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What is IP68? The IP rating explained
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If you’re in the market for a new smartphone or pair of earbuds, you may have come across the term “IP68”. But, what does it mean?
TheSamsung Galaxy S22, theiPhone 13and theGoogle Pixel 6are examples of popular devices rated IP68, but not every phone, smartwatch or headphone carries this rating.
Read on to discover everything you need to know about IP68, including what an IP rating is and how the numbers break down.
What is IP68?
IP68 is an example of an IP – or Ingress Protection – rating.
An IP rating is a code that essentially signifies how water and/or dust resistant a piece of tech is by measuring the effectiveness of its seal when it comes to keeping liquids, dust and dirt out.
The standard for determining these ratings was developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and is published under the title IEC 60529.
IP ratings typically include two numbers. The first digit refers to its ability to keep solids out, while the second addresses liquids, like water or sweat. If there’s an “X” somewhere in the IP rating (for example, IPX5), that means the device has a certain level of protection against water or dust but is not rated for the digit marked X.
Below is a breakdown of what each number means as defined by theIEC:
First digit (solids):
Second digit (liquids):
This means that a device rated IP68 will be both dust-tight and protected against the effects of continuous immersion in water.
In fact, 6 is the highest dust resistance rating possible on this scale.
In the case of water resistance, the IEC expands on 8, stating that “ingress of water in quantities causing harmful effects shall not be possible when the enclosure is continuously immersed in water under conditions which shall be agreed between the manufacturer and user but which are more severe than for numeral 7”.
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Hannah joined Trusted Reviews as a staff writer in 2019 after graduating with a degree in English from Royal Holloway, University of London. She’s also worked and studied in the US, holding positions …
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Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
