Plug In Anything, Anywhere: Matador Global Travel Adapter Review

I had no shortage of things to stress over as my Virgin Atlantic flight began its descent into Queenstown, New Zealand. For starters, I gambled on exchanging no currency before leaving the States, and the only credit card I had was a Discover — which is about as widely accepted as spitting in your palm before a handshake.

Then, as I deplaned and stepped into the terminal, a kind, yet oddly threatening, voice reiterated over the loudspeakers that if I had any uncontrolled substances — including so much as old trail dirt on my hiking shoes — I needed to fess up right now, or face the customs agency’s consequences. Did I pack any livestock???

All this swirled through my head as I hauled my luggage toward the dreaded X-ray machine that would decide my fate. But when I looked down at my phone and saw 2% on a nearly empty battery icon, I didn’t feel even a little bite of anxiety. Power was one thing I was not stressing over because I had a Global Travel Adapter designed to plug in almost anywhere around the world.

The Matador Global Travel Adapter breaks new ground for the fast-and-light travel brand. Since making electronics brings challenges that packs, apparel, and toiletries do not, I brought it Down Under to see if it could keep a charge for my phone, laptop, Kindle, and more.

In short: Compared to competitors that utilize a variety of swappable, external prongs, Matador streamlines the approach with a singular cube and retractable prongs. It has a simple yet versatile interface that takes on all my electronics with ports to spare. For the price, it’s a very attractive travel accessory for globetrotters, but it has a few design cues that could be improved in version 2.0.

Looking for power you can take anywhere? Check out our guide to the Best Power Stations.

Matador Global Travel Adapter Design Review

Where It Works and How

Broadly speaking, there are two main types of travel power adapters: those with swappable external prongs and those with internal prongs that deploy via a trigger or slide. Matador’s Global Travel Adapter falls in the latter category.

The adapter has three sets of prongs, each toggled with its own slider tab. Each tab is labeled with a corresponding region where you can use it — “EU” (European Union), “UK,” and “USA/AUS” for North America and Oceanic countries. However, the adapter will work in far more destinations than those four regions. According to Matador’s comprehensive list, the Travel Adapter works in more than 170 countries around the world.

When deployed, these prongs lock into place. A large button on the side of the adapter releases the lock to retract the prongs.

Unlike other adapters I’ve seen, Matador consolidates space by integrating the “USA” and “AUS” prongs into the same hardware. Where the U.S. uses two flat, vertically oriented prongs, Australia (and New Zealand, China, etc.) uses the same prongs, only canted at a 45-degree angle. To accommodate both, Matador made this set of prongs movable, such that the user physically twists them into the correct position when deployed.

Inputs

For inputs, the adapter has three USB-A slots and two USB-C slots. One of those is a dynamic “PD35” port. This means the port can deliver up to 35 W of power and will take priority over the other USB ports. It ensures fast charging for devices like laptops and phones.

On the back, the Global Travel Adapter has a universal AC port to accept virtually any electrical cord.

As a bonus, the adapter includes a spare fuse in the event you fry the first one (avoid devices that make things hot: hair dryers, curling irons, and heat guns). The fuses both live in a small removable side panel that can be accessed by hand.

Matador Global Travel Adapter Review

I’m lucky my international test for this adapter took place in New Zealand since it allowed me to try out the manual USA-AUS adjustment. Even though it seems a little strange to physically twist the prongs, this worked just fine. They’re easy enough to turn but not loose. Though they don’t lock into one configuration or another, the prongs will stay put once adjusted.

Over the course of 16 days, I used the adapter to charge my phone, laptop, Kindle, Bluetooth headphones, and other miscellaneous devices as necessary.

I used all the USB-A, USB-C, and AC ports. Overall, everything worked perfectly as advertised, though there are some potential areas of improvement. There are also areas where Matador’s Travel Adapter really outshines its competition.

Minor Issues

Functionally, there was nothing wrong with this product. But as with anything, there are some design choices and use cases where things do not work totally in concert. Not only did New Zealand provide a good opportunity to test the twistable prongs, but the Kiwi outlets also possess a unique feature that revealed a potential area for improvement on this adapter.

Many outlets — especially those in homes — have a safety power switch on them. This is a simple up-down thumb switch that makes the outlet either “hot” or inert. This switch sits just above the outlet itself.

Unfortunately, the size of the Matador adapter — coupled with the fact that the AUS prongs are on the bottom, leaving lots of surface area near the top — meant that the adapter sometimes hit the switch as I plugged it in.

I discovered this when I quickly plugged in my phone before bed and awoke to a nearly dead battery. This isn’t a fatal flaw; the adapter will work. You just have to be mindful that you don’t accidentally switch off outlets like this.

Additionally, while I appreciate the adapter’s small form factor, I would like to see the USB-A ports located on the top, not the bottom. As most outlets sit near the bottom of a wall, it’s all but impossible to see the USB-A ports when the adapter is plugged in. I had to remove the adapter from the wall to use these ports. Or, I’d plug cords into the adapter before plugging it into the wall.

A final, very small issue: To access the fuse panel, you will need a stout, pointy tool. I was unable to pry the panel off with my fingers, but a pocket knife or pen would do the trick.

Final Thoughts: Why It’s a Winner

For me, the issues above were minor. The peace of mind that this one device could keep me powered up Down Under — and just about anywhere a connecting flight could be waylaid — made the Matador Global Travel Adapter a winner. It fit in my carry-on backpack and was never a burden to tote from point A to point B.

In the past, I’ve used “universal adapters” that shat the proverbial bed in short order. The market is flooded with sub-$25 options and those that boast features like internal charging capacity.

However, with electronics, a device needs to be simple, or expensive (if it’s complex). Don’t trust doodads that purport to do it all and cost less than pair of socks. Matador’s adapter leans toward the simple end of that spectrum, and at $36, it only costs a little more than no-name alternatives.

What’s more, if you accidentally fry it by plugging it into a high-power AC device (NO HAIRDRYERS), you have a backup fuse to keep the juice flowing.

International travel comes with enough uncertainty (that’s the fun!). So, keeping reliable power on hand relieves a major stress point. For globetrotters, the Matador Global Travel Adapter is simple, easy to use, versatile, very portable, and affordable.