)

Nigel - you're telling us that you've never used a hot-air brush? ;-) They are actually curling irons, but with perforations in the barrel that blow hot air out. They're good for finishing the drying while styling. They aren't actually hair dryers. Hence the 250w. (Although I own a teeny-tiny folding dryer I bought eons ago that is 250-500w, dual-voltage - worked on my long, thick hair like a charm! Used it at home and for 8 weeks in South Korea and all over Europe. I wish I'd bought 20 more...) Ah, Jaye - searching for a particular model number is more challenging! There are some good reviews for the Conair products, BUT the exact VS model you're searching for is available from at least 2 sellers on eBay - for about US$30 and US$36, shipping included. About the same price as Amazon.com.uk. That particular model is not available at all (that I can find) on the US Amazon site. The one for sale on the UK Amazon site is the same dual-voltage one available on eBay. You'd have the opportunity to try it at home before you took it to Europe! There are lots of European voltage-only products on Amazon.com; just maybe not the particular brands you're looking for...!