I will cover waterproof rating codes for IP in this article, what they are, and how they are used to rate devices. You may have seen IP codes on items you purchased without realizing what they represent. Never fear help is here!
Origin Of The IP Code
IP Code is short for International Protection Marking. The IP code is a rating system that is internationally recognized. The system classifies the level of protection a device has against certain elements. The code is two letters IP followed by two numbers. Sometimes the first number is masked as an x. I will explain this in the next section.
The IP Code Is Not Just For Water
The IP code has two numbers. The First number represents the level of solid particle protection. As example dust, grit, fingers etc.
| Code | Description |
| X | Not Rated |
| 0 | No Protection |
| 1 | Protected against objects larger than 50mm |
| 2 | Protected against objects larger than 12mm |
| 3 | Protected against objects larger than 2.5mm |
| 4 | Protected against objects larger than 1mm |
| 5 | Partial Protection against dust and other particulates. |
| 6 | Total Protection against dust and particulates |
IP Codes for Water Protection
The second digit is for water protection, from mist to splashes to full-blown submersion… these are the levels of protection behind the numbers.
| Code | Description |
| X | No data available |
| 0 | None – not rated |
| 1 | Protected against verticle falling drops |
| 2 | Protected against verticle falling drops when the device is tilted by 15 degrees in 4 axes. |
| 3 | Protected against sprays of water from any direction |
| 4 | Protected from water splash in any direction |
| 5 | Protected against low-pressure jets from all directions |
| 6 | Protected against water jets from any direction |
| 7 | Protected against short immersion in water |
| 8 | Protected against long immersion in water |
Common IP Codes and what they mean
I have been through the different IP code meanings for each digit. Now lets go through some example products and codes.
This smartwatch is IP68 rated so it has a solid rating of 6 and a water rating of 8, using our tables.
Total Protection against dust and particulates and Protected against long immersion in water
Conculsion
I hope this article has given you all the information you need on the different IP ratings available. Should you have any further questions please contact me and I will answer and update this article. Thanks for reading.