Momox 205W 9-in-1 universal travel adapter

pros and cons

Pros

• Masses of power and ports for all your charging needs
• Plugs compatible in 200+ countries
• Comes with a 140W cable.

Cons

• Heavy
• Doesn’t convert voltages.

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Over the past twenty years, the sheer amount of stuff we own that needs charging has absolutely exploded. Remember the good old days when a humble 1A USB-C charger was all you needed? Yeah, those days are long gone. Now, if you don’t have a charging station that looks like it could power the Enterprise or the TARDIS, are you even living in the 21st century?

And let’s face it, if your setup doesn’t include at least one port capable of pushing out 140W, you’re basically living in the technological Stone Age.

Also: This $5 USB-C connector solved my biggest problem with charging phones and laptops

But even if you’re sorted at home, you still need a plan for when you’re traveling. Finally, I’ve found a no-compromise universal travel charger that delivers a massive 205W of power through its array of ports — the Momox 205W 9-in-1 universal travel adapter.

Who needs this?

So, let’s clear up some confusion about what makes universal travel chargers universal. It’s all about the prongs that connect to the AC outlet. This unit has prongs — Type A, Type I, Type G, and Type C plugs, for you technical types — that will work in outlets in over 180 countries. So whether you’re at home in the US, or in the UK, EU, China, Japan, Australia, or smaller countries in between, you’re good to go.

Also, it can accept pretty much any AC plug in existence through its wildly complicated-looking outlet. There’s also a second Type-A (North/Central America and Japan) socket on the side, so you can actually attach a second mains device to it.

Some travel adapters I’ve come across seem pretty sketchy, but not this one; otherwise, I wouldn’t be recommending it! This adapter even includes safety shutters over the outlets, preventing curious kids or careless adults from sticking fingers or metal objects into them. It’s a great feature, especially since many universal adapters I’ve used in the past don’t bother including this important safety measure.

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But — there’s always a “but,” isn’t there — just because it can fit into outlets across the globe and connect to anything, keep in mind that this travel adapter doesn’t convert voltages. Since about one-third of the world uses 110-120V (which is what your devices are used to in the US), and the remaining two-thirds use a higher 220-240V standard, your device may not be compatible with the voltage in your destination country. 

My advice here? If you’re in doubt, check.

The good news is that a lot of modern gadgets and gizmos can handle whatever they’re given. If you see something like “100-240V” or “110-240V” on the device, you’re good to go wherever you are. 

Can something be too powerful?

As for how much AC load the adapter can handle, it’s rated for up to 2,500W, so pretty much anything, except heaters and heavy white goods, will be fine. And just in case you plug something too spicy into the AC outlet, there’s a built-in 10A fuse, along with a spare. That’s right — it’s prepared for your mistakes. That said, I’ve used these universal travel adapters a lot, and I’ve never blown a fuse!

In addition to AC sockets and plugs, this universal travel adapter also features USB ports. A lot of USB ports. There are six USB-C ports (three on the front and three on the bottom), along with a USB-A port on the bottom. 

I really like having USB ports both on the front and bottom (or top, depending on the socket you’re plugging into; most outside the UK don’t care about orientation anyway) because sometimes there’s a desk or countertop in the way, so having options is always good.

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And you get a 140W USB-C cable and a nylon carry pouch to keep everything together so you don’t lose it. 

Two of the ports are good for 140W when used singly, and even with every USB port in use, you’ve got one capable of 100W, which is pretty impressive for any charger, let alone a travel charger.  

Note that it is a big unit, measuring 3.9 x 2.1 x 2.1 inches, and weighing 11 ounces (although for comparison, Apple’s single-port 140W charger weighs 12 ounces). Yes, it’s quite a brick, and might not be for you if you’re going on adventures where weight is a concern. But it’s really well-made. All the sliders for the different prongs are smooth, and the crazy-looking AC outlet works great.

ZDNET’s buying advice

I took the Momox 205W 9-in-1 universal travel adapter with me on a quick trip to Spain after some extensive testing in my home country, and it performed flawlessly. No matter whether I had earbuds connected to it, or a bunch of big things like laptops and drones. 

You can currently pick up this 205W travel adapter for $129 (Amazon is running limited time 19% off deal, slashing the usual $160 price). Not cheap, but again, Apple’s 140W charger is $99, and that’s just a single-port unit, and here you get so much more. And if a 205W charger really is overkill for you, then Momax has a range, including 170W, 140W, 120W, 100W, or 70W.