By Reece Knight, KES Lighting & Home. Last updated 15 September 2026.
IP44 is protected against splashes from any direction. IP65 is dust-tight and protected against water jets. In a bathroom, IP44 meets the legal minimum in zones 1 and 2 and IP65 is the sensible margin over a shower. Outdoors, IP44 is only enough under cover; on an exposed wall or anywhere rain lands, buy IP65. That is the decision. The rest of this guide is what the numbers mean, where each one is legal, and the three places people get it wrong.
The IP rating is the most misread number in lighting, and the misreading runs both ways. Some people fit IP20 lights over a bath because the box said 'bathroom'. Others pay for IP65 on a landing because higher sounds safer. Neither is right, and the difference between the two ratings is small enough to learn in a minute.
What the two digits mean
IP stands for ingress protection and the code is set by an international standard, IEC 60529, adopted in Britain as BS EN 60529. The first digit is solids, from 0 to 6. The second is water, from 0 to 9. They are read separately; 44 is not 'forty-four', it is a 4 and a 4.
| Rating | First digit (solids) | Second digit (water) | In plain English |
|---|---|---|---|
| IP20 | 2: fingers and objects over 12.5mm | 0: none | An ordinary indoor light. Fine outside the bathroom zones, useless near water |
| IP44 | 4: objects over 1mm, so wires and most insects | 4: splashing water from any direction | Steam, splashes and condensation. The bathroom standard |
| IP54 | 5: dust protected, some may enter | 4: splashing water | IP44 with better dust sealing. Common on outdoor wall lights |
| IP65 | 6: dust-tight | 5: water jets from a 6.3mm nozzle, any direction | Rain, hoses, shower spray, cleaning jets. The outdoor and shower standard |
| IP66 | 6: dust-tight | 6: powerful jets from a 12.5mm nozzle | Coastal, pressure-washed, marine |
| IP67 | 6: dust-tight | 7: immersion to 1 metre for 30 minutes | Ground lights, decking, zone 0 in a bathroom |
| IP68 | 6: dust-tight | 8: continuous immersion beyond 1 metre | Ponds and pools |
An X in place of a digit, as in IPX4, means that digit was not tested, not that it failed. For a light fitting the water digit is nearly always the one that matters, which is why the wiring regulations for bathrooms are written as IPX4, IPX5 and IPX7 rather than IP44 and IP65.
So what is the actual difference between IP44 and IP65?
Two things. IP65 keeps dust out completely, where IP44 only keeps out objects bigger than a millimetre. And IP65 withstands a jet of water aimed at it, where IP44 withstands a splash. Neither is 'waterproof'. An IP65 fitting can still be defeated by immersion, by standing water pooling on top of it, or by a pressure washer, which is why IP67 and IP66 exist. What IP65 is, in a house, is enough: enough for driving rain on a wall, enough for the spray in a shower cubicle, enough for the mop and the cleaning spray.
The mistake is to treat the gap as bigger than it is in one direction and smaller in the other. IP44 is a serious rating, more than most bathroom fittings ever meet in practice. IP65 is a sensible rating, not an armoured one.
Do I need IP44 or IP65 for a bathroom?
The wiring regulations, BS 7671, split a bathroom into zones. Zone 0 is inside the bath or shower tray: 12V and IPX7 only, so no ordinary light of any rating. Zone 1 is above the bath or shower to 2.25 metres from the floor: IPX4 minimum, rising to IPX5 where a shower jet could be aimed at the fitting. Zone 2 is the 0.6 metre band beyond that and around the basin: IPX4 minimum. Outside the zones there is no minimum in the regulations at all.
So IP44 is legal in zones 1 and 2, and it is the right rating for a wall light beside the mirror, a ceiling light in the middle of the room, or a pendant over a bath with a high ceiling. Where we push people to IP65 is the shower. A downlight in a shower cubicle takes direct spray, steam at close range and whatever gets sprayed at the tiles on a Saturday morning, and IP65 costs a pound or two more than IP44 for the same fitting. The full zone map, with the RCD and electrician questions, is in bathroom lighting zones and IP ratings, and the downlights themselves are in the best downlights for a bathroom.
The opinion, since you are here for one: buy every downlight in a bathroom at IP65 and every wall and ceiling fitting at IP44, and stop thinking about it. Mixing an IP20 downlight outside the zone with IP65 ones inside it saves nothing and guarantees that somebody, one day, fits the wrong one in the wrong hole.
Is IP44 enough for outdoor lights?
