Outdoor power rating

For outdoor applications, we generally recommend products with a minimum rating of IP44, but many situations require higher protection. Based on our decade of online experience and countless customer consultations, we've compiled the most commonly needed IP ratings for specific outdoor scenarios: IP44 - Suitable for: IP65 - Suitable for:

If you're looking to install an outdoor speaker system or want to add some outdoor lighting to your patio, you've probably seen that products labelled as “outdoor” have an IP rating attached to them (e.g., IPXX). This complete guide will explain the different numbers, going over what each digit means and what IP rating is required for outdoor use.

The following are the most common IP ratings for outdoor equipment enclosures. Equipment that has been designed hardened for outdoor use will perform well in an enclosure rated to IP54. It will give a good level of protection from airborne dust and splashing rain. IP54 allows some ingress of water, subjectively defined as 'limited'.

Typically, IP ratings of between 44 and 65 may be used for both indoor and general outdoor use. Anything lower than IP44 should only be used indoors. However, the specific IP rating will depend on a number of factors including: what the enclosure will be housing; how much protection is needed; deployment location; and environmental conditions.

Sometimes called the International Protection rating, it is defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) under the international standard EN 60529 (British BS EN 60529: 1992 – Degrees of protection provided by enclosures - IP Code).

IP First Number – Protection against solid objects; IP Second Number – Protection against liquids For example, in an IP rating of IP 54 for an electrical enclosure, 5 describes the level of protection from solid objects and 4 describes the level of protection from liquids.