IP ratings classify the levels of protection against solid objects, dust, accidental contact, and water in electrical enclosures. IP ratings are key for understanding how well an instrument is sealed against dust and moisture.
What is IP Protection?
“IP” stands for “ingress protection.” This is the degree to which the instrument can withstand the invasion of foreign matter.
The IP rating system was established by the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission). It is the IEC standard 60529, used as a guide to help to protect the life of the instrument.
This can also help the engineer to make a more informed purchasing decision by ensuring that that piece of enclosure is designed to work in the environment the user faces.
“IP” capability comprises two digits, each signifying a separate feature. The naming indicates how well the instrument is sealed against the invasion of foreign matter, both moisture and dust. The higher the IP number, the better the degree of protection.
What could a typical IP54 rating tell a buyer about a model’s application capabilities? If you want to sound completely knowledgeable, this is IP five-four, not fifty-four.
Note that each digit refers to a separate capacity, not each other.
The first digit mentions particle ingress, reflecting the degree to which solid objects can enter the box. A level “5” indicates “dust protected” as well as invasion protection with a wire below 1.0 mm.
The 1st digit ranges from 0 to 6, reflecting the degree of protection against solid particles.
The 2nd digit ranges from 0 to 9 and indicates the protection against the water ingress.
Meaning of the two digits in an IP Ratings
First Digit – Solid Protection Level.
The first digit in IP ratings indicates the enclosure’s level of protection against access to hazardous parts and ingress of solid objects.
| Level | Object size protected against | Effective against |
| 0 | No protection | 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 – Water protection level.
The second digit in IP ratings shows the degree of protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against water ingress.
| Level | Object size protected against | Effective against |
| 0 | Not Protected | – |
| 1 |  Dripping water | Vertical drops of dripping water shall not cause any harmful effects. |
| 2 |  Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmfull effect. | When the enclosure is tilted up to 15°, vertically dripping water will not cause harm. |
| 3 |  Spraying water | Water spray up to 60° from vertical has no harmful effect. |
| 4 |  Splashing water | Water splashing onto the enclosure from any angle should not cause any damage or harm. |
| 5 |  Water projected by a nozzle (6.3mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects. | Water projected by a nozzle of 6.3mm against an enclosure from any direction shall not cause harm. |
| 6 |  Powerful water jets | Water projected in powerful jets (12.5mm nozzle) from any direction shall not harm the enclosure. |
| 7 |  Immersion up to 1m | Ingress of water shall not be possible when the enclosure is submerged to a depth of 1 meter under specified pressure and time. |
| 8 |  Immersion beyond 1m | The manufacturer specifies the conditions under which the equipment can be continuously immersed in water. Usually, this means the equipment is tightly sealed. However, in some cases, the equipment may allow water to enter, but in a way that does not cause any harm. |
IP Rating Reference Chart
Here’s a chart to help you select the right IP rating.
| IP Ratings | First Digit – SOLIDS | Second Digit – LIQUIDS |
| 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 | Protected 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. |