Look up the values for your own luminaire
Every version is listed in one table, with the datasheet and the photometric file per item.
The IP rating indicates how well a luminaire keeps out dust and water. The IK rating indicates how much mechanical force the housing can withstand. Two codes, two standards, and in practice two very different failure modes.
We use IP67 as our lower limit, while the market remains at IP66. At a height of sixteen meters, on a quay, or in a recycling plant, that is not just a detail on paper: a luminaire that lets water in after three years costs more in access equipment than the luminaire itself. Below is what the numbers mean, what they do not cover, and the minimum value required per application.
IP comes from IEC 60529, IK from IEC 62262. They are separate from each other: IP67 says nothing about impact resistance and IK10 says nothing about water. For outdoors, you need both of them.
The tables below give the meaning of the numbers you encounter on outdoor lighting datasheets. For area, sports, and industrial lighting, only the upper part of each scale is relevant.
The difference between 5 and 6 is not gradual but fundamental: at level 5, dust is allowed to enter as long as it does not interfere, while at level 6, no dust is allowed to enter. In a recycling plant, at a transfer station, or at an agricultural business, that is the difference between making it and not making it.
Please note: the rating scale is not cumulative. A luminaire that meets the IPx7 standard has been tested for immersion but not necessarily for water jets. That is why a dual rating is required: our luminaires are IP66/IP67, meaning they have been tested for both, and the compact DarkLicht series and the floodlights go even further with IP69K. All of our floodlights are IP69K, and an IP68 rating is available for them when prolonged submersion is required. If a supplier lists only IP67, ask about the water jet test. And pay attention to the terminology: “waterproof” is not a classification; the second digit is.
IK10 stands for 20 joules: a mass of five kilograms falling from a height of forty centimeters. That is sturdy, but it is not a guarantee against vandalism and not a ballistic test. A ball hitting the glass at full speed can carry more energy than the test. Therefore, the question is not how high the IK rating is, but whether the luminaire is accessible: nothing will hit it at a height of eighteen meters.
More importantly: the IK rating applies to the housing as tested, and the weakest point determines the outcome. An aluminum housing with a flat glass plate behaves differently than the same housing with a convex plastic lens. Therefore, ask what the rating was measured on.
And pay attention to what is not in the code: corrosion. Salty air near a port or quay, ammonia in an agricultural environment, and chemical exposure at a transshipment yard require a material choice, not a higher IP rating.
An IP67/IK10 luminaire can still fail within three years. Not because the rating is false, but because the rating measures something different than what a luminaire on a pole actually experiences.
The IP test is performed on a luminaire at a single temperature. In practice, it heats up and cools down, every single day. That breathing draws moisture inward past seals that did pass the test. It is the most common cause of condensation in a luminaire that is IP67 on paper.
IP and IK ratings say nothing about the material. On a dock, in a harbor, or at an agricultural facility that uses ammonia, the alloy determines the service life, not the IP rating. In those cases, a fully 316L design is the solution: a twenty-year warranty on the housing and a five-year warranty on the other parts.
A plastic lens or seal that has been exposed to the sun for ten years is not the same as the one used in the test. Yellowing reduces light output, and hardening reduces light transmission. Ask about the material of the lens and the seal, not just the code.
IPx6 test with a defined jet at a defined distance. A high-pressure washer at a distance of ten centimeters far exceeds that standard. If high-pressure cleaning is performed on your property or in your facility, please indicate this in your application: this is a different requirement than driving rain.
IP and IK ratings apply to the luminaire as tested, with the supplied cable gland, cable, and mounting bracket. A different cable gland, an incorrectly mounted cover, or a cable routed upward instead of downward voids the classification. Installation is part of the rating.
This is also why we never answer the question “Is IP66 enough?” with a simple “yes” or “no” without knowing where the luminaire will be installed. On a dock, the choice of materials is more important than the IP rating; on a sports field, the IK rating; in a recycling facility, the first digit.
Here’s what the product line looks like if you look solely at the classification: the compact DarkLicht series and the floodlights meet IP69K, while the large wide-angle floodlights are rated IP67. IP68 is also available for all floodlights. The floodlights have an IK10 rating because they are moved around and are within reach.
Each datasheet lists the exact values for each model, without a form. If you’ll be cleaning with steam or high pressure, look for a model with an IP69K rating; if you’ll be dealing with standing water, the seventh or eighth digit is the determining factor. For the corresponding mast selection: lighting poles and high mast lighting.
