IP Ratings Explained: What 'Water Resistant' Actually Means

Decoding the mystery codes

You've seen them on phones, earbuds, smartwatches, and speakers: codes like IP67 or IP68, usually mentioned alongside 'water resistant.' They look cryptic, but they're actually a precise, standardized way of telling you exactly how protected a device is against dust and water. Once you know how to read an IP rating, you can understand at a glance whether a device will survive a splash, a dunk, or a dusty environment. This guide decodes the system and, importantly, explains the real-world limits of 'water resistant' so you don't ruin a device by trusting it too much.

What IP ratings are

IP stands for 'Ingress Protection' (sometimes called 'International Protection'), and an IP rating is a standardized measure of how well a device's enclosure keeps out solids (like dust) and liquids (like water). It's an internationally recognized system, so the ratings mean the same thing across brands. The format is 'IP' followed by two digits (for example, IP68). Each digit means something specific: the first is dust/solid protection, the second is water protection. This standardization is what makes the codes genuinely useful, they're not marketing fluff but a defined, comparable measure of protection.

The first digit: dust protection

The first number after 'IP' rates protection against solid particles like dust, on a scale (roughly 0 to 6). A higher number means better protection against smaller particles. The top rating, 6, means the device is fully dust-tight, no dust can get in, which is what you'll see on most premium phones (the '6' in IP67 or IP68). Lower numbers offer less protection. Sometimes you'll see an 'X' in place of this digit (like IPX7), which just means the device wasn't rated for dust, not that it has none, just that only water protection was tested.

The second digit: water protection

The second number rates protection against water, on a larger scale (roughly 0 to 9). Common ratings: 7 means the device can survive being submerged in shallow water (typically up to about a meter) for a limited time, and 8 means protection against deeper or longer submersion (the manufacturer specifies the exact depth and time). Lower numbers cover splashes and sprays rather than submersion. So in 'IP68,' the 8 tells you it handles submersion beyond the basic level. This second digit is what people usually care about, it tells you whether your device survives a splash, a spill, or an actual dunk.

The crucial limits of 'water resistant'

Here's what marketing glosses over: 'water resistant' is not 'waterproof,' and IP ratings have important real-world limits. Ratings are tested in controlled conditions with clean, still, fresh water, not the ocean (salt water is corrosive), not hot water or steam (which can damage seals), not high-pressure water, and not with soap or chemicals. Water resistance also degrades over time as seals age and after drops or damage. And many manufacturers don't cover water damage under warranty even on rated devices. So an IP68 phone can survive an accidental splash or brief dunk, but you shouldn't take it swimming or trust it in the shower regularly.

What it means for you

Use IP ratings wisely. They're genuinely useful for knowing what a device can survive: a higher-rated phone gives peace of mind against rain, spills, and accidental drops in water. When buying, an IP67 or IP68 rating is a real plus for durability. But treat water resistance as insurance against accidents, not a license to deliberately submerge your device, especially over time, in salt water, or under pressure. Rinse and dry a device gently if it does get wet with anything other than clean water. Understanding both what the rating promises and its limits lets you benefit from the protection without pushing your luck and ruining your gear.

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See also: How to choose wireless earbuds, Android vs iPhone: how to actually choose.

Sources

• IP Code - Wikipedia

Published date reflects the original event date (2025-03-11). This article is original Skillo editorial written from the sources above; facts were verified in September 2026.