Type B Plug Adapters
For Use in: the USA, Canada, Central America and Japan (3 Pin grounded).
Compatibility
Compatible with: Type B outlets only.
See our full plug & outlet compatibility table for further information.
You may also want to look at the type A adapters which are an ungrounded version of the type B adapter.
Other Adapter Types
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 Adapters
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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 adapter is a device for converting electrical plugs to a 3 prong (2 flat prongs plus a round ground prong) configuration that will fit the type B outlets found in the USA, Canada, Central America and Japan. They do not convert the voltage or frequency of the electrical supply. American travelers do not need these as they use type A / B plugs domestically.
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Most universal adapters are ungrounded and do not have a type B plug. Grounded universal adapters 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 prong ungrounded) can be safely used in type B (3 pin grounded) outlets. 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 prongs of the plug press on them simultaneously.
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Here's a picture of a Type B plug adapter.
