IP44 keeps out splashing water from all directions and particles from 1 mm up. IP65 is completely dust-tight and resistant to a genuine water jet. For a facade or a carport, IP44 is enough; above a shower, or anywhere that might get sprayed with a garden hose, take IP65.
The digits read separately
IP stands for Ingress Protection. The first digit is about solid particles, the second about water. They are independent of each other.
| IP44 | IP65 | |
|---|---|---|
| First digit (solids) | 4 — particles from 1 mm up | 6 — completely dust-tight |
| Second digit (water) | 4 — splashing water from all directions | 5 — water jet from a nozzle |
The difference in the first digit is often forgotten, but in a dusty environment it is the more important one. An IP44 fixture in a garage or workshop fills up with dust over time; an IP65 fixture does not.
What it means in practice
- IP44 — rain on a facade, splashing water at a sink, a carport. Whatever comes at it from above or at an angle, it keeps out.
- IP65 — the same situations plus a directed jet. Above a bath or shower, and in places you hose down.
What neither of them covers: immersion. For that you need IP67 or IP68, and that does not come up with ceiling and wall lighting.
What we carry in which class
The catalog holds nine fixtures with IP44 for indoor and outdoor use, and six with IP44. Seven products are IP65, plus a number of spots with IP65 on the front. Two sit at IP54.
The distinction is clearest among the wall lights:
- Zaro 1x GU10 — IP44, €17.95. Fine on a facade.
- Square wall light — IP44, €12.95.
- Kubo — IP65, G9 socket, €18.95. Also where it really gets wet.
- Senso — IP54 with motion sensor, 540 lumens, €31.95.
The intermediate step you easily miss
Between IP44 and IP65 sits IP54: dust-protected and resistant to splashing water. That is not a half measure but a deliberate class for covered outdoor spots and damp indoor spaces. The Vigo is IP54, and the COB Cube up-and-down is IP54 against dust and splashes.
Watch what the rating applies to
Several recessed spotlights list two IP ratings, and that is not sloppiness. On the Lesto the front is IP65 and the back plus driver IP20. On the Lyvo and the Quaro the spot is IP65 and the driver IP20.
So the underside may get wet, the top side may not. In a bathroom ceiling that is fine, because the driver sits dry up there. Outdoors under the eaves or in a damp crawl space it goes wrong.
What neither of them covers
The IP code is only about dust and water. Three things that matter just as much outdoors are not in it: temperature swings, UV radiation and salt. On the coast, salt eats into untreated metal regardless of the IP rating. Most of our fixtures are aluminum, which copes well with that.
And the silent killer in a bathroom is usually not a water jet but steam that cannot escape. Condensation creeps into the driver and attacks the contacts. A properly working extractor often does more for the life of your fixtures than an extra IP class.
When in doubt: IP65
The price difference between the classes in this range is small — a few euros. If you are not sure which zone you are in or how damp a space gets, take IP65 and never think about it again. All the ratings are listed per product with the recessed spotlights and the wall lights.
More about what IP65 covers exactly in How waterproof is IP65 exactly?
Is IP44 enough for outdoors?
For rain on a facade or under a carport, yes. If you get near it with a garden hose, or it hangs somewhere dusty, take IP65.
What is the difference in the first digit?
IP44 keeps out particles from 1 mm up, IP65 is completely dust-tight. In a garage or workshop that difference counts for more than the water part.
Can IP44 go in a bathroom?
Outside the zones around the bath and shower, yes — by the sink or the door, for example. Directly above the bath, IP65 belongs.