Voltage matters: Laptops, Clippers, etc.?

Hey everyone, another newbie question for ya...

I'm in the dark, so to speak, about matters of voltage and electrical appliances.

I already have a plug adapter, so no problems there. But I just learned that there may be voltage issues with some stuff that I want to bring:

1) The first is a laptop, which I haven't bought yet. Do you know what laptops are "China-compatible", or what I should be considering here?

2) My hair clippers, which I routinely use to sport a closely-cropped look. These are 120 volts. Will these work in China?

Apparently I may need to buy a "voltage converter"?

You guys must get these questions all the time, so I greatly appreciate your help...

Cheers,
James

Your laptop cprd should have one of those little boxes that takes care of volateg for you. Shouldn't be an issue.

I think China has 110V, so a little less should be ok. The only problem my neighbours have with their clippers is the Americans pins have one shorter and one longer so it won't fit in the plug. You can always buy clippers here, but the ones the found aren't as powerful.

NO NO NO NO! China is 220V!!!!

Yes, that is what I thought old34.  You got it answered quicker than I did.  Definitely 220v.

Lin
Soon back in Zhaoqing, Guangdong.
Next Friday the 28th in fact.

Your laptop cprd should have one of those little boxes that takes care of volateg for you. Shouldn't be an issue.

I think China has 110V, so a little less should be ok. The only problem my neighbours have with their clippers is the Americans pins have one shorter and one longer so it won't fit in the plug. You can always buy clippers here, but the ones the found aren't as powerful.

Hopefully my plug adapter will take care of that (if I'm understanding you right). Good to know that you can buy clippers there, though. Surely won't be as powerful as my Wahl, of course

Looks like I'll have to buy a voltage converter from Home Hardware. I don't suppose they are as easy to come by over there.

Cheers,
James

Laptops and a bunch of other electronics typically have a power adapter.  Check the specs on that.  Most can handle 110/220 V and 50/60 HZ.  If so, you just need a plug adapter.  If not, you need a voltage adapter.

My 110 V USA laptop was quite happy running on 220 v in China with a plug adapter.

Never had a problem with my laptop in China--there's usually an outlet to accommodate the US plug. Clippers is another story--killed the charger about a month after I arrived (might've been a power surge though). Invest in a good surge protector when you arrive, but still don't trust it too much.

China is 220 V, 50Hz.
You can change the voltage but not the frequency, so a few things like some TVs and video equipment made for the American market won't work in China no matter what you do.

A lot of equipment- including most AC adapters for laptops- will work on a variety of different AC inputs. Just check the voltage ratings on your devices.

With a lot of stuff- personal care devices like hair dryers and so on- it probably makes a lot more sense to just buy them in China (they're generally very cheap) than it does to haul them over and depend on voltage regulators...

One thing that might make sense, though, is a set of plug adapters. China's outlets are far from uniform, and some things like American directional 2-prong plugs (ie the ones where one prong is wider than the other) won't work well in Chinese sockets.

....And don't make the mistake of assuming a plug adaptor will handle the voltage issue, too...no matter what your local Radio Shack salesman tells you.

One couple here barbecued their ported-from-home DVD machine on their first night in China, and swore that their Radio Shack salesman had told them that the plug adaptor he sold them "would work in China for their DVD machine".

As Raoul said, buy your small appliances here. Or buy a voltage adaptor when you get here. Electronics are sold everywhere.

Something else, too. Don't bother getting a plug adaptor at all. 80% of the world's appliances are made here (I exaggerate only a little) and the factory rejects, third-shift production, and outright copies are all produced with every conceivable plug configuration...so the domestic market has adaptors and power strips that can handle every conceivable plug configuration. and they're sold evrywhere and even in the local larger supermarkets.

Wait 'til you get here and see what you need. The closest that Radio Shack salesman has come to China is the Chinese take-out in the shop next door. And they're on 110V.

Never had a problem with my laptop in China--there's usually an outlet to accommodate the US plug. Clippers is another story--killed the charger about a month after I arrived (might've been a power surge though). Invest in a good surge protector when you arrive, but still don't trust it too much.

ahhh. interesting. this may explain how ive cooked 3 htc chargers that i bought in hk and the uk recently.  they just got hot and stopped working, one gave off a little puff of smoke. i know diddly about frequency n all, but perhaps thats what the problem was. or a power surge.

got two laptops that seem to function alright but then the adapters are a bit heftier than the phone chargers.

P.S. Re: another thread on Tech Talk....all Wii Consoles are built to run on, and only have, a 110V power cord. If you're bringing a Wii here to China, the first thing you do before you plug it in is go to a local Game Shop and buy a special Wii power adaptor that will handle 220V. A good one runs around 100 RMB. If you buy your Wii here, they'll know its 110V and will sell/throw into the deal a 220 adaptor.

China is 220 V, 50Hz.
You can change the voltage but not the frequency, so a few things like some TVs and video equipment made for the American market won't work in China no matter what you do.

A lot of equipment- including most AC adapters for laptops- will work on a variety of different AC inputs. Just check the voltage ratings on your devices.

With a lot of stuff- personal care devices like hair dryers and so on- it probably makes a lot more sense to just buy them in China (they're generally very cheap) than it does to haul them over and depend on voltage regulators...

One thing that might make sense, though, is a set of plug adapters. China's outlets are far from uniform, and some things like American directional 2-prong plugs (ie the ones where one prong is wider than the other) won't work well in Chinese sockets.

Thanks Raoul. Just wondering, about the set of plug adapters, is there any kind that you would recommend? Because It seems like some of these adapter sets are mostly geared towards European types and what-not. I don't know that any of them are necessarily Chinese.

I bought a set of plug adapters before leaving the USA 6 years ago.  I've never needed it.  Why?  Extension cords are sold everywhere, as old34 said, and they fit everything.  My laptop purchased in the USA won't plug directly into the wall sockets, but I just use an extension cord and the plug fits in it.  As others have said, the laptop has the voltage converter built in.  The chargers for phones purchased in Hong Kong also don't plug directly into the walls in China, but fit the extension cords.

If you are going to a small city and you MUST have your clippers from home, best to buy a converter before you come.  They won't be available in the boonies.  I'll echo what the others said and recommend buying small electrical appliances once you arrive.  They aren't cost prohibitive and then you don't have to worry about suitcase space (better to bring books  ) or conversion once you arrive.

Extension cords are sold everywhere,

Ruth means extension cords with powerboards attached.

Jimi,
I think about any plug adapters will be fine. Unlike voltage regulators, they aren't doing anything fancy. Radio Shack should have them, as should the travel sections (look for the luggage) in department stores and discount stores.

I agree with the ever-wise Old34 in that a lot of Chinese power strips etc. are very accommodating in taking a wide variety of plugs. However, I did occasionally have problems with American directional plugs there (I use an American-made CPAP machine for sleep apnea, every night of my life...). The wider American pin is sometimes too wide for the Chinese socket holes.   If nothing else, a few adapters that would convert US-type directional plugs into plain flat parallel blades might come in handy.

You do see a variety, but most Chinese plugs/sockets fall into two types:

2 parallel flat pins  | |
or
3 flat pins in a triangular pattern   |
                                             /  \