What does a US plug look like?

Sometimes you write articles for your own benefit. Because here I am, in Las Vegas for the world’s biggest technology show, with a bag full of European plug adapters, having packed entirely the wrong set. So – for future me’s benefit as well as yours – what does a US plug look like and how does it differ from a European plug?

The US plug

Here’s a picture of a US plug adapter.

It has prongs, unlike the circular prongs that are used by European plugs.

By the way, don’t panic if you see sparks when you put a US plug into the socket. It’s unnerving at first, as you rarely see it on UK sockets, but it’s entirely common when using a US plug socket.

The European plug

For reference, here’s what a European plug looks like:

As you can see, the prongs are more rounded than the US plug.

Hopefully, that will stop you from making the same mistake I did on your foreign trips!

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Barry Collins

Barry has 25 years of experience working on national newspapers, websites and magazines. He was editor of PC Pro and is co-editor and co-owner of BigTechQuestion.com. He has published a number of articles on TechFinitive covering data, innovation and cybersecurity.