All-in-One Travel Power Plug Adapter for US, UK, EU, AU

Looks like it was only used once...because it was

The idea behind this outlet adapter is genius. Take a product, make it universally adaptable to almost every country in the world, and then make it inexpensive. Having been abroad on both sides of the globe, I know the importance of getting a quality and convenient outlet adapter, and so I decided to buy a couple of these before I came over to China. (By the way, one of my most important pieces of study abroad advice is and has always been to buy an outlet adapter before you head abroad.) I even promote this adapter on The Study Abroad Blog! However, as much as I hate to do it, there is a need for me to write my first somewhat negative review. Here’s why:

Why is the All-in-One Travel Power Plug Adapter theoretically awesome?

  • Power indicator light
  • Surge protection
  • Maximum electrical rating of 250V
  • Compatible in over 150 Countries
  • Price as low as $3.00 with shipping

Okay, so those are the qualities that should make this adapter the Rolls Royce of adapters.

Unfortunately, here’s why it’s not.

I got to my dorm at 9:00 pm my first night here in Beijing. I knew I wanted to call home right when I arrived, and had planned ahead of time by buying outlet adapters from Amazon when I was in the US. I took one out of my suitcase, plugged it into the outlet, and…nothing happened. The indicator light flickered for a second and then the whole adapter fell out of the wall. Same story every time I tried. I thought it may have been the outlet, so I tried a different brand of adapter and it worked like a charm. It was then I realized the difference between reality and theory. In theory, the All-in-one outlet adapter is awesome, in reality, it was as useful as…well it wasn’t useful at all.

The main problem centers around a specific aspect of modern outlets – that third grounding prong. With the UK adapter, the All-in-One Travel Power Plug Adapter uses a plastic grounding post to get around using a real grounding prong. With the Asia configuration, it lacks a third prong altogether. And as far as the EU adapter setting, a lot of European plugs are recessed, and the adapter simply does not fit into that recess. The resulting problems:

  • The third UK prong doesn’t lock into position and folds in rather than pushing into the socket where it belongs.
  • In most places the unit will pop out of the outlet because it isn’t grounded (which is what happened to me!).

My conclusion.

As cool as the concept is, and as much potential as it has, the actual product is flawed in just about every practical aspect. In the end, I definitely wouldn’t waste your money. It might be slightly more inconvenient to buy and use specific adapters for multiple countries, but in the long run, you’ll be happy that they actually work.

Here’s what I recommend:

Australia / China

Italy only

UK

EU

And don’t forget to check and see if your electronics also require a converter!

Good luck!

Nate

The Study Abroad Blog