# item.guide
Side-by-Side Comparison Plug Types

Type B vs. Type N

Comparing 2 standards across 7 specifications. 7 key differences identified.

Comparing:
Type B
Type N
Type B →

Type B adds a round grounding pin to Type A's two flat blades -- NEMA 5-15, the most common outlet in North America. The ground pin is deliberately longer than the power blades, so it connects before and disconnects after them, a safety-sequencing feature shared with several other grounded plug types worldwide.

View full Type B spec sheet →
Type N →

Type N is used in two places -- Brazil and South Africa -- but they are genuinely different implementations, not one standard: Brazil's NBR 14136 uses two different pin-diameter variants and skips a shutter requirement that South Africa's SANS 164-2 (closer to the source IEC 60906-1 spec) includes.

View full Type N spec sheet →

Specification Comparison Table

7 Parameters
Parameter / Spec
Type B
Type N
Pin Count
2 flat blades + 1 round ground pin (longer than the blades) 3 round pins in a triangle (symmetrical layout)
Grounded
Yes Yes, both implementations
Common Regions
USA, Canada, Mexico, Central America, Japan (grounded appliances) Brazil (exclusively) and South Africa (exclusively) -- used nowhere else as a primary standard
Rated Current
15 A —
Rated Voltage
125 V —
Rated Current (Brazil)
— 10 or 20 (4.0mm or 4.8mm pins respectively) A
Rated Current (South Africa)
— 16 (uniform 4.5mm pins) A

Other Alternatives to Compare

Compare Type B vs. Type A → Compare Type B vs. Type C → Compare Type B vs. Type D → Compare Type B vs. Type E → Compare Type B vs. Type F (Schuko) → Compare Type B vs. Type G → Compare Type B vs. Type H → Compare Type B vs. Type I → Compare Type B vs. Type J → Compare Type B vs. Type K → Compare Type B vs. Type L → Compare Type B vs. Type M → Compare Type B vs. Type O →