Understanding IP Ratings In LED Lighting indoor & outdoor

Choosing the right light fitting - making sure it's safe AND safely installed - is important for creating the right light in your home and in your garden.

How do we assess what lighting is for indoors and what can go outdoors?

Look for the IP rating
What is this IP rating and what does it tell me? It stands for Ingress Protection – and it’s a rating that classifies light fittings (and lots of other things) for their suitability for use in different locations based on how or if water and/or dust can get into the fitting where the electricity is.

The Ingress Protection or IP rating is an important consideration during the selection of LED lighting products for any project.

It shows the measured and tested suitability of the light fitting to specific environmental conditions in indoor and outdoor installations.

The first digit of an IP rating refers to the level of protection against solids, including fingers, dust particles, mosquitoes, moths, or flies.

The second digit indicates the protection level against liquid with the number also providing guidance when it comes to cleaning routines using sprays or water jets
The IP (Ingress Protection) rating of a product indicates how well it resists moisture, dust, and accidental contact. The IP rating is made up of two numbers, with the first digit indicating protection from foreign objects and the second digit indicating protection from liquids. 
Here are some IP ratings and their uses:

• IP20
  Suitable for most indoor use, such as in living rooms and bedrooms. This rating is sufficient for most light fixtures in the home. 
• IP44
  Splash proof, suitable for bathrooms and other areas exposed to water spray. 
• IP54
  Dust proof and splash proof, suitable for damp indoor environments or general outdoor use. 
• IP64
  Dust tight and splash proof, suitable for areas that are wet or prone to frequent splatters. 
• IP65
  Dust tight and jet proof, suitable for areas that are wet or prone to frequent splatters. 
• IP66
  Dust tight and watertight, suitable for areas that are wet or prone to frequent splatters. 
• IP67
  Dust tight and watertight, suitable for areas that are wet or prone to frequent splatters, and can be submerged up to 1m in water for up to 30 minutes. 
• IP68
  Dust tight and pressure watertight, suitable for continuous immersion in water. 

IP ratings around the home
Within the home there are certain requirements that all equipment, including fixed wiring accessories such as sockets and switches, must meet. One of these is minimum IP ratings. In general EVERY piece of equipment that is installed must have a minimum IP rating of IP4X on all horizontal surfaces and IP2X on all vertical surfaces.
Bathrooms however have much stricter rules on the IP ratings of equipment that is allowed to be used in them.
Ideally, we would like all outdoor light fittings to be IP65 rated, however that can significantly reduce our options when it comes to decorative exterior lighting.
 

IP RATINGS FOR OUTDOOR LIGHTS AND FOR BATHROOMS:

IP42 (Drip Proof)

IP42 rated LED lights are protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimetre. The lights can resist a few drops of water.

IP44 (Splash Proof)

IP44 rated lights are suitable for bathrooms and applications exposed to water spray.

IP54 (Dust Proof, Splash Proof)

IP54 lights offer protection against dust and splash, making them suitable for general outdoor use or damp indoor environments.

IP64 (Dust Tight, Splash Proof)

IP64 products are fully protected against dust ingress as well as water splashes from any direction.

IP65 (Dust Tight, Jet Proof)

An IP65 rating makes the product completely dust-tight with protection against low-pressure water jets from any direction.

IP66 (Dust Tight, Watertight)

IP66 means the product is completely dust-tight as well as protected against high pressure water jets from any direction.

IP67 (Dust Tight, Watertight)

An IP67 rated light is completely protected against solid particles and can be submerged up to 1m in water for up to 30 minutes.

IP68 (Dust Tight, Pressure Watertight)

An IP68 fitting is hermetically sealed and suitable for continuous immersion in water