This Is What That Waterproof Rating Really Means

Nobody wants a safety system that can’t weather the storm–whether that storm consists of snow, rain, sleet, or dust.

The elements have a habit of ruining expensive equipment by entering into any tiny crevice and seam not completely sealed off. 

Enter the Ingress Protection (IP) rating system, the scale used to identify how well your equipment’s interior is shielded from solid particulates, liquids, and submersion.

The scale works as such: 

- The first number after IP in any given rating applies to your equipment’s protection against solid elements like sand. This scale goes from 0-6, with 0 offering no protection, 6 offering a complete seal against any ingress at all, and the numbers in between protecting against various sized particles that range from 1mm to 50mm.

- The second number after IP tells us the level of protection against liquids and submersion. On this scale, 0 is no protection at all and 9k offers the most shielding against close-range high pressure and high-temperature spray downs. Levels 6,7, and 8 offer protection against heavy seas or powerful jets of water, the effects of short-term immersion, and protection against complete submersion, respectively. 

Curious what backup cameras, sensors, or recording systems offer IP69K-rated protection? 

We’ve already done the work for you.