What Those Strange Symbols On Your Charging Brick Actually Mean

If you look at your laptop or phone charging brick, you'll see all kinds of tiny symbols. These seemingly random letters and shapes tell you about its compliance with regulatory laws, plus facts like where and when it's appropriate to use the charger and how durable it is. For example, the outline of a house means the device was designed for indoor use only. A square-inside-a-square symbol tells you the device is double-insulated, meaning it has extra protection against electric shock. The crossed-out trash bin tells you the device must be disposed of in an electronics recycling facility rather than in your typical trash bin, in accordance with European Union law. A black bar beneath the bin indicates the device was manufactured after 2005.

The letters "ETL" inside a circle means the product and the manufacturing plant it came from meet the minimum safety standards for both the U.S. and Canada. The letters "UL" inside a circle stand for "Underwriters Laboratories," and it assures you the device has been tested to meet UL's stricter safety requirements. "RoHS" with a checkmark tells you about the materials inside, indicating it's free of or has a minimal amount of hazardous substances like mercury, lead, and cadmium. The number 10 inside a circle of arrows means that while the device may contain toxic substances, they're guaranteed not to leak from the device for at least 10 years.

The letters "FC" with a smaller "c" inside the "C" means it abides by the radio communication laws of the FCC. The letters "V" or "VI" inside a circle tell you its energy efficiency certification. A "V" indicates a good efficiency level, but "VI" is better and has also been required on all external power supplies sold in the U.S. since 2016.

So, which of the symbols are really worth paying attention to? One of the most important is the UL symbol with a circle around it and the word "Listed," since it indicates a product was tested by the UL organization to meet strict safety standards. Some fire insurance policies specify that you must use UL-listed products in order to keep coverage and ensure claims aren't denied, so having that symbol is favorable and generally means you have one of the best charging blocks.

Hazardous material indicators like RoHS and the 10-year seal are also worth a look. You should pay attention to these, since they can tell you if you may be dealing with toxic materials, or how long you can expect to use the charger before toxic substances may start leaking from it. There are other safety features on power banks, but these are some of the clearest health-related indicators.

There are many more symbols you'll commonly see on your charging brick, mostly indicating conformity with various other countries' laws. For example, UKCA tells you it's designed to meet United Kingdom market regulations and CE is for European markets. You can also understand more about your charger by checking the specs listed next to these regulation symbols, like the charging wattage level.