When do I need IP68 for outdoor LED lighting?

IP68 is required when fixtures will be permanently submerged or repeatedly exposed to water pressures beyond IP67's 1-metre limit. Specify IP68 for: in-ground fixtures in flood-prone areas, below-waterline illumination on river bridges, underwater pool and fountain lighting, and coastal installations at splash zone level. The manufacturer defines the exact depth and duration for their IP68 rating — always confirm these parameters before specifying for water feature applications.

Is IP67 sufficient for coastal and seaside architectural lighting?

IP67 handles the water exposure in coastal environments — the rain, spray and occasional flooding. However, the greater risk in coastal and marine environments is salt air corrosion, not water ingress. For coastal projects, IP67 fixtures should also specify marine-grade corrosion-resistant surface treatment on the aluminium housing and stainless steel fasteners. The IP code does not cover corrosion resistance — that must be specified separately.

Technical Insight · Selection Guide

IP65 vs IP67 vs IP68 —
Which Rating Do You Actually Need?

Q: What is the difference between IP65 and IP67?

IP65 and IP67 are both fully dust-tight (first digit 6), but differ in water resistance. IP65 is water jet resistant — it can withstand water projected from a nozzle in any direction, but not submersion. IP67 adds submersion resistance to 1 metre for 30 minutes. For permanent outdoor architectural installations exposed to heavy rain, road spray, flooding or high-pressure cleaning, IP67 is the correct choice. IP65 is only sufficient for sheltered positions where direct water jets are unlikely.

TPK Lighting Engineering Team · 5 min read · Outdoor LED Specification

The IP code determines whether your fixture survives five years of outdoor exposure or fails in the first rainy season. This guide explains what each rating means in engineering terms — and which one to specify.

Quick Answer

For permanent outdoor architectural lighting — building facades, bridges, hotels and civic structures — IP67 is the recommended minimum. IP65 is only sufficient for sheltered positions. IP68 is required for submersion and water feature applications.

What the IP Code Actually Means

The IP (Ingress Protection) code is defined by IEC 60529. It has two digits: the first rates protection against solid particles (dust), the second rates protection against water. For outdoor lighting, the water digit is the critical specification.

The first digit is almost always 6 for outdoor architectural fixtures — meaning fully dust-tight. No dust enters regardless of exposure duration. Any fixture rated IP65, IP67 or IP68 has the same dust protection. The difference is entirely in the second digit.

Rating	Water Protection	Outdoor Facade	Bridge / Infrastructure	Coastal / Marine	Water Feature
IP65	Water jets from any direction (nozzle)	Sheltered only	✗	✗	✗
IP67	Immersion to 1m for 30 min	✓ Recommended	✓ Recommended	✓ + marine coating	Splash zone only
IP68	Continuous immersion (depth per spec)	Not required	Below waterline only	Splash + submersion	✓ Required

IP65 — When Is It Enough?

IP65 survives water jets projected from a nozzle in any direction. In practice, this means direct rain and garden hose spray — but not the sustained water pressure of a building facade cleaning machine, not road spray from passing vehicles, and not any scenario where water might pool around the fixture.

IP65 is appropriate only for fixtures mounted in genuinely sheltered positions — under a deep soffit, inside a recessed architectural reveal, or in a protected internal courtyard with no direct rain exposure. For anything exposed to the outdoor environment, IP65 carries meaningful failure risk over a five-year installation period.

IP67 — The Correct Default for Outdoor Architectural Work

IP67 means the fixture can be immersed in water to 1 metre depth for 30 minutes without water entering the housing. In practical outdoor architectural terms, this covers:

Building facades: Heavy rain, typhoon-condition wind-driven rain, high-pressure cleaning jets during facade maintenance, and winter ice formation that melts into water pooling around the fixture mounting point.

Bridges: Road vehicle spray, river mist, flooding of the bridge deck area and any water that tracks along the structural elements toward the fixture positions.

Hotel and resort landscape: Tropical monsoon rainfall, garden irrigation overspray and the general high-humidity environment of outdoor hospitality spaces.

