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What Is an Ingress Protection (IP) Rating?

An ingress protection rating classifies enclosure protection against access, solids and water. Learn what each position means—and why an IP code is not a universal waterproof guarantee.
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An ingress protection rating, or IP Code, classifies how well an electrical enclosure protects against access to hazardous parts and the entry of solid objects and water. It is defined by IEC 60529, but it is not a blanket promise that a product is “waterproof”: the code and the manufacturer’s test conditions determine what exposure it is designed to withstand.

What an ingress protection rating means

IEC 60529 is titled “Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP Code)”. It sets out a classification for the protection an enclosure provides against ingress and applies to electrical equipment with rated voltage not exceeding 72.5 kV.

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The code is usually written as “IP” followed by two characters, such as IP67. Each position describes a different characteristic, so read the digits separately rather than treating the code as one overall waterproof score.

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What the two characters tell you

  • First numeral: protection relating to access to hazardous parts and the entry of solid foreign objects, including dust.
  • Second numeral: protection against water ingress.
  • X: no numeral is specified for that characteristic in that position. It does not mean the product has passed a protection test or has a particular level of protection for that characteristic.

For example, IPX4 specifies a water-protection numeral but leaves the first position unspecified. Do not read the X as a claim of dust protection.

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How to interpret common water ratings

The second numeral distinguishes exposure types. Common descriptions include splashing, water jets and immersion; these are not interchangeable conditions.

Code position or example What it indicates Important qualification
IPX4 Protection against water sprayed from all directions; commonly associated with splashing. The first characteristic is unspecified by X. Check the product documentation for test and use conditions.
IPX5 Protection against water jets. Does not by itself establish suitability for immersion.
IPX6 Protection against strong water jets. Does not by itself establish suitability for immersion.
IPX7 Protection against temporary immersion. An immersion mark alone does not prove protection against every jet exposure.
IP5X Limited dust ingress is permitted if it does not cause harmful effects. The second characteristic is unspecified by X.
IP6X Dust-tight. The second characteristic is unspecified by X.

These descriptions are explanatory shorthand, not a substitute for the standard’s precise test requirements. A 2025 European Commission notice likewise maps splashing to IPX4, water streams to IPX5/IPX6 and immersion to IPX7 in the context of battery regulation. The Commission describes IP ratings as grading enclosure resistance to dust or liquid ingress (European Commission notice, 2025). SGS’s May 2025 technical guide summarizes the same distinction between solids and liquids (SGS, May 2025).

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What IP ratings do not tell you

An IP code does not establish that a device is suitable for every environment or every kind of water exposure. Do not assume that an immersion rating automatically covers jets, or that a splash rating permits submersion. Depending on the application, duration, pressure, temperature and installation details may matter. The rating alone does not answer those questions.

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Before relying on a rating, match the marked code to the actual exposure and read the manufacturer’s stated test and use conditions. If the product will be installed or used in a regulated setting, check the applicable product-specific requirements as well as IEC 60529.

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Which edition of IEC 60529 is listed?

The IEC catalogue record identifies the consolidated publication as IEC 60529:1989+AMD1:1999+AMD2:2013 CSV, edition 2.2, published on 29 August 2013. The record lists corrigenda through January 2019 and a stability date of 2027. For compliance work, confirm the current catalogue entry and any applicable product-specific rules rather than relying on the code’s shorthand description alone: IEC 60529 catalogue record.

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  • Screen Touch Friendly: The waterproof case dry bag fits all smart phones up to 8.3" diagonal size.Clear PVC window allowing you to take photos conveniently even underwater. Capture the underwater world as you see it.
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