What Do IP Ratings Mean For LED Off Road Lights?

Ingress Protection (IP) Ratings

Connectors may be susceptible to ingress of foreign materials such as moisture or dust, particularly in the unmated condition. Protection from this ingress is provided for connectors by their housing and the seal between the plug, jack, and cable or between a jack and a panel

Firstly it’s worth noting that there’s a difference between being waterproof and water-resistant. Waterproof means something is impervious to water regardless of how long it is submerged, water-resistant means a product can stop water from entering it to some degree, but not entirely. When we’re talking about the LED offroad light, it’s almost always about how water-resistant they are. They can’t survive in water indefinitely.

Defined by the IP Number, Which Has the Letters IP Followed by Two Digits.

First Digit: Solids Protection
Second Digit: Liquids Protection

The first number of the IP code indicates the degree of protection against solid foreign bodies such as dust intruding into an enclosure.

The second number indicates the degree of protection for the equipment inside the enclosure against the harmful entry of various forms of moisture (e.g. dripping, spraying, submersion, etc.)

For general outdoor use, IP65 is sufficient to withstand the effects of wind and rain.

The higher the number, up to 6 for dust protection and 9k for moisture protection, the more sealed and environmentally resistant your light will be.

1st Digit	Definition
0	No Protection against contact and ingress of objects
1	Protected against any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand. Protected against solid objects greater than 50mm in size.
2	Protected against access to hazardous parts by a finger or similar object. Protected against solid objects greater than 12.5mm in size.
3	Protected against access to hazardous parts with a tool or thick wire. Protected against solid objects greater than 2.5mm in size.
4	Protected against access to hazardous parts with wire, screw, etc. Protected against solid objects greater than 1mm in size.
5	Protected against access to hazardous parts. Dust protected.
6	Protected against access to hazardous parts. Dust-tight

2nd Digit	Definition
0	No Protection
1	Protected against water drops
2	Protected against water drops at a 15 degree angle
3	Protected against water spray at 60 degree angle
4	Protected against water splashing from any angle
5	Protected against water jets from any angle
6	Protected against powerful water jets and heavy seas
7	Protected against the effects of temporary submersion in water. Test requires 30 minutes at 1 meter depth.
8	Protected against the effects of temporary submersion. Customer specification applies and specific testing may be required.
9	Protects against high pressures associated with steam leaning.