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

Type F (Schuko) vs. Type I

Comparing 2 standards across 5 specifications. 5 key differences identified.

Comparing:
Type F (Schuko)
Type I
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 I →

Type I, the Australian/New Zealand standard, uses two flat pins angled in a V-shape plus a flat earth pin. China and Argentina use dimensionally similar but genuinely incompatible variants -- Chinese plugs don't physically fit, and Argentine plugs fit but with reversed polarity.

View full Type I spec sheet →

Specification Comparison Table

5 Parameters
Parameter / Spec
Type F (Schuko)
Type I
Pin Count
2 round pins + 2 side grounding clips (not a third pin) 2 flat pins in an inverted V + 1 flat earth pin
Rated Current
16 A 10 (15A, 20A, 25A, and 32A variants also exist) A
Rated Voltage
250 V 230 V
Grounded
Yes Yes (2-pin ungrounded version also exists for double-insulated devices)
Common Regions
Germany, Austria, Spain, Netherlands, Scandinavia, much of Eastern Europe and Russia -- notably absent from Belgium, Czechia, Ireland, Switzerland, and the UK Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands

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 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 N → Compare Type F (Schuko) vs. Type O →