Power adapter
 

What kind of power adapter is needed for china?

Is it 110 or 220? I've seen conflicting info on my searches

The sockets on the wall in most places look like this, with 220v coming out

http://http://upload.wikimedia.org/w...hinasocket.jpg

220 but check the labeling on your products first, many common travel products (eg. laptops) don't need a voltage converter these days.

US-style plugs are becoming increasingly common in business hotels, so I usually bring only one conversion plug.

In most places, it's unlikely that you'll need a plug adapter; almost all power points accept pretty much every common plug type aside from the obnoxious UK ones.

Voltage is 220V, but most things you're likely to bring with you (mobile phone, laptop, camera chargers, etc.) are almost guaranteed to support 100-240V these days. If it has a power brick/AC adapter of some sort, it's almost certainly universal, but it never hurts to read the fine print on the plug to be sure.

In South China in particular, UK plugs are rather commonplace in hotels and such because of the proximity to HK.

As others have said, 220V. However, many have different sockets which is the real problem.

That being said, any good hotel will have different socket connectors for you to use. You probably don't need a convertor if you have a laptop or cell phone charger as most use 110v to 220v.

The picture link above is broken. This is what you will find. I haven't been to one Chinese hotel in the past 7 years that doesn't have this or similar wall plate:

http://rkkwan.zenfolio.com/img/s3/v25/p524781524-4.jpg

Thanks all

Note that standard Chinese sockets (pictured in rkkwan's post above) will not accept a grounded North American plug (the 3-prong kind typically found at the end of a laptop charger, etc.).

They will usually accept a 2-prong North American plug (2 flat pins without the round grounding pin), although some sockets won't accept a polarized plug, where one pin is slightly wider than the other.

That said, an appropriate plug adapter can be had for less than $1 USD at any Chinese electronics market, so don't bother shelling out $15+ at Brookstone.

Most hotels also have universal plug adaptors that the front desk or housekeeping can let you borrow. Otherwise, there's bound to be a shop near the hotel that sells them for a pittance--even supermarkets often have them so no need to find an electronics or home improvement store.

As said above, nearly all electronics' converters cover the range of voltages so no need for transformer there. Good hotels will have shaver points in the bathroom for 110v. The only appliance I can think of that a transformer might be needed are electric hair dryers/curling irons....get a dual voltage appliance before you leave or (for extended or repetitive travels in China or 220v countries), just pick up a single-voltage 220v appliance in China.

+1 on getting a single voltage 220v appliance.

My wife has tried dual voltage hair irons and dryers over the last 3 or 4 years and they seem to burn out easily and they are not cheap.

She ended up getting a single voltage 220v travel hair dryer and iron and that has solved all her problems.

OP, what do you need it for?

I was asking mostly for my laptop, phone and travel router. Based on the amount of hair on my head a hair dryer won't be necessary :D

Propecia really works (i.e. I should have been bald by the time I was 25), but no self respecting man would carry a hair dryer overseas.

moondog, im at 12@Heng shan as we soeak. Any good XLB around here? if not what about out by the science and technology museum? will probably be heading down that way tomorrow.