I’m sure that in your search for a great wireless speaker, you read about IP ratings over and over again. Maybe you know that once it has such rating, it’s waterproof or maybe even shockproof. It allows you to use it outdoors, whether at the beach or the camping site. An IP-rated wireless speaker is a must-have especially if you’re a music enthusiast and an outdoor lover as well.
But what about the numbers? What does IP really mean? What are the IP-standards? What are the limitations of the rating? This article will answer all those questions and tell you all about the IP-standards in wireless speakers.
IP is defined as Ingress Protection rating or International Protection rating. The IP rating shows the degree of protection provided by wireless speakers against factors that may harm the speaker. These factors include dust, water, accidental bumps and shocks.
It’s always written with an IP first and then followed by two digits or one digit and a letter. The first number after the letters (IP) signifies the protection against solid objects. The next digit indicates the protection against liquids. If a certain wireless speaker has a water-only rating, it’s written with the letter X like IPX4, IPX5 or IPX6.
If a wireless speaker has protection against solid and liquid objects, it’ll be written with two numbers following the letters IP. For instance, if it has a 6 solid protection rating and 5 liquid protection rating, and then it’s rated with an IP65 rating.
For rare instances where the solid and liquid protection is the same such as a 6 solid and a 6 liquid rating, it’ll be rated as IP6.
Here are the levels of solid protection rating and their limitations:
| Level | Size of the Object it can Protect | Where’s it protected from? |
| 0 | - | - |
| 1 | >50mm | Protected against large surface of the body |
| 2 | >12.5mm | Protected against fingers and similar objects |
| 3 | >2.5mm | Protected against gears, thick cables, etc. |
| 4 | >1mm | Protected against objects as small as screws |
| 5 | Dust protected | Doesn’t entirely protect any amount of dust but can prevent a sufficient quantity that may harm the speaker |
| 6 | Dust Tight | Protected totally against dust ingression |
Here are the levels of liquid protection rating and their limitations:
| Level | Amount of Water Protection | Where’s it protected from? |
| 0 | - | - |
| 1 | Dripping water | Protected from vertical drops of water |
| 2 | 15-degree tilt dripping water | Protected from vertical drops of water when tilted at 15 degrees from its standard position |
| 3 | Water sprays | Protected from water splashes with an angle up to 60 degrees |
| 4 | Water splashes | Protected from splashes of water from any direction |
| 5 | Jets of water | Protected from water projected by a jet (6.3mm) |
| 6 | Strong water jets | Protected from water projected by a 12.5mm water jet |
| 7 | Up to 1m depth water immersion | Protected from water even in harmful quantity and 1m water submersion |
| 8 | Beyond 1m depth water immersion | Protected from water conditions like continuous water submersion. There may still be water entering the speaker, but it won’t harm its parts. |
| 9 | Protected from high-pressured water and steam cleaning |
We hope this article helps you understand about the IP standards and helps you choose the best wireless speaker with an IP rating that fits your lifestyle and taste.