Engineering Note

IP67 does not mean a fixture is designed to be submerged permanently. It means it can survive temporary immersion. For permanent outdoor architectural use, the IP67 seal is tested to perform reliably across the fixture's rated life — typically 50,000 hours — when installed and maintained correctly.

IP68 — When Submersion Is a Real Risk

IP68 specifies continuous submersion beyond the IP67 limit. The exact depth and duration are defined by the manufacturer — there is no single IP68 standard, so you must check the manufacturer's specification. A fixture rated IP68 (3m / 4h) is very different from one rated IP68 (0.5m / continuous).

Specify IP68 for:

In-ground fixtures in flood-prone areas: Recessed in-ground luminaires in urban plazas or riverside walkways where flooding is a regular seasonal occurrence.

Below-waterline bridge illumination: Fixtures mounted on bridge piers or abutments below the normal water level of the river or channel.

Fountain and pool lighting: Any fixture designed to operate while submerged. Pool edge lighting, fountain feature lighting and underwater wall illumination all require IP68 with a manufacturer-specified submersion depth that exceeds the application depth.

Coastal and Marine Environments — IP Is Not the Whole Answer

This is the most common specification mistake in coastal architectural lighting projects. IP67 handles the water exposure — the rain, spray and flooding. But in coastal and marine environments, the greater long-term risk is salt air corrosion, not water ingress through the seal.

Salt air corrodes untreated aluminium housing, compromises standard anodised surfaces, attacks standard stainless steel fasteners and degrades seal quality over time — even without any water actually entering through the IP seal itself.

For coastal projects, IP67 fixtures must also specify:

Marine-grade aluminium surface treatment — beyond standard powder coat, typically a dedicated marine anti-corrosion treatment that maintains integrity in salt air.

316-grade stainless steel fasteners — not 304 grade, which corrodes in coastal environments over 2–3 years.

UV-stabilised gasket material — standard EPDM seals degrade in high UV coastal environments, compromising the IP seal even without direct water contact.

TPK's outdoor wall washer and spotlight series are available with marine-grade corrosion protection options for coastal and riverside environments. Contact our team to confirm which products are specified for your climate conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

IP Rating Questions Answered

IP67 means the fixture is fully dust-tight (first digit 6) and can withstand water immersion up to 1 metre depth for 30 minutes (second digit 7). For outdoor architectural lighting — building facades, bridges and permanent exterior installations — IP67 is the recommended minimum. It survives heavy rain, high-pressure facade cleaning and incidental flooding without seal failure.

Both are fully dust-tight, but differ in water resistance. IP65 resists water jets from a nozzle — it cannot handle submersion. IP67 adds immersion resistance to 1 metre for 30 minutes. For permanent outdoor architectural installations exposed to heavy rain, road spray, flooding or high-pressure cleaning, IP67 is the correct specification. IP65 is only appropriate for sheltered positions where direct water jets are unlikely.

Specify IP68 when fixtures will be permanently submerged or repeatedly exposed to water pressures beyond IP67's 1-metre limit: in-ground fixtures in flood-prone areas, below-waterline bridge fixtures, underwater pool and fountain lighting, and coastal installations at splash zone level. Always confirm the manufacturer's specific depth and duration parameters for their IP68 rating — there is no single universal IP68 standard.

IP67 handles the water exposure in coastal environments — rain, spray and occasional flooding. However, the greater risk in coastal and marine environments is salt air corrosion, not water ingress. For coastal projects, IP67 fixtures must also specify marine-grade corrosion-resistant surface treatment and 316-grade stainless steel fasteners. The IP code does not cover corrosion resistance — that must be specified separately.

All TPK outdoor architectural LED products — including the LWW wall washer series, LLS linear light series, SP spotlight series and STD stadium light series — are rated IP67 as standard. Third-party IP67 immersion test reports are available on request. Contact ES2@topkinglite.com to request certification documents for specific models.

IP65 vs IP67 vs IP68 — Which Rating Do You Actually Need?