Curling Irons
 

I was reading posts about power convertors and adaptors on this board. I have one quick question. I have a curling iron that says it's 120/240V and I bought this adaptor
(http://us.kensington.com/html/7207.html) I am going to london so would this adaptor work with my iron?

BTW this is the iron I have:
http://tinyurl.com/f2lc9

You need a PB-12 plug adapter for the UK and Ireland. Don't forget to flick the switch from 110 to 220, if it has one. Others adapt automatically.

http://www.voltageconverters.com/plug_adapters.html ((b))

A plug converter such as the PB12 is what you need for the UK.

www.voltageconverters.com/plug_adapters.html

From what I can tell the kensington model you bought is ok for electronic devices (ipod, notebook, or other 'entertainment devices') it is NOT designed for heat generating items like a curling iron.

I just plug my curling iron into an adaptor (not a convertor) and it works fine. Since it is thermostatically controlled and does not have moving parts, it just goes to the right temp while on 220.

It appears the adapter you bought is multi-prong and can adapt to several different outlet configurations.

I have this set and as you can see the one for the UK is bigger although I understand in parts of the UK the round 2 prong is used too.
http://www.franzus.com/page/FOS/PROD/ELEC-CONV/M-500E-1
Scroll down for a bigger picture of various adapters.

Since your curling iron is dual voltage, it shouldn't be a problem. The dual voltage curling irons I have don't require you to manually switch from 110 to 240 unlike dual voltage hair dryers where you must switch manually. Most

Posted too soon! Most dual voltage curling irons/hair dryers should be used on the low setting.

Thanks kybourbon evvlabs
The iron says I can use it worldwide and it doesn't have a swtich on it either. From what your saying that if something is dual voltage you can use it with just an adaptor. I have one straight Iron that only says 120v so I know that won't work in the uk without a convertor. So I'm bringing it. I bought the revlon because it says it can be used worldwide. Also wouldn't most adaptors say not for use with a curling iron because of them only having one voltage?

Also the adaptor I have has switches to pop out the right adaptor for the UK. It's compact and very lightweight. I also love the fact that everything is together so I won't loose any plugs.

also I meant to say I'm NOT bringing the straight iron. *blush*

No, an adapter doesn't usually have any warnings on it - just which country you can use it with.
Be sure to put your curling iron on low setting. It will get hotter on low with the 220 than it would in the states with 110.

Just be careful, and never have your first curl be right in the front! I once took a trip to Berlin, Leipzig, Veinna, Prague and Budapest. The curling iron worked great in Berlin, Leipzig, Vienna and Prague. In Budapest, it burned the entire strand of hair I was curling right off! Thank goodness I hadn't started with my bangs!

E-mail your hotel. Many (every one where we've stayed) have an "American" outlet. Sometimes you have to ask where it is (once it was under the vanity lid of the desk).

Well I just called Kensington and the rep told me that all of their adaptors have a warning to not use items such as curling irons. However, since my Iron says 110/220 then the adaptor should work fine. So Kensington is just trying to protect themselves by just stamping a warning on everything.

wait I think I said to the rep that my unit was 110/220, but mine is 110/240. Wouldn't that still work?

I have ridiculously expensive curling/flat irons and hair dryers at home but I've always been tempted to buy cheap versions in other countries then either leave them behind at the end of the trip or bring them home with me as an excuse to visit again. Has anyone else done that instead of dealing with converters/adapters?

Just a suggestion, but for about $20 I got the butane curling iron and it works great... is very hot, very quickly and has a nice cover that doesn't touch the hot iron part (of course it can only be put on when the iron has been turned off). So you can curl and pack pretty fast. The extra butane thingys are fairly cheap and last for a pretty long time. I curled my hair every day for a 3 week trip. But I did only curl for about 5 minutes each day.

amwosu: Yes, and I bring them home so I can use them the next time, and the next... I still have to use plug adaptors for different countries but they fit the the "two fat, round prongs" style plug. These appliances also have worked in Africa and China, so they've come in handy.

Unfortunately it illegal to take butane on an airplane - since it can be exploded.

The other thing to watch out for in older hotels is that the elctrical system may not support anything - like a hair drier or curler - that uses a lot of heat. And it is possible to blow the outlet. Ask before you use it.

I have a European curling iron, but I've found that it just doesn't get hot enough and takes a long, long time to heat up at all. So this time I'm taking my dual-voltage one and will see how it goes.