Type B Plug Adaptors
Travelling from the UK? A type B adaptor will allow you to connect your UK (type G) plugs to a type B socket.
For Use in: the USA, Canada, Central America and Japan (3 Pin earthed).
Compatibility
Compatible with: Type B sockets only.
See our full plug & socket compatibility table for further information.
You may also want to look at the type A adaptors which are an unearthed version of the type B adaptor.
Other Adaptor Types
Planning a trip to the USA, Canada, Central America or Japan? Explore our type B power adaptors below. These North American earthed plug adaptors are all compatible with UK type G plugs and will keep your devices powered and charged while you're abroad. Many include integral USB, USB-C and some have high power PD ports for laptop charging. Multiplug extension strips can also be a convenient way to connect several devices.
Countries Where Type B Plugs are Used
American Samoa, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Azores, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Japan, Laos, Liberia, Mexico, Micronesia, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Niger, Palau, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Venezuela, Virgin Islands (British) and Virgin Islands (US).
Frequently Asked Questions
Type B Travel Adaptors
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Primarily: North & Central America plus Japan.
Full list: American Samoa, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Azores, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Liberia, Mexico, Micronesia, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Niger, Palau, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Venezuela, Virgin Islands (British), Virgin Islands (US). -
A type B travel adaptor will convert your British (type G) plugs to a 3 pin (2 flat blades plus a round earth pin) configuration that will fit the type B sockets found in the USA, Canada, Central America and Japan. They do not convert the voltage or frequency of the electrical supply.
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Yes, many type B adaptors have integral USB, USB-C and sometimes PD ports. There are also dedicated type B USB charging hubs that have muliple ports, support QC 3.0 and 100 W+ PD ports can be found on some of the high end GaN models.
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Most universal adaptors are unearthed and do not have a type B plug. Earthed universal adaptors are available if required and these do have a type B plug, but they are less common.
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Yes, type A plugs (2 blade unearthed) can be safely used in type B (3 pin earthed) sockets. Modern Type B sockets (NEMA 5-15R) have tamper resistant shutters which are designed to stop foreign objects from being inserted into the live or neutral slots. A type A plug however can still be used as the shutters open when the 2 flat blades of the plug press on them simultaneously.
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Here's a picture of a Type B plug adaptor.
