American sockets are Type and at 120 V, 60 Hz, so European and British appliances need both an adapter and a 100-240 V label.
Sockets in the United States are Type and at 120 V, 60 Hz - half the voltage of Europe, Asia and Australia.
- Type is Type with an earth hole. Two flat blades side by side, and a round earth below them. New buildings must have the earthed version; older apartments still have plenty of two-slot Type outlets.
- The wider slot is neutral. That is why some plugs only go in one way round, and why an adapter that ignores polarity is worth avoiding.
- Everything from Europe needs an adapter. No European, British or Australian plug fits a US socket.
- 120 V is what actually breaks things. A 230 V-only appliance plugged in here will run slowly or not at all rather than burning out, but a travel adapter does nothing about voltage in either direction. Check the label for 100-240 V.
- Hotels increasingly fit USB sockets beside the bed and on the desk lamp, which is often faster than hunting for a spare outlet behind the headboard.
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