If you are planning to travel to Europe, it is good to know if you will need an adapter, which is an inexpensive addition to your electrical outlet, or a transformer (also known as a converter) for electrical outlets.
Most of Scandinavia uses 220 volts. Electrical plugs in Finland look like two round prongs. You can use either the Europlug Type C ungrounded or the Schukoplug Type E / F grounded. Your device determines whether you will need a simple form adapter or an electrical transformer.
If you plug it in, and the electrical current is too much for your device, it could fry your device’s components and render it unusable.
How do you know which plug you need?
It is not too difficult to find out what kind of plug adapter or converter you need for electrical outlets in Finland. For example, if you plan to charge your laptop, most laptops can accept up to 220 volts. In the US, the current coming out of our electrical outlets is 110 volts, although your laptop and cell phones can generally handle twice that input of electricity.
To know for sure if your electrical device can accept 220 volts, check the back of your laptop (or any electrical device for power input markings). If the label near the power cord of the appliance says 100-240V or 50-60 Hz, then it is safe to use. If it’s good, then all you will need is to reshape your existing power plug to fit a Finnish outlet. A simple plug adapter is relatively inexpensive.
If the label near the power cord does not say that your device can go up to 220 volts, then you will need a “step-down transformer,” also called a converter.
Converter versus an adapter
A converter will reduce the 220 volts from the outlet to provide only 110 volts for the device. Due to the complexity of the converters and the simplicity of the adapters, expect to see a significant price difference between the two. Converters are considerably more expensive.
Converters have many more components that are used to change the electricity running through them. Adapters have nothing special in them, just a group of conductors that connect one end to the other to conduct electricity.
If you bring small appliances, be careful. These are the devices that may not be able to handle the high power input. The shape adapter may not be enough. While basically all personal electronics in recent years will accept both voltages, some older and smaller appliances will not work on the strongest 220 volts in Europe.
Where to get converters and adapters
Converters and adapters can be purchased in the US, online, or in electronic stores, and can be packed in your luggage. Or, you can find them at the airport in Finland, as well as in electronics stores, souvenir shops, and bookstores there.
Advice on hair dryers
Do not plan to bring any type of hair dryer to Finland. Its power consumption is extremely high and it can only be combined with correct power converters that allow you to use them with Finnish plugs. Instead, check with your Finnish hotel if they will provide them, or it might even be cheaper to buy one after you arrive in Finland.
