Electrical plugs in Italy

I recommend to search forum first.

Example:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/travel-plugs-for-italy

Italy used to have two types of three pronged sockets (for different current levels) but is migrating to the German Schuko socket. So usually you find both. If you have a type C adaptor (the one you use for pretty much anywhere in Europe) you will be fine for small appliances.

As said above, I have had no trouble using the adapters I use in the rest of Europe.

I was in the Aosta region hiking in September and the Type C plugs wouldn’t work. Same thing in Geneva. I had done my research and went there assuming that the Type C would suffice. Luckily the hotel had lots of adapters that we were able to borrow

Everything you ever wanted to know about plugs and sockets (receptacles) worldwide.

Most of continental Europe (exc. Switzerland and Italy) uses either the French, type E, or the German, type F, Schuko style plugs. Both are grounding and have 4.8mm (approx. 3/16th inch) diam. pins on 19mm (¾ inch) centers. They differ only in their grounding means. Today, both type E/F plugs and sockets employ both grounding means and are interchangeable. The sockets are on circuits rated for 16 amp.

Switzerland and Italy both have sockets and plugs rated for 10 amps with 4.0mm (approx. 5/32nds inch) diam. pins. The pins for the 16 amp Schuko style type E/F plugs will not go into the 4.0mm diam. Swiss and Italian sockets.

In addition, there is the two pin, non-grounding, type C plug. It has two configurations. The type C Europlug has two 4.0mm diam. pins on 19mm centers, and fits in all Schuko style and Swiss/Italian sockets. It's non-grounding and only rated for 2½ amps (not suitable for hair dryers). There is also a 16 amp type C plug, with 4.8mm pins. Usually, the 16 amp plug is only hardwired on an appliance approved by TÜV for a non-grounding plug.

Most two pin adapters sold today use the type C Europlug configuration and fit in sockets all over continental Europe.

There are some "Schuko-only" 2 pin adapters with 4.8mm pins. They will work in most European countries but not in Italy or Switzerland. I have seen some of these adapters sold in the US (e.g., Ace hardware) and labeled "No. Europe". That's probably what Arnold had.

Same thing in Geneva

Type C plug works in Switzerland, and Italy. Litereally every single mobile phone charger sold in Switzerland has a type C plug, and it is ithe same in Italy.

If your "type C" adaptor did not fit, then it was not a type C adaptor.

Well, WengenK, it was probably technically not a C adapter. Adopters are apparently not standardized. It did have a 2 pin European plug end, but the pins were large. That's acceptable for a plug; adapters are in a gray area, regulatorywise.

There are two version of type C plugs. One (CEE 7/16) has 4.0mm (5/32") pins and is rated for only 2½a. The other (CEE 7/17) has 4.8mm (3/16") pins and is rated for 10a or 16a. Since they are 2 pin, i.e., non-grounding, the CEE 7/17 plugs are hard wired on an appliance specifically rated for this purpose (probably double insulated).

Unfortunately, adapters do not seem to fall in any specific country's regulations, since they are sold in the US for non-US use. I'm constantly seeing adapters sold on Amazon with two pins (non-grounding) but the US side accepts a three prong grounding plug. The socket for the US grounding pin is obviously not connected to anything. Shouldn't be allowed. Or, I'm seeing two pin to 2 blade US polarized (one blade wider) adapters, but except for Switzerland, European power is not specifically polarized. In Switzerland it is, but since the adapter can be inserted two ways, polarization is not assured. 50% of the time it's going to be unsafe.

And so it goes with "C" adapters. I don't think there should be a high amperage (4.8mm pins) C adapters, but I have seen two pin adapters with 4.8mm pins (I have no idea why) sold over her and labeled "Northern Europe". They will fit in the Schuko sockets in Northern Europe, but not in the Swiss and Italian sockets. I can't see where making them with larger pins and labeling them "Northern Europe" serves any regulatory purpose, but they do exist.

