If you’re traveling to Europe, Asia or another international destination outside of the Americas, you’ll probably need a travel power adapter to charge your phone, laptop and other essentials. It’s an essential piece of travel gear.
But you don’t have to break the bank. In the past, I’ve shown you my favorite power adapter for Europe — the Foval European Plug Adapter — a great option if you need to charge multiple devices in Europe. At the same time, it’s a relatively large adapter that might not work for everyone, especially light packers.
Enter the Epicka Universal Travel Adapter. This is the smallest power adapter I’ve ever tested, and it works in most countries. Plus, it has important features like over-voltage and overheating protection — and it costs just $10 on Amazon.
Let’s take a look at this international power adapter and why you might want to buy one for your next international vacation.
This tiny power adapter converts one US-style plug to a European, UK, Australian, Chinese or other plug style. It'll fit in any travel backpack or day pack to keep you charged when you're traveling abroad.
How I found the Epicka Mini Universal Travel Adapter
I travel to Europe a lot to visit friends and family — and as a tech fanatic, I need to keep my devices powered up. I already keep a Foval European Travel Plug Adapter and a Satechi GaN Travel Charger in my travel backpack but wanted something small and inexpensive that I could use as a backup or lend to my travel companions. The Epicka Mini Univeral Adapter checked both boxes.
I found the device on Amazon when searching for European power adapters under $15. This was one of the first options that popped up — and it’s an Amazon Choice product — so I added it to my cart and purchased it before a long weekend in Europe over the summer.
Why the Epicka Mini Universal Travel Adapter is a score
At just $10 on Amazon, it’s hard to find a cheaper European power adapter from a reputable brand. It isn’t packed with features — for example, no USB port — but performs well for its intended purpose: letting you use a US plug abroad.
The Epicka Mini Univeral Adapter works with European, UK, Japanese, Australian and Chinese plug types, as well as in countries that also use these standards. Simply plug the device into an outlet, plug your US-style accessory into the output port and you’re charging. I had no issues using it with my MacBook Pro, iPhone and other common chargers.
This travel power adapter is an excellent choice for light packers, too. Again, it’s the smallest power adapter I’ve ever tested, coming in at less than half the size of my MacBook Pro’s included power adapter. You can throw it in your backpack and forget about it until your next trip.
I travel with lots of gadgets, so it’s the perfect backup option for me. But for those who travel with only a smartphone and a tablet, this could be the only travel power adapter you need for charging a single device overnight or while you work at a cafe. Rest assured that your devices are safe when using this adapter too as it has over-current and over-voltage protection.
But before you buy, remember that this device is only a power adapter, not a voltage converter. Don’t use this for hair dryers or other high-power devices only rated for 110V. It can only be used with devices that support 220V+ voltage, like most laptop and phone chargers.
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