In 2001, I traveled to the United Kingdom for work. I remember taking my SLR camera, and a VHS-C handy-cam. I guess I would have had a cellphone, too, but I don’t recall using it. I know I had a single, bulky power adapter from UK to New Zealand sockets.
The next time I left New Zealand, it was for Australia in 2012. Australia has the same sockets as ours, so no adapters were needed. Only in 2019, 18 years after I last required an adapter, did I travel again outside of Australasia; this time to Singapore; and Australia.
Singapore uses the same socket type as the UK, and I still had that one adapter, but in those intervening years I amassed a whole collection of gadgets that would need charging — Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro, DSLR, and probably more I am not remembering.
So began a series of attempts at finding the perfect solution for travel charging. I borrowed additional adapters from Mum (who frequently traveled in my wilderness years). I bought a multi-socket charger that included two mains sockets and two USB sockets. I got by, but these were cumbersome and required some forethought when plugging things in. Not only which device to plug into which socket, but also when, as I did not have the capability to charge everything at once.
I traveled again to Singapore in 2023, making do once more with an assortment of adapters and the multi-socket charger. Having traveled around New Zealand a bit over the last few years, I invested in some compact, dual-USB-C GAN chargers which are a decent solution, but of minimal value overseas; not least because they are 60 mm deep — they don’t fit in some hotel sockets with limited space.
Early 2025 saw a new trip planned for later in the year, to Singapore and Japan. Oh, no! The same troubles again, and another country with a different socket type! I decided there had to be a better way.
As luck would have it, I have recently been buying desk products from the company Twelve South. I’ve separately reviewed the Curve Riser and the BookArc and BookArc Flex. As a result of these purchases, and with my permission, Twelve South sends me occasional marketing emails. One of these included the PlugBug.
As best I can tell, Twelve South’s PlugBug range dates back to 2013 when they released the PlugBug World. This converted a regular MacBook Pro charger into a world-adaptable charger, while also adding an extra USB-A port for your iPhone or iPad. In 2018, they released the PlugBug Duo, which had two additional USB-A ports. The additional ports had a maximum of 12 W of charging between them.
In late 2024, Twelve South re-imagined the PlugBug. In a brand-new design, there are now four models. PlugBug 50W and PlugBug 120W are 50 and 120 W chargers for the US market. PlugBug Travel 50W and PlugBug Travel 120W are the same but world-adaptable. This family is known collectively as PlugBug with FindMy.
Wait… did you catch that name? Yes, the new products come with built-in Apple FindMy support. More on that in a bit.
The differences between the models are amply described in the names — two have world socket support and two are US-only. In each pair, there is a 50 W model and a 120 W model. This power difference also determines what you get to plug into the PlugBug.
All models have only USB-C ports with Power Delivery. The 50 W models have two ports, and the 120 W models have four. I bought the PlugBug Travel 120W.
My NZ-local GAN chargers are 65 W, but the two sockets are not equal — each can deliver 65 W if the other is not in use, but when both are in use the upper one will go to 45 W and the lower only to 20 W. This is described on the device in tiny, grey text.
The ports on the PlugBugs carry no such restrictions. You plug your devices into whichever socket you want, and the PlugBug will negotiate the power requirements based on the device’s state at that time. If you have a phone plugged in, and it reaches 80% charge, the charging will slow down. PlugBug will sense this and make more power available to other sockets.
If you have just a MacBook Pro plugged in, it can get the full 120 W. If you plug in another device, the PlugBug will share the wattage according to device negotiation. It doesn’t matter which socket you plug any device into. They can all be 120 W in isolation, or they can be many combinations. On the back of the PlugBug, the output wattages are listed as 15, 27, 36, 45, 100, and 120 W. On an FAQ on their website, they list other wattages including 20, 30, 50, and 70 W. The tiny instruction book lists a bewildering array of specifications. It all depends on the devices plugged in, but you do not need to worry about where to plug them in. Any free socket is fine.
The PlugBug Travel 120W weighs a significant 260 g (with the NZ adapter installed), and measures 104 × 60 × 30 mm. That 30 mm depth is important. Although you do need to add the depth of the power pins to get it into a socket, it does mean you’re more likely to get it plugged in behind that hotel bed or side table. With the New Zealand or US adapter attached, you’ll need only around 50 mm of space to get it in. The ports are all on the bottom, which means this depth is truly as much space as you’ll need. My NZ-only GAN chargers are 60 mm deep and then the cords come out the front, meaning you require over 100 mm of space.
The “Travel” part of the name refers to the 6 different adapters which attach to the PlugBug. These slide easily into a slot on the unit and tolerances are pretty tight, so the fit is solid. They’re just as easy to remove by pressing in a small, spring-loaded catch.
6 international adapters are supplied, although 2 of those are very similar to the others. The plugs are labeled US, CN for China, EU, KR for Korea, UK, and AU for Australasia. The US and CN ones are very similar, as are the EU and KR ones. The adapters vary considerably in size from the KR and EU ones, which add 36 mm of depth including pins, to the US and CN ones which add only 16 mm and have folding pins, for when the PlugBug is in your bag.
A country compatibility chart on the Twelve South site shows many countries against multiple adapters. In some cases, this is due to the similarity of the adapter design; in other cases, multiple socket types are present in those countries. The lists for US and CN are almost identical. In all, 179 countries, from Albania to Zimbabwe, are covered. El Salvador and St. Vincent, apparently, use all 6 types!
On the back of the device there is a small cover, under which goes a standard CR2032 battery. One is supplied already fitted, but disabled. Next to this is a small, flush button. These enable the Apple FindMy functionality. A couple of simple steps on the device enabled me to add the PlugBug to FindMy in very little time.
I’ve not yet had the chance to use it internationally, but I have used it at home and it handles well. I plugged it into a cheap power strip I have mounted vertically on a wall, making the PlugBug body stick out sideways. The 60 mm deep GAN chargers tend to pull themselves significantly out of the sockets, but the PlugBug sits snugly. Its weight does pull it slightly away on the top side, but because its centre of gravity is close to the socket, it does not feel at all insecure.
The PlugBug comes in a sturdy travel case, but this is where I think they’ve missed the mark. It is a quality case, but it’s far too large in my opinion. At 130 mm square and 85 mm tall, even with all 6 adapters loose in the case, there is a lot of spare room inside. You might not notice it in a suitcase, but in a carry-on bag, it’s going to be noticeable. I guess you could justify it by using that extra space for some cables. Then again, coiled cables can slip into the smallest of pockets in any bag.
The PlugBug 50 W models are somewhat smaller, at around 70% of the thickness and 80% in the other dimensions. It also weighs less than half, and as previously mentioned, has only two USB-C sockets. I’m not sure the 50W models make much sense in the modern age where we tend to have a proliferation of devices, but it’s difficult to argue with the diminutive size of the smaller model. With a US folding plug, I’d say it wouldn’t be out of place in a shirt pocket.
You can purchase PlugBug with FindMy from Twelve South. The US-only 50W model is USD$69.99 and the 120W model is $119.99. The travel versions of each are just $10 more.
While checking on some facts for this story, I came across a review that made an interesting point. The reviewer removed an AirTag from the bag that they now carry the PlugBug in. It won’t help you find the bag if the PlugBug is in use in a wall socket, but it’s an interesting consideration while travelling.