Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

UK to Europe USB plug adapter: check the pins, not voltage

Updated: October 2026

You are packing for France, Spain or Germany, and the listing says UK to Europe with USB. The hard part is which pins stick out, and whether a British 13 A plug has anywhere to go. Continental Europe runs at about 230 V and 50 Hz, the same band as UK mains, so a phone does not need a voltage converter. In our [USB plug adapter comparison](/hub/sockets-and-extension-leads/usb-plug-adapter) the travel row is the DAYEFORUN two-pack, and that file does not agree with itself. The Products Compared editorial team wrote this on 16 October 2026 from that amazon.co.uk listing and from Electrical Safety First. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are packing for France, Spain or Germany, and the listing says UK to Europe with USB. The hard part is which pins stick out, and whether a British 13 A plug has anywhere to go.

Our top picks

LENCENT LENCENT double with USB

Best overall

LENCENT LENCENT double with USB
9.4/10about £11.89
View offer
DAYEFORUN DAYEFORUN Europe two-pack

Alternative

DAYEFORUN DAYEFORUN Europe two-pack
9.4/10about £14.88
View offer
Rekavin Rekavin 20 W USB-C

Best value

Rekavin Rekavin 20 W USB-C
8.8/10about £6.37
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Voltage is not the hard part
  2. 2.Two directions share one kind of title
  3. 3.What this folder’s travel row actually says
  4. 4.What a travel adaptor still will not do

Voltage is not the hard part

Electrical Safety First’s travel advice puts Europe at 230 V and 50 Hz. A UK phone charger already expects that supply. A voltage converter for a handset adds weight and solves a problem this trip does not have. What changes is the socket: round pins in much of France, Spain and Germany, not the three rectangular pins of a Type G plug. The same advice says a travel adaptor sold in the UK should meet BS 8546. None of the twelve listings prints that number. Check the adaptor’s own current limit before you attach a hairdryer or a kettle. Open the pin photo before you pay.

Two directions share one kind of title

UK to Europe means you are plugging into a European socket. The pins that enter the wall should be the European pattern. Europe to UK is the opposite: a visitor adaptor so a European plug can use a British socket. A visitor adaptor will not help in a French hotel. A European USB block with no 13 A hole will charge a phone and will refuse a UK hairdryer plug. If two round pins stick out, the body is aimed at a European socket. If three rectangular pins stick out, it is aimed at a British socket. The Republic of Ireland uses the same plug as the UK, so it is not this two-pin job. A British bedroom plug is chosen on the USB plug adapter buying guide.
LENCENT LENCENT double with USB

Testsieger

LENCENT LENCENT double with USB
9.4/10about £11.89
View offer

What this folder’s travel row actually says

DAYEFORUN B0FTT17KGH is a two-pack at £14.88, 4.7 from 113 ratings. The input line is 230 V AC. The attribute line says Type G. A bullet claims a 10 A fuse. BS 8546 and BS 1362 are not printed. The UK reviews do not describe one object. One says it is an EU USB charger and will not take a 13 A plug. Another describes a UK outlet. Holiday texts say it charged phones from USB and fitted European sockets on a trip to Germany. Those comments do not settle the pin direction. Pack it only after you have seen the pins you need. It gets quite hot after a short time, and a bright blue light disturbed sleep. For a UK bedside charger with an agreed Type G line, use best USB charger plug UK.

What a travel adaptor still will not do

BS 8546:2016+A1:2018 is the British specification for travel adaptors compatible with the UK plug and socket system. Naming it is not a certificate, and a 10 A fuse bullet is not that standard. Electrical Safety First notes that some adaptors suit only double-insulated equipment, because they have no earth. A phone charger is usually double-insulated. A hairdryer that expects an earth is a different question. No listing states an IP rating, so a hotel bathroom is not a rated place for this two-pack. A CE claim is not BS 8546. If the adaptor sparks, smells, or will not stay in the socket, unplug it.

Common questions

Which pins should stick out if I am leaving the UK?
For a socket in France, Spain or Germany, the pins that enter the wall should be the local European pattern, typically two round pins. Three rectangular Type G pins belong in a British socket. Look at the photo of the pins, not only at the words “UK to Europe” in the title.
Will this adapter take my UK hairdryer plug?
Only if the body has a BS 1363 socket and is rated for that load. On DAYEFORUN at £14.88, one UK review says there is no 13 A socket and another describes a UK outlet. This page does not choose between them. A 10 A fuse bullet is not a promise that a hairdryer is within the limit, and an unearthed adaptor is the wrong tool for an appliance that needs an earth.
Is a UK to Europe title the same as Europe to UK?
They are opposite directions. UK to Europe is what you pack for a European socket. Europe to UK lets a visitor use a British socket. Shopping grids mix the two. A visitor adaptor will sit unused in a French hotel, and a European-only USB block will not accept a British mains plug.
Does a 10 A fuse line mean BS 8546?
DAYEFORUN’s bullet claims a 10 A fuse. BS 8546 and BS 1362 are not printed on the listing. Travel adaptors sold in the UK should meet BS 8546, and a claim on a different brand is not evidence for this row. The fuse line is a bullet, not a certificate.
What if the listing says Type G and a review says there is no 13 A socket?
Leave the direction unresolved. DAYEFORUN’s attribute line says Type G, one UK review says it will not take a 13 A plug, and another describes a UK outlet. Do not average those into one product. Use it for USB abroad only after you have seen the pins.

Related pages

How to use a USB plug adapter

USB plug adapter

Best USB charger plug UK from this amazon.co.uk set

USB plug adapter UK: charger, plug-through, travel

USB plug adapter vs USB wall socket: plug or faceplate

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison, retrieved on 16 October 2026.

  1. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994, regulation 6 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. OPSS product safety report: USB magnetic display charger (2411-0030) (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. OPSS product safety report: six-port USB charger (2511-0200) (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. Electrical Safety First: USB chargers (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. Electrical Safety First: travel advice (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK: product marking, UKCA and CE (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. amazon.co.uk listing B0D95RNJQS (retrieved 16 October 2026)