Where can I buy an Hairdryer for Australia?
 

Okay,this is probably a dumb questions. But I am traveling to Australia this summer, and would like to purchase a hair dryer made in Australia before I head over instead of dealing with adapter plugs. Does anyone know where I can purchase one online?
I looked on Amazon and they do not have an Australian site.
Thanks.

You do not need to buy a hairdrayer made in Australia. All you need to do is purchase a dual-volatge hairdyer. You can buy them in drugstores, many models made today are dual voltage. Just look on the box, it should say 110/220 50Hz. They do not usually cost any more than a single voltage item.

You can use the dryer in the US, and when you travel to countries with other voltage, just flip the switch.

You may still need an adapator (which adapts the plug to the wall socket). Some dyers come with a variety of adaptors. Otherwise, buy an adaptor kit with several differnet kinds of adaptors; you can use this on future trips to other countries. You can buy these in drug stores or electronic stores like Radio Shack, etc.

Try Brookstone.com. They have a combo hairdryer/travel iron. Sounds crazy but comes in very handy when travelling. Dual voltage so you just flip the switch as mentioned above and its more reliable than irons found in hotels. You may need a plug adaptor - those are available everywhere. Why buy an item just for a few weeks in Australia unless you're planning to live there?

I may have misunderstood your question. If you are trying to avoid using adaptor plugs by bringing a dyer sold in Australia this won't solve the problems, as IMO you will find different plug configurations from place to place in Australia, esp. in hotels. That's why an adaptor kit makes the most sense.

If you really want a dryer sold in Australia, there are some K Marts in Australia, so you might go to the K Mart website and see if you can purchase through them or go to your nearest K Mart and see if they can arrange shipment of a dryer. The two K Marks I know of in NSW are in Nowra and Katoomba. I believe there are several others. This would be a fairly expensive way to avoid carrying a few small adaptor plugs.
Whether the dyer is made in Australia would not matter, as even those made there may be made for export and have non-Australian plugs.

Thanks. I am trying to avoid dealing with adapter plugs because in the past I have not had good luck with them, the blow dryer will crap put on me or work really slow. My hair is long and thick so I need a blow dryer with plenty of power.

The reason I am hoping to buy one before I head over there is that I am chaperoning 40 kids on a trip and will not have any time to run to the store and buy one.

Adaptors have nothing to do with alternating or changing the flow of electricity, so I am guessing you were tyring to use a convertor (which converts electricty) with your hairdryer? If not and you actually used a dual voltage hairdryer, it could be that you just had a bum hairdyer that didn't work well dual voltage. They have improved a lot over the last few years. (I have lived overseas for the last 12 years and have seen a real improvement in dual voltage dryers, and they are readily availble now in the US.)

Also, check with your hotels, as many provide hairdyers.

On a two week trip to China (and several motels) we were always able to borrow an adaptor from the hotel and use our U.S. hair dryers. They were those bar kind with several plugs.

My second choice would be to buy a hair dryer when you get there and leave it.

If I remember right, there's an adapter AND a converter that's needed to correct your hair drier to Aussie power. You might send an e-mail to the hotels you'll be using and see if they have hair driers in the rooms. When we were there they were in each of the rooms which was good cause I didn't have a converter only the adapter.

Otherwise why not buy a cheap one when you arrive in Oz?

LN,

You're right. I remember now that my dryer had a switch that converted the power. It bought it at Wal Mart and it was very inexpensive. Then all you need is the adaptor.

I would definitely contact the hotels.

jvrab12

If there is an Indian grocery and appliance store where you live - check there they have a lot of the 220V appliances - I bought one In may, I belive it was manufactured by ConAir.

jvrab,

Definitely buy one while you're there. Why run all over looking for a specialty item here (if you find it) and then drag it all thw way to Oz and back to the US, where it won't work anyway?

Australia has just about as many dept and discount stores as we have and they're blowdryers will already work with the Australian voltage and sockets. Probably end up being cheaper as well. We go to Australia at least every other year and I wouldn't try to buy electronics to take back there. Buy a $10-$20 dollar hairdryer when you get there and throw or give it away before you get on the plane home. PS - most Aus hotels will have one in the toilet area, just as they have here in the US.