Brazil voltage converter/adapter

[tacocat]

I did google, but I am not getting consistent info and my brain is overloaded with finals.

Do I need a voltage converter?

Is the adapter the same as Europe? It looks like it but I cannot tell for sure.

TIA

[Norticprincess]

The converter it depends on what you are plugging in. And where you are (127/220 varies) If the plug says 110-220(240) on it. You just need the adaptor. If it only says the 110 you need the converter. Don't try to use a converter with a hair dryer - use the hotel's or get a dual voltage one that you switch on the actual hair dryer.


For for the 220 plugs the adaptor it should be the continental Europe (C plug) one (not the UK/Ireland. NOr the Northern European one)
The 127 looks like it is the regular US plug.
This has pictures and types
kropla.com/electric2.htm

[emilyinchile]

Most electronics these days - computer, iPad, Kindle, cell phone - can deal with the full range of voltage, so you won't need a converter. As NorticPrincess touched on, hair dryers and straighteners usually DO need a converter, but in my experience those appliances use so much power that even with a converter they never really get to full heat/airflow. If you need them and the hotel doesn't have one, the other option is to get a cheapo one in Brazil that you then use for travel to other 220V countries.

[tacocat]

Jun 4, 2014 11:02:35 GMT -5 emilyinchile said:

Most electronics these days - computer, iPad, Kindle, cell phone - can deal with the full range of voltage, so you won't need a converter. As NorticPrincess touched on, hair dryers and straighteners usually DO need a converter, but in my experience those appliances use so much power that even with a converter they never really get to full heat/airflow. If you need them and the hotel doesn't have one, the other option is to get a cheapo one in Brazil that you then use for travel to other 220V countries.

I keep meaning to buy a hairdryer when we travel and we never have time. I might google and see if I can buy one here, it is the only think we travel which that would need to convert. 

[tacocat]

Jun 4, 2014 0:52:58 GMT -5 Norticprincess said:

The converter it depends on what you are plugging in. And where you are (127/220 varies) If the plug says 110-220(240) on it. You just need the adaptor. If it only says the 110 you need the converter. Don't try to use a converter with a hair dryer - use the hotel's or get a dual voltage one that you switch on the actual hair dryer.


For for the 220 plugs the adaptor it should be the continental Europe (C plug) one (not the UK/Ireland. NOr the Northern European one)
The 127 looks like it is the regular US plug.
This has pictures and types
kropla.com/electric2.htm

Thank you, I thought it was C but I wanted to be sure. 

[GilliC]

Where are you going? Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo are both 110 V like the US, so you would only need a plug adapter even for things like hair dryers and straighteners. In other parts of Brazil (e.g. the North and Northeast - but not Bahia) the voltage is 220 V, so most electronics are fine, some appliances would need a voltage converter.



As for the plugs, they used to use the same plugs as Europe, but a few years ago they changed the grounded plug style to this:

You still see a lot of the old outlets, especially in private homes, but the deadline for the transition has passed, so a lot of places have changed. The plugs are similar to Europe, but since a lot of the outlets tend to be recessed like the one above, you can't always fit a round European plug into them. You can use European plug adapters, but I would recommend bringing at least a few of the narrow ungrounded kind.

e.g. this or this would work:
 
as opposed to this:

[GilliC]

Jun 4, 2014 14:04:45 GMT -5 tacocat said:

Jun 4, 2014 0:52:58 GMT -5 Norticprincess said:

The converter it depends on what you are plugging in. And where you are (127/220 varies) If the plug says 110-220(240) on it. You just need the adaptor. If it only says the 110 you need the converter. Don't try to use a converter with a hair dryer - use the hotel's or get a dual voltage one that you switch on the actual hair dryer.


For for the 220 plugs the adaptor it should be the continental Europe (C plug) one (not the UK/Ireland. NOr the Northern European one)
The 127 looks like it is the regular US plug.
This has pictures and types
kropla.com/electric2.htm

Thank you, I thought it was C but I wanted to be sure. 

