Traveling Abroad: Hair Styling Tools

My husband mentioned that my blog is mainly Handy Homeowner and is missing the Heels.  He thought I should talk more about my job (which I really can't) or things related to it since that's when I wear my heels (most of the time).  This got me thinking about what have I learned that would be helpful to share.

When I first started travelling for work, I had to figure out how I was going to travel with my straightener and curling iron.  There were a couple of hurdles to jump over to get them to work.  

The plug
There are different plugs throughout the world.  The standard plug that we are use to using in the US can't just be plugged into outlets in other parts of the world.  In Japan, the plugs are type A.  If you have a three prong plug or simply a polarized plug, you can't plug it in to an outlet in Japan.  Here's a chart that shows the different types of plugs.



The frequency
Here in the US, our outlets are 110/120 Volts at 60 Hz.  This is not the same throughout the world.  In Asia, they use 220 Volts at 50 Hz.  If you connect something designed for 110/120V 60Hz into a 220V 50 Hz outlet, the current traveling through the item will be higher than it is in the US.  This will cause the insulation around the electrical wiring to deteriorate faster and possibly burn-out.

Here's a good website the sums up the type of plugs and the frequencies used in the different countries around the world.

So, how do you overcome these hurdles?  There are two options.

Solution 1
Purchase a plug adapter and transformer all in one.  This will take the higher voltage and step it down to be used with 110/120V 60Hz electronics.  


Here are a few that can be found on Amazon:
Conair
Walkabout Travel Gear
Enovize

The problem with the all in ones is that you need one for each electronic item that you want to use simultaneously.  They are also rather bulky so you have to plan accordingly when packing.

Solution 2
Purchase a plug adapter and use dual voltage electronics.  Dual voltage electronics are fairly common.  Here's a list of some of the dual voltage products that you may have in your home:

• laptop/kindle charger
• cell phone charger
• straightener
• curling iron

When using just a plug adapter, you must make sure you only use dual voltage items or there is a strong chance you will cause it to burn-out.

I chose this solution and purchased two Sima SIP-3 Ultimate International Travel Adapter Plug Set.  They are rather light and pretty compact.  I have noticed that my dual voltage items do run slightly warmer to the touch compared to when they are plugged in in the US.

Here's what my polarized plug straightener looks like plugged into the Sima adapter.

How do you know if you have a dual voltage product?

Easy.  It's printed right on the product.  Here are photos showing where to look and what to look for.

Hair Dryer & Curling Iron - Both have the label on the back of the handle.  The hair dryer is not dual voltage.  Fortunately, most hotels have hair dryers.  The curling iron is dual voltage.

Hair Straighteners - I have three different ones.  Only two of them are dual voltage.  The Hot Tools straightener (upper right) is not dual voltage.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get a shot of the label based on where it is located.  The other two are dual and can both be used internationally.

Other Chargers - Below are images of my laptop, kindle, and two cell phone chargers.  They are all dual voltage.

Happy Travels!!