IP & NEMA Rating Decoder
Need to choose an enclosure for an environment? Use the dedicated NEMA enclosure selector, which checks the selected requirements together.
Method based on IEC 60529 (Ed. 2.2) / ANSI/NEMA EN 10250-2024 · editorial check September 2026 · revision 1.1
How to read an IP code
An IP code from IEC 60529 has a fixed shape: the letters IP, then two characters. The first rates protection against solid objects and dust, on a scale of 0 to 6. The second rates protection against water, on a scale of 0 to 9. So IP67 combines solids characteristic 6 with water characteristic 7; the exact test conditions still belong to the applicable standard and product declaration.
Where a characteristic is not specified in the designation, it is written as X - not zero. IP6X states solids characteristic 6 without specifying a water characteristic; IPX4 states water characteristic 4 without specifying a solids characteristic. The X alone does not tell you whether some separate test or declaration exists outside that designation. Optional additional and supplementary letters can follow where applicable.
One trap catches people often: the water scale is only cumulative up to 6. Do not assume the water characteristics form one universal higher-is-better ladder. Immersion and water-jet characteristics are separate test conditions, so check the actual designation(s) declared for the product.
IP and NEMA are different rating systems
NEMA enclosure types and IEC IP codes overlap in environmental protection, but they are not interchangeable certification labels. NEMA also addresses conditions that an IP code does not represent, including corrosion, external ice, oil and coolant in relevant types.
NEMA has published one-way comparison material, but a comparison table is not permission to relabel a product. This decoder therefore withholds an automatic NEMA-to-IP designation until the current applicable cross-reference is verified. For a real product, use the ratings actually declared or listed for that product.
What NEMA checks that an IP rating does not:
- Corrosion resistance (salt spray and chemical exposure)
- External ice formation, and operability while ice-laden
- Oil and non-corrosive coolant ingress
- Gasket aging and long-term material durability
- Mechanical and structural construction requirements
Common ratings in practice
Where the everyday codes tend to show up. A guide to intent, not a substitute for checking the test conditions.
| Code | Typical use |
|---|---|
| IP20 | Indoor electronics and control gear - finger-safe, no water rating. |
| IP44 | Outdoor sockets and fittings under cover - splash-protected from any direction. |
| IP54 | General outdoor enclosures and luminaires - dust-protected and splash-proof. |
| IP55 | Outdoor enclosures facing rain and low-pressure jets. |
| IP65 | Outdoor lighting and light washdown gear - dust-tight, resists water jets. |
| IP66 | Marine and heavy-industrial enclosures - powerful jets and driving rain. |
| IP67 | Phones, outdoor cameras and connectors - temporary immersion to 1 m. |
| IP68 | Submersible sensors and equipment - continuous immersion below 1 m. |
| IP69K | Common commercial washdown designation; verify whether the product declaration is IEC IP69, legacy IP69K wording, or ISO 20653 K-bearing notation. |
IP first digit - solids and dust
| Digit | Protects against | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No protection | No protection against contact or solid objects. |
| 1 | Objects ≥50 mm | Protects against a large surface such as the back of a hand. No protection against deliberate contact. |
| 2 | Objects ≥12.5 mm | Keeps out fingers and similar-sized objects. |
| 3 | Objects ≥2.5 mm | Keeps out tools and thick wires. |
| 4 | Objects ≥1 mm | Keeps out most wires, screws and small fasteners. |
| 5 | Dust-protected | Dust is not fully excluded, but cannot enter in a quantity that interferes with operation or safety. |
| 6 | Dust-tight | No ingress of dust at all under the test vacuum. |
IP second digit - water
| Digit | Protects against | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No protection | No protection against water. |
| 1 | Dripping water | Vertically dripping water has no harmful effect. |
| 2 | Dripping, 15° tilt | Dripping water has no harmful effect when the enclosure is tilted up to 15°. |
| 3 | Spraying water | Water sprayed up to 60° from vertical has no harmful effect. |
| 4 | Splashing water | Water splashed from any direction has no harmful effect. |
| 5 | Water jets | Jets from a 6.3 mm nozzle, any direction, have no harmful effect. |
| 6 | Powerful water jets | Jets from a 12.5 mm nozzle, any direction, have no harmful effect. |
| 7 | Immersion to 1 m | Withstands temporary immersion up to 1 m depth for 30 minutes. |
| 8 | Continuous immersion | Withstands continuous immersion beyond 1 m, under conditions agreed with the manufacturer. |
| 9 | High-pressure hot jets | High-pressure, high-temperature water-jet protection in the applicable IEC 60529 IPX9 context. Do not silently treat this as ISO 20653 K-bearing notation. |
NEMA enclosure types at a glance
Decode the NEMA type on its own terms. Cross-system IP relabeling is deliberately not generated here.
| Type | Location | Protects against |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indoor | Incidental contact with enclosed parts and falling dirt. |
| 2 | Indoor | Falling dirt, plus dripping and light splashing of liquids. |
| 3 | Outdoor | Windblown dust, rain and sleet; undamaged by external ice. |
| 3R | Outdoor | Rain and sleet; undamaged by ice. No windblown-dust test. |
| 3S | Outdoor | Like Type 3, but external mechanisms stay operable when ice-laden. |
| 3X (corrosion) | Outdoor | Type 3 with added corrosion resistance. |
| 3RX (corrosion) | Outdoor | Type 3R with added corrosion resistance. |
| 3SX (corrosion) | Outdoor | Type 3S with added corrosion resistance. |
| 4 | Indoor/Outdoor | Windblown dust, rain, splashing and hose-directed water; undamaged by ice. |
| 4X (corrosion) | Indoor/Outdoor | Type 4 with corrosion resistance (stainless, fiberglass, polycarbonate). |
| 5 | Indoor | Settling airborne dust, falling dirt and dripping non-corrosive liquids. |
| 6 | Indoor/Outdoor | Hose-directed water and occasional temporary submersion at limited depth. |
| 6P (corrosion) | Indoor/Outdoor | Type 6 plus prolonged submersion at limited depth and corrosion resistance. |
| 12 | Indoor | Circulating dust, falling dirt and dripping non-corrosive liquids. |
| 12K | Indoor | Type 12 with knockouts. |
| 13 | Indoor | Dust, and spraying of water, oil and non-corrosive coolant. |
Where engineers use this
Reading a datasheet rating
Decoding an IP67 or IP69K mark on a sensor, connector or display into the exact solids and water tests it has actually passed.
Cross-standard procurement
Comparing a North American NEMA Type with an IP designation from another supplier while keeping the different test scopes and source-specific cross-reference limits explicit.
Verifying a substitution
Checking whether an IP-rated part can stand in for a NEMA requirement before it goes on the BOM - it usually cannot without more testing.
Frequently asked questions
Does IP67 mean waterproof?
Is IP68 better than IP67?
What does the X mean in IPX4 or IP6X?
What is IP69K?
Is NEMA 4X the same as IP66?
Can I convert an IP rating into a NEMA type?
How this relates to other standards
| Standard / tool | Relationship | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| NEMA 250 | Cross-references | NEMA enclosure Types and IEC IP codes overlap in ingress protection but are not interchangeable certifications. Any published one-way cross-reference must be tied to its source and edition; this decoder does not automatically relabel a product. |
| IEC 60529 | Defined by | The IP code, its digit meanings and the test methods behind each level. |
Related tools and standards
Sources: IEC - IP ratings explained · IEC 60529 (the standard) · NEMA 250 vs IEC 60529 comparison · NEMA enclosure types (PDF) · ISO 20653:2023, Road vehicles — Degrees of protection (IP code). Verify against the current edition.