UK to Costa Rica power adapters - what kind of power adapter is needed for Costa Rica?

Travel Power Strips

Benefits of a travel power strip

• A travel power strip is capable of powering more than one appliance at once via one Costa Rican power outlet.
• Some models of travel power strips will convert voltage for lower wattage electronics. Therefore if your electronic device isn't dual voltage it can still function with a Costa Rican power outlet by using just a travel power strip, making them a cheaper and lightweight substitute for a dedicated power converter.
• Some models will also include multiple USB charging ports.
• The voltage from power outlets in some countries might be tempremental, a power surge could damage delicate electrical items. There are some power strips that have a surge protector built in which will protect any electronics from being overpowered by unstable power grids.
• It can be of use when you return to the UK as a power strip and USB charger.

Disadvantages of a travel power strip

• Unlike a dedicated power converter, the conversion on travel power strips doesn't support high wattage appliances such as hair straighteners and curling irons.
• Because of their size travel power strips might be too heavy for hand luggage.
• A travel power strip might be excessive for some travellers with only a small number of appliances that need charging. [6] [AD]
• Power strip models for sale in the UK only include type B, F, G and I plug adapters so you may need to use it along with an additional plug adapter to work in some countries.

Travel USB Wall Chargers

Benefits of a travel USB wall charger

• Ideal if you only need to charge devices which are USB powered.
• You only have to bring a single charger rather than pack lots of domestic power chargers.
• Supplied with swappable heads which means they can be used in a large number of different locations. Interchangeable adapter heads are usually lightweight and small making them easy to fit into hand luggage.
• Most models have a surge protector built in.
• It will still be of use when you return to the UK.
• The swappable heads will fit in Types A/B, E/F, G and I power outlets so will work in Costa Rica.

Disadvantages of a travel USB wall charger

• They only have USB outputs so you will be unable to power appliances, just USB ones. [7] [AD]

Universal Travel Power Adapters

Benefits of a universal travel power adapter

• Most universal travel adapters function in around 150 countries.
• An all in one design - small and lightweight.
• Some models also include charging ports for USB electronics.
• Relatively straightforward operation.
• Some models will include a built in surge protector, this will protect any electronics from being overloaded by unstable power grids in some countries.
• The retractable pins won't catch against other items in baggage.
• When you return home the universal travel power adapter should still be functional as a USB charger.
• Changes shape to Types A/B, E/F, G and I plugs so will fit into a Costa Rican power outlet.

Disadvantages of a universal travel power adapter

• A universal power adapter will overload when used with high powered electrical appliances - for example hair straighteners, microwaves, kettles, vacuum cleaners or hair dryers.
• Pins and other moving parts might be fragile on some universal travel adapters making them prone to breaking whilst abroad.
• Only provide power to one appliance.
• Not totally universal; models might not work in some countries with less common power outlet types.
• Lacking an in-built power converter means it won't be suitable for non-120 volt electrical devices. [8] [AD]

Power Plug Adapters

Benefits of a power plug adapter

• Lightweight and compact.
• Affordable.
• Straightforward design makes the power adapter easy to use.
• Using a Type B plug adapter will work in Costa Rica.

Disadvantages of a power plug adapter

• 1 power adapter per plug - for every device you'll also need to use a separate power adapter.
• Only alters the actual shape of the plug to fit in a Type B Costa Rican power outlet and doesn't modify the voltage, so if your device doesn't support 120 volts and isn't dual voltage you will also need to bring a separate voltage converter.
• Hotel rooms may only have a single wall outlet available, therefore you'll only be able to charge one appliance at a time.
• If you need to power a USB device then you also need to pack your USB charger as well.
• If you intend to travel to more than one country then you may need to pack more than one type of plug adapter. [3] [AD]

Plug Adapter Sets

Benefits of a plug adapter set

• A power adapter set works out more economical than purchasing multiple power plug adapters for multiple locations.
• By bringing every type of plug adapter will ensure you are covered for every country.
• Suitable for those visiting multiple countries.
• Set includes Type A, B, C, D, E/F, G, H, I, J, L, M and N plugs so should work in Costa Rica.

Disadvantages of a plug adapter set

• Will involve planning - you'll have to decide which adapters they'll need, if you don't know every country you'll be visiting you'll need to bring every adapter in the set with you.
• Means lots of individual plug adapters to bring.
• Having only a single functioning plug adapter being used in Costa Rica the remaining power adapters will be redundant.
• Not all power adapter types are typically included in the set (especially rarer adapters), so check that your set has one that is compatible with a Costa Rican power outlet.
• Each adapter only alters the shape of the plug to fit into a Costa Rican power outlet but doesn't alter the voltage. [9] [AD]

Voltage Converters

Benefits of a voltage converter

• A step up voltage converter lets you to power your non-120 volt appliance with a 120 volt power outlet in Costa Rica.
• Voltage converters have a surge protector to prevent your device from being overpowered by the wrong voltage.

