Wired updates best travel adapters guide for 2025
Wired has refreshed its annual roundup of top travel adapters, incorporating new tests and recommendations for global charging needs. The update, published in October 2025, highlights compact, high-wattage options suitable for over 200 countries. Additions include a trackable charger from Twelve South and honorable mentions for several brands.
Travelers often face the challenge of incompatible plugs abroad, making reliable adapters essential for keeping devices powered. In its updated guide from October 2025, Wired emphasizes adapters that combine universal plug compatibility with built-in USB ports for efficient charging. The review, based on extensive testing by contributor Simon Hill, evaluates devices for durability, charging speeds, and safety features during trips and home simulations in the UK using US and EU outlets.
The top pick remains the Ceptics GaN 70W Universal Travel Adapter, priced at $45 on Amazon. It features a slider design for EU, UK, and US plugs, rotatable pins for Australia and China, covering more than 200 countries. "I love how securely the plugs lock into place, with a button you press to slide them back," Hill writes. It includes a retractable 25-inch USB-C cable, one USB-C port, and two USB-A ports, delivering up to 70 watts total, though it lacks grounding and advises against use with devices having a third metal ground pin. Overload protection comes via a 10-amp fuse with a spare.
For a more compact option, the Tessan GaN Universal Travel Adapter at $43 serves as runner-up, with two USB-C and two USB-A ports up to 65 watts. Budget-conscious users may prefer the Ceptics 6 in 1 Worldwide Travel Adapter for $19, offering three USB-C and two USB-A ports up to 30 watts across 150 countries.
Higher-power needs are met by the Arsmel VisaPro at $80, providing 170 watts for laptops via three USB-C and one USB-A port. For multiple outlets, the One Beat Travel Plug Adapter, tested in Scotland, expands one socket to three US outlets plus USB ports, grounded for safety up to 3,250 watts.
Wired also spotlights innovative additions like the Twelve South PlugBug 120, a $120 trackable charger with four USB-C ports up to 120 watts, integrated with Apple's Find My network. "If you’ve ever accidentally left a charger behind, you’ll appreciate the trackable PlugBug 120," Hill notes. Other notables include the Infinacore P3 Pro power bank-charger hybrid and Satechi's 145-watt GaN charger.
The guide advises checking device voltage compatibility (100-240V) to avoid converters and testing adapters pre-travel. It covers 15 global plug types, warning that universal models may not suit places like India or Israel without specific adapters.