IP Ratings Explained
An IP (Ingress Protection) rating is a two-digit grading system that’s applied to the enclosure of a mechanical or electrical item. This code gives customers a clear indication of the item’s resistance to various types of unwanted environmental intrusion such as dust and moisture.
An IP rating is made up of two single digit numbers. The first digit denotes protection from foreign bodies and particulate ingress. The second digit denotes protection from moisture ingress.
For example, using the two tables below we can see that a speaker enclosure with an IP55 rating has partial protection against dust and other particulates, and protection against low-pressure directed water from any angle.
First digit - protection from foreign body and particulate ingress:
| X | No data available to specify a protection rating |
| 0 | No protection against ingress of this type |
| 1 | Protection against solid objects larger than 50mm (accidental hand contact with open palm), but not against deliberate body contact |
| 2 | Protection against solid objects larger than 12mm (accidental finger contact) |
| 3 | Protection against solid objects larger than 2.5mm (tools and wires) |
| 4 | Protection against solid objects larger than 1mm (fine tools and wires, nails, screws, larger insects and other potentially invasive small objects) |
| 5 | Partial protection against dust and other particulates, such that any ingress will not damage or impede the satisfactory performance of internal components |
| 6 | Full protection against dust and other particulates, including a vacuum seal, tested against continuous airflow |
Second digit - protection from moisture ingress:
| X | No data available to specify a protection rating |
| 0 | No protection against ingress of this type |
| 1 | Protection against vertically falling droplets, such as condensation, sufficient that no damage or interrupted functioning of components will be incurred when an item is upright |
| 2 | Protection against vertically dripping water when enclosure is tilted up to 15° off vertical |
| 3 | Protection against direct moisture spray at angles up to 60° off vertical |
| 4 | Protection against splashing water from any direction, tested for a minimum of 10 minutes with an oscillating spray (limited ingress permitted with no harmful effects) |
| 5 | Protection against low-pressure jets (6.3 mm) of directed water from any angle (limited ingress permitted with no harmful effects) |
| 6 | Protection against powerful jets (12.5 mm nozzle) of directed water from any direction |
| 7 | Protection against full immersion for up to 30 minutes at depths between 15 cm and 1 metre (limited ingress permitted with no harmful effects) |
| 8 | Protection against extended immersion under higher pressure (i.e. greater depths). Precise parameters of this test will be set and advertised by the manufacturer and may include additional factors such as temperature fluctuations and flow rates, depending on equipment type |