We often find that people are unsure of the difference between mains power cables, or what the IEC standards are. To put it simply, the standards define the mechanical, electrical and thermal requirements and safety requirements of power couplers. There are 12 IEC connectors by shape; each has a different name for the Male or Female side. For example C7 is male and C8 is female, but both have the same shape connector. Below you can find a list of the IEC connectors we supply, and a diagram of each.

C5 / C6

Widely used for laptop power supplies, also known as the Clover connector. The C5 connector is typically found on power cables; the C6 connector is the inlet typically found on devices and power supplied.

C7 / C8

Also known as the “Figure-8” connector, very widely used on an array of devices such as TVs, Blu-ray players, and laptop chargers. This is polarised. There is an un-polarised version of the C7 that has a flat edge on one side of the figure-8 shape. The C7 connector is typically used on a mains cable; the C8 connector is used on the device / power supply.

C13 / C14

Very widely used for computers, monitors and older laptop power supplies. The IEC C13 connector is typically used on standard mains cables; the C14 connector is used on devices, power supplies and IEC extension cables.

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