Why are there so many different plugs and sockets?

The reason for this is historical:

Electricity was first introduced to households at the end of the 19th century where it was mostly used for lighting. For decades devices had to be patched directly into a house’s wiring. However, with the increasing spread of labour-saving electro-domestic appliances in the early 20th century, manufacturers needed to find other means to connect them to the electricity supply: in each country they developed their own plugs and sockets. At that time, only a small percentage of people were travelling across borders and their electric devices were generally not very portable.

Early efforts to standardise the plug had trouble taking hold. World War II put a halt to all discussions and the issue was dropped until the 1950s. At that point countries had most of their infrastructure in place and vested interests were built right into our walls.

(Source: iec.ch)

Fortunately, SKROSS® travel adapters offer the perfect solution. To find the ideal adapter please have a closer look at both the plug types of your devices and the socket types that are used in your country of destination.