Twelve South’s late-2011 PlugBug was a nifty little power adapter. Originally launched as an accessory for MacBooks at a time when iPad-friendly 2.1-Amp USB ports were just beginning to appear in Apple laptops, PlugBug added one such port to any MacBook’s wall charger — handy for quickly recharging any Apple tablet, or a lower-powered device if you needed it. PlugBug could also be used on its own, if you just wanted a 2.1-Amp charger with a slightly different form factor, or paired with Apple’s own 10W and 12W USB Power Adapters to double the number of USB ports. But until the release of PlugBug World ($45), PlugBug was only useful in countries with American-styled wall blades.
The newer model changes that.
Once again, PlugBug World adds a 2.1-Amp USB charging port onto any MacBook, 10W iPad or 12W iPad power adapter, matching their thickness and style, albeit with glossy red plastic rather than white. PlugBug World is a little taller than PlugBug, but otherwise very similarly designed. Although Apple’s 12W iPad adapters offered more powerful 2.4-Amp output for faster recharging of power-hungry third- and fourth-generation iPads, newer (and older) iPad models are virtually indifferent to that added power, so PlugBug World’s lack of 2.4-Amp support won’t be a dealbreaker for most users. The port is also capable of supplying enough juice for the latest iPhones, as well as every USB-powered iPod.
This version’s trick is the addition of five different international wall plugs that can be used when traveling.
A standard US/Canada/Japan plug allows PlugBug World to operate like a slightly larger version of the original PlugBug, while three-blade UK/Hong Kong/Singapore, two-tube Continental Europe, diagonal-blade Australia/N.Z., and straight-blade China AC adapters attach and detach as needed. Functionally, PlugBug World worked like a charm during a test trip abroad to Spain, properly charging independently and when connected to a MagSafe 2 Power Adapter.
If there’s any negative about PlugBug World’s design, it’s a fairly common one for international adapters: the plugs are all large and non-collapsable. Thanks to a carrying bag that’s included to hold all of the parts, you can carry whichever you need to reduce space, but they’re each pretty beefy.
