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

Type J vs. Type N

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

Comparing:
Type J
Type N
Type J →

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 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 J
Type N
Pin Count
3 round pins in a triangle, smaller than Type D/M; hexagonal plug body 3 round pins in a triangle (symmetrical layout)
Grounded
Yes Yes, both implementations
Common Regions
Switzerland, Liechtenstein only Brazil (exclusively) and South Africa (exclusively) -- used nowhere else as a primary standard
Rated Current
10 or 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 J vs. Type A → Compare Type J vs. Type B → Compare Type J vs. Type C → Compare Type J vs. Type D → Compare Type J vs. Type E → Compare Type J vs. Type F (Schuko) → Compare Type J vs. Type G → Compare Type J vs. Type H → Compare Type J vs. Type I → Compare Type J vs. Type K → Compare Type J vs. Type L → Compare Type J vs. Type M → Compare Type J vs. Type O →