Type 2 charging cables: how to choose

Prices, ratings and specifications are seller claims from Amazon UK listings, checked on 10 October 2026, plus retailer pages. We have not tested any cable. Some links go to Amazon UK. We are not yet part of the Amazon Associates programme, so those links earn us nothing today. A commission would never change what we say: see how we make money.

When you need a Type 2 to Type 2 cable

A Type 2 to Type 2 cable (Mode 3) connects a car to a wall charger or a public AC post. It contains no electronics of its own and will not plug into a 3-pin socket, which is what separates it from a “granny” charger. Our portable charger guide covers those.

You need one in three cases:

• Your home charger is untethered. It has a socket, not a fixed lead. The price excludes the cable. See tethered versus untethered.
• You use public AC posts that have a socket and no fixed cable. Public rapid chargers are tethered, so they need none.
• Your car did not come with one. The RAC says that for non-rapid charging you usually supply your own cable, which may come with your vehicle.

16A or 32A, single-phase or three-phase

The cable’s rating is a ceiling. Your charger and your car’s on-board charger decide the actual speed. Retailers describe four common cables:

Most UK homes have a single-phase supply, so a 32A single-phase lead is the sensible default. A three-phase lead costs more and weighs more, though it also works on single-phase posts and with cars limited to 7kW or 11kW, charging at whichever rate the car and the post allow. Zapmap says Type 2 supports 3.7kW to 7.4kW as standard and 22kW on three-phase. Your handbook gives your car’s maximum AC rate.

Length, coiled or straight

Sellers offer 3.5m, 4m, 5m, 6m, 7m, 7.5m, 8m, 10m and 15m. Measure from the charger’s socket to the car’s charge port with the car parked as you normally park it, then add slack. A 5m lead suits a charger beside the car. Choose 7m to 10m for an awkward drive, a car parked nose-in or a socket on a side wall. Fixed home chargers ship with leads of 5m to 10m, so you will rarely need more.

Price rises with length. Marketplace single-phase 32A leads cost about £70 to £84 at 5m and about £100 to £135 at 10m. Coiled leads look tidy, but a coiled 5m cable gives only about 3.5m of usable length.

IP rating and build quality

Check the listing’s ingress rating. The EzGoGo listing claims IP65 and the evwired leads IP55, which the retailer says is fine to leave outside overnight. The bokman listing in our data gives no IP rating. The RAC says rain does not affect charging and that EV hardware is designed for wet weather, but a plug lying in a puddle is still a poor idea.

Buyer reviews raise two concerns. One July 2026 review of the bokman 22kW lead reports the charger-side plug overheating and charging dropping to 1.1kW, and an owner of the 10m bokman reports a broken control conductor after about 2.5 years. Buyers say the EzGoGo’s end caps hang on thin wires. These are individual reports, not test results. The bokman listing states no certification marks, and the EzGoGo claims CE, RoHS and TÜV, which we could not verify.

What the top sellers cost

These two were the best-selling single-phase and three-phase leads in Amazon UK’s EV charging equipment list. Across 58 Type 2 listings we saw prices from £69.99 to £172.50, with a median of about £104. The bokman 10m single-phase lead is £99.99 and the EzGoGo single-phase 7.2kW 5m is £79.99. European brands such as MAHLE, Lapp, Brennenstuhl, Bosch and DeWALT cost £127 to £173 for a 22kW 5m lead. Search Amazon UK for the model code to find the exact listing, and compare it with an electrical wholesaler such as Yesss.

Never join two leads or add an extension lead. If the cable will not reach, buy a longer one or ask your installer to move the charger. A fixed home charger with a tethered cable avoids the whole question: get free quotes if you are still choosing.