What Is an IP68 Rating? Why It Isn't Waterproof

Every modern flagship smartphone and premium accessory boasts an IP68 rating. It sits on the spec sheet as a promise of durability against the elements.

Yet that alphanumeric code creates dangerous confidence for many users. Does it really mean you can swim with your phone or drop it in the ocean without consequence? The gap between marketing claims and engineering reality is often where expensive accidents happen.

How the Rating System Works

The alphanumeric code found on electronic specifications is not random marketing text. It represents a precise engineering standard verified through rigorous testing.

The code breaks down into three distinct parts where each character defines a specific level of defense against external threats.

The IP Acronym

The letters IP stand for Ingress Protection. Sometimes referred to as International Protection, this standard is maintained by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

It provides a uniform way to grade how well an electrical enclosure seals against foreign bodies. This system eliminates vague marketing terms and replaces them with a quantifiable metric for durability.

Manufacturers must adhere to specific test procedures to claim these ratings, ensuring that a device labeled IP68 in one country meets the same sealing benchmarks as one sold elsewhere.

The First Digit: Solid Particle Protection

The first number following the letters addresses solid objects. This scale ranges from 0 to 6.

A zero indicates absolutely no protection, leaving the device vulnerable to everything from fingers to fine powder. Lower numbers like 1 or 2 typically protect against larger objects such as hand tools or wires, but they offer little defense against fine particulates.

An IP68 rating features a 6, which is the highest score possible for solids. This designates the device as “dust tight.”

To earn this grade, the enclosure must block all ingress of dust, dirt, and sand even after hours of exposure. Testing often involves placing the device in a circulation chamber with talcum powder while a vacuum is applied to the internals.

If any powder finds its way inside the casing, the device fails. A level 6 rating guarantees complete isolation from solid contaminants.

The Second Digit: Liquid Ingress Protection

The second number rates the enclosure's ability to resist moisture. This scale runs from 0 to 9, covering everything from light dripping water to high-pressure steam jets.

Lower ratings protect against rain or splashing, but they fall short of full submersion. A rating of 4, for example, handles water splashing from any direction, while a 5 handles low-pressure jets.

The 8 indicates protection against continuous immersion in water beyond a depth of one meter. It signifies that the manufacturer has hermetically sealed the device to withstand significant hydrostatic pressure.

While a 7 rating allows for temporary dips up to one meter, an 8 proves the hardware can survive underwater for extended durations without liquid breaching the internal components. This is the gold standard for consumer electronics intended for use near water, though the exact depth and duration parameters are often defined by the manufacturer.

The Specifics of the 8: Depth, Time, and Testing Conditions

The highest liquid protection rating generally available on consumer electronics is often misunderstood. While the dust rating is absolute, the liquid rating allows for significant flexibility in how testing is defined.

Manufacturers have leeway to establish their own parameters within the IEC guidelines, meaning that two devices sharing the same IP68 label may not possess identical water resistance capabilities.

Beyond the One-Meter Barrier

The difference between a level 7 and a level 8 rating centers on depth. Level 7 certifies a device for immersion up to exactly one meter.

Anything labeled with an 8 must surpass this one-meter threshold. Manufacturers typically engineer these products to withstand depths ranging from 1.5 meters to 3 meters, though some specialized equipment goes even deeper.

The 8 signifies that the device is built to handle the increased water pressure found at these greater depths.

Manufacturer Variations

The solid particle rating is rigid, but the liquid ingress rating allows the device maker to define the terms. The IEC standard simply requires the test to be more severe than level 7.

Consequently, the actual depth limit is decided by the brand. A smartphone from one company might be rated IP68 for a depth of 1.5 meters, while a competitor’s flagship model claims IP68 protection down to 6 meters.

Both validly carry the same code, yet the engineering requirements to achieve them are vastly different. Reading the specific technical specifications provided by the manufacturer is the only way to know the true limit.

The Time Limit

Depth is only half the equation. Time plays an equally critical role in the certification process.

The standard testing duration for an IP68 rating is continuous submersion, usually lasting 30 minutes. Passing this test confirms that the seals can hold out against pressure for a reasonable period, but it does not promise indefinite underwater operation.

Leaving a device submerged for hours allows pressure to eventually force water past the gaskets. The rating covers temporary accidents or brief submersions rather than permanent underwater installation.

Comparison: IP68 vs. IP67 and Lower Ratings

The distinction between ratings often seems like minor semantics to the average buyer. However, the step up from a 7 to an 8 represents a significant engineering shift.

Lower ratings might save a phone from a spilled drink, but they often fail when faced with complete submersion.

The Critical Difference

The primary divide between IP67 and IP68 is the depth of immersion. An IP67 device is tested to survive only up to one meter of water.

This standard is sufficient for a drop into a kitchen sink or a shallow bathtub. IP68 pushes past that one-meter limit, often reaching depths of 1.5 to 3 meters or more.

This additional tolerance becomes vital in deeper environments. A phone dropped into the deep end of a swimming pool or off a dock into a lake would likely fail with an IP67 rating due to the increased pressure, whereas an IP68 unit has a much better chance of survival.

Waterproof vs. Water-Resistant

Consumers frequently use the word waterproof to describe these devices, but that term is misleading. True waterproofing implies an impervious shield that liquid can never breach under any circumstance.

No consumer electronic device offers that level of certainty. Water-resistant is the accurate terminology.

IP68 devices resist water entry effectively under specific conditions, but their seals are not invincible. Time, depth, and wear can eventually allow moisture to bypass the barriers.

Relying on the term waterproof often leads to reckless behavior, while acknowledging the device is merely resistant encourages necessary caution.

