What is an IP Rating? What do IP65, IP66, IP67, and IP68 mean?

What do IP65, IP66, IP67, and IP68 mean? IP65, IP66, IP67, and IP68 are IP Ratings (Ingress Protection), used to describe a device's ability to protect against dust and water. They are commonly found in electronic products, lighting fixtures, and outdoor equipment. Below is a detailed explanation of the meaning of these numbers.

I. IP Protection Rating Standard (IEC 60529)

This is a general standard for dust and water protection established by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The format is IPXX, where the two "X"s represent the dust and water resistance ratings, respectively. The higher the number, the stronger the protection.

1. First Number: Dust Resistance Rating (0-6)

0 → Protection: No protection; Applicable scenarios: Ordinary consumer mobile phones.

1 → Protection: Prevents the intrusion of solid objects with a diameter > 50mm; Applicable scenarios: Blocks large foreign objects.

2 → Protection: Prevents the intrusion of solid objects with a diameter > 12.5mm; Applicable scenarios: Blocks medium-sized foreign objects such as fingers.

3 → Protection: Prevents the intrusion of solid objects with a diameter > 2.5mm; Applicable scenarios: Blocks small tools and metal wires.

4 → Protection: Prevents the intrusion of solid objects with a diameter > 1.0mm; Applicable scenarios: Blocks small metal particles.

5 → Protection: Dustproof, cannot completely prevent dust from entering, but the amount of dust entering will not affect the normal operation of the device; Applicable scenarios: Dusty factory workshops.

6 → Protection: Completely dustproof, dust cannot enter the device; Applicable scenarios: Highly dusty environments such as mines and deserts.

Rugged phones generally have a dustproof rating of IP6X, which is the highest dustproof level.

2. Second number: Waterproof rating (0-8)

0 → Protection: No protection; Applicable scenarios: Ordinary consumer-grade mobile phones.

1 → Protection: Prevents vertical dripping water; Applicable scenarios: Minor splashes of water in daily life.

2 → Protection: Prevents dripping when the equipment is tilted at 15°; Applicable scenario: Slightly angled splashes.

3 → Protection: Prevents water spray at a 60° angle; Applicable scenario: Outdoor use in rainy weather.

4 → Protection: Prevents water spray from any direction; Applicable scenario: Car washing, splashing scenarios.

5 → Protection: Prevents low-pressure water jets from any direction; Applicable scenario: Brief high-pressure water spray.

6 → Protection: Prevents high-pressure water jets from any direction; Applicable scenario: Continuous high-pressure water spray.

7 → Protection: Under normal temperature and pressure, the equipment is unaffected when immersed in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes; Applicable scenario: Shallow water immersion, emergency water submersion.

8 → Protection: Continuous immersion protection; can be immersed at the manufacturer's specified depth (usually 1.5-3 meters) and time without performance impairment; Applicable scenario: Underwater operations, long-term humid environments.

The mainstream waterproof rating for rugged phones is IPX8, with some high-end models supporting deeper underwater immersion.

3. Common IP Combinations for Rugged Phones

① Entry-level: IP65 (Complete dustproof + protection against high-pressure water jets)

② Mainstream: IP68 (Complete dustproof + continuous immersion protection), the standard for commercial and industrial-grade rugged phones.