8 Best Travel Adapters (2026), Tested and Reviewed

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Summer is right around the corner. We’re headed out on adventures and bringing our stuff with us. Here are all the tech and tips that WIRED Reviews recommends for your travels.

Whether planning a country-hopping odyssey or a quick business trip, your journey will go more smoothly with the right kit. That includes the best travel adapters so you can safely charge all your gadgets wherever you land. I’ve tested several—both universal and basic options—and my favorites will work in most parts of the world.

Adapters make great gifts for travelers and deserve a place in your carry-on, but check out our other travel guides, like the Best Travel Essentials, Best Travel Tech for Families, Best Travel Pillows, and Best USB-C Cables.

Updated May 2026: I've added travel adapters from Ceptics and Tessan, mentions for chargers from Statik, D-Link, Epicka, Aunno, and UGreen, reorganized and slimmed down my recommendations, added a Don’t Bother section, removed older devices, and updated prices.

Travel Adapter Comparison Table

Travel Adapters and Chargers | Price | Plug Types | Wattage | Ports | |---|---|---|---|---| Best Overall: Ceptics GaN 100W Universal Travel Adapter | $50 | A, C, G, and I | 70 watts | 1x USB-C retractable cable, 1x USB-C, 2x USB-A | Runner-Up: Tessan GaN Universal Travel Adapter | $43 | A, C, G, and I | 65 watts | 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A | Best Compact: Epicka Pulse Travel Adapter | $30 | A, C, G, and I | 45 watts | 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A | Best Budget: Ceptics 6 in 1 Worldwide Travel Adapter | $19 | A, C, G, and I | 30 watts | 3x USB-C, 2x USB-A | Best Travel Adapter Set: CepticsAdapter Plug Set for Worldwide International Travel | $23 | A, B, C, D, E/F, G, H, I, J, L, M, and N | N/A | None | More Outlets: One Beat Travel Plug Adapter | $19 | C, E/F, and G | 15 watts | 1x USB-C, 2x USB-A | Charging Everything: Ceptics World Travel Adapter Kit 2 | $50 | A, B, C, E/F, G, and I | 55 watts | 1x USB-C cable, 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A | For Apple and Qi2 devices: Anker MagGo 3-in-1 Charging Station | $110 | N/A | 40 watts | Qi2 wireless charging |

Travel Adapters: Your Questions, Answered

What Type of Adapter Do You Need?

There are 15 plug types in use across the world. Universal adapters tend to cover all of these types.

Type AandType Bare used in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Japan.Type Cis common across Europe, South America, and Asia.Type E and Type Fare found across Europe in places like Germany, Russia, and France.Type Gis used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and a handful of other places.Type Iis used in Australia, New Zealand, China, and Argentina.

Some countries are not usually covered by universal adapters, such as India (Type D), Israel (Type H), and South Africa (Type M or N). You'll need to buy specific plug adapters for those places. To avoid any surprises when you land, double-check what type you need before you travel.

If you're visiting just one destination, a basic plug adapter that caters to one plug type is all you need. For trips to multiple destinations or for frequent flyers, a universal travel adapter can prove more versatile. The universal adapters I recommend here have the bonus of including multiple USB ports for charging several mobile devices from a single outlet.

Do You Really Need a Voltage Converter?

Voltage converters are big, heavy, and expensive, and they don’t always work, so it’s probably best to avoid them. The reason you might think you need one is that the AC sockets on all of our recommended travel adapters do not convert the voltage coming from the socket. This means plugging into a UK socket will deliver 220 volts at 50 hertz, which is very different from the 120 volts at 60 hertz you can expect in the US. Don't worry! Your gear won't get fried. You just need to make sure anything you plug into one of these universal travel adapters has something like this printed on it:

Input: 100–220V 50/60Hz

That should include most modern gadgets. If your device or charger can’t handle a variable voltage, it’s probably best to leave it at home. Most places provide hair dryers, irons, and kettles, so there’s no need to take them with you. It's often cheaper to buy a set with the correct plug at your destination and save the luggage space and hassle.

If you are determined to try a voltage converter (again, I recommend you don’t), the Ceptics 2,000-watt Travel Voltage Converter ($70) seems to work well. It has a special 2,000-watt outlet for hair dryers, but only ones that work via a mechanical switch (anything with an electronic circuit board for automatic switch-off or temperature control won’t work and is at risk of being fried if plugged in). It also has two outlets that go up to 200 watts, one USB-C port, and three USB-A ports, though the ports do not support fast charging.

What About Wattage?

For USB-C and USB-A ports, retractable cables, and wireless charging, travel adapters and chargers usually state the wattage they can deliver. If you're interested in getting the fastest rates possible, you'll want a charger and cable that can deliver the maximum wattage to your device. A laptop might want 100 watts, while a phone only needs 30 watts. There's no need to worry if the charger can deliver more wattage than is required because the device will dictate how much power to draw. If the wattage is lower than required, most devices will simply charge slowly. You can find out more about charging standards like Power Delivery (PD), Quick Charge (QC), and others in my guide on how to fast charge your phone.

Can Travel Adapters Go in a Suitcase?

Yes, you can pack travel adapters in your suitcase. But it may be wise to take a travel adapter in your hand luggage for easy access should you need to charge up a device when you arrive at your destination. Devices like power banks with lithium batteries (must be capped at 27,000 mAh) must go in hand luggage, not checked bags.

Can I Buy Travel Adapters at the Airport or Hotel?

You certainly can buy travel adapters at the airport, but like everything else, they will be far more expensive than they should be, and your choice will be limited.

Some hotels have travel adapters, and some even have outlets for other countries (or USB-A and USB-C ports), but most do not, so don’t bank on it. You can always check with your hotel or accommodation before you depart, but it’s safer to snag a travel adapter to take with you.

Test Your Travel Adapter Before You Go

Seriously, nothing is worse than thinking you’re being very clever by packing light and getting to your hotel to discover that your gadgets refuse to charge. Between the adapter, cable, and your device, plenty can go wrong, so do a quick test with everything you are taking before you set off.

How I Test Travel Adapters

Anytime I fly for work or vacation, I take a few travel adapters and chargers with me to test. I also test them for longer periods at home in the UK. I have power stations and power strips with US and EU outlets to test those plugs. I test each charger with a variety of devices (iPhone, Pixel, iPad, MacBook, AirPods). I try charging with every port and outlet simultaneously to see if the charger gets warm. I assess the charging rates, durability, size, weight, and usability of each device. If there are any special features, I test them too.