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

Type F (Schuko) vs. Type N

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

Comparing:
Type F (Schuko)
Type N
Type F (Schuko) →

Type F, universally called "Schuko" (German for "protective contact"), is the dominant grounded plug across continental Europe. Unlike most grounded plugs, its earth connection is made via two flat spring clips on the plug's sides rather than a third pin.

View full Type F (Schuko) 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 F (Schuko)
Type N
Pin Count
2 round pins + 2 side grounding clips (not a third pin) 3 round pins in a triangle (symmetrical layout)
Grounded
Yes Yes, both implementations
Common Regions
Germany, Austria, Spain, Netherlands, Scandinavia, much of Eastern Europe and Russia -- notably absent from Belgium, Czechia, Ireland, Switzerland, and the UK Brazil (exclusively) and South Africa (exclusively) -- used nowhere else as a primary standard
Rated Current
16 A —
Rated Voltage
250 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 F (Schuko) vs. Type A → Compare Type F (Schuko) vs. Type B → Compare Type F (Schuko) vs. Type C → Compare Type F (Schuko) vs. Type D → Compare Type F (Schuko) vs. Type E → Compare Type F (Schuko) vs. Type G → Compare Type F (Schuko) vs. Type H → Compare Type F (Schuko) vs. Type I → Compare Type F (Schuko) vs. Type J → Compare Type F (Schuko) vs. Type K → Compare Type F (Schuko) vs. Type L → Compare Type F (Schuko) vs. Type M → Compare Type F (Schuko) vs. Type O →