Our own working method, not a standard. You see IP67 listed throughout the table, and that is not laziness: we maintain IP67 as our lower limit, even on a construction site and in areas where IP66 would formally suffice. The IK column, by contrast, varies because it follows accessibility: the higher the luminaire is mounted, the less impact it will face. Where the environment is harsher, the choice of material plays a role: a fully 316L version, for example, with a twenty-year warranty on the housing.
Virtually our entire product line is IP66/IP67-rated, and some models go even further: the compact DarkLicht series and the floodlights are IP69K-rated. All of our floodlights are IP69K-rated, and an IP68 version is also available. The large DarkLicht floodlights are IP67-rated. The exact rating for each model is listed on the datasheet, which you can download without filling out a form.
ATEX, for potentially explosive atmospheres. We do not have that certification, nor do we claim it. If you work in an area where that is required, we will state that immediately rather than offering an IP rating instead.
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If you are unsure what value your environment requires, briefly describe what is happening on site. That says more than an IP rating, and you will receive a response from an engineer within one working day.
The first digit, 6, means dust-tight: no dust enters. The second digit is about water: 6 is a powerful water jet from any direction, tested with a 12.5 mm nozzle, and 7 is short-term immersion, 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter. IP66 is the common outdoor rating on the market; we maintain IP67 as our lower limit and supply virtually everything as IP66/IP67, meaning tested for both.
Only the second digit, which refers to the force of the water jet: at 5, a 6.3 mm nozzle; at 6, a 12.5 mm nozzle. IP65 may suffice under an awning or canopy; for luminaires in the open air, we maintain IP67.
Heavier on water, but not automatically better, because the scale above 6 is not cumulative: IP67 is tested for short-term immersion and IP66 for a powerful water jet, and those are different tests. That is why a dual designation should be present. Our luminaires are IP66/IP67 and therefore tested for both; our floodlights are all IP69K and IP68 is available for them. If a supplier only states IP67, explicitly ask for the jet test.
Twenty joules: in the test, a five-kilogram mass falling from forty centimeters. That is the highest level of the IK scale. It is sturdy, but it is not vandalism-proof: a ball at full speed can carry more energy than the test.
IK07 to IK08. On a sports field, the luminaires are mounted on a pole typically twelve to eighteen meters high, so out of reach of players and balls. Where the poles are lower or the luminaires are accessible, we use IK08. We reserve IK10 for construction sites and wash bays: relocation, rough use, and close-range cleaning.
No. IP comes from IEC 60529 and is about dust and water; IK comes from IEC 62262 and is about impact energy. They are completely independent of each other. For outdoor lighting, you need both values, and they should both be on a datasheet.
Because the IP test is done at a single temperature. In practice, a luminaire heats up and cools down every day, and that breathing draws moisture past seals that did pass the test. This is the most common cause of moisture in a luminaire that is fine on paper, and it is the reason why a higher IP rating alone is not enough. Therefore, ask about the thermal construction and ventilation, not just the rating.
No. IP and IK ratings say nothing about material and therefore nothing about corrosion. On a quay or in a port, the alloy determines the lifespan. For that, we supply a complete 316L version, with a twenty-year warranty on the housing and five years on the other components.
Not without discussing that first. The IPX6 test uses a defined jet at a defined distance; a pressure washer at ten centimeters far exceeds that. If high-pressure cleaning takes place on your premises or in your hall, please mention that when submitting the request, as that is a different requirement than driving rain.
Yes, IP68 is available on all our floodlights. Moreover, those floodlights are all designed to IP69K, and those are two different tests: IP68 concerns prolonged immersion, while IP69K concerns high-pressure and hot-water cleaning. Please specify in your request whether there will be standing water, high-pressure cleaning, or both, and we will include the correct version in the quotation.
Only with installation according to instructions. The classification applies to the luminaire as tested, with the supplied cable gland and seal. A different cable gland, a crookedly mounted cover, or a cable running upward instead of downward invalidates the rating. When installed by our own SCC** technicians, that is part of the work; if your own installer does it, it is stated in the installation instructions.
No, we do not have that certification and we do not claim to have it. If you work in a hazardous area where ATEX is required, we will state that immediately rather than pitching a high IP rating instead.
Salty air, dust, forklift traffic, balls, high-pressure cleaning: each points in a different direction. We look at the environment and not just the number, while providing a complimentary lighting calculation.
