REVIEWED: Evo Global Travel Adapter
At just 49g, this ultra-thin universal adapter is the world’s smallest, but it’s only for smartphones and tablets
The trouble with universal travel adaptors is their bulky size. Not so the Evo Global Travel Adapter, easily the smallest around thanks to an ingenious design that sees it weighs just 49g and easily fit into a small pocket.
Evo Global Travel Adapter: design
Made from PC94V0 plastic that’s super-light, the Indigogo-funded Evo weighs just 49g. That’s so, so much less than the standard 200f, fist-sized travel adaptors we’re all used to. However, the Evo is only for those traveling with a smartphone and/or tablet. It has two USB slots, both capable of sending 2.4V to gadgets. Which means they’re OK for use with a tablet as well as phones. Evo is usable in 150 countries thanks to an ingenious design that cuts out the need for a permanent third pin required in the UK.
Evo Global Travel Adapter: features
Hiding the UK third pin is arguably Evo’s genius. Here’s how Evo works. A slider on one side pops-out pins that make it work in the US and, when manually angled, Australia, while on the other a slider sees two pins emerge for Europe. So what about the UK’s three-pin socket? Cue a small pin that pops-out the side, which can be manually attached on the Evo’s roof to convert Europe to UK. That’s clever, though it could prove easy to lose.
Evo Global Travel Adapter: performance
In use, the Evo proved so easy to travel with. It’s perfect for slinging in a work bag as well as a travel bag, and it’s so small that you could actually put it in a jacket pocket. If its ultra-thin size is great, know that it’s perhaps only for short trips since you’re not going to be able to use it to charge-up a camera, laptop, or anything else of a decent size and power. This is for phones and tablets only … and perhaps a Bluetooth speaker. In practice, that pop-out UK third pin is genius, but it is small, and we’re fearful of losing it long-term.
However, at least for now it brings incredible versatility for anyone traveling globally with basic gadgets – and it’s ideal for a couple traveling only with phones.
Price as reviewed: US$34.00
Buy the Evo Global Travel Adapter