IP and IK: what those numbers really protect
Two figures that decide whether a luminaire can legally be installed somewhere. And a constant confusion: IP does not measure impacts, and IK does not measure water.
- Reference standard
- IEC 60529 (IP) · IEC 62262 (IK)
- Scale
- IP20 a IP68 · IK01 a IK10
- Where it applies
- Interior seco IP20 · Baño IP44+ · Exterior IP65
- How it is measured
- Ensayo de laboratorio sobre la luminaria
The IP rating (IEC 60529) has two digits. The first is protection against solids: 2 means fingers or objects over 12 mm cannot enter, 5 dust-protected, 6 dust-tight. The second is against water: 0 none, 4 splashing from any direction, 5 jets, 7 temporary immersion. So IP65 is dust-tight and resists water jets.
The most expensive confusion is using IP20 where it does not belong. IP20 means dry interior: fine for offices, retail or homes, but not for a bathroom zone, an industrial kitchen or a covered outdoor area exposed to wind and rain. Installing it there not only ruins the product: it voids the warranty and may breach electrical regulations.
The IK rating (IEC 62262) measures resistance to mechanical impact, in joules: IK07 (2 J) for common areas, IK08 (5 J) for busy public spaces, IK10 (20 J) for sports facilities, car parks or vandal-prone areas. A product can be IP65 and still fragile: they are independent parameters.
Beware the self-serving reading: a high IP does not mean quality, it means suitability for a specific environment. An architectural indoor luminaire with IP20 and precision optics is a vastly better product for an office than an IP65 sealed unit designed for a tunnel.
- All 21 LUMILIGHT products are IP20: dry interior. Outdoor or wet areas require a different family.
- In bathrooms, check the regulation zones: each zone demands a different minimum IP.
- IK matters in schools, sports halls and car parks, not in an office.
- A high IP usually implies gaskets and diffusers that reduce output: do not ask for it if you do not need it.
