2000W Step-down Converter - 220V to 110V Travel Converter and Adapter for Hair Dryer Cell Phone Laptop International World Travel Plug Power Adapters US/UK/AUS/EU AC Charger Outlet

The  SyncTed  Universal Travel Adapter and Converter I received has the brand name "Bonazza" printed on it. The Amazon product title calls it a "2000W Step-down Transformer". The description section mentions 'transformer' multiple times. It even claims "AC Travel Adapters Do Not Convert Voltage, Ours Do! SyncTed Universal Travel Adapter and Converter Combo, The Most Smallest & Lightest Transformer". However, this product is absolutely NOT a transformer.To actually convert a 220V AC voltage down to 110V, you need to use an AC transformer. But a transformer that can handle 2000W is bulky and weights over 20 lbs. This SyncTed/Bonazza unit weighs only 5.6 oz., so obviously it cannot contain a transformer.In ‘Converter’ mode, this product simply uses an electronic switch to 'chop' the 220V sinusoidal input voltage into smaller segments, such that the average power delivered to output load is reduced. This is the same principle used by most incandescent lamp dimmers. It works reasonably well for simple HEATING appliances, such as travel irons or hair dryers. But if you try to power an 110V-only electronic appliance through this converter, the high-voltage stress will likely cause the appliance to break down and burn out within seconds!Problem is, some appliances fall into the grey area between 'heating' and 'electronic'. For example, most people will classify a curling iron (hair straightener) as a heating appliance. Yet it contains electronic circuit and will be damaged by this converter.In ‘Adapter’ mode, this product does not perform any conversion. It simply feeds the supply (either 220V or 110V) directly to the output. That means whatever device you plug in has to be already designed to handle the supply voltage. The good news is that most portable electronics (such as chargers for cameras, cell phones, laptops, etc.) are already designed to handle universal input voltage. Check the AC adapter of your appliance to make sure. If it says "Input: 100 - 240V AC", then you don't have to use a voltage converter at all. Now you can use this product as a simple plug adapter.If all you need is a universal plug adapter set, this product will do the job. However, there are many cheaper alternatives available. For examples: Conair All-in-One Adapter with USB port Travel Smart Polarized Adapter Plug 5 Piece Set [Bottom Line]This SyncTed/Bonazza Universal Travel Adapter and Converter unit is very compact and well-made mechanically. Electrically it works no better or worse than dozens of other similar products found on Amazon. However I am appalled by its claim as a 'Transformer' which is obviously untrue. This is a blatant case of false advertisement aimed at misleading the customer. I'm sending it back for a refund.[Update on June 23, 2017]The Amazon product title has now changed to "2000W Step-down Converter". However, the product description still says: "The Most Smallest & Lightest Transformer".

If you're traveling overseas to countries with different voltages, this is the perfect take-along. It's small, compact and light in weight. In addition, it comes in a zippered case.This worked very well for us in Europe. There are differently shaped prongs for the outlets you may be using. There is a plug that is labeled 'Europe' that is different than those with country-specific labels. The 'Europe' prongs are short, round, and stubby. Their ends are rounded, too. The UK outlets use thicker, rectangular prongs that are beveled on their ends. If you're traveling to China, it's interesting to note that their prongs are the same as ours in the US. Australia's, however, are thin, rectangular prongs that are not only beveled at the top, but are placed at an angle.It's important to note that,there is a small switch that allows you to put this unit into either 'converter' or 'adapter' mode. The adapter doesn't convert voltages. The 'converter/adapter' combo is for an input of 220-240 VAC. Its output is 110-120 VAC with a maximum of 2000W. The adapter's capable of 100-240 VAC.Just plug your small appliance into one side of this small unit and then use the correct prongs for the country in which you're using it. Plug it into the outlet and proceed to use your unit.On a personal note, I used this for a US hair blower and a flat iron. I had no problems and there was no damage to my appliances.

What a GREAT device! I took this to England and Scotland with absolutely no problems. It worked like a charm. I bought it thinking I'd be bringing my hair dryer, but instead, I saved room in my luggage and used the hairdryers in each of the hotels, so I can't comment on using the hair dryer function. However, if you do, they make it very clear in the packaging to be sure you're using the proper setting on the converter for the hair dryer. All other devices use the other setting. I ended us using the converter for my laptop mostly because my laptop has several USB ports, which allowed me to charge my iPhone, my friend's Android phone, and a speaker I used for my laptop all at once. Also, I love that it's just this one converter, one item; just the one device without having to have other attachments for each country. I highly recommend it! (P.S. I was so tired when I arrived in London, flying overnight from LA, that I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong to get the device to plug into the wall, so I wrote to their customer support. I eventually figured it out when finally looking at the enclosed easy-to-follow instruction sheet, but they replied very quickly, too!) The pictures below are to let you know that if you travel to the UK, even after you plug in the converter, notice on the wall plug that you have to flip that switch to "on" as well.

Used this on a european cruise for my hair dryer and it is a good alternative to a step-down transformer. Transformers that can powe my dryer are heavy and bulky because of their design, not ideal for traveling. This converter is apparently electronic and probably does not produce an ideal 110V output. I say this because of how my dryer behaved on the trip. The dryer is unique in that it has a brush that spins. The dryer struggled with the voltage provided by the device. The blower seemed to spin slower and the brush definitely spun slower and sounded like it was struggling.I think this converter will work well for things that only use resistive heating like a curling iron. It may or may not work for things like a blower that has a fan in it. Given my experience, I think it is likely to work.