Watts, voltage, hairdryers, oh my!

Wattage is the same regardless of voltage.

Wattage = Amperage x Voltage. As the voltage is different in Europe versus North America, the amperage being used is different in order to maintain the same amount of wattage.

To maintain the same power (wattage), as the voltage goes up in Europe, the current (amperage) goes down. Thank Tesla for this marvel. FYI: The reason is basically that it's more efficient to transmit power at a lower current, but it's slightly more dangerous to be eletrocuted with 220 V.

Most hotels in Europe are now equipped with hairdryers. We have a very compact hairdryer that runs on either 110 or 220, but you need applicator plugs to use the outlets in Europe, as with any electronic device.

Consider not bringing one! If you are staying in B&B's or hotels like we did, they all had hair dryers in the rooms. I bought the special hairdryer for international travel and the outlet plug and to say the least it burned up plus set off all the smoke alarms in my cousin's flat!

If you are planning to stay in hostels that is where you might run into issues of not finding one.

Good Luck!

Thanks everyone for the explanation. The reason I ask is I will be buying a European hairdryer. I want to make sure that I buy one with proper wattage. I do not rely on hairdryers provided by hotels/B&B's because I'm a hair snob and need a very good one. ;) I cannot do my hair right if it's a wimpy 1000 watt hairdryer. Not to mention it would take me forever to dry my hair! We make trips to Europe every two years and I just want a decent one to take with me. I have a dual voltage one already, but it's just mediocre.

Its a great idea to buy a European dryer. Try to get one labeled for travel!
I bought one at Boots for only 7 pounds in London because the low output of the adapted dual voltage one I brought just didnt cut it for me. Im glad I bought the UK one. It is a travel one which came with a 2 pin plug adaptor for the rest of Europe and an adaptor for America so I can also use it at home if my home one suddenly died. Had the 3 pronged UK cord on it of course.

I already used it on my second trip to the UK and will bring it along later this year so im definatley getting use out of it!!

Just an FYI to any women planning to use dryers in the UK: If it is a new hotel room or newly renovated room, the outlet will not be IN the bathroom. Its the law there that they cant have any outlets in the loo for safetys sake. I dont know about older places, if they make them retrofit new ones outside the loo. Just make sure to bring a good makeup mirror in case you dont have one in the room on the wall!

Tami, that's GREAT advice. I wonder if I could find a decent size mirror that's light and cheap....

Amy, last time I actually brought along one of those pink Mary Kay Makeup mirrors that you can set up like a vanity but comes apart and folds flat (not sure if you know what im talking about)but im sure most places like Walmart and Target might have a stand up travel mirror as well. It was so hard the first time i wasnt prepared and was doing my hair in a tiny Cover Girl powder compact mirror and it really sucked not being able to be in the bathroom doing it. Felt all wrong!!! Not that it mattered because London is so foggy and humid like that my hair was a frizzy rats nest 2 hours later, but I still try to start out looking good!!!

Tami makes a good point about no power outlets in the bathrooms, fact is there will never be a power outlet in a bathroom or toilet, its the law wether the property has been renovated or not.
Electricity and water don't mix!

Hi Amy..while in Rome recently..found out that the hairdryer supplied by the aptmt. owner would NOT work
w/o the adaptor we brought. The Paris aptmt. hairdryer worked fine w/o an adaptor..probably because it was manufactured in Switzerland.

There's one point I think no one has mentioned. If you bring a dryer from the U.S., it has to have be the dual voltage kind. If you plug in your 120 voltage dryer in Europe, it will quickly burn out. I lived in London in 1994/5, and I think I was able to use my dryer with the 2 pin european adaptor in the bathroom outlet intended for electric shavers. (Can't remember for sure) BTW, I have to say that I think the Brits are a bit silly about electricity in bathrooms. How many cases of electrocution by hairdryer have occurred in the rest of the world? But, as visitors, we just have to adapt.

Yes, I realized that. I've been to Europe many times and usually use a dual voltage but am considering buying one made for Europe.

Enjoy your European hairdryer, Amy! My friends and I have melted curling irons, and blown out hotel fuses even when we used converters and adaptors w/ travel hair dryers. It's just easier to buy the European models if you travel there regularly.

