England Travel: Electricity converters for hair dryer and curling iron

by JG
(El Paso, Texas, USA)

What kind of electric converter do I need for my normal bathroom appliances such as hair dryer and curling iron?

Answer:

When visiting England from the USA, you have two issues with your electrical items.

1) we use 220V electricity as opposed to the 110V common in the USA

2) our electric plugs have three prongs, rather than the two you are used to

Friends of mine who come to England frequently seem to use the following adapters / converters to ensure their appliances run fine:

All-in-One Travel Power Plug Adapter for US, UK, EU, AU This turns the standard US two-pronged plug into the English three-pronged one.	Travel Voltage Converter while this one makes sure your hairdryer, curling iron or phone can handle our higher 220V electricity outputs.

Additional notes:
Many hotels, guest houses and B & Bs in England have hairdryers in the rooms and irons (for clothes) available at reception. Curling irons are not commonly supplied.

My new hairdryer actually has a 'voltage selection switch', where I can choose between 110V and 220V. If yours has that option built in, then you won't need the voltage converter.