Charging the iPad Air 2 when planning a trip to Cuba

Instructions showing you how to recharge your iPad Air 2 with a Cuban power outlet using a USB Lightning Apple cable and a 3 pin Type B USB charger, powering an iPad Air 2 using a Type A USB plug and recharging an iPad Air 2 using a Type C Europlug power adapter

Cuban power outlet

Varying different region codes and voltages can all lead to confusion when planning to stay in another country for the first time traveller. This guide has been written to stop you worrying if you'll be able to charge your iPad Air 2 when staying abroad.The following guide tells you exactly what you'll need to charge the iPad Air 2 when you're travelling to Cuba using the Type C, A or B Cuban 110 volt 60Hz plug outlets, Type C plug outlets will be used by a majority of Cubans. Power sockets change depending on which region you are visiting therefore please read the World power supplies page for a complete list of regions and countries. If the iPad Air 2 doesn't power up or recharges slowly when visiting Cuba from a different country then check that it is compatible with a 110 volt power supply. Devices which originated from another country which use a higher voltage such as 240 volts either take longer to charge or won't turn on, so check the device is dual voltage (you'll find these are normally marked with 100-240 volts) otherwise you may need to use an additional transformer to ensure proper use. These instructions assume that you are running Apple iOS 7 or greater on an iPad Air 2.

Charging an iPad Air 2 in Cuba

Can you use an iPad Air 2 in Cuba?

You can use an iPad Air 2 in Cuba by using a power adaptor.

What is the best power adapter for an iPad Air 2 in Cuba?

When travelling with more than just your iPad Air 2 and visiting more than one country then the best travel charger for Cuba to buy is a multiple USB adapter which includes compatible plugs like a 4 port USB travel charger. Cubans use three different standards of wall outlets (types C, A and B) and using a travel adapter like this will ensure that you are covered for both types A and C. Because these types of chargers are supplied with interchangeable plugs and handle from 100 to 240 volts it makes them ideal for over 100 countries in Asia, North America, Europe and Africa simply by changing the included plugs over. If your type of iPad Air 2 is compatible with Fast Charge then you'll benefit from much quicker recharging times with one of these USB power adapters along with compatibility with more power demanding devices like tablets. This means you can charge more than one device at once without needing to bring seperate travel chargers on your Cuban trip or using up additional power sockets. Only bringing a single international travel charger will keep the size down, making it ideal to fold up and store in hand baggage as well as being convenient for charging your iPad Air 2 at the airport or on your flight. Because of their versatility these types of chargers can be used when back at home as well as abroad so when you’re not on holiday they can be used under your bedside table charging multiple phones and tablets without needing an additional plug socket.

We recommend searching for a versatile power adapter like this at your preferred electronics retailer. The multipurpose power charger illustrated below is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been successfully tested for powering multiple USB devices in numerous different countries around the world.

Alternative travel adapter for Cuba

The 4 port USB travel charger is the most compact option for travellers from any country who only have USB devices such as the iPad Air 2, however for visitors also wishing to use their domestic plugs these power adapters provide larger but more versatile solutions. All three power adapters offer surge protection which is useful when visiting regions with unreliable or unstable power grids. These power converters come with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs which cover Europe, North America, Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, China and over 150 countries around the world:

  • BESTEK Portable International Travel Voltage Converter - The BESTEK international travel adaptor has 4 USB charging ports with 3 AC power outlets and is the most popular portable option for travellers originating from America going to Cuba using 3 pin type B plug sockets.
  • ORICO Traveling Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip - Likewise having 4 USB ports but only 2 AC power outlets the Orico is also aimed at travellers from the US using type B plugs. This is a cheaper alternative to the BESTEK with just one less AC outlet at almost half the price.
  • BESTEK International USB Travel Power Strip - This power strip has just 2 AC outlets but offers a more flexible 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 Cuba. [10] [AD]
What is the best power adapter for an iPad Air 2 in Cuba?

Charging an iPad Air 2 from a Cuban power outlet by using a two pinned Type A USB adapter

Using the USB Lightning Apple cable and a Type A USB charger to charge your iPad Air 2 with a Cuban power outlet.

  1. To charge an iPad Air 2 from a Cuban power outlet you'll need to buy a Type A USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5], the cable is normally already included with the device by Apple.
  2. Start by taking the Type A USB power plug adapter and plugging it into the Cuban power outlet. The wall outlet, sometimes called the Type A power outlet [3], can be recognised by the two slots adjacent to each other where the live and neutral pins slide into.
  3. Plug in one end of the USB power cable into the USB charger and the other end into the Lightning connector on an iPad Air 2. The iPad Air 2 lightning connector is found at the base of the iPad Air 2.
  4. Turn on the Cuban power outlet.
  5. The battery icon that you'll find in the top right hand corner of your iPad Air 2 screen will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPad Air 2 is powering up and takes around one to four hours to fully recharge to full capacity. [AD]
Charging an iPad Air 2 from a Cuban power outlet by using a two pinned Type A USB adapter

How to use a Type B power charger for charging your iPad Air 2 from a Cuban power outlet

Instructions showing you how to recharge your iPad Air 2 with a Cuban power outlet using a USB Lightning Apple cable and a 3 pin Type B USB charger.

  1. If you want to power an iPad Air 2 from a Cuban power outlet you'll need a Type B USB power plug adapter [7] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5], Apple typically supply the cable with the iPad Air 2.
  2. Start by taking the Type B USB power plug adapter and plugging it in the Cuban power outlet. You can identify the power supply by the two slots next to each other for live and neutral blades with a hole below for the slightly long grounded pin.
  3. Plug in one end of the Apple Lightning power cable into the bottom of the USB power adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on an iPad Air 2. The iPad Air 2 lightning connector is situated at the base of the iPad Air 2.
  4. Turn on the Cuban power outlet.
  5. The battery icon that appears in the top right corner of the tablet will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPad Air 2 is charging which should take between 60 to 240 minutes to completely recharge. [AD]
How to use a Type B power charger for charging your iPad Air 2 from a Cuban power outlet

Charging an iPad Air 2 from a Cuban power outlet by using a two pinned Europlug Type C USB adapter

Using the USB Lightning Apple connector with a Type C Europlug power charger to charge your iPad Air 2 with a Cuban power outlet.

  1. To charge an iPad Air 2 from a Cuban power outlet you'll need to buy a Type C USB power plug adapter [9] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5], the cable is normally already included with the device by Apple.
  2. Start by inserting the Type C USB power plug adapter into the Cuban power outlet. You can identify the wall outlet by the two holes adjacent to each other for live and neutral.
  3. Plug in one end of the USB power cable into the bottom of the USB charger and the other end into the Lightning connector on an iPad Air 2. The iPad Air 2 lightning connector is found at the base of the iPad Air 2.
  4. Turn on the Cuban power outlet.
  5. The battery icon that you'll find in the top right hand corner of your iPad will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPad Air 2 is powering up and takes around 60 to 240 minutes to fully recharge to full capacity. [AD]
Charging an iPad Air 2 from a Cuban power outlet by using a two pinned Europlug Type C USB adapter

See also

  1. Wikipedia - Wikipedia.org web page about Cuba
  2. Apple - official iPad 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. iec.ch - Type C power outlet
  9. Type C USB power plug adapter - Conforming to Europlug specifications, the Type C USB power plug adapter incorporates two 4 mm rounded pins spaced 19 mm apart. It is engineered to adapt electrical outlets commonly found in Europe, converting them to USB-compatible charging ports..
  10. 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..