Disadvantages of a voltage converter

• A voltage converter will only change the 120 volts from a Costa Rican power outlet and not the shape of the plug to slot into a Costa Rican power outlet, you will still be required to pack the correct type of power adapter for Costa Rica.
• The typical weight of most models of voltage converters makes them unsuitable for carrying in hand luggage.
• Redundant after your visit to Costa Rica.
• It's often better value and more practical to purchase a dual voltage travel appliance than to purchase an expensive voltage converter simply in order to bring your existing single voltage domestic appliance abroad.
• When you travel to Costa Rica from the UK you will need one as the voltage from a Costa Rican power outlet is 120 volts. [10] [AD]

Do solar battery chargers work in Costa Rica?

The daylight in Costa Rica should be suitable enough to recharge solar power bank reliability, however it will need to be left in strong sunlight in order to produce adequate energy for a single charge. It may prove inconvenient to continually unpack a solar power bank then wait whilst it recharges in sunny spells.

• The bigger cells found on a solar backpack give the backpack the ability to generate more power within a shorter period of time, meaning they should perform well in Costa Rica.
• A phone which has been plugged directly into the USB charging port of a backpack will trickle charge the power during sunny spells in Costa Rica, but this might be inconvenient to have it continually tethered to the bag should it be used frequently. Unlike a small solar power bank which needs unpacking and facing sunlight, a solar powered backpack is continually exposed to sunlight so can be charging a regular power bank during the day.
• Even though the sunlight in Costa Rica is strong, a bag should have a solar cell efficiency of at least 22%, can generate a minimum of 6 watts of energy and includes a compatible power bank of 10,000mAH or stronger.
• Unlike regular rigid solar panels, the flexible and durable cells used in solar powered bags have been designed to endure scratching and bending. They come in backpack, laptop messenger and rucksack styles which makes them perfect for work, travel and domestic use.  [4] [16] [17] [AD]

Sources

• International Electrotechnical Commission - World plugs by location (cited August 2014)
• Wikipedia - Mains electricity by country (cited July 2014)
• Index Mundi - Power outages in a typical month (cited May 2018, data collected between 2006 to 2017)
• Index Mundi - Access to electricity (cited May 2018, latest data collected 2010)
• WikiPedia - List of countries by average yearly temperature (cited May 2018, data averaged between 1961 to 1990)

How to convert 120 volts to 220 volts

1. Use a step up power converter to allow you to use 220, 230 and 240 volt appliances with a 120 volt Costa Rican power outlet.
2. If the power converter doesn't include the correct shaped plug then it will also be necessary to plug in the power cord from the power converter into a power adapter for Costa Rica before plugging that into a Costa Rican power outlet.
3. Some power converters include the ability to perform both step up and step down voltage conversions, therefore it may be necessary to manually switch the converter to output the voltage from 220-240v.
4. Plug your appliance into the converter and turn the power on, your 220-240 volt appliance can now be used with a 120 volt Costa Rican power outlet. [10] [AD]

Are you only planning on charging USB devices?

• If you plan to bring electronics such as mobile phones and iPads then we suggest just bringing a travel USB wall charger.
• If you only use a simple power plug adapter in Costa Rica you'll still need to bring the USB charger that came with your device too. [7] [AD]

What types of electrical items do you need to charge?

• There are three types of electrical items:
  • Low wattage electrical items which can be plugged into an electrical outlet - for example cameras or laptops.
  • High wattage appliances which plug into an electrical outlet - for example hair straighteners and clothes irons.
  • USB devices which connect to a USB port - for example phones.
• Should you only have to take just USB powered devices to Costa Rica then a simple travel USB wall charger is ideal because you will only need to pack one charger whilst leaving your domestic chargers at home.
• Travel power strips are built for powering and converting voltage for several low wattage devices of any voltage, but unsuitable for high wattage appliances (such as hair straighteners) that need voltage conversion, potentially overloading it.

Will your devices and appliances work with 120 volt power outlets?

• Costa Rica uses 120 volts, if you travel from a country that doesn't use 120 volts and you're not using a dual voltage appliance (how to tell) then you'll either need to bring a bulky power converter or a lighter power strip with a built in power converter.
• It might be more expensive buying a voltage converter than bringing a dedicated dual voltage travel appliance (for example a dual voltage clothes iron, hair dryer, hair straighteners or curling iron for Costa Rica) which is robustly designed for travel and often includes an assortment of plug adapters.

What is your budget?

• A cheap power adapter can power one single device in Costa Rica (providing that is compatible with 120 volts or it is dual voltage) however paying a little more will allow you to charge more than one device at once and bring them to various countries.

Do you still need use your charger when returning to the UK?

• Some travel power strips and travel USB chargers might also work when you get back to the UK.

Will the area of Costa Rica you are visiting have reliable access to electricity?

• Voltage in Costa Rica could often fluctuate which can cause damage to your devices, you will need to use an adapter which has surge protection such as a travel power strip.
• Due to Costa Rica having power outages or having partial access to electricity you might find that whatever power adapter you use doesn't function anyway. Packing a portable charger or a solar backpack will prepare you for any power cuts and areas of limited electricity.  [4] [4] [16] [AD]