Charging the iPad Mini when planning a trip to Canada

How to connect a Canadian power outlet to the iPad Mini

Canadian power outlet

When organizing a holiday it's useful to know if you can use any common electronics such as mobile phones and laptops that you'll be bringing along. By not knowing which power socket is used you are likely to bring the wrong adaptor, therefore needing to buy or borrow a suitable adaptor when you're there which might not be compatible and cause problems with your iPad Mini. Various combinations of region codes and sockets can often be confusing when planning on staying in another country for the first time traveller. This page contains a simple guide demonstrating exactly what you'll need to power your iPad Mini when staying in Canada using the 120 volt 60Hz Type A wall outlet, the Canadians will use a NEMA 1-15 P ungrounded plug for power outlets. If the iPad Mini does not power up or charges slowly when you are travelling to Canada from another country check that it is compatible with a 110 volt power supply. Typically devices which come from a country which use a higher voltage (for example 240 volts) may take longer to charge or won't turn on, so check the device is dual voltage (you'll find these are normally marked with 100-240 volts) otherwise you may need to use an additional converter to ensure proper use. These instructions assume you are running Apple iOS 7 or greater on the iPad Mini.

Charging the iPad Mini in Canada

Can you use the iPad Mini in Canada?

You can use the iPad Mini in Canada by using a power adaptor.

What is the best power adapter for recharging the iPad Mini in Canada?

If you are travelling with more than your iPad Mini or visiting more than one country the best international travel charger for Canada to buy is a multiple USB adapter which includes swappable plugs such as a 4 port USB travel charger. As these chargers come with interchangeable pins and can handle 100 volts - 240 volts will mean that you can travel to multiple countries around the world just by switching the supplied plugs over. If your type of iPad Mini is compatible with Fast Charge then you'll benefit from much quicker recharging times with one of these types of travel chargers, plus additional support for more power demanding devices.

This means you can recharge multiple devices simultaneously without needing to buy individual travel chargers. By only packing a single lightweight USB travel charger will keep the overall weight down, making it ideal to fold up and store in hand baggage and on hand for recharging your iPad Mini at an airport or on the flight. Due to their space saving flexibility these types of power adapters can be used at home not just abroad so when you’re not on holiday they can be used under your bedside table charging multiple smartphones and tablets with just a single power outlet.

We recommend buying an adaptable travel charger of this nature at your preferred electronics retailer. The multipurpose travel charger illustrated here is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been successfully tested for powering multiple USB devices in numerous countries around the world on a daily basis.

Alternative travel adapter for Canada

The 4 port USB travel charger is the most compact option for travellers from around the world wanting to charge devices using USB, but for those also wanting to use their domestic plugs the following power strips provide larger but more versatile solutions. All 3 power strips offer surge protection which can be crucial when visiting regions with unreliable or unstable power grids to prevent damage to any connected appliances. These power converters come with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs which cover both Canada and over 150 destinations:

  • BESTEK Portable International Travel Voltage Converter - The BESTEK travel converter has 4 USB charging ports with 3 AC power outlets and is the best selling compact option for travellers originating from North America visiting Canada.
  • ORICO Traveling Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip - Similarly having 4 USB ports but only 2 AC power outlets the Orico is also aimed at travellers from the US using type B plugs. This is a cheaper alternative to the BESTEK with just one less AC outlet at almost half price.
  • BESTEK International USB Travel Power Strip - This power strip has 2 AC outlets but offers 5 USB charging ports. This versatile power strip is compatible with both American plugs and popular plug types A, D,E/F, G, H, I, L and N making it suitable for a majority of travellers from around the world visiting Canada. [6] [AD]
What is the best power adapter for recharging the iPad Mini in Canada?

Powering the iPad Mini with a Canadian power outlet by using a 2 pinned Type A USB adapter

Using the Apple USB Lightning connector with a Type A USB charger to charge your iPad Mini with a Canadian power outlet.

  1. To charge your iPad Mini from a Canadian power outlet you will need to buy a Type A USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (usually supplied with your iPad Mini).
  2. Begin the process by plugging the Type A USB power plug adapter in the Canadian power outlet. You can identify this power supply by the two adjacent slots for live and neutral blades.
  3. Then connect the USB end of the Apple Lightning power cable into the bottom of the USB charger and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPad Mini. The iPad Mini lightning connector can be found at the bottom of the iPad Mini.
  4. Switch on the Canadian power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which appears in the top right hand corner of your iPad screen will display a charging icon to indicate that the tablet is recharging, typically taking between 60 to 240 minutes to completely recharge to full capacity. [AD]
Powering the iPad Mini with a Canadian power outlet by using a 2 pinned Type A USB adapter

See also

  1. Wikipedia - Canada Wikipedia page
  2. Apple - official iPad user guide
  3. iec.ch - Type A power outlet
  4. Type A USB power plug adapter - With its two-blade, ungrounded design, the Type A USB power plug adapter offers a straightforward way to convert electrical outlets in countries like the United States and Canada into USB ports for easy device charging..
  5. USB to Apple Lightning cable - The Apple Lightning cable is a charging and syncing cable for more recent Apple devices and connects compatible iPhones and iPads to a USB port.
  6. 4 Port USB Wall Charger - A 4-port USB wall charger is an electrical device that provides simultaneous charging for up to four USB-compatible devices. It often includes interchangeable international plug adapters for global use..