If you plan to go to another country and you are a type of person who depends largely on electronic or electric devices, then you need to get acquainted with the voltage differences as you might need to take a voltage transformer or converter with you. To make it clearer, the transformer and the converter do basically the same job which allows appliances and electronic devices to be used where the voltage supplied by the wall outlet is different from the voltage for which the appliance was built. However, there is a difference in the way both of the devices achieve this and it is about the way they handle the sine wave when converting the voltage.
The voltage converter simply chops the sine wave in half and it is appropriate for electric appliances like heating elements in hair dryers and clothes irons. It can only step down (decrease) the voltage so you can use one when the electricity supplied by the outlet is higher (220-240 volts) than the voltage required by the appliance (110-120 volts).
On the other hand, voltage transformers output a modified sine wave rather than just chopping the sine wave in half. As it is a more complicated process, more materials are required. Hence, the voltage transformers are much larger, heavier and cost a little bit more. They consist of a big hunk of iron wrapped in copper wire on the inside. The more wattage it needs to handle, the more metal the job requires. They can be used with any kind of device or appliance including electronic circuits and chips. Additionally, they can be left plugged in and turned on indefinitely.
What is important to remember is that all devices can work with a transformer but not all of them can work with a converter (like those that need full sine waves). So, when in doubt, opt for a transformer. The thing that can make your decision easier is to choose whether you need to step up (increase) or step down (decrease) the voltage. Hence, if the outlet's voltage is higher (220-240 volts) and the appliance's voltage is lower (110-120 volts) then you need to step down the voltage. If you have a situation where the outlet's voltage is lower and the appliance's voltage is higher than you need to step it up.
Another thing you need to have in mind while deciding to buy a voltage transformer or a converter is to check if your electrical appliances are single voltage or double voltage. This means to check whether they can run on both 110-120 and 220-240 volts or only on 110-120 volts. Also, you need to buy a converter or transformer which offers 3X the maximum power handling capacity that you think you will need. The extra power won't cause any damage to the devices whereas not enough power won't be able to run the devices.
Finally, there are different types of transformers based on how much wattage they can support. Oftentimes the wattage requirements are not listed on the manufacturer's label, you can calculate it by yourself simply by multiplying the voltage by the amperage rating (e.g. 230V x 2A = 460 W). Also, you must make sure the wattage rating of the transformer is larger than the wattage rating of the appliance to be plugged into it.
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