You have probably seen gadgets such as the Cardo PackTalk series being touted as “IP67” dust and waterproof. Then you see another rating such as “IPX4 waterproof” on another. The next question is, what does the IP rating mean?

What is IP rating?

“IP” does not stand for “intellectual property” in this case. Instead, the term means “Ingress Protection.” The rating measures how well a device stands up to dust and water incursion.

Good news is, the IP rating is not stamped on by manufacturers nilly-willy. The device must be tested by an official lab to the IEC Standard 60529 set by the International Electrotechnical Commission in order to be certified.

The rating is specified as:

IPXX

Generally, the rating actually consists of three parts:

1. IP – As stated above, it means Ingress Protection.
2. First X – For protection against solid objects including dust and stones.
3. Second X – For protection against water.

Please refer to the chart below.

As such, the IP67 rating on the Cardo PackTalk series means it is protected against dust and water incursion.

As for a product with IPX4 rating, it means it is not rated for protection against solids but is protected against water splashes. This rating is usually for rainsuits and water-resistant (if not waterproof) bags.