If you're in Europe, Africa, Asia or Australia and plan to take a trip to the USA and bring electronics along with you, heed this friendly warning: If you're unaware or uninformed (don't worry, many are), North America's electrical system operates at a different voltage than what you're used to at home (and if you've never thought about voltage, you might not actually be "used to" voltage at all). Regardless, please know that there is, in fact, something different here. What does that mean? Well, instead of a standard 220/240 volts being delivered like your used to, our electricity is delivered at 110/120 volts. This difference is important to be aware of, solely because you can't just bring your electronics and/or appliances here to the USA and plug them into an outlet. Why Not? Because the electronics sold in your country were specifically designed to operate at the voltage that's native to your country, which is 220 volts. Since your electronics were made for a 220 volt system, they require that specific voltage to operate safely and properly. The lower voltage (110 volts) that's used here in North America is not sufficient to properly power your electronics. If you attempt to use devices in the US that were originally purchased overseas you risk damaging them, fire, electrocuting yourself, or worse. What do I do? The answer is simple. You're going to need to purchase a voltage converter. Voltage converters plug into the outlet and then convert the electrical current to the proper voltage for your appliances. In your case, you'll need a Step-up converter. A step-up voltage converter steps the 110 volt electricity up to 220 volts, thereby allowing you to safely and effectively use your electronics with ease. Is that all? Well, yes and no. While a voltage converter is the perfect answer for traveling and using electronics in the US, you'll still need to be aware that there are different sizes of converters. The sizes are rated in Watts. Certain appliances and devices use more watts than others, so you'll need to be sure that you purchase a converter that can deliver the watts you'll need. Check on the manufacturers label of your device or appliance for the wattage rating. To learn more, view our voltage converter buying guide. The guide will teach you everything you need to know, from start to finish about traveling with electronics and choosing the proper voltage converter for the USA.
