A travel adapter for Brazil
Brazil is the fifth most popular tourist destination in the Americas, just below Argentina, and it’s easy to see why. A diverse culture of Europeans, Amerindian, and Africans mixed with more recent immigrants from the Middle East and Japan have given Brazil a cultural heritage to rival any other.
So, you’ve decided to visit Brazil and made loads of plans. Places to visit, events to see, learning some Portuguese language to get by. It’s all very exciting! But what about boring things like a travel adapter? If you want to keep your smartphone and camera batteries charged, a travel adapter will be invaluable.
Let’s take a look at the things you need to consider about the country's electrical system when traveling to Brazil on vacation.
Voltage in Brazil
This means that you need to be very careful before connecting your appliance to the mains system with your travel adapter. Plug a 110 V item into 127 V and you’ll probably be fine, but connect it to 220 V and it’s very likely that your item will be damaged. Brazil does not have a standard voltage across the whole of the country, which is a little odd for most of us to understand. The majority of the country’s states use 127 V but some states, generally in the northeast, use 220 V. But even this is not guaranteed and you may find both voltages in one state!
The bottom line is to ask before connecting! Every time you stop somewhere new.
Frequency in Brazil
Although the voltage can vary across the country, the frequency is always the same at 60 Hz. A different frequency is normally not an issue, but any device that incorporates a timing system may not work as expected.
Plug and socket design in Brazil
The Type N socket was also designed to be compatible with the Type C plug that is very common across Europe. All our travel adapters convert to Type C plugs and are perfect for Brazil, especially as they feature four USB connectors. Despite the voltage not being standard, Brazil has adopted a standard type N plug and socket design, which is almost exclusive to Brazil and South Africa. There are two types of plug depending on the amperage, but they look identical with two round connecting pins and an earth pin. The only difference is that the 10 amp rated plug has 4 mm pins, while the 20 amp rated plug has 4.8 mm pins.
Voltage converter for Brazil?
With two different voltages, you need to check that any item you are going to connect is compatible. Single voltage items will have to match the voltage of the supply or risk being damaged, but many items are now multi-voltage compatible. But how can you tell? Simple, just read our guide on dual and multi-voltage items.
If your item is not compatible, then you will either have to wait until you change location or use a power convertor. Note that the issue of voltage does not apply when using USB chargeable devices. It is safe to connect any USB device via your USB travel adapter in any location.
In summary
The main concern when visiting Brazil is the different voltages available. Your electrical device could very easily be damaged if you connect it to the wrong voltage, so it’s very important to check first unless you know your item is multi-voltage compatible.
The socket type is standard across the country and any Sublime Ware Multi-Country Travel Adapter will work perfectly. Each of our travel adapters has four USB connectors makes it extremely easy to recharge all your devices at once.
