The IP Code: Determining How Water and Debris-Proof Your Tech Is

Find out your tech gadgets' resistance levels with these IP codes.

We all know how fragile technology can be. Whether it's heat, dust, water, or knocks and bumps, our devices can quickly become damaged, or totally ruined. That can leave us with a big dent in our pockets.

But tech can now be designed to withstand such hazards, especially dust, debris, and water. This is where the Ingress Protection Code comes in. But, what exactly is it?

What Is the Ingress Protection Code?

The Ingress Protection Code, or IP Code, is a classification system used to grade the water and dust or debris resistance of technology products. It was created by the International Electrotechnical Commission (or IEC) to provide manufacturers with a guideline that they can use to classify the external protection level of any given tech item. The code can also refer to any external shell used to encase a tech product.

The code itself is pretty easy to decipher and uses numbers ranging from zero to nine to grade the protection level of products. There is a simple table used to organize these classifications, as shown below.

IP Number Dust/Dirt Resistance Level Water Resistance Level 0 No protection No protection 1 Protection against objects over 50mm in size Protection against vertically falling drops of water 2 Protection against objects between 12 and 50mm in size Protection drops of water up to 15° from the vertical 3 Protection against objects between 2.5 and 12mm in size Protection against sprays of water up to 60° from the vertical 4 Protection against objects between 1 and 2.5mm Protection against a splash of water from any angle 5 Limited protection against dust ingress Protection against splashes and low-pressure jets of water from any direction with limited ingress 6 Total protection against dust ingress Protection against moderately high-pressure jets of water from any direction with limited ingress 7 N/A Protection against full water immersion between 15mm and 1m for up to 30 minutes 8 N/A Protection against full water immersion for long periods 9k N/A Protection against high-pressure jets of water from close range and high-temperature sprays

Each classification begins with "IP" (for "Ingress Protection") followed by the two numbers that describe a product's resistance levels. For example, if a product has an IP67 grade of protection, it has total protection against dust and debris, and can survive full immersion in water with a depth between 15mm and a meter for up to half an hour.

As you can see above, the dust protection grading is a little less complex than the water protection grading. While the dust resistance codex ends at number six, the water-resistance codex ends at 9k. At this point, your tech product will be pretty much impervious to water, except for some very extreme cases.

If you ever see a number replaced with an "X", that means that the product has not yet been tested for resistance in that remark, or there is no applicable test that can be conducted. Be aware of this, as it may mean that a product has little to no protection against a certain factor.

Of course, the IP Code can become irrelevant if modifications are made to a product. For example, if holes are drilled in the exterior, or the object has been cracked or corroded, its resistance to external hazards may significantly decrease.

Use the IP Code to Determine Your Tech's Resistance Levels

If you're concerned or confused about the water and dust or debris resistance of your tech products, it may help to check their specifications online to see if they have an Ingress Protection rating.

This will make you more aware of where you can and can't take your items, and will inform you on which hazards you should keep them away from.