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:

Here are the levels of liquid protection rating and their limitations:

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.