How it connects
Squeeze the handles to open the jaws against a spring, then let go so the jaws close on the conductor. The teeth bite through for metal-to-metal contact. It does not seal and is not locked.
Male and female halves
It has no gender: it grips any conductor that fits between the jaws, with no matching male or female half. The far end is usually crimped or soldered to wire, or is a 4 mm banana socket on clips that slip onto a plug.
Usually connects to
- Bare wire, component lead or exposed conductive test point
- Screw or post terminal
- Battery terminal within jaw capacity
- Banana plug or probe tip on clips designed for it
Common sizes
- No universal size: select by jaw opening, target geometry and current rating.
- Miniature clips are about 25–35 mm long; test-lead clips commonly open 8–15 mm. Larger battery clamps can be rated 50–100 A or more.
Where it is used
electronics testingtest leads and jumper wiresautomotive and battery chargingelectrical maintenanceeducation and labsElectrical testingBattery charging and temporary battery connectionsElectronic laboratory work
Variations
- Miniature/micro test clip
- Larger battery clamp
- Heavy-duty test-lead clip
- Insulated handle or protective boot
- Clip with banana socket
How to recognise it
Two long metal jaws hinged near the middle, with a coil or leaf spring between the handles. The tips have zig-zag (sawtooth) teeth. Usually there is a red or black plastic boot, and the wire is crimped or soldered at the back end.
Often confused with
| Confused with | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| Kelvin clip | In a Kelvin clip the two jaws are insulated from each other and each has its own wire (4-wire). An alligator clip's jaws are joined electrically and it has one wire. |
| Hook/grabber test clip (IC hook) | A grabber is a plunger with a small wire hook that comes out of a tube. It has no hinged jaws. |
| Battery booster cable clamp | It works the same way but is much larger, with a long lever handle and a high current rating. Treat it as a large variant. |
| Spring-loaded pogo-pin contact | A pogo pin has an axially moving plunger pressing against a pad; this interface has opposed pivoting jaws that grip the target. |
| Fixed battery-post terminal | A fixed post terminal has a defined post seat and fastening arrangement; a spring-jaw clip grips variable shapes within its opening. |
Also called
alligator clipcrocodile clipcroc clipgator cliptest clipBattery clipSpring-jaw battery clamp
Good to know
No standard defines a universal alligator-clip jaw. Select by jaw opening and current rating; the grip has no fixed male/female mating profile.
Related connections
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