Travel adapter for Singapore

Since its independence in 1965, Singapore has developed a booming economy, specialising in foreign exchange, finance and casino gambling. In addition, Singapore harbour is home to one of the worlds busiest container ports and the country has become a shipping hub.

Add to that Singapore's huge and growing tourism industry, attracting over 17 million visitors annually. That’s three times the country's population!

All these travelers have one thing in common. They all need to charge their mobiles and tablets, either for work or taking those all important holiday snaps. To do this, many will need a travel adapter.

British influence

Along with Malta, Cyprus and others, the British occupied Singapore until its independence and still uses many of the systems introduced during that period.

Singapore also adopted the power supply voltage and frequency from the UK, at 220V and 50Hz. This means that if you come from a country that uses the lower range of voltages from 110 to 27V, then you must check if the item is compatible before plugging it in.

For example, the plugs and sockets used are type G, the same 3 pin connection used in the UK. If your home country does not use type G plugs, then you will need a travel adapter for Singapore.

 

Plug type in Singapore

Type G plug type is specific and does not share any compatibility with other plug and socket types around the world. For this reason, it is essential you take a travel adapter with you when visiting from countries with a different system.

The plug has 3 pins formed in a triangle pattern. The lower horizontal flat pins are the positive and neutral connections while the third pin at the top of the triangle is the earth connection.
The socket design is also unique because it features a safety gate. The earth pin is slightly longer than the live pins and on entering the socket it operates a lever that lifts gates covering the live connections. This simple device prevents anyone from sticking something in the live connection. Ingenious really!

Voltage in Singapore and power adapters

As mentioned, the voltage in Singapore is 220V so if your home country voltage is lower you need to be careful.

Many items these days are dual or multi voltage, so you can use them all over the world, but how do you tell?

A dual-voltage device will have a simple switch you move to the correct voltage range, either 110V-127V or 220V-240V. To use the device in Singapore, make sure you select 220/240V.

A multi-voltage device is even simpler. Either on the item or in the manual, there will be a statement that reads, “INPUT: 110V-240V”. If you see this, then the device can just be plugged in with an adapter if required.

If you item has neither of these and it has single voltage input in the 110V-127V, then do not plug it in without an adapter. They higher voltage will damage the item and it could even be dangerous.

USB connections are different because they always supply 5Vdc, regardless of where you are. This makes a travel adapter with multiple USB connections a great travel companion!

For a more in-depth look at this, look at our article about dual-voltage and multi-voltage devices.

Travel adapter for Singapore

The SublimeWare multi-country travel adapter is perfect for Singapore. It will adapt from many types of plug to the type G used in Singapore and it offers 4 USB connections.

Instead of carrying several USB chargers, taking a single travel adapter with multiple USB connections saves space and weight.