What Does the IP Rating on My Radio Mean?
Two-way radios are powerful devices that help your team instantly communicate while improving productivity and safety.
Depending on your work environment, your radio needs to have features specific for your business, such as a safety Man Down alert in environments such as construction and manufacturing.
More importantly, your two-way radio has to be able to handle your business’s work environment. For instance, manufacturing and warehousing companies need a radio that is tightly sealed against dust.
What is an IP Rating?
The IP Code is more commonly known as an Ingress Protection Rating. It begins with the letters IP followed by two digits. This is an international standard which classifies degrees of protection that two-way radios have against various intrusions including dust and water.
Depending on its IP rating, a two-way radio may be fully submersible in water.
How to Read the IP Rating on Your Two-Way Radio
The first digit classifies the protection the two-way radio may have against solid intrusions, such as touch, tools and small wires. The highest level of protection ensures that the radio is tightly sealed against dust.
The second digit indicates protection against various liquid intrusions including water spray, low-pressure and high-pressure water jets. One of the highest liquid protection ratings indicates that the radio is fully submersible in water greater than 1 meter for extended periods of time.
IP Rating Reference Chart
The reference chart below explains all the IP ratings your two-way radio may have.
If you’re looking to purchase a portable or vehicle digital two-way radio with a strong IP rating, consider the two-way radios that we sell.
| IP Number | First Digit – SOLIDS | Second Digit – LIQUIDS |
|---|---|---|
| IP00 | Not protected from solids. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP01 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP02 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP03 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP04 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP05 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP06 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP07 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth. |
| IP08 | Not protected from solids. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP10 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP11 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP12 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP13 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP14 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP15 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP16 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP17 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth. |
| IP18 | Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP20 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP21 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP22 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP23 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP24 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP25 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP26 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP27 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth. |
| IP28 | Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP30 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP31 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP32 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP33 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP34 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP35 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP36 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP37 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth. |
| IP38 | Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP40 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP41 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP42 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP43 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP44 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP45 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP46 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP47 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth. |
| IP48 | Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP50 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP51 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP52 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP53 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP54 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP55 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP56 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP57 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth. |
| IP58 | Protected from limited dust ingress. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP60 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Not protected from liquids. |
| IP61 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from condensation. |
| IP62 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from vertical. |
| IP63 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from vertical. |
| IP64 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from water spray from any direction. |
| IP65 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from low pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP66 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from high pressure water jets from any direction. |
| IP67 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth. |
| IP68 | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure. |
| IP69K | Protected from total dust ingress. | Protected from steam-jet cleaning |
Ready to purchase your two-way radio? Contact one of our two-way radio experts.
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