Tami,

"If it is a new hotel room or newly renovated room, the outlet will not be IN the bathroom". Its the law there that they cant have any outlets in the loo for safetys sake. I dont know about older places

We have the same concerns about electrocution hazards here, and that's the reason GFCI's are mandated by the electrical code for bathrooms, etc. It seems a bit odd that the U.K. and other parts of Europe wouldn't use the same approach?

Amy,

As you're a self-described "hair snob", buying a Dryer in Europe is a good idea as you'll be able to get one that suits your preferences. If you purchase one in the U.K., it will of course be equipped with the large 3-prong plug, so you may need Adapters for continental Europe. I've seen some appliances in Europe that are supplied with a kit of Plug Adaptors, but something to think about when you're making the purchase.

Cheers!

Thanks Ken and Kerri! Fortunately, even if I choose to use the travel hairdryer that I have (that's dual voltage), I know it works. (And it probably won't blow out since I used it in Europe for 3 weeks already.) I guess my quandry is, if I don't buy one before I go, I'll be bringing my current hairdryer, and if I buy one there, I'll have two hairdryers to carry in my luggage. (I don't want to be rushed into finding a hairdryer the day we arrive in Europe.) I'm finding it difficult to find one designed for Europe via Ebay because most of the ones on the American Ebay are cheap-o ones from Asia, and if I look on UK or Irish Ebay, not all the sellers ship internationally, so it takes a long time to go through each auction to find out... And UK Amazon doesn't ship internationally. I lucked out and found a girl selling an Italian flat iron on American Ebay who had blown her American one out and was forced to buy one while there. All these people on this site are telling me how they blew out hairdryers, but I'm wondering if any of them will sell me the one that they had to buy to replace it! :)

I still say the best bet is to buy a dual voltage travel dryer in Europe. You'll get adaptor plugs with it, meaning you can also use it in America in a pinch if your home one burns out.

I am so glad I got mine in London because I have already been there twice and will use it again in November. Best 7 GBP I spent there.

One more reason I am glad I got mine in the UK is because if I use my US dryer over there, it can only work on LOW on the 240 volt switch. You will be able to use full power.

Tami, I am so glad you reminded me of that. I forgot about having to use the dryer on low! Now that you tell me that I am definitely buying one over there. I'll keep looking on Ebay or Amazon for one, otherwise I'll plan to run to a store in Dublin on our first day and grab one. Since I've never been to Ireland, can someone tell me what a Walmart-ish equivalent is there? I'm sure it will be easy to find a department store but need to know which one is best to find an inexpensive hairdryer....

They sell them in the drugstores. Its not fancy, no Ion thingy, but it works. Besides London is so damp that my hair ends up frizzy anyhow, no amount of Ion whatever will help that!!!

The UK does have Walmart. Its called ASDA. Walmart bought Asda years ago. Any drugstore will work. Or try Primark. They have cheap stuff - like a Target. They are in England and Ireland.

Primark don't sell electronics (at least not in the UK, not sure about RoI.) I'm pretty certain that ASDA don't have any stores in the Republic although they have a few in NI.

Tesco is a good bet for somewhere Walmart-ish and they have locations in Ireland too.

Thanks for the info. I remember Tesco from Germany. But I was thinking that they were strictly a grocery store, so that's good to know... I know what you mean about the humidity, Tami. When we were in Germany, I had a crappy flat iron, but there were times that it was so humid, that it didn't matter what I did. But maybe this time with better hair appliances, it will work out a bit better... God, I feel so vain spending so much time on here over my hair! But I guess I hate looking at pictures after my trip and my hair looking stupid!

In the past few summers we have actually had a hair dryer in most of our accommodations, but since I really wanted one just in case, I actually bought a cheap one in Europe in a department store and it works everywhere with no worrie. I did need to buy a set of plugs as they vary in some countries.

Amy, I am the same way. I like to at least look as good as I can in my vacation pics. I dont want to look at myself bedraggled and frazzled when im boring people with my vacation photos. I want them to at least think "oh god, shes in London again, but gee her hair does look nice..."..

Use alot of Serum to keep the frizzies away. And Peter mentioned that Primark doesnt sell appliances, but they do sell cute clothes for really cheap. Walmart prices.

LOL, Tami!