Power Converter Requirements - still uncertain on flatiron/curling iron

No, no, no There has to be a name plate or something to indicate the input requirements. If you cannot find one, then you have to assume it does NOT accept 220. The other problem you have is that appliances that draw a lot of wattage like hair dryers do not work well converters anyway AND the converter has to be matched to the wattage. Generally the breaking line is 50 watts or less for small converters and and over 50 for the bigger converters.

Also, I would be careful with assuming 105C is centigrade. That is 221 F -- more than boiling water. That seems very hot to me but no experience with curling irons.

I would not bring my Chi to Europe. They are too expensive to replace. Although I'm almost positive that they all have dual voltage, it's NOT worth destroying such an expensive appliance. You would not need a converter, just an adaptor if you choose to use it. From reading other posts on here, I've heard more than one story about Chi's burning up over there despite the dual voltage. I was lucky to find an Italian flat iron on Ebay for $40 and that is what I will use from now on when I go to Europe. (I will see how well it works when I leave next week...) My other (Conair) flat iron did not get hot enough to work all that well when I traveled last time.
Yes, Frank, they get that hot. That's how they work so well. Chi is a top of the line brand.

pmv,

Based on your description, the numbers you found on the Cord are the temperature and voltage ratings for the cord itself, NOT the device.

I'm not familiar with Chi flat iron / curling iron devices, but I suspect this will be rated for use on 115 VAC ONLY. The device MUST have a nameplate on it somewhere, as that's required for U.L. certification.

It would seem that you have three choices:

• Pack along the Chi Curling Iron along with a Voltage Converter like This One.

• Buy a similar product when you arrive in Europe, which will be designed to operate on 220 VAC.

• Buy a "travel" hair appliance such as This One.

Good luck and happy travels!

thx all for the info...very helpful. my items will stay home. i did find dual voltage flat irons and curling irons on magellans.com so may opt for one of those.

on a rick steve's best of europe tour, does anyone know if most of the smaller hotels have blow dryers? i was assuming not, but wanted to double-check. wd like to take as few extras as possible. thanks again!

Recently found that nearly everyone has hair dryers. If they are not available in the room you can borrow one from the owner. My wife stopped carrying a hair dryer several years ago.

I took my flat iron that I purchased at Target for $20 to Italy in May, it worked great. Don't feel like you have to spend $50 or more for a "travel iron" You do not.
Buy a less expensive one at Target for travel. Check the package to make sure it's dual voltage (mine is)

The one I purchased has a temp. setting, starting at a low of 300. I noticed that when I plugged my iron into the adapter and into the wall, I could hear a "clicking" noise, but that didn't affect the iron at all. When I got home, I've continued to use this same iron, it was unaffected by plugging it into outlets in Italy.

Do leave you Chi at home, but don't shop at Magellans and spend big bucks go to your local Target and find one that will become your travel iron for future trips.

pmv,

Based on my observations, you'll probably find Hair Dryers in most of the Hotels you use on a RS tour. If there isn't a Hair Dryer mounted on the bathroom wall, ask at the front desk, as they may issue them "on demand". The wall mounted Dryers that I've encountered in various places in Europe have all worked well!

Generally speaking, Rick's tours have been using more "upscale" lodgings lately, but these can vary slightly depending on the particular circumstances at the time. For example, the Hotels that are used on your Best of Europe tour may be slightly different than those of the preceding or following BOE tours. It depends on the dates and availability of rooms. There may be one or two Hotels on the tour that are true Rick Steves Classics with somewhat spartan facilities. IMO, that's part of the fun!

Happy travels!

thx all again for the helpful info! ellen ~ i actually was at target today and found what i think will work great...conair ceramic dual voltage curling iron with a nice big 1.5" barrell for $16! since i typically use both flat iron and curling iron at home, i'd opt for the curling iron while on my trips. not lkg for perfection, but with thick longer curly hair, i need to at least be presentable each day and keep the frizz to a minimim if possible:) the blow dryer will stay home. appreciate all your input.

For future reference on hair styling tools & chargers:
I found out that with converters and adapters, the numbers to look for are 1) volts and 2) wattage. Most chargers can convert themselves between 110 and 220, but check to make sure. Hair styling tools, even with dual voltage, often have high wattage and can't be used with a regular adapter or just any converter. You need a specific converter or adapter built to handle high wattage. Best is to check with a reliable travel outfitter and ask someone who has experience, or do copious research online.

If you're really serious about hair styling (enough to bring your devices with you), many of the "travel" dual voltage tools don't get hot enough to do what you want them to do. Check temps of your favorite tool and see if its comparable. Best to ask for advice on power conversion, and try out any new tools at home first.

Also, one of the tips I read was to bring a power strip so one could charge several devices at once using one adapter. Don't do this - U.S. power strips are different than European ones, and the adapter may not be able to handle any power surges.

Sorry ... to clarify the power strip remark I made earlier. Don't just bring a power strip from home (as one of my friends did and blew out all of his chargers on Day One of his trip), but check to make sure it can be used with an adapter or get one specifically for travel use.

How come all these responses are in italics. That's so weird....

Amy, your question: "How come all these responses are in italics. That's so weird."

That was caused by your incorrect use of HTML italics formatting in your Aug 25 1:03PM post. You intended to format the word "that" in italics, in your line that says: "Yes, Frank, they get that hot." But you left out the slash in the italics end code, then put two italics end codes after the last word, brand.

Your coding error caused a disruption of the page layout of every post posted before yours in Classic View, which was a significant problem on Aug 25. Now that your post has dropped off page 1 of Classic View, the spillover error is only noticeable on the topic thread itself and on page 2 of Classic View.

I can see the error but only you or the Webmaster can edit your post to fix it. The quickest fix is for you to go to your Aug 25 post, and either:1) Delete the entire post, or2) click Edit and either correct the italics formatting or remove all attempted italics formatting.

Most internet forums are programmed to prevent users from using HTML codes, but unfortunately the Helpline is vulnerable to user formatting errors.

Only a few users of this forum use HTML coding. The ones who do, need to be aware of this problem and check their post in Classic View or in the topic thread, realize what's happened if they get a code wrong, and take the 10 seconds to fix the problem themselves.

Yup...like others said leave at home. I took my "cheapie" $50 flat iron and it fizzled out in 6 days. I stayed in budget hotels and hostels and they had hairdryers available but you had to request it from front desk.

So sorry to have created so much bedlam. It's fixed. Hope I never make such a grave mistake again!

Amy: Thank you for fixing your formatting error!

Use of HTML formatting codes is not encouraged here but has not yet been banned. For the few people using HTML formatting in posts, if you don't get the codes exactly right for italics (boldface, etc)--it's essential that after you post something in which you've used formatting, that you immediately go into Classic View and check to make sure that all posts below yours appear normal, that is, have not been affected by any formatting error that might be in your post.

Example: If you tried to use italics in your post, but didn't get the codes right, in Classic View you'll see that your error causes a spillover effect in which the posts below (that is, prior to) yours are converted into all italics or all boldface.

If you see that kind of page disruption, you'll know you have to go back to your post, click Edit, find and correct the error.

If you don't, the Webmaster will have to fix it, and if he has to do this very often, he's probably going to ban the use of any HTML formatting on this forum.