How to charge the iPhone 6 Plus from a power outlet in Costa Rica

Using a Lightning cable with a Type A USB adapter to charge your iPhone 6 Plus from a Costa Rican power outlet and charging the iPhone 6 Plus using a Type B power charger.

Costa Rican power outlet

Complicated region codes and plugs can all cause confusion when planning to stay in a different country especially if you've never been there before. This isn't as complex as it appears, with only a handful of different types of plug sockets being used in the world this guide shows exactly what you'll need to purchase in advance to power the iPhone 6 Plus in Costa Rica. This page was specifically written to prevent visitors needing to worry if they can power their iPhone 6 Plus when they are travelling abroad.If you're going to Costa Rica this page has instructions showing how to power the iPhone 6 Plus using their standard types B or A Costa Rican 120 volt 60Hz power outlets, you will find most Costa Ricans will normally use Type B wall outlets. If your iPhone 6 Plus charges slowly or does not power up when you are travelling to Costa Rica from a different country check that it is compatible with a 110 volt power supply. Normally electrical devices which originated from a country which use a higher voltage such as 240 volts sometimes take longer to charge or won't turn on, check that the iPhone 6 Plus is dual-voltage (marked with 100-240 volts) otherwise you may need to use an additional power converter to ensure proper use. If you intend on staying in a city such as San José we also suggest referring to the Costa Rica Wikipedia web page [1] for more information. These instructions assume you are running Apple iOS 7 or greater on the iPhone 6 Plus.

Charging the iPhone 6 Plus in Costa Rica

Can you use the iPhone 6 Plus in Costa Rica?

Yes, you can use the iPhone 6 Plus in Costa Rica by using a power convertor.

What is the best travel adapter for recharging the iPhone 6 Plus in Costa Rica?

If travelling with more than your iPhone 6 Plus or visiting multiple countries the best travel adapter for Costa Rica to buy is a multiple USB port charger which includes swappable plugs like a 4 port USB travel charger. Costa Ricans use two different types of plug sockets (types B and A) and using a power adapter like this ensures that you are covered for type A. As these types of chargers come with interchangeable pins and handle 100 volts to 240 volts it makes them ideal for multiple countries in Asia, North America, Europe and Africa just by changing the included plugs. If your type of iPhone 6 Plus can support Fast Charge (not all USB devices will) then you'll benefit from much faster charging times with one of these USB travel adapters plus compatibility with more power hungry devices like tablets. Unlike other chargers this will also allow you to power multiple devices at once without needing to buy multiple travel chargers for your trip. Only packing a single travel charger will keep the overall size and weight down, making it ideal to store in hand baggage whilst travelling. Due to their versatility these types of power chargers can be used back at home so when you’re not on holiday they can sit under your bedside table charging multiple phones, tablets and e-readers without needing an additional wall outlet.

For those travelling regularly we recommend buying a versatile travel adapter similar to this online, the power charger illustrated here is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been tested successfully with multiple USB devices in numerous countries around the world on a daily basis.

Alternative travel adapter for Costa Rica

The 4 port USB travel charger is the most compact option for travellers from around the world who only have USB devices such as the iPhone 6 Plus, however for those also wanting to use their domestic plugs these power converters provide larger but more versatile solutions. All 3 power adapters offer surge protection which can be crucial for travellers to regions with unreliable or unstable power supplies. These travel adapters come supplied with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs covering Europe, America, Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, China and over 150 destinations:

  • BESTEK Portable International Travel Voltage Converter - The BESTEK international travel converter has 4 USB charging ports with 3 AC power outlets and is the best selling portable option for travellers originating from North America going to Costa Rica using type B American plug sockets.
  • ORICO Traveling Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip - Similarly having 4 USB ports but only 2 AC power outlets the travel adapter from Orico is also aimed at travellers from America using type B plugs. This offers practically the same functionality as the BESTEK with just one less AC outlet for almost half price.
  • BESTEK International USB Travel Power Strip - This power strip has just 2 AC outlets but offers a more generous 5 USB charging ports. This versatile power strip is compatible with both American plugs and popular plug types A, D,E/F, G, H, I, L and N making it perfect for most travellers from around the world visiting Costa Rica. [8] [AD]
What is the best travel adapter for recharging the iPhone 6 Plus in Costa Rica?

How to use a Type A power charger for recharging your iPhone 6 Plus from a Costa Rican power outlet

Using a Lightning cable with a Type A USB adapter to charge your iPhone 6 Plus from a Costa Rican power outlet.

  1. If you want to charge the iPhone 6 Plus from a Costa Rican power outlet you will need to buy a Type A USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (Apple will normally include this cable with your iPhone 6 Plus).
  2. Begin by taking the Type A USB power plug adapter and inserting it into the wall outlet. The plug supply (technically known as a Type A power outlet [3]) can be identified by the two thin adjacent slots.
  3. Connect one end of the Apple USB cord into the bottom of the mains USB charger and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 6 Plus. You can find the Lightning connector on the iPhone 6 Plus found at the bottom of your iPhone 6 Plus.
  4. Turn on the Costa Rican power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which you'll find in the top right corner of the iPhone 6 Plus will display a charge icon to indicate that the phone is charging and takes between one to four hours to recharge. [AD]
How to use a Type A power charger for recharging your iPhone 6 Plus from a Costa Rican power outlet

How to use a Type B power charger for charging your iPhone 6 Plus from a Costa Rican power outlet

Using the Apple Lightning cable with a Type B USB adapter to recharge your iPhone 6 Plus from a Costa Rican power outlet.

  1. In order to charge your iPhone 6 Plus using a Costa Rican power outlet you will need to buy a Type B USB power plug adapter [7] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (normally supplied with the iPhone 6 Plus).
  2. First plug the Type B USB power plug adapter into the Costa Rican power outlet. The plug outlet (technically known as the Type B power outlet [6]) can be identified by the two thin slots next to each other for live and neutral blades with a semicircular hole below for the ground pin.
  3. Connect one end of the Apple cable into the bottom of the mains USB charger and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 6 Plus. The iPhone 6 Plus Lightning connector can be found at bottom of the iPhone 6 Plus under the home button.
  4. Turn on the Costa Rican power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which you'll find in the top right hand corner of the iPhone screen will display a charge icon to indicate that the phone is charging and takes between one to four hours to recharge. [AD]
How to use a Type B power charger for charging your iPhone 6 Plus from a Costa Rican power outlet

See also

  1. Wikipedia - Costa Rica Wikipedia web page
  2. Apple - official iPhone user guide
  3. iec.ch - Type A power outlet
  4. Type A USB power plug adapter - With its two-blade, ungrounded design, the Type A USB power plug adapter offers a straightforward way to convert electrical outlets in countries like the United States and Canada into USB ports for easy device charging..
  5. USB to Apple Lightning cable - The Apple Lightning cable is a charging and syncing cable for more recent Apple devices and connects compatible iPhones and iPads to a USB port.
  6. iec.ch - Type B power outlet
  7. Type B USB power plug adapter - A Type B USB power plug adapter conforms to the NEMA 5-15 specifications, featuring 2 parallel flat blades and an extended grounding pin. Rated at 15A and 125 volts, suitable for use in the United States and Canada for converting domestic outlets to USB..
  8. 4 Port USB Wall Charger - A 4-port USB wall charger is an electrical device that provides simultaneous charging for up to four USB-compatible devices. It often includes interchangeable international plug adapters for global use..