IPX7 and IP68: What the Marking Legally Means

IP68 is the most misused rating in consumer and industrial products. Because the standard leaves depth and duration to agreement, a bare IP68 marking does not tell the buyer what the product survived.

What a complete claim looks like

IP68 5 m / 60 min, or IP68 1.5 m / 30 min. The depth is measured to the lowest point of the enclosure and the duration to the total immersion time. Without both numbers the claim cannot be verified.

Marketing versus testing

Some products claim IP68 on the basis of a design review rather than a test. Ask for the report, and check that the depth and duration in the report match the claim. A report at 1 m for 30 minutes does not support a 10 m claim.

Reality in service

Seals age, and a product that passed when new may not pass after two years of thermal cycling and cleaning chemicals. For equipment with a long service life, specify periodic seal inspection and replacement, and treat the IP rating as a new-product qualification rather than a lifetime guarantee.

Related technical notes

• Maintaining IP Test Equipment: A Simple Regime
• Calculating IPX5 and IPX6 Test Duration from Surface Area
• Water Temperature in IP Testing: An Overlooked Variable