Protection Gaps

High immersion ratings do not guarantee protection against all forms of water exposure. The testing for IP68 involves static pressure from still water.

It does not account for high-velocity water streams. Ratings like IP65 or IP66 specifically address protection against pressurized jets, such as those from a garden hose or a power washer.

It is entirely possible for a device to be rated for deep submersion yet fail when hit by a focused stream of water. The physics of resisting heavy static pressure differ from those required to deflect a high-speed jet, leaving a blind spot in the protection profile of many flagship devices.

Environmental Realities: Fresh Water vs. The Real World

Real-world environments differ vastly from sterile testing facilities. IP68 ratings rely on controlled variables that rarely exist outside a laboratory.

Once a device enters the ocean, a swimming pool, or a shower, the chemistry and physics change in ways the standard rating system does not account for.

The Fresh Water Constraint

Standard certification tests utilize stagnant fresh water to ensure consistency. This medium is clean, predictable, and free of foreign matter.

Nature is rarely so accommodating. Rivers, lakes, and puddles contain suspended sediments and minerals.

When a device dries after submersion in dirty water, these microscopic particles remain behind. They can lodge in speaker grilles, encrust charging ports, or compromise the flexibility of rubber seals.

This accumulation creates tiny gaps that may allow liquid ingress during subsequent exposures.

Chemical Hazards

Pure water is relatively benign, but the additives found in everyday water sources are destructive to electronic seals.

Chlorine

Swimming pools present a harsh chemical environment. Chlorine is an aggressive oxidizer capable of breaking down the rubber gaskets and adhesives used to seal smartphones and watches.

While a single accidental drop into a pool might not cause immediate failure, repeated exposure accelerates the degradation of these waterproofing materials.

Salt Water

The ocean poses a severe threat due to corrosion. Salt water is highly conductive and aggressive toward metal.

If it enters a charging port or a speaker mesh, it can rapidly corrode the contact pins. Even if the main seal holds, dried salt crystals can expand and damage external components or create conductive bridges that short-circuit the device when it is plugged in to charge.

Soaps and Shampoos

Many users assume showering with a water-resistant device is safe, yet this environment introduces surfactants. Soaps and shampoos are designed to lower the surface tension of water to clean effectively.

This lower surface tension allows the liquid to penetrate meshes and membranes that would normally repel plain water. A seal designed to stop fresh water may fail completely against soapy water.

Dynamic Pressure

The IP68 rating measures static pressure, which is the force exerted by still water at a specific depth. Human activity introduces movement, which generates dynamic pressure.

Swimming strokes, diving into a pool, or falling while water skiing forces water against the device at high velocity. This speed creates pressure spikes that can instantly exceed the static limits of the rating.

A device rated for 1.5 meters of still water can easily suffer seal failure at the surface if it hits the water with sufficient force.

Long-Term Durability and Warranty Implications

An IP68 rating captures the condition of a device the moment it leaves the factory. It is not a permanent attribute that persists indefinitely.

Time and daily usage slowly erode the protective measures engineered into modern electronics.

The Liquid Damage Clause

A troubling contradiction exists in the mobile industry. Companies heavily advertise the water resistance of their products, often showing them being used in rain or near pools.

Despite this marketing, standard warranties almost universally exclude coverage for liquid damage. If a device fails due to water intrusion, the cost of repair or replacement falls entirely on the consumer.

Service technicians verify these claims using Liquid Damage Indicators (LDIs) located inside the chassis. These small stickers contain a chemical that turns permanently pink or red upon contact with water or high humidity.

Once a technician spots a triggered LDI, the conversation ends. The presence of that color voids the warranty, regardless of the IP68 rating or how the water managed to enter.

Seal Degradation and Wear

Water resistance is a physical property dependent on rubber gaskets, adhesive strips, and precise assembly tolerances. These materials degrade.

The rubber seals that keep water out eventually dry, shrink, or become brittle. A smartphone that is perfectly watertight on day one will likely lose that capability after two years of daily use.

Physical trauma accelerates this process. Dropping a phone can introduce microscopic fractures in the casing or dislodge a seal without shattering the glass.

Even sitting on a device while it is in a back pocket can slightly bend the frame, creating a gap large enough for liquid to enter. Extreme temperature fluctuations also cause materials to expand and contract, loosening the adhesive bonds over time.

An older device should never be trusted near water to the same degree as a brand-new one.

Essential Maintenance

Accidents happen, and proper aftercare can prevent temporary exposure from turning into permanent damage. If a device is exposed to chlorine, salt water, or soapy water, it must be rinsed immediately with gentle, fresh water.

Leaving contaminants on the surface allows them to eat away at the seals.

Drying is equally important. Shaking out excess water and drying the exterior with a lint-free cloth is the first step.

The charging port requires special attention. Plugging a charger into a wet port can cause corrosion or a short circuit. The device should remain unplugged until the port is completely dry, which may take several hours of air drying in a well-ventilated area.

Conclusion

An IP68 rating represents the pinnacle of protection against solid particles and a substantial defense against liquid intrusion within a controlled setting. It certifies that a device is effectively dust-tight and capable of surviving significant submersion.

However, this certification should function as a safety net rather than a standard feature. It exists to save a device from a fall into a toilet, a spilled glass of water, or a sudden downpour.

It is not an invitation to use the hardware for underwater photography or as a swimming companion. The risks posed by seal failure, chemical corrosion, and dynamic pressure are simply too high to justify intentional submersion.

Every manufacturer defines the specific depth and duration limits for their equipment, so reading the precise specifications for a particular model is the only way to know exactly where the protection ends.