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

Type J vs. Type K

Comparing 2 standards across 5 specifications. 3 key differences identified.

Comparing:
Type J
Type K

Type J is Switzerland's own standard -- three round pins in a small hexagonal-bodied plug, in 10A and 16A variants. Its design directly influenced Brazil's and South Africa's later Type N standards, though reversed polarity during adaptation broke compatibility with its own descendants.

View full Type J spec sheet →

Type K is Denmark's standard -- two round power pins plus a separate round earth pin mounted on the plug, offset from center. Used exclusively in Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands; EU accession has allowed Schuko (Type F) sockets in Danish homes since the early 1990s.

View full Type K spec sheet →

Specification Comparison Table

5 Parameters
Parameter / Spec
Pin Count
3 round pins in a triangle, smaller than Type D/M; hexagonal plug body 2 round power pins + 1 round/D-shaped earth pin (on the plug)
Rated Current
10 or 16 A 16 A
Rated Voltage
250 V 250 V
Grounded
Yes Yes
Common Regions
Switzerland, Liechtenstein only Denmark, Greenland, Faroe Islands (exhaustive -- not used elsewhere)