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

Type I vs. Type M

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

Comparing:
Type I
Type M
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 →
Type M →

Type M is South Africa's large-pin standard -- the 15A variant of the same BS 546 family that produces Type D at 5A. The two share a triangular 3-round-pin layout and standard lineage but use different pin sizes, so they are not physically interchangeable.

View full Type M spec sheet →

Specification Comparison Table

5 Parameters
Parameter / Spec
Type I
Type M
Pin Count
2 flat pins in an inverted V + 1 flat earth pin 3 round pins in a triangle, larger than Type D's
Rated Current
10 (15A, 20A, 25A, and 32A variants also exist) A 15 A
Rated Voltage
230 V 220-250 V
Grounded
Yes (2-pin ungrounded version also exists for double-insulated devices) Yes
Common Regions
Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, also found in India and Nepal for heavy-duty circuits

Other Alternatives to Compare

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