IP Rating Chart
Learn what IP means and what rating is best for your application.
IP Rating Product Search
Sample IP Rating
Ingress Protection (IP) and what it means
First Digit: Solids
Second Digit: Liquids
IP Rating Reference Chart
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Sample IP Rating
Level
First digit: Solids
Second digit: Liquids
IP68
Protected from total dust ingress
Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
Ingress Protection (IP) and what it means
The IP Code (or International Protection Rating, sometimes also interpreted as Ingress Protection Rating*) consists of the letters IP followed by two digits and an optional letter. As defined in international standard IEC 60529, it classifies the degrees of protection provided against the intrusion of solid objects (including body parts like hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact, and water in electrical enclosures. The standard aims to provide users more detailed information than vague marketing terms such as waterproof.

The digits (characteristic numerals) indicate conformity with the conditions summarized in the tables below. For example, an electrical socket rated IP22 is protected against insertion of fingers and will not be damaged or become unsafe during a specified test in which it is exposed to vertically or nearly vertically dripping water. IP22 or 2X are typical minimum requirements for the design of electrical accessories for indoor use.
*Explanation of the letters IP is given in IEC 60529 (Ed. 2.1), clause 4.1
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 (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmfull effect.
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 projected by a nozzle (6.3mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.
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.
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.
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 limited dust ingress.
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
PProtected 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.
IP69
Protected from total dust ingress.
Protected from steam-jet cleaning.
IP Number
First Digit - SOLIDS
Second Digit - LIQUIDS
Below is an easy to follow reference chart to help you decide which IP rating you need or have.
IP Rating Reference Chart
References
1. IEC 60529, “degrees of Protection Provided by Enclosures (IP Codes),” Ed. 2.1 (Geneva: International Electrotechnical Commision, 2011)
2. IEC 60529 (Ed. 2.1), clause 4.1.
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