And, BTW, UK adapters with plastic pins to open the contact shutters (i.e., not grounding) but accepting a three prong US grounding plug, should also not be allowed.

the 2 round prongs that much of Europe uses

Angie, Europe uses a non-grounding plug with only two round pins only for low amperage (<2½ amps) lamps and on appliance specifically designed for non-grounded use.

Most plugs ARE grounded. The German grounding plugs uses two clips on the side of the plug to ground it. The French grounding plug uses a pin protruding from the socket for grounding. The Italian and Swiss plugs use a third pin between the normal two pins for grounding; the Italian grounding pin is inline with the other two; the Swiss pin is offset to one side.

Except for lamps and USB power supplies, I would say that most Italian plugs have third, grounding pins.

Unfortunately, adapters do not seem to fall in any specific country's regulations, since they are sold in the US for non-US use. I'm constantly seeing adapters sold on Amazon with two pins (non-grounding) but the US side accepts a three prong grounding plug. The socket for the US grounding pin is obviously not connected to anything. Shouldn't be allowed.

There actually is a British standard for travel adapters to be used in the UK: BS8546. In particular all travel adaptors must be earthed efficiently throughout if an earthed product can be plugged into it and all live ports must be shielded with shutters that can’t open if only one plug pin is pushed into it. Also they must be rated >5A and have an appropriate fuse.

Problem is it cannot be enforced on sales outside the UK and Amazon and others still sell many shonky non compliant ones. This is why I suggest people coming to Britain get them here or from a British supplier.

@Marco,
thanks for the info. Do you believe the Great Britain Electrical Adapter sold in the RS store is fused and has shutters in the US side blade slots? Rick's store conveniently doesn't show the US side of the UK adapter, so we can't see if it accepts a US three prong plug. It shouldn't since the UK plug side has a plastic pin to open the shutters, which, since it isn't metal, can't provide grounding.

I looked on Amazon.co.uk, and the UK (plug) to US adapters are fused. It doesn't say if there are shutters for the US blade slots, but the adapters are thick enough that they might.

BTW, UK power IS polarized so it is possible for a polarized two blade receptacle for US plugs to be properly polarized. (But then, if it's a two bladed plug, without a grounding pin, how could it open the shutters?)

I can't see any certification of the RS adapter to the British Standard from the picture or a fuse compartment since the back appears to be perfectly smooth. Pictures can be deceptive though.

There have been cases where uncertified adapters have been sold on amazon.com but not on amazon.co.uk. They might be perfectly legal to sell in some other countries with similar plug/socket characteristics, say Hong Kong, but not in Britain.

They do turn up from time to time in the UK and if seen by Trading Standards get withdrawn. Example notices:

https://www.gov.uk/product-safety-alerts-reports-recalls/product-safety-report-keagar-pack-of-2-uk-plug-adapters-sold-via-amazon-and-ebay-2405-0088

https://www.gov.uk/product-safety-alerts-reports-recalls/product-safety-report-international-travel-adaptor-2308-0011

cases where uncertified adapters have been sold on amazon.com but not
on amazon.co.uk.

Actually, you have to tell amazon.co.uk where you want your product sent. If you give it a postal code in the UK, it looks like all of the adapter meet UK standards (although I couldn't tell about shuttered slots). When I used amazon.co.uk but said to send it to the US, they showed some adapters without fuses or with 13a fuses. I didn't see any with plastic grounding prongs or US ends with just two polarized slots (good). Again, I could not tell if the powered slots had shutters.

the question was about Italian plugs, wasn't it?

the question was about Italian plugs, wasn't it?

Gosh, Nigel, you are so perceptive.

But then it morphed into the question about why type C adapters might not work in Italy ("Will the typical 2-prong European plug work in these outlets?" was part of the original question).

And from there it got to the question of if adapters sold on Amazon would be legal in European countries (they're not). I don't think even some of the adapters sold on this website would legally meet the standard in some of the counties we take them to.