igloohome Blog

What are IP ratings? Are they important?

Written by Nydia | Apr 29, 2020

As a potential customer or all-round gadget enthusiast, you've probably encountered terms you didn't really understand while skimming through various electronics' specifications.

Looking at our various products' specifications, you'll most likely see these: IP65, IP66. Ever wondered what they meant? 

These are IP ratings. Still don't know what they are? No worries, we'll go through the definitions and let you know which of these ratings correspond with our smart locks and lockboxes. 

What are IP ratings? 

The IP rating is defined as the International Protection or Ingress Protection ratings. They define the levels of sealing effectiveness of electrical enclosures against foreign bodies (like water or dirt). 

What makes up an IP rating? 

There are two digits that follow the letters IP. 

The first digit represents the degree of protection against solid foreign bodies. 

Level What it means
0 No protection
1 No protection against deliberate contact
2 Protects against fingers or similar objects
3 Tools, thick wires etc. 
4 Most wires, screws etc. 
5 Dust protected
6 Dust tight 


The second one describes the degree of protection against water. 

Level What it means
0 No protection
1 Protected against dripping water
2 Protected against dripping water when tilted up to 15 degrees
3 Protected against spraying water
4 Protected against splashing water
5 Protected against water jets
6 Protected against powerful water jets
7 Can withstand immersion of up to 1m
8 Can withstand immersion beyond 1m

 

Are IP ratings important? 

IP ratings can be critical information to take note of in order to protect your electrical enclosure and its contents. It also helps determine what electronic products are water-resistant and waterproof. 

With that being said, igloohome products fall between IP65 and IP66 ratings. 

IP rating Protection Description
IP65 Rated as "dust tight" and able to protect against water jets Water projected by a nozzle (6.3 mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.
IP66 Rated as "dust tight" and able to protect against powerful water jets Water projected in powerful jets (12.5 mm nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.

 

igloohome's IP ratings

Here's a list of IP ratings for our various igloohome products:

IP rating Product 
IP65 Smart Mortise
IP65 Smart Deadbolt 2S Metal Grey
IP66 Smart Keybox 3
IP66 Smart Padlock

 

Our smart locks and lockboxes will give you peace of mind when it comes to withstanding light rain and dust. Have you checked them out yet?