An IP code is two digits that rate how well a light's housing keeps things out. The first digit covers solid objects and dust, the second covers water, and a letter X means that side was not rated. For most homes three codes do the work: IP20 for dry rooms indoors, IP44 where splashes can reach the fitting, and IP65 for an outdoor wall that takes rain or a hose.
IP rating chart for home lighting
The digits follow IEC 60529, the international standard behind the system. The "typical places" column is our own guidance, not part of the standard.
| IP code | What the two digits mean | Typical places |
|---|---|---|
| IP20 | 2: keeps out fingers and objects over 12.5 mm (0.5 in). 0: no water protection | Dry indoor rooms: lounges, bedrooms and hallways |
| IPX4 | X: solids not rated. 4: splashing water from any direction | Spots that catch splashes, where the placement is a zone question (see below) |
| IP44 | 4: keeps out objects over 1 mm (0.04 in). 4: splashing water from any direction | Covered porches, sheltered entries, splash-prone indoor spots |
| IP54 | 5: dust protected, so a little may enter but not enough to interfere with use. 4: splashing water | Sheltered outdoor walls and garden walls with some cover |
| IP65 | 6: dust-tight. 5: water jets from a nozzle, from any direction | Exposed outdoor walls, patios, anywhere that gets hosed |
| IP66 | 6: dust-tight. 6: powerful water jets from any direction | Walls that take heavy driven rain or strong hosing |
What each digit measures
Read the first digit as how big a thing can get in. At 0 nothing is excluded. Levels 1 to 4 stop objects over 50 mm (2 in), 12.5 mm (0.5 in), 2.5 mm (0.1 in) and 1 mm (0.04 in) in turn, so a 4 still lets fine dust through. Level 5 is dust protected and level 6 is dust-tight.
The second digit is water. Levels 1 and 2 cover vertical drips, level 3 spray, level 4 splashing, level 5 jets and level 6 powerful jets. Levels 7 and 8 test immersion: 7 is a dunk of up to 1 m (3.3 ft) for 30 minutes, and 8 is continuous immersion on terms the maker states. A light rated for immersion has not automatically passed the jet tests, so a maker may print both, as in IPX5/IPX7.
An X is not a zero: IPX4 means the solids side was not rated, not that it failed. "Waterproof" is a seller's word, and the code exists to replace it with a test result.
IP44 vs IP65: what separates them
The gap is dust and force of water. IP44 resists splashes but is not dust-tight. IP65 is dust-tight and has been sprayed with a nozzle from every direction. So IP44 is enough for a wall that rain rarely reaches, while IP65 suits a wall that takes blown rain or gets hosed. Neither is a rating for sitting in water.
Check the rating row on each product page. Most of our outdoor wall lights list IP65; they sit in the outdoor lighting range and most also appear in the wall lighting collection. Two products list IP44: the Monterey wall lantern and, as an indoor example, the Macaron ceiling light. More than a hundred of our indoor lights list IP20, which marks them for dry rooms.
Bathroom zones and lighting
Bathroom wiring rules sort the room into zones by how close each space is to water. The UK wiring regulations (BS 7671) use zones 0, 1 and 2, and Australia and New Zealand (AS/NZS 3000) draw their own zone figures, with a zone 3 in some of them. In the UK diagrams the idea runs like this:
- Zone 0: inside the bath or shower tray itself, the wettest space.
- Zone 1: the space directly above the bath or shower, up to 225 cm (about 7.4 ft) from the floor.
- Zone 2: a band about 60 cm (24 in) wide beyond that, to the same height.
- Outside the zones: the rest of the room, where the water-rating rules are lighter.
Installers and retailers commonly quote IPX4 for fittings in zones 1 and 2, and a far higher, immersion-level rating plus a low-voltage supply for zone 0. A light rated IP44 meets an IPX4 figure, because its second digit is 4. Treat those as a starting point: minimums differ between countries and editions of the rules, and supply voltage matters as well as the code. A licensed electrician confirms where a fitting can go and what your local rules require. Our product pages state a rating, not a zone.
Some materials suffer in steam whatever the code says, and our alabaster stone guide explains why a steamy bathroom is a poor home for that stone. Once the rating is settled, our bulb colour guide helps you choose between warm and cool light.
Worked example: a light for a covered side porch
Say a side door has a roof reaching 150 cm (59 in) out from the wall. Rain rarely falls straight down, so the wall beside the door gets spray in a blow, and now and then someone hoses the floor.
- The water: spray off the floor and a little blown rain are splashes, a second digit of 4. A hose or jets reaching the wall itself point to 5 or 6.
- The wall stays out of the weather: the Monterey wall lantern lists IP44. It is 15 cm across and 36 cm tall (5.9 by 14.2 in), hardwired, and takes a bulb with an E26/E27 base that you supply.
- The wall takes blown rain or gets hosed: the Isaac outdoor wall light lists IP65. It comes in a 20 cm size (16 × 25 × 20 cm, 6.3 × 9.8 × 7.9 in) and a 60 cm size (16 × 25 × 60 cm, 6.3 × 9.8 × 23.6 in), as a solar or a hardwired version.
If you cannot tell whether rain reaches the wall, the higher second digit is the cautious choice. Either hardwired version needs a licensed electrician, while the solar Isaac runs without mains wiring. For mounting heights and spacing, see our outdoor wall lighting ideas.
FAQ
What does IP44 mean on a light?
The first 4 means it keeps out objects over 1 mm, such as wires and slender screws, and the second 4 means splashing water from any direction does no harm. It is not dust-tight and not meant for hosing.
What does IP65 mean on a light?
The 6 means dust-tight and the 5 means it withstands water jets from a nozzle in any direction. That makes it a common choice for an exposed outdoor wall.
Is IP65 the same as waterproof?
No. IP65 covers jets of water, not sitting in it. Immersion is tested separately, at 7 and 8 in the second digit, so look for those if a light will ever be under water.
What does the X in IPX4 mean?
It means that side of the rating was not tested or stated. IPX4 says the light handles splashes and says nothing about dust or solid objects.
Can an IP20 light go in a bathroom?
An IP20 light has no water protection, so it is made for dry rooms. Whether a fitting of any rating can go in a bathroom depends on the zone and your local rules, so ask a licensed electrician.