IPX4 Water Resistance Device - What Does It Means?

IPX4 Water Resistance Device

When looking to buy any tech gear, there are many things we need to consider. With a large variety of performances, quality, price, and brands, we`re never sure that we made the right decision.

Things can get even more complicated if you're looking for some outdoor electronic equipment. Lately, manufacturers are throwing at us terms like "water resistance", "waterproof", and „dust protected“ to make their products as desirable as possible to a wide range of customers.

One area where it’s becoming especially common is in the audio equipment. Headphones, Bluetooth speakers and fitness devices are often advertised with something called a „high IP rating“. Common sense often tells us that the higher the number we see in the product description, the higher is the quality of a said product.

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However, the IPX4 rating as its own doesn’t tell you much really. Consider your new IPX4 rated earbuds waterproof may be an expensive long shot. Before we dive in IPX4 (wink-wink), let's look at IP ratings in general.

What IP Rating Means?

The IP rating determines how resistant a device is to environmental elements. Most IP numbers look like IPXX where each “X” represents a number. All of those confusing numbers can be put to some good use whatsoever. They can help you compare products you're looking to buy according to a standardized rating scale.

“Ingress Protection” or sometimes "International Protection Marking" is used to represent how well a device can handle damage from solid materials as well as liquids. However, companies and tech lovers often refer to it as an IP rating (or IP code). That rating is officially called “IEC Standard 60529” and set by the International Electrotechnical Commission.

IP Chart

When it comes to solids, the scale goes from 0 to 6. With liquids, the device can be rated from 0 to 9. So, if you're looking in IP67 rated device, it means its completely protected from dust, dirt and other solid objects and can withstand some severe water damage. As you can imagine, the higher the rating, the better a product is protected.

IP rating becomes a big factor in the Asian and European markets. As time massed and market expended, the IP standard has gained a lot of attention in the US as well. Basically, having a product IP rated allowed companies to say “dustproof” and “waterproof” in a fancy way.

As much as these numbers may look random to you, it's important to know that the IP rating is only officially given to a product that passes specialized testing by a certified, independent company. This means that the company can just give their IP rating because it looks good on paper.

There's a Scale To Help You Understand Water Resistance Of Your Device

Whether you're an outdoor lover that needs some professional equipment, or just a tech geek that wants to avoid drowning their favorite headphones down, it helps to know what each IP ranking means. As much as you try to protect your device from water, accidents happen. https://www.audiogrounds.com/ipx-ratings/

With a knowledge of the IP scale, it's easier to understand how your device will perform in a humid environment. Here’s a break down of a standardized IP scale:

• IPX0 – This means it’s not water-resistant at all. A device with this ranking will possibly be ruined by a single drop of water.
• IPX1 – The device is safe as long as we speak of just water drops, falling vertically on it.
• IPX2 – Device can handle waterdrops until it's tilted up to 15°. What are the odds, right?
• IPX3 – Your device can be sprayed from the top and survive as long it's tilted up to 60°.
• IPX4 –This ranking means your device can handle splashes of water from any direction.
• IPX5 – With the device of this ranking, you don't have to worry about water jats from any directions.

From now on, we`re talking waterproof.

• IPX6 – Protects from powerful water jets. Devices in this category are basically waterproof.
• IPX7 – Devices of this IP ranking can handle being dropped in water up to 3 feet (1 meter) deep.
• IPX8 – The device is protected in water over 3 feet deep.
• IPX9K- There aren’t many devices on the market falling in this category. IPX9K means full high pressure and high-temperature spays resistance at close range.

Enjoy     
Richard