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Gira Schuko vs BS 1363: which socket you are buying

Updated: 23 October 2026

You have a UK plug in one hand and a Gira listing in the other, and the pins do not describe the same object. Gira Schuko vs BS 1363 is a geometry decision first. Schuko, also called Type F, uses two round pins. BS 1363 uses three rectangular pins and a fuse in the plug. The brand on the plastic does not merge those standards. Every kept row in our amazon.co.uk set is Schuko. Gira’s catalogue still sells true UK sockets, and they were not in this extract. The six listings are on the [Gira socket comparison](/hub/sockets-and-extension-leads/gira-socket). A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a UK plug in one hand and a Gira listing in the other, and the pins do not describe the same object. Gira Schuko vs BS 1363 is a geometry decision first. Schuko, also called Type F, uses two round pins.

Our top picks

Gira Gira 445303 (glossy, shutter)

Best overall

Gira Gira 445303 (glossy, shutter)
9.0/10about £14.00
View offer
Gira Gira 044027 insert

Best value

Gira Gira 044027 insert
6.4/10about £6.99
View offer
Gira Gira 418827 (matt white)

Alternative

Gira Gira 418827 (matt white)
8.2/10about £12.94
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Two plug systems under one brand name
  2. 2.What this amazon.co.uk comparison contains
  3. 3.Current ratings, fuses, and circuits
  4. 4.Shutters are not interchangeable safety stickers
  5. 5.Which way to leave the page

Two plug systems under one brand name

A BS 1363 socket is the ordinary UK outlet: rectangular pins, a longer earth pin, and shutters that the earth pin opens. The plug carries a fuse, commonly up to 13 A. That is what BS 7671 prefers for household AC socket-outlets, which is the point the IET makes. A Schuko socket uses round pins and is rated 16 A where these listings state a current. 445303 cites DIN VDE 0620-1. That citation does not convert the outlet into BS 1363. Gira makes both. The 2776 family is a 13 A socket to BS 1363-2, with screw fixing, and numbers such as 2782 sit with it. The amazon rows are 445303, 418827, 418828, 044027, 018828, and 418327.

What this amazon.co.uk comparison contains

Every listing we kept is incompatible with a UK plug. Glossy 445303 at about £14.00 states Type F, a shutter, and Safety Plus. Matt 418827 at about £12.94 and charcoal 418828 at about £12.71 state 16 A without a shutter line. 044027 at about £6.99 is an insert, frame not included. 018828 at about £7.87 is a sparse Schuko listing. 418327 at about £15.87 puts a shutter in the title and then conflicts with its technical block. None of those pages is the 2776 datasheet. If you need rectangular pins, leave this set. If the wall is already Schuko, the best Gira socket page assigns an order number.
Gira Gira 445303 (glossy, shutter)

Testsieger

Gira Gira 445303 (glossy, shutter)
9.0/10about £14.00
View offer

Current ratings, fuses, and circuits

Sixteen amps on a Schuko listing is the rating of that outlet. It is not permission to install it on a UK ring final as an upgrade, and it does not outperform a 13 A UK socket. A UK plug fuse protects the lead. A Schuko lead is built without that BS 1363 fuse. The IET’s summary of BS 7671 is that household socket-outlets should be shuttered and that AC installations should preferably use BS 1363. A competent designer can still specify another system. You cannot read that outcome off an amazon title. If you want a normal house socket for UK plugs, BS 1363 is the exit.

Shutters are not interchangeable safety stickers

BS 1363 shutters open for the UK earth pin. A Schuko shutter opens for the round-pin plug that standard expects. Safety Plus on 445303 does not satisfy the BS 1363 shutter duty, and neither shutter is child-proof. VDE pushes back on that marketing for Schuko. Only 445303 states the shutter and the DIN VDE reference in the listing body. 418327 mentions a shutter in the title while the technical block talks about an electronic controller and 15 kg. Silence on the other rows means you have not bought a stated shutter. Forcing a UK plug into a Schuko face is the failure to avoid.

Which way to leave the page

Choose Schuko when the property is already on System 55 Schuko outlets and your plugs are round-pin. 445303 is the top pick for a stated shutter. 044027 is the best value insert when the frame is already there. Neither accepts a UK plug. Choose BS 1363 when the plugs in the house are British, and look for a socket described to BS 1363-2, such as Gira’s 2776 family, with screw fixing. The Gira socket buying guide is the checklist if you stay inside this Schuko set. Changing an existing UK point to Schuko is not a like-for-like replacement.

Common questions

Will a Schuko Gira socket take my UK plug?
No. The six listings in this comparison are Schuko or Type F. A BS 1363 plug uses rectangular pins and will not seat in those outlets. Forcing it can damage the shutter. Gira’s UK sockets are a different article, and they are not these ASINs.
Does Gira make a real UK socket?
Yes. Gira publishes BS 1363-2 articles, including the 2776 family, rated 13 A, with screw fixing. Order numbers around 2782 sit in that same UK-facing group. None of them appears in the amazon.co.uk extract we compared.
What does 16 A on the listing mean for a UK ring?
It means the Schuko outlet is described at 16 A. It does not mean the part is a 13 A BS 1363 socket with a higher limit, and it does not authorise you to fit it on a household ring as an upgrade.
Can I fit Schuko myself so one EU appliance has a socket?
Not as a casual DIY swap. Replacing a like-for-like Schuko insert on an existing Schuko circuit is a narrow job. Changing a UK socket to Schuko, so a single European lead can plug in, changes the outlet type.
Which Gira order numbers are BS 1363?
The catalogue examples are the 2776 family and related numbers such as 2782: 13 A, BS 1363-2, screw fixing. The order numbers in the amazon set are Schuko: 445303, 418827, 418828, 418327, 044027, and 018828. Read the plug-system line.
Is it legal to fit a Type F listing at home?
This page will not give you a blanket illegal or approved label. BS 7671, as the IET summarises it, prefers shuttered BS 1363 outlets for household AC installations. A designer can specify something else for a particular job.

Related pages

How to fit a Gira socket

Gira socket

Best Gira socket from this amazon.co.uk Schuko set

Gira socket buying guide: plug, frame, then finish

Gira System 55 socket: insert, cover and the frame

Sources

Sources taken from the research digest. Listings were scored on 20 October 2026. This page did not run a lab test.

  1. Gira — System 55 overview (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  2. Gira — System 55 and Standard 55 FAQ (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  3. Gira catalogue — BS 1363-2 13 A (2776 family) (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  4. GOV.UK — Approved Document P 2013 (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  5. IET Wiring Matters — Socket outlet protectors (May 2020) (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  6. VDE — Children and electricity (retrieved 20.10.2026)