See the chart above for a comparison of the best (us) and the rest (them).
As you might have heard us say elsewhere on this site, ACUPWR Tru-Watts™ international voltage converters are the best in the industry. And when we say "best," we mean the safest, most energy efficient, most reliable, most long-lasting, best-built…and, well, the list goes on.
But most expats and the typical business or leisure travelers probably don't know that. Unfortunately, most of what they’ll encounter while shopping for international power converters are inexpensive, poorly-made, Chinese models that’ll put on a fireworks display when confronted with even the slightest chance of overloading. Those are the models for sale at the “gray market” import/export electronics stores, and often what appear at the top of the page when conducting an online search. We cannot emphasize enough how unreliable – and downright dangerous – these cheap transformers can be.
Signs of Quality
There are some standout features that will distinguish an international power converter from a dangerous, poorly manufactured model. Quality models include:
- Copper wiring
- High-quality insulation
- Thermal protection
- UL approval
- U.S.-built quality
- High safety standards
- Excellent reliability
Our foreign-made competition looks and performs cheaply. They all seem to use the same black, metal box casing often adorned with (unnecessary) voltage meters, LEDs, and fancy details to make the unit appear impressive. Inside, they are hazardous, dangerous, and unreliable due to their inferior components and quality.
Bigger Is Better
Compare Chinese-made products with ACUPWR Tru-Watts™ models, and you’ll notice that our voltage transformers are visibly larger and of sturdier construction. A typical 500-watt ACUPWR step-up or step-down converter weighs roughly 10 pounds. The competition's units are pounds smaller (and that includes the added weight from the metal box in which the converter is enclosed). That’s because we build our voltage transformers with premium components, like the aforementioned copper wire and larger laminated steel cores, all of which can ably handle wattage overloads — without catching on fire.
The Wattage Difference
Furthermore, the Chinese brands offer several models with a 10,000-watt or 15,000-watt capability. We don’t know whom they have in mind who might be using 15,000 watts with a product designed for household use, but we do know that if anybody ever tried to actually use such a product at full load in a 110–120-volt situation, there would be quite the fireworks display.
If you are still unconvinced of just how large the gap in performance and quality is between cheap transformers and an ACUPWR unit, consider the following fact: while our competitors ask you to buy a transformer that’s rated at 1.5 times the wattage of the appliance you’ll be powering, ACUPWR products are built to exceed their stated wattage capacity by 20%. We don't have to tell you to buy extra wattage capacity, because our units actually work within the wattage range we specify. Just go ahead and read the reviews of brands such as Simran, Seven Seas, Goldsource, Rockstone, and others, and see the difference in quality. It ain’t pretty.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at the available voltage transformers on the market and examine their claims and flaws. Then, we’ll explain how ACUPWR Tru-Watts™ international power converters stand above our competition.
The “Competition”
SIMRAN
Made in USA: No
Made in China: Yes
Copper Wiring: No
Fuse Protection: Yes
Thermal Overload Protection: No
Requires 1.5 Times the Necessary Wattage: Yes
Heavy-Duty Construction: No
UL-Certified: No
Meets IEC Specifications: No
Unit Size Proportional with Maximum Wattage: No
Lifetime Warranty: No
Overall: Simran’s products resemble other inexpensive international power converters on the market. Reviews are uniformly negative, with stories of units catching fire even when appliances rated under the stated wattage capacity were used. These products do not meet proper safety standards, and they are shipped out without any consideration of quality or reliability.
GOLDSOURCE
Made in USA: No
Made in China: Yes
Copper Wiring: No
Fuse Protection: Yes
Thermal Overload Protection: No
Requires 1.5 Times the Necessary Wattage: Yes
Heavy-Duty Construction: No
UL-Certified: No
Meets IEC Specifications: No
Unit Size Proportional with Maximum Wattage: No
Lifetime Warranty: No
Overall: Goldsource’s voltage transformers are nearly identical to Simran’s insofar as the types of models offered and identical features. They are most likely manufactured in the same factory, using the same inferior parts and workmanship.
