It’s remarkable how many businesses get travel adapters wrong for such a simple device.They’ll make them so enormous that they obstruct surrounding sockets, or they’ll make them so hefty that they fall out of the wall. The sockets are frequently either too tight or too loose for your plugs to stay attached. The power light is often extremely bright, keeping you awake at night.
The list of blunders appears to be infinite. As a result, I no longer bother rating travel adapters on this site because they are consistently bad. Even so, there’s the odd outlier. Unidapt’s all-in-one model wowed me so much last year that it’s now our top universal adapter option, and I’ve just returned from a three-month vacation with it.
Nonetheless, I hesitated when the business offered to send out its latest line of region-specific adapters. When you can’t use the same converter all over the world, it has to be small and light, cheap, and have extra functionality to make it worthwhile to buy. These adapters, according to the company representative, were all of those things… but were they really?
Features and Specifications
Unidapt offers three different versions of this travel adapter for visitors to North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom. They’re designed for travel in nations that use type A/B, C, and G power outlets, respectively. Confused? Our post on the shambles that are global electricity standards may be of use. Fortunately, there’s no need to try to remember where each adaptor works and where it doesn’t.
Every country where appropriate sockets can be found is included in the small instruction manual. It isn’t the only type of socket used in that country, but it is widely available. The major part of the adapter is the same in all versions: a two-inch-wide, 2.4-inch-high white cube (51x60mm).
However, because the pins do not retract or fold down, the European model is substantially deeper than the US or UK versions. The weights vary significantly, with the US and EU variants weighing 2.7 oz and the UK adaptor weighing 3.2 oz. The front-panel “universal” socket is about as universal as you’ll find, claiming to accept any plug other than a type M (South African) plug.
These adapters can handle a maximum output of 2400W from a 240v power supply or 1100W from a 110v power supply. They will not, however, convert between the two voltages, as do most travel adapters. Always check what voltage your appliances can withstand before plugging them in in another country. A pair of USB-A connectors are located on the top of each adaptor, with a maximum output of 10.5W. (2.1amps at 5V.)
You can obtain that amount of power from either socket, but because it’s the total, don’t expect to fast-charge two USB devices at the same time. The LEDs that indicate that the adapter is powered are the only additional feature worth mentioning. The front of the device has a little blue light, and both USB ports light up when power is applied.
Real-World Test
The adapters came in three compact boxes that were nearly identical, each with a diagram of what was inside and a list of basic specs. The adapter itself, as well as the short instruction booklet mentioned previously, were included with each one. My first impression was that these adapters, particularly the UK and North American versions, were certainly compact and light.
As previously stated, the prongs on that model are around half an inch longer than the other two due to the recessed form of European plugs. The prongs on any of the models, notably the European one, do not retract or fold down, which is a bummer. If they did, these would undoubtedly be among the tiniest travel adapters with USB ports available.
While they’re undoubtedly smaller than most universal adapters, they’re not quite as portable as they could be while you’re on the go. There isn’t much to test with travel adapters, but there are a few things to keep in mind. The main plug and socket are first. The UK adaptor fit snuggly into all of the wall sockets I tested and didn’t fall out. The other two versions fit snugly into the various different travel adapters I have on hand, to the point that I could aggressively shake them and they wouldn’t budge.
All of the devices I plugged into the converter immediately began charging or working. This included devices with connectors from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe, all of which worked well. The USB ports are positioned at the very top of the adaptor. Because power outlets are frequently located low on the wall, this should result in less overall cable bending. It’s a minor detail, but it’s useful nonetheless.
When it was time to put the sockets to the test, I attached a couple of USB-A to USB-C cables, set up my testing devices, and plugged in one, then two, nearly-flat cellphones. When I connected the second phone, the quantity of power transferred to the first phone decreased, as predicted given the specifications. Regardless of whether one or both sockets were used, the combined output never exceeded the claimed 2.1amp maximum.
2.1 amps isn’t much these days, especially if you’re trying to charge two modern phones or tablets at the same time. One should be charged from a separate wall charger put into the adapter, while the other should be charged from one of the USB ports. However, charging two low-power devices, such as headphones and Kindles, or a single phone or tablet, is fine.
Even if you don’t obtain the maximum charging speed for the latest gadgets, you’ll usually get close. In its marketing materials, Unidapt expressly notes the LED light’s brightness, claiming that it will not keep you awake at night. Maybe they’ve overheard me moaning about it before. I couldn’t let such a claim go unchallenged, so I waited until nighttime and plugged the adaptor in in a dark bedroom.
While I still prefer a dim red light to a blue or white light (or, for that matter, no light at all), the blue LED on this converter was notably less irritating than usual. I certainly wouldn’t want it right beside my head while trying to sleep, but unlike many other versions I’ve tried, it didn’t light up the entire room.
Verdict
In general, I enjoy the Unidapt travel adapters. They’re compact and light, and the inclusion of two USB ports provides you more options than most other converters of comparable size. They’re also reasonably priced, and they’ve proven to be highly trustworthy in my tests. Given their simplicity, and based on my experience with the company’s universal adapter, I expect these models to survive as long as the company’s universal adapter.
The prongs should be able to retract or fold down, making the adapters even more compact in your bag. I’d also want to see a little more juice from the USB ports, because they’re not nearly enough to charge the current phones and tablets at full speed as it is, and charging two high-power devices at the same time will be notably slower. Neither of these flaws, however, are deal-breakers, especially considering the price.
If I were going on a vacation where I’d need many sorts of adapters, I’d go with Unidapt’s universal model, which features extras like USB-C and better power output to compensate for the increased bulk. However, if I were only visiting a particular nation or region, I would gladly travel with these small adapters for an extended amount of time.
