Guides
IP and IPX Ratings Explained
Four ratings cover almost every flashlight sold, they promise very different things, and the absence of one is worth as much attention as its presence.
By Scooter M. · Published September 2, 2026
The ratings you will actually see
| Rating | What it promises | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| IPX4 | Resistant to splashing water from all directions | Rain, spray, a wet hand |
| IPX6 | Resistant to powerful water jets | Hose-down environments |
| IPX7 | Temporary immersion at 1 m for 30 minutes | Dropped in a puddle or a sink |
| IPX8 | Continuous immersion at a stated depth | Boats, diving, wading |
| IP66 | Dust-tight, plus powerful water jets | Dusty job sites in the wet |
| IP67 | Dust-tight, plus 1 m immersion for 30 minutes | General outdoor use |
| IP68 | Dust-tight, plus continuous immersion beyond 1 m | Wet trades, flooded spaces |
IPX4 means resistant to splashing from any direction. IPX7 means it survives being dropped in a meter of water for half an hour. IPX8 means continuous immersion at a stated depth. A two-digit rating such as IP68 adds a dust rating in front. Anything described as 'water resistant' with no figure attached is outside the standard.
How the standard defines them
NitecoreLights sets out the three ratings that appear on most flashlights: IPX4 as water-resistant, meaning water splashed from all directions; IPX7 as waterproof, meaning temporary submersion at one meter for thirty minutes; and IPX8 as submersible, meaning continuous submersion at a specified depth for a longer period.
Streamlight describes the same three tests under the FL 1 standard as resistance to splashing water, resistance to temporary immersion, and resistance to continuous immersion. Note the wording of the last one: continuous immersion is rated to a depth the manufacturer specifies, so IPX8 on its own does not tell you how deep.
The X, and what it hides
The first digit of an IP rating covers solids — dust and particles — and the second covers water. Writing IPX7 rather than IP67 means the product was tested for water and not formally tested for dust. That is not a red flag on a flashlight, where water is the realistic threat, but it is worth knowing what the letter means.
Where the first digit does matter is on a job site. NITECORE publishes IP66 on the NU25 MCT UL and Black Diamond publishes IP67 on the Spot 400-R; both have been tested against dust ingress as well as water, which is meaningful in concrete dust or a workshop.
Which rating you actually need
- IPX4 is genuinely enough for most people. Rain, a wet hand, a splash while washing a car — that is the realistic exposure for a light kept in a pocket or a drawer.
- IPX7 is what to want if the light lives outdoors, near a boat, or anywhere it could be dropped into standing water.
- IPX8 or IP68 matters for wet trades, wading, fishing and anything genuinely submerged.
- IP66 or IP67 matters where dust is the problem: workshops, sites, agriculture.
Why a missing rating is information
Water testing costs money and is straightforward to do. A manufacturer that has tested its light publishes the result, because it is a selling point. Silence usually means the test was not run.
We name that gap wherever we find it rather than assuming the light is fine. COAST does not publish a water rating for the HP7R on its product page. Sofirn does not publish one for the SC21 Pro. NEBO does not publish one for the BIG LARRY 3 or the FRANKLIN TaskBar. Those are all decent lights and we are not going to invent a figure for any of them.
Two things the rating does not cover
First, a charging port flap. A light rated IPX7 with its flap open is usually not rated at all — which is why manufacturers that waterproof the port itself behind the flap, as Fenix describes on the C7 V2.0, are solving a real problem.
Second, salt water and pressure. An IPX8 rating is a fresh-water immersion test at a stated depth. It says nothing about corrosion after a season near the sea, and nothing about depths beyond the one tested.
Units we claim to have tested: 0
Every publisher in this category says they tested twenty flashlights. We have not tested any, and we say so. What we do instead: compile the manufacturer's own published ANSI FL1 figures, pull the price the light is selling for right now, and divide one by the other. Every number on this page is one you can check yourself in about two minutes.
Common questions
What does IPX7 mean on a flashlight?
It means the light has been tested for temporary immersion in water at one meter for thirty minutes. In practice that covers being dropped in a puddle, a sink or a shallow stream. The X means the product was not formally rated for dust ingress, which is normal on flashlights where water is the realistic threat.
Is IPX4 waterproof?
No — IPX4 is water-resistant against splashing from all directions, which covers rain, spray and wet hands. It does not cover immersion. For a light that might end up in standing water you want IPX7 or better; for a light that lives in a pocket, IPX4 is usually sufficient.
What is the difference between IP67 and IPX7?
The water half is identical: both mean temporary immersion at one meter for thirty minutes. IP67 additionally certifies the product as dust-tight, whereas the X in IPX7 means dust ingress was not formally rated. On a job site the dust digit is worth having; for general use the water figure is the one that matters.
Sources
- NitecoreLights, ANSI / NEMA FL-1 Guide — FL1 definitions plus a published account of the standard's runtime limitation, read 2026-09-01
- Streamlight, ANSI Information — definitions of light output, beam distance, run time, impact and water resistance under the FL1 standard, read 2026-09-01
- NITECORE published product specifications — read 2026-09-01
- Black Diamond published product specifications — read 2026-09-01
- COAST published product specifications — read 2026-09-01
- Fenix published product specifications — read 2026-09-01
- Lumen & Ledger method — how every figure on this page is derived
Who writes this
Scooter M. — I am an enthusiast who is genuinely into this. I read the manuals, compile the published specs, and do the math. No lab coat, no test bench, no drawer of free samples. What I can tell you is exactly what a light claims on paper, exactly what it costs right now, and what those two numbers mean when you divide one by the other.
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