Voltage converter

Probably not. Most electronics today are dual voltage. Check the tag on your items. You will however need a plug adaptor.

Thanks
I have the plug adapters
But just wasn’t sure about the voltage converter

mike,

Check the charger or power supply of each device you plan to take on the trip. Look for a small label (nameplate) somewhere on the device, and specifically for the words Input Voltage. If this states "Input 100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz", all you'll need are plug adapters specific to the countries you'll be visiting.

Note that the grounded (three pin) plug adapters for Italy won't work anywhere else. If any of your appliances has a grounded plug, it's a good idea to use the correct grounded plug adapter, in order to take advantage of the protection provided by the ground pin (it was put there for a reason).

As some hotel rooms may only have a limited number of outlets, if you have a number of USB items to charge, you could pack along a device LIKE THIS.

Device dependent. Computers and telephones. Probably - most likely - no need for voltage converter.

Electric toothbrush or water pick. Probably do need voltage converter.

Maddening issue in Italy is that there may be two different sizes of plugs. We had no problem in many hotels, but others had different plug in sockets. If you don’t have the right one, most hotels can help you with an Italy/Europe to Italy/Europe adapter and you can then add your European to US adapter.

That worked fine for us til the last hotel we stayed at, Day 26 of our trip. Then we had to find a local store to sell us a cheap adapter for Italy larger to Italy smaller (or vice versa, whatever).

The dang sockets look the same but when you try to use them, they work - or they’re just not the right size to push your plug into the outlet.

These things people buy for travel are not voltage converters. No conversion of voltage nor frequency occurs. They simply allow one to plug one's 110V American appliance into a 220V European plug. Keep that in mind, everyone.

Jphbucks

Not sure I understand or agree with your post. We take a device that is a “power converter” and provides “output voltage” of 110 to 120 with “input voltage” up to 240. This device weighs .7 lbs. (about 10 or 11 ounces). It is not a mere plug adapter.

Our device allows us to plug in as many as 3 items with a US style plug, and has a few USB ports in addition.

Fred, there are indeed devices (transformers) that can step voltage up or down. But very few travelers carry them, and they're not available in souvenir shops. They're fairly heavy and bulky, too.

My advice, If you have devices that are not dual voltage, leave them at home. Upgrade to a dual voltage device, or determine if you really need to bring it.

Some get confused about devices that charge via a USB port, the device itself is not "dual voltage", nor needs to be, it runs off of low wattage DC Current, all you need is a 240V capable charging block (which is almost all of them, very old ones may have issues) with a USB output.

We use electric toothbrushes and we travel with a travel sized water pick. Our dental hygiene at our ages pretty much requires this.

And so, we pack a converter, too

Yep, the water pick and converter are each a bit bulky. Still, we manage 30 day trips entirely with carry-on bags (one each, meeting European overhead bin size limits) and day pack (“personal item”). And even manage to meet the weight restrictions.

The converter can work well as we can plug in the toothbrush charger and water pick and charge up both our phones with the single bathroom outlet.

For those who just have the electronics - GREAT. But for those of us who need something else, this is really quite workable.

OP did not explain their requirements, but other readers here may have a variety of needs.

Electric toothbrush or water pick. Probably do need voltage converter.

I learned at the last minute while packing that the charger for my Braun Oral B was only 110v input. Braun is not a German company - is owned by Procter & Gamble.

For the next trip I went online and found a dual-voltage charger.

Many toothbrushes also charge via USB, if so, all you need is a USB port, not a converter.

I once shut down power in an entire wing of an Italian hotel using my hair dryer with a voltage converter. They are really not fully up to the job unless you get something heavy enough you'd never haul it on a trip. Don't take things that need converting and especially not curling irons or hair dryers or irons. They are all available dual voltage. Hotels and apartments pretty much all have hair dryers available. Electronics like phones and computers are dual voltage. We just leave the electric toothbrush at home and use manual brushes for travel.

This thread has referred to both Voltage Converters as well as Plug Adapters and most here seem to know the difference between them. Most electronic devices these days are designed to operate with input voltages from 100-240 VAC, but it's important to verify that by checking each device. USB chargers are essentially voltage converters as they reduce line voltage of 115 / 240 VAC to 5 VDC.

OP.... I hope your questions have been answered.

There's some discussion of electric toothbrushes here. My Oral-B Genius model charges just fine in its charging case at European 220V without using a converter. It's the only model in Oral-B's lineup, according to the company's website, that is suitable for 110V to 220V. Travelers might want to consider this when selecting their next brush.