SEVEN STAR
Made in USA: No
Made in China: Yes
Copper Wiring: No
Fuse Protection: Yes
Thermal Overload Protection: No
Requires 1.5 Times the Necessary Wattage: Yes
Heavy-Duty Construction: No
UL-Certified: No
Meets IEC Specifications: No
Unit Size Proportional with Maximum Wattage: No
Lifetime Warranty: No
Overall: As with the other brands, Seven Star voltage transformers bear identical markings and design characteristics as some other brands mentioned here. The net result is poor quality, safety, and performance.
KRIËGER
Made in USA: No
Made in China: Yes
Copper Wiring: No
Fuse Protection: Yes
Thermal Overload Protection: No
Requires 1.5 Times the Necessary Wattage: Yes
Heavy-Duty Construction: No
UL-Certified: No
Meets IEC Specifications: No
Unit Size Proportional with Maximum Wattage: No
Lifetime Warranty: No
Overall: Getting a UL certification and “meeting” UL standards are two different things. Although Kriëger’s power converters claim to meet UL’s standards, they haven’t actually earned the certification that would allow them to put the familiar UL mark on their product. The Kriëger line uses fuse protection over thermal protection circuitry, evidence of a cheaper, less-safe product in comparison to what ACUPWR provides.
POWER BRIGHT
Made in USA: No
Made in China: Yes
Copper Wiring: No
Fuse Protection: Yes
Thermal Overload Protection: No
Requires 1.5 Times the Necessary Wattage: Yes
Heavy-Duty Construction: No
UL-Certified: No
Meets IEC Specifications: No
Unit Size Proportional with Maximum Wattage: No
Lifetime Warranty: No
Overall: One doesn’t have to look hard at a Power Bright voltage transformer to realize that its cheap packaging is the same the kind used by Seven Stars, Goldsource, Simran, LiteFuze, Cow King (yes, some are manufactured under this name), and the other usual suspects. That's certainly not a sign of a trustworthy, well-built unit.
ROCKSTONE
Made in USA: No
Made in China: Yes
Copper Wiring: No
Fuse Protection: Yes
Thermal Overload Protection: No
Requires 1.5 Times the Necessary Wattage: Yes
Heavy-Duty Construction: No
UL-Certified: No
Meets IEC Specifications: No
Unit Size Proportional with Maximum Wattage: No
Lifetime Warranty: No
Overall: Rockstone’s voltage transformers are pretty much identical to the other Chinese-made offerings. One thing to note about the brand’s 2000-watt model is its very small size — too small to satisfactorily safely handle so much wattage.
ACUPWR
Made in USA: Yes
Made in China: No
Copper Wiring: Yes
Fuse Protection: No
Thermal Overload Protection: Yes
Requires 1.5 Times the Necessary Wattage: No
Heavy-Duty Construction: Yes
UL-Certified: Yes
Meets IEC Specifications: No
Unit Size Proportional with Maximum Wattage: Yes
Lifetime Warranty: Yes
Free Plug Adaptor Included: Yes
Negative Reviews: No
Overall: ACUPWR voltage transformers and international power converters are manufactured in the United States from the finest components, including copper wiring and laminated silicone steel cores. They’re subjected to bench tests beyond their stated wattage handling capability, ensuring that they’ll operate safely and reliably without risk of fire. Unlike the foreign-built competition, our products will safely and automatically shut down when overloaded instead of breaking down and causing electrical fires.
Travel With Confidence With ACUPWR
ACUPWR is 100% confident of our products’ reliability and safety. To that end, we are the only manufacturer to offer a lifetime warranty on all our products, as well as up to $10,000 damage coverage. Despite always providing exceptional customer support – and making sure that any issue or question about an ACUPWR unit is thoroughly answered – we've never had to make good on the latter. Our heavy-duty international voltage converters provide insurmountable versatility and reliability for home, commercial, and industrial purposes. They look like the real deal, because they are.
There are plenty of generic-looking black boxes out there claiming to safely and efficiently function as voltage transformers and international power converters, but only ACUPWR can back up its claims: American-made reliability, safety, and longevity…all backed up with our industry-unique lifetime warranty.
