Ratings/Standards

IP Rating Chart (Water and Dust Proof)

First Digit: Solids

The first digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against access to hazardous parts (e.g., electrical conductors, moving parts) and the ingress of solid foreign objects.

Level Object size protected against Effective against
0 Not protected No protection against contact and ingress of objects
1 >50mm Any large surface of the body, such as the back of the hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part.
2 >12.5mm Fingers or similar objects.
3 >2.5mm Tools, thick wires, etc.
4 >1mm Most wires, screws, etc.
5 Dust Protected Ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment; complete protection against contact.
6 Dust Tight No ingress of dust; complete protection against contact.

Second Digit: Liquids

Protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against harmful ingress of water.

Level Object size protected against Effective against
0 Not protected
1 Dripping water Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmfull effect.
2 Dripping water when tilted up to 15° Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the enclosure is tilted at an angle up to 15° from its normal position.
3 Spraying water Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical shall have no harmful effect.
4 Splashing water Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect.
5 Water jets Water projected by a nozzle (6.3mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.
6 Powerful water jets Water projected in powerful jets (12.5mm nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.
7 Immersion up to 1m Ingress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time (up to 1 m of submersion).
8 Immersion beyond 1m The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions which shall be specified by the manufacturer. Normally, this will mean that the equipment is hermetically sealed. However, with certain types of equipment, it can mean that water can enter but only in such a manner that it produces no harmful effects.

Is Your Flashlight Waterproof? Know the waterproof ratings

Waterproof is often used as a marketing feature - but what is the rating the manufacture places on that headlight gear, if any? Insist on the distributor or manufacture to disclose the waterproof rating.

Example of a manufacturer's product rating for waterproof :

"Waterproof level:IP65 (protected against heavy rain)"

IP  (6 = first digit = solids) (5 = second digit) = liquids

  • 6 = solids (Dust Tight) No ingress of dust; complete protection against contact.
  • 5 = liquids (exposed to water jets) Water projected by a nozzle (6.3mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.

Below is an easy to follow reference chart to help you decide which IP rating you need or have.

IP Number First Digit - SOLIDS Second Digit - LIQUIDS
IP00 Not protected from solids. Not protected from liquids.
IP01 Not protected from solids. Protected from condensation.
IP02 Not protected from solids. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP03 Not protected from solids. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP04 Not protected from solids. Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP05 Not protected from solids. Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP06 Not protected from solids. Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP07 Not protected from solids. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP08 Not protected from solids. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP10 Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. Not protected from liquids.
IP11 Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. Protected from condensation.
IP12 Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP13 Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP14 Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP15 Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP16 Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP17 Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP18 Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP20 Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. Not protected from liquids.
IP21 Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. Protected from condensation.
IP22 Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP23 Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP24 Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP25 Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP26 Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP27 Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP28 Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP30 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Not protected from liquids.
IP31 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from condensation.
IP32 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP33 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP34 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP35 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP36 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP37 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP38 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP40 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Not protected from liquids.
IP41 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from condensation.
IP42 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP43 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP44 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP45 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP46 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP47 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP48 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP50 Protected from limited dust ingress. Not protected from liquids.
IP51 Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from condensation.
IP52 Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP53 Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP54 Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP55 Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP56 Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP57 Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP58 Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP60 Protected from total dust ingress. Not protected from liquids.
IP61 Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from condensation.
IP62 Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical.
IP63 Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical.
IP64 Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from water spray from any direction.
IP65 Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction.
IP66 Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction.
IP67 Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP68 Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP69K Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from steam-jet cleaning.

References