IP Rating

What is IP Rating?

IP rating, or “Ingress Protection” refers to the international standard rating that classifies an electrical product’s degree of protection against external environmental elements such as moisture, dust and physical contact. This international standard gives consumers a concrete information to objectively compare one lighting product to another.

An IP Rating is comprised of two parts, the first referring to the degree of protection against solid objects (1-6) and the second refers to the degree of protection against liquids (1-8).

Good IP Rating is crucial for outdoor lighting that are exposed to rain and dust. A minimum of IP44 is recommended for outdoor lighting.

	Solids (1st Number)		Liquids (2nd Number)
1	Protected against a solid object greater than 50mm such as a hand.	1	Protected against vertical failling drops of water. Limited ingress permitted.
2	Protected against a solid object greater than 12.5mm such as a finger.	2	Protected against vertical falling drops of water with enclosure tilted up to 15 degrees from the vertical. Limited ingress permitted.
3	Protected against a solid object greater than 2.5mm such as a screwdriver.	3	Protected against sprays of water up to 60 degrees from the vertical. Limited ingress permitted.
4	Protected against a solid object greater than 1mm such as a wire.	4	Protected against water splashes from all directions. Limited ingress permitted.
5	Dust protected. Limited ingress of dust permitted. Will not interfere with operation of the equipment.	5	Protected against jets of water. Limited ingress permitted.
6	Dust tight. No ingress of dust.	6	Protected against powerful jets of water. Limited ingress permitted.
		7	Watertight against the effects of immersion in water between 15cm and 1m for 30 minutes.
		8	Watertight against the effects of immersion in water under pressure for long periods.