Charging your iPhone 5C from a power outlet in Costa Rica

Using the Apple USB Lightning connector with a two pin Type A power adapter to recharge your iPhone 5C with a Costa Rican power outlet and how to charge the iPhone 5C using a 3 pin Type B USB plug.

Costa Rican power outlet

If you are packing for a holiday to Costa Rica it can be helpful to know in advance if you can use any important gadgets that you are bringing with you. However by not knowing which power supply is used you could end up either having to bring too many adaptors or bring the wrong power charger, thereby leaving you needing to buy or borrow a suitable adaptor when you need to recharge which might be incompatible. Various combinations of standards and voltages can all be daunting when planning on visiting another country especially if you've never been there before. However this isn't as complex as it appears, with only a handful of different types of common standards being used throughout the world this guide tells you exactly what you'll need to buy in advance to charge the iPhone 5C . This guide has been written to prevent travellers worrying if they'll be able to power their iPhone 5C abroad.If staying in Costa Rica the following useful instructions show how to power your iPhone 5C by using their standard Type B or A 120 volt 60Hz wall outlets, a majority of Costa Ricans will use Type B plugs in their wall outlets. If the iPhone 5C charges slowly or does not power up when you are visiting Costa Rica from another country please 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 your iPhone 5C is dual-voltage (normally marked with 100-240 volts) else you may need to use an additional power converter to ensure proper use. These instructions assume that you are running Apple iOS 7 or greater on the iPhone 5C.

Charging the iPhone 5C in Costa Rica

Can you use the iPhone 5C in Costa Rica?

You can use the iPhone 5C in Costa Rica.

What is the best travel charger for recharging the iPhone 5C in Costa Rica?

If travelling to more than one country or bringing more than just your iPhone 5C then the best travel adapter for Costa Rica is a multiple USB port charger which includes swappable plugs such as a 4 port USB travel charger. There are two standards of wall outlets that Costa Ricans use (types B and A) and using a travel adapter like this ensures that you are covered for type A.

Because these types of chargers are supplied with interchangeable pins and can handle 100 volts to 240 volts will mean you can travel to multiple countries in Europe, Asia, North America and Africa simply by changing the included plugs over. If your type of iPhone 5C supports Fast Charge (not all USB devices will) then you'll benefit from faster charging times by using one of these types of travel chargers along with compatibility with certain power demanding devices like tablets. Unlike other travel adapters having a four port adapter means you can recharge multiple devices at the same time without needing to buy seperate travel chargers on your Costa Rican trip. By only needing a single USB travel charger will keep the size and weight down, making it perfect to fold up in hand baggage. Because of their flexibility these types of power adapters can be used back at home so when you’re not travelling they can sit under your bedside table charging multiple phones and tablets without needing an additional wall outlet.

For those travelling to different destinations we recommend buying a versatile power adapter like this at your preferred electronics retailer - the travel charger illustrated here is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been tested successfully with multiple USB devices in numerous different 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 any country who only have USB devices such as the iPhone 5C, however for visitors also wishing to use their domestic plugs these power converters provide larger but more versatile solutions. All 3 power strips offer surge protection which can be useful for visitors of counties with unstable power supplies to prevent damage to any connected appliances. These travel adapters come with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs which cover Europe, 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 best selling compact option for travellers originating from North America visiting Costa Rica using type B American plug sockets.
  • ORICO Traveling Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip - Also having 4 USB ports but only 2 AC power outlets the travel adapter from Orico is also aimed at travellers from the US using type B plugs. This gives practically the same set of features as the BESTEK with 1 less AC outlet for almost half the price.
  • BESTEK International USB Travel Power Strip - This power strip has 2 AC outlets but offers 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 ideal for most travellers from around the world visiting Costa Rica. [8] [AD]
What is the best travel charger for recharging the iPhone 5C in Costa Rica?

How to use a Type A power charger for charging your iPhone 5C from a Costa Rican power outlet

Using the Apple USB Lightning connector with a two pin Type A power adapter to recharge your iPhone 5C with a Costa Rican power outlet.

  1. In order to supply power to the iPhone 5C from a Costa Rican power outlet you'll need a Type A USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (usually included with the device by Apple).
  2. Start by plugging the Type A USB power plug adapter into the wall supply. You can identify this plug supply by the 2 thin slots next to each other where the twin pins sit.
  3. Connect the USB end of the USB to Apple Lightning cable into the USB mains charger and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 5C. The iPhone 5C Lightning connector can be found at bottom of the iPhone 5C under the home button.
  4. Turn on the Costa Rican power outlet.
  5. The battery icon that you'll find in the top right hand corner of your mobile will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPhone is charging, typically taking between 1 to 4 hours to recharge to 100% capacity. [AD]
How to use a Type A power charger for charging your iPhone 5C from a Costa Rican power outlet

Charging the iPhone 5C from a Costa Rican power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type B USB adapter

Instructions on how to power the iPhone 5C from a Costa Rican power outlet by using the USB Lightning Apple cable and a Type B USB adapter.

  1. If you want to supply power to the iPhone 5C using a Costa Rican power outlet you'll need a Type B USB power plug adapter [7] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (usually supplied with the device by Apple).
  2. Insert the Type B USB power plug adapter into the power supply. The wall outlet (called the Type B power outlet [6]) is identified by 2 thin slots next to each other for live and neutral blades with a single hole below for the earth pin.
  3. Connect one end of the Apple Lightning cable into the bottom of the mains power adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 5C. The iPhone 5C Lightning connector can be found at bottom of your iPhone 5C under the home button.
  4. Switch on the Costa Rican power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which appears in the top right corner of your iPhone 5C screen will display a charging icon to indicate that the mobile is powering up and takes around 60 to 240 minutes to fully recharge. [AD]
Charging the iPhone 5C from a Costa Rican power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type B USB adapter

See also

  1. Wikipedia - Costa Rica Wikipedia 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..