Kropla is actually quite wrong in this case! The official plug is no longer C, and Fortaleza is 220V not 240V (my geeky boyfriend has actually measured it).

[tacocat]

Jun 4, 2014 14:16:26 GMT -5 GilliC said:

Where are you going? Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo are both 110 V like the US, so you would only need a plug adapter even for things like hair dryers and straighteners. In other parts of Brazil (e.g. the North and Northeast - but not Bahia) the voltage is 220 V, so most electronics are fine, some appliances would need a voltage converter.



As for the plugs, they used to use the same plugs as Europe, but a few years ago they changed the grounded plug style to this:

You still see a lot of the old outlets, especially in private homes, but the deadline for the transition has passed, so a lot of places have changed. The plugs are similar to Europe, but since a lot of the outlets tend to be recessed like the one above, you can't always fit a round European plug into them. You can use European plug adapters, but I would recommend bringing at least a few of the narrow ungrounded kind.

e.g. this or this:
 
as opposed to this:

We will be in Manaus and Porto De Galhinas/Recife. 

I think I will pick this up

www.amazon.com/Universal-Adapter-Brazil-Quality-Certified/dp/B00HKEI4H0/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ALEWIQ2F9CQDR

and maybe this?

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015DYMVO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1OH90MA4UKR9I

I am also now on the hunt for an inexpensive travel hair dryer, I thought mine converted but it does not.

[tacocat]

Jun 4, 2014 14:22:17 GMT -5 GilliC said:

Jun 4, 2014 14:04:45 GMT -5 tacocat said:

Thank you, I thought it was C but I wanted to be sure. 

Kropla is actually quite wrong in this case! The official plug is no longer C, and Fortaleza is 220V not 240V (my geeky boyfriend has actually measured it).

No wonder I was so confused. Every thing I found said that some are this, some are that, oh and some are this voltage and some are that.

Bah! My brain cannot handle this right now...

[tacocat]

Or maybe this one so we can use it Europe?

www.amazon.com/Universal-Adapter-Europe-Quality-Certified/dp/B00DTRHB2G/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1401909949&sr=1-6

[GilliC]

Jun 4, 2014 14:24:11 GMT -5 tacocat said:

We will be in Manaus and Porto De Galhinas/Recife. 

I think I will pick this up

www.amazon.com/Universal-Adapter-Brazil-Quality-Certified/dp/B00HKEI4H0/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ALEWIQ2F9CQDR

and maybe this?

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015DYMVO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1OH90MA4UKR9I

I am also now on the hunt for an inexpensive travel hair dryer, I thought mine converted but it does not.


Or maybe this one so we can use it Europe?



www.amazon.com/Universal-Adapter-Europe-Quality-Certified/dp/B00DTRHB2G/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1401909949&sr=1-6

I asked my boyfriend, and he said that Porto de Galhinas and Recife are probably 220V, so you would need to worry about the voltage conversion for that part at least. (He wasn't sure about Manaus.)

I would go with the last adapter you posted so that you can reuse it. Also, if you happen upon an outlet that hasn't been changed (which is still pretty common), that one would still work.

Are you going to the World Cup? I hear there are still tickets available for the England match in Manaus.

[GilliC]

As for the travel dryer, if you're not too picky, I just picked a cheap one up at Target for around $15 and used it for years. I don't see any on their site, but there are some very inexpensive ones at Wal-Mart and a lot of kinds on Amazon.

[tacocat]

We are. We are going to US-Germany and US-Portugal, I cannot wait!

I will get the last adapter, all of ours have disappeared or broken. We have a USB one that should cover our phones and our camera but I want to dry my hair before I go out in the humidity and it is wet again, lol.

[tacocat]

Jun 4, 2014 14:49:33 GMT -5 GilliC said:

As for the travel dryer, if you're not too picky, I just picked a cheap one up at Target for around $15 and used it for years. I don't see any on their site, but there are some very inexpensive ones at Wal-Mart and a lot of kinds on Amazon.

All I need is a diffuser (curly) and I am good. I LOVE cheap