What are the differences between the second, third and fourth editions of IEC 62368-1?

Many people find the various versions of IEC 62368-1 confusing! Here, we outline the main differences between the second, third and fourth editions of IEC 62368-1. Hopefully, this will help you get a relatively clear understanding.

A brief overview of the development of each version of IEC 62368-1:

The first edition of IEC 62368-1 that was not adopted

The purpose of the IEC 62368-1 standard was to cover all products within the scope of the IEC 60950-1 and IEC 60065 standards with a unified standard. However, when the first edition of the IEC 62368-1 standard was released, it was quickly proven that the standard had too many flaws, and IEC member countries unanimously agreed not to use the first edition for certification. As a result, the first edition was directly abolished by the IEC and was never adopted by Europe.

IEC 62368-1:2014 Second Edition

The improved second edition of IEC 62368-1 was published in 2014. Thousands of CB certificates have been issued based on this edition since then. The second edition of the standard still has shortcomings, especially in the interpretation of some requirements. In view of this, some manufacturers choose to wait until the third edition of the standard is released before using it. In Europe, EN 62368-1:2014 will replace the previous standards EN 60950-1 EN 60065 as of December 20, 2020.

IEC 62368-1:2018 Third Edition

The third edition of IEC 62368-1 was published in 2018 and is the latest version currently in use. Compared with the second edition, the third edition of the standard has many improvements and clarifies or replaces the requirements in the previous edition. In Europe, the corresponding version is EN IEC 62368-1:2020. The standard was originally scheduled to completely replace EN 62368-1:2014 on January 6, 2023, but it was later decided to delay it by 18 months to July 6, 2024.

IEC 62368-1:2023 Fourth Edition

The fourth edition of IEC 62368-1 is expected to be released in June 2023. The fourth edition also has many improvements, clarifying or replacing some requirements in the current version. The most significant change is that parts or accessories certified by IEC 60065 / IEC 60950-1 are no longer accepted. (Related clauses: Clause 4.1.1 of the second and third editions of the standard)

In Europe, the corresponding version is named: EN IEC 62368-1:2023, which is expected to be released in the second half of 2023. Since the latest European version of the standard EN IEC 62368-1:2020 has never been adopted by the Official Journal (OJ), the industry generally expects that EN IEC 62368-1:2023 will be adopted directly by the OJ.

Please click on the original text to enter the web version to view the tabular overview of the differences between the three versions.

Which version should I choose?

The DOW date of the third edition of the standard has been determined to be July 6, 2024, which means that using the second edition of the standard to prove product compliance will become history. After July 6, 2024, manufacturers can only choose to use the third or fourth edition of the standard.

**DOW (Date of withdrawn): It is the time set by CENELEC when a standard replaces the old version of the standard, that is, the time when the old standard is abolished.

When choosing a version, you need to consider several factors:

Which markets do your products mainly sell to? This is a key consideration, because the time when each country adopts the standard version varies.

How long do you expect your product to be on the market?
It is expected that the fourth edition of the standard will be adopted by OJ. If the product does not have an additional risk assessment report, the fourth edition of the standard will be the most directly applicable version for the European CE mark.