Customer Reviews

Kensington Travel Plug Adapter with USB Charger (33346)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

This product includes:
1 male plug adapter, which fits in any of the 4 types of supported outlet types (European, British/Asian, American/Japanese/Chinese, and Australian)
1 female outlet adapter, which accepts any of the 4 types of supported plugs
1 USB charger adapter, which can be swapped with the outlet adapter

This was the best of all the adapters I looked at, it has a simple compact design, and only three parts, two of which will usually be firmly attached to each other, so there's less to lose. Contrary to what some of the other reviews say, the USB charger WILL work with an iPod. As I write this I'm charging my 2nd gen iPod Nano with it. It's also not a voltage converter, but I think that would have added a lot of bulk, and all of the electronics I travel with are dual voltage anyway.

I would have given this 5 stars, but I've had a few minor issues with it:

1. It takes much too much force to plug in a grounded 3-prong US plug into the adapter, so much that I'm afraid I'll break it when I remove the plug. It works, but you have to force the round US ground pin into the rectangular UK ground hole, which is just slightly too small for it to fit easily. If the UK ground hole was slightly rounded or half a millimeter larger, it wouldn't have this problem.

2. You sometimes have to pull out the pins on the plug end with your fingers to get them to lock correctly. Otherwise they'll retract back into the adapter when you try to plug it in.

3. You can only awkwardly connect all three pieces together for transport, and you can't do it at all while you're using it. It would have been better if there was a slot or something where you could attach the unused part during use.

I've tried two of these travel chargers. It's a nice idea. I have some devices that can be trickle-charged by USB, so for my trip overseas I wanted to just bring one of these adapters and the device's USB cables to save space. But the USB adapter caps did not charge my cell phone (Motorola L6) or PDA (Palm TX), so I'll still have to bring the full wall adapters.

If the AC adapter cap converted voltage, it would be great, but it doesn't.

If you could plug the AC adapter cap onto one end, and the USB adapter cap on the other, you could have a nice compact one-piece unit for travel. Of course if the USB adapter cap doesn't work, what's the point?

It's still useful for its travel adapter cpabilities, but I am disappointed that it wouldn't charge any of my USB devices.

This seems well made and compact but it didn't work with my Nano. I tried it twice, and both times it didn't charge and required resetting the Nano. I'm guessing the Nano is somehow programmed to look for either an Apple charger or a computer USB port, perhaps even one with Ipod software installed. This is the second such device I've tried that wasn't Apple authorized and both had similar, but not identical problems.

It does work with my Dell Axim, though that comes with an AC charger and I didn't buy it for that. I've always had good luck with Kensington devices and if nothing else, it's still a plug adapter.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy this for a non-Apple product. And because of this Apple problem, I just bought a Sansa flash player instead of another Nano.

I recently purchased this adapter before leaving for a long trip spanning Europe, Middle East and South Asia. I was glad that the adapter fit every socket in all the hotel rooms I stayed it. It also didn't up much space in the laptop case which was a real advantage since other adapters tend to be bulky. The USB charger also helped me recharge my portable appliances without having to turn on my laptop. Its worth every cent.

Excellent compact design. You pick your countries plug type and slide out the prongs. Sure beats buying a plug adapter for every country you visit. It does not step down/up the voltage, but it's not meant to. For those that miss that, it has a fuse (and a spare fuse). The USB adapter handles 120/240, so it works everywhere. It's a bit goofy having a separate piece for USB, but with the rest being so compact I can overlook it.

Thing seems nicely made, clever design. However, you CANNOT plug in laptops with a ground pin sticking out, it won't fit. Sigh. back it goes....

I've been using this for over one year, and have been very happy with the performance. I use it to charge my iPod and electric shaver (not at the same time, of course), and it has fit fine in every outlet that I've tried.

The description says this is an "all-in-one" adapter, which is a bit of a stretch. There is the main adapter body, and two removable caps, one for regular electronic devices, and one for USB devices. You can only use one of the caps at a time, so there will be a loose cap around. It would be nice if it came with a little bag or case to keep the components together.

Please note that this DOES NOT CONVERT VOLTAGE, nor does it make any claims that it does so. Read the instructions and carefully check your electronics before leaving for your trip.

We took this adapter with us on a three week backpacking trip across Europe. It worked great! We charged digital camera batteries, an mp3 player, and an iPod Nano. We had no problems with it... (And it fit everywhere)
I would definitely recommend it...

I bought this adapter already owning one of the models that did not include a USB 2.0 interface, and loved it. I bought this because the USB attachment was too good a product to pass up, and because I needed another adapter anyway for all of my electronics.

Almost everything about this product is fantastic. The adapter is fantastically easy to use; just depress the button on the side, flick open the proper plug array, and you're golden. The adapter works on both 110/120V and 220/240V wall plugs, and so will work almost everywhere. What you have to remember, though, is that this is NOT a power converter. If it takes in 110V or 220V, it will give 110V or 220V, respectively. This is best for devices that have plug-in charging adapters already, like digital cameras, laptops, etc. Other items will not be able to function with the different voltages.

The only real complaint with this product is that for users from the States, it will not take 3-prong plugs, only 2-prong. The third prong on US plugs (the round Ground plug) will not fit in most cases, as the receptor on the adapter is built for differently-size UK plugs. I suggest buying a 3-prong to 2-prong converter, which can be found at most electronics or home improvement stores. This is not much hassle, though, and is not enough of an inconvenience to warrant not buying this product.

It wasn't clear to me when I looked at this online that you can't plug something in to the adapter, say a PC, and at the same time charge a USB. It's either/or. The two little end caps that swap out if you want to charge a USB or plug something in also have very flimsy plastic connectors that can break if not carefully packed, so I tend to bring only the plug adapter end. I saw a model in a Lufthansa in-flt magazine that had an integrated USB so you could charge both at once.