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Holidaymakers from the UK planning trips abroad this summer have been cautioned about the risks of using unsafe travel adaptors. An investigation carried out by the consumer safety organization Electrical Safety First (ESF) revealed that thousands of dangerous adaptors remain available for purchase online. The group tested 14 different products sourced from AliExpress, Amazon Marketplace, eBay, and TikTok Shop, and found that every single item failed to meet the safety standards required in the UK.
ESF’s findings highlighted that some of these adaptors could present a serious risk of electric shock or even electrocution. In response, the major online retailers involved confirmed they had removed the flagged products from their platforms, emphasizing that product safety remains a key priority for them. Nevertheless, ESF’s product safety engineer, Giuseppe Capanna, urged consumers to exercise caution, advising those travelling abroad this summer to carefully consider where they buy their travel adaptors. He warned that what seems to be a bargain online could potentially come at a very high personal cost. Capanna stressed the importance of purchasing adaptors from trusted retailers to ensure safety and peace of mind during travel.
The investigation examined six standard travel adaptors and eight universal adaptors suspected of safety shortcomings. According to UK regulations, adaptors must not expose live electrical parts to users, and only one set of pins should be extendable at a time. However, testing revealed that in six of the eight universal adaptors, multiple sets of pins could be extended simultaneously, which is a significant safety hazard. Additionally, none of these universal adaptors met the required mechanical strength and size standards; during testing, some pins even broke off under pressure. ESF warned that attempting to remove a broken pin trapped inside a socket could lead to electric shock.
Concerns were also raised about fire safety among the six basic travel adaptors tested. These units showed faults such as missing safety shutters (which prevent accidental contact with live internal components), missing fuses, and oversized pin holes. The UK’s Office for Product Safety and Standards has issued warnings about such risks, recently ordering the recall of a universal travel adaptor lacking safety shutters and rejecting another for import due to fire risk linked to non-compliance with UK plug dimensions. Online reviews on some of these products further highlighted the dangers, including one Amazon Marketplace review where a user reported an adaptor falling apart mid-use, narrowly avoiding electrocution. The platforms involved reiterated their commitment to safety, stating they remove unsafe items and continually improve detection processes. Despite these measures, ESF believes more stringent government action is necessary, calling for online marketplaces to be held legally accountable for unsafe products sold on their sites in order to better protect consumers from hazardous electrical goods
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