FlyerTalker68098

I'm UK based and the 3 pin UK plug drives me wild when travelling. Simple things and all that but those damn pins take up too much room. I've seen a few options but nothing i've jumped at until now...



Apple's new £25 (ouch) is a perfect fit. And thankfully you don't have to buy the Apple Watch just to get it.

ScottC

5W = 1A charger. Barely enough to even charge an iPhone, and definitely not enough for the iPad, which needs 2.1A.

Nice looking charger, but very weak.

tentseller

The physical design looks like a good solution to the "chunky" UK style plug. It would be a winner if they can get the electrical part up to a usable range or make it the plug into wall outlet end of a standard figure 8 cord.

KenF

I'm surprised, because I didn't think that design was "legal" in the UK (I had a similar design of power cable for my laptop, but they were all removed from sale a few years ago as BSi wouldn't certify anything with hinged live or neutral pins) - maybe the low wattage is a side-effect of this?

I've recently got a power cable based on this technology:




as you can see, they do a charger too, expensive in my book, but readily available on Amazon at well under GBP 25.....

See Thinplug

Not used the charger, but the lead works great for me, and saves space and weight in my hand baggage....

Ken.

Willard the Bear - and he needs space in his carry on for me and my clothes!

tentseller

Looks great according to the spec on the website.

I think where it work and receive UK authority approval is the plug becomes flat without the power pins folding. The only folding part to make this compact is the non-conductive earth pin which is mainly used to hold the plug in the socket in this and other low current application.

chx1975

The flat universal plug converter have been around forever and it works for UK as well. Many in this forum bought a cheap knockoff (including me!) but I'll link the original (it's somewhat new this is available easily from Amazon). http://www.amazon.com/ROAD-WARRIOR-U...adwarrior+plug

tentseller

I bought 2 Thinplug to figure 8 lead, all my multiple usb chargers are 100-240V in and figure 8 is also the input end of my Lenovo powerbrick and CPAP machine. They look more solid, molded and there is no moving or folding parts in the current carrying path.

I prefer a single solution as opposed to plug adapters which are not as solid.

In my office and new flat in HK I use full size leads. I have also added 110V wiring and US outlets in my flat.
These earth pin folding leads are for UK, S'pore and M'sia trips. When I am in Canada and US I just use the US version of the figure 8 lead.

pinkcat

Samsung usb-uk mains have a fold flat earth pin too

raikje

I suspect the problem with folding pins is the ability to deploy the earth pin but not the live/neutral pins, then stick it in to the wall upside-down. That could then allow the shutters on the live/neutal contacts to open and leave it exposed to inquisitive prodding... The design of BS1363 is such that that should never be possible, but obviously if you can fold the live pins out of the way then that defeats that particular safety mechanism.

Apple appear to have gotten around that by making all three pins move in unison. That makes me think that the low power is probably just a design decision to make it nice and small.

Flattening the earth pin down in line with the other two pins, or hinging it down between them, is physically safe because you can't stick anything into the wall "incorrectly" in that configuration.

BalbC

A bit cheaper, more compact fold, but 12W is Mu's version (also available in different colors)


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mu-Tablet-Wh.../dp/B00S30X7N6

They also make a cheaper 1A version and a 2 port USB version. Fairly rugged and have stood up well so far. Gets round any danger by the rotating pins blocking insertion of the earth pin alone.

But the new Apple one is a pretty nice design.