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

Type M vs. Type N

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

Comparing:
Type M
Type N
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 →
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 M
Type N
Pin Count
3 round pins in a triangle, larger than Type D's 3 round pins in a triangle (symmetrical layout)
Grounded
Yes Yes, both implementations
Common Regions
South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, also found in India and Nepal for heavy-duty circuits Brazil (exclusively) and South Africa (exclusively) -- used nowhere else as a primary standard
Rated Current
15 A —
Rated Voltage
220-250 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 M vs. Type A → Compare Type M vs. Type B → Compare Type M vs. Type C → Compare Type M vs. Type D → Compare Type M vs. Type E → Compare Type M vs. Type F (Schuko) → Compare Type M vs. Type G → Compare Type M vs. Type H → Compare Type M vs. Type I → Compare Type M vs. Type J → Compare Type M vs. Type K → Compare Type M vs. Type L → Compare Type M vs. Type O →