Only under cover. IP44 is splash-rated, and an outdoor light that is under a porch roof, a deep soffit or an overhanging eave gets splashed and never rained on, so IP44 is fine there. Most traditional wall lanterns are IP44 for exactly that reason, and they last for decades when they are sheltered.
On an exposed wall, at a gate, over a path or anywhere rain lands on the fitting directly, IP65. Rain is not a jet, but wind-driven rain, a hose and a pressure washer are, and an IP44 light on an open wall will eventually take water in past the seal. That is the practical answer to 'is IP44 ok for heavy rain': sheltered, yes; exposed, no. For ground-recessed lights where water pools, go to IP67. Our outdoor IP rating guide goes spot by spot, and the best outdoor wall lights picks the fittings.
Three things people get wrong
- 'IP65 is waterproof.' It is jet-proof. Standing water, immersion and pressure washers need IP66, IP67 or IP68. If a light sits where water can pool on top of it, IP65 is the wrong answer.
- 'Higher is always better.' A higher rating is a sealed fitting, and sealed fittings run hotter, cost more and offer less choice of design. On a landing or in a living room IP20 is correct, and there is no prize for fitting IP65 there.
- 'It said bathroom on the box.' The word on the box is marketing. The number is the rating. A 'bathroom' ceiling light at IP20 exists, and it is legal outside the zones, but it will not do over the bath. Read the IP figure, not the room name.
Which do you actually need? The one-minute decision
| Where the light is going | Buy | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the bath or shower tray (zone 0) | IPX7, 12V only | The regulation. No mains light of any rating |
| Over the shower, downlight (zone 1) | IP65 | IPX4 or IPX5 is the minimum; IP65 covers the jet and the steam |
| Over the bath, ceiling light or pendant (zone 1) | IP44 minimum, IP65 if it is a downlight | Splash-rated is legal; a downlight in the ceiling above a shower-over-bath wants the margin |
| Beside the mirror, around the basin (zone 2) | IP44 | Splashes and steam, no jets. This is where IP44 was designed to live |
| Bathroom ceiling outside the zones | IP44 recommended | No legal minimum, but steam does not read the regulations |
| Porch, under a roof or deep eave | IP44 | Splashed, never rained on |
| Exposed wall, gate, path, garden | IP65 | Direct rain, hoses, wind |
| Coastal or pressure-washed | IP66 | Powerful jets and salt |
| Set into the ground or decking | IP67 | Water pools on it |
| In a pond or pool | IP68 | Continuous immersion |
The short version
- IP44 = splashes from any direction. IP65 = dust-tight and water jets. Neither is waterproof.
- Bathroom: IP44 meets the zone 1 and 2 minimum. Buy IP65 for the shower downlights, IP44 for wall and ceiling fittings.
- Outdoor: IP44 only under cover. Exposed to rain, IP65. Ground-recessed, IP67.
- Higher is not better. IP20 is correct in a living room; a sealed fitting there is money for nothing.
- Read the number, not the word 'bathroom' or 'outdoor' on the box.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, IP44 or IP65?
Neither is better everywhere. IP65 is the higher rating, dust-tight and protected against water jets, and it is right for showers and exposed outdoor walls. IP44 is protected against splashes and is the correct, legal rating for most of a bathroom and for sheltered outdoor lights. Buy for the location, not the bigger number.
Do I need IP44 or IP65 for a bathroom?
IP44 is the legal minimum in zones 1 and 2 under BS 7671, which covers above the bath or shower to 2.25m and the 0.6m band around it. IP65 is recommended for downlights directly over a shower, where spray and cleaning jets reach the fitting. Wall lights beside the mirror and ceiling lights are fine at IP44.
Is IP44 ok for heavy rain?
Only if the light is sheltered. IP44 is splash-rated, so under a porch roof or deep eave it lasts for years. On an exposed wall where wind-driven rain, a hose or a pressure washer can hit it, use IP65.
Is IP65 suitable for outdoor use?
Yes, IP65 is the standard rating for exposed outdoor lighting in the UK: dust-tight and protected against water jets, which covers rain, hoses and wind. It is not suitable where water pools on the fitting or for immersion; use IP67 for ground lights and IP68 in ponds.
Is IP44 fully waterproof?
No. IP44 protects against splashing water from any direction, which covers steam, condensation and splashes from a basin or bath. It does not protect against jets, heavy driving rain on an exposed fitting, or immersion.
What happens if IP65 gets wet?
Nothing, if wet means rain, spray or a hose: IP65 is tested against a water jet from a 6.3mm nozzle from any direction. It will fail if it is immersed or if water sits on top of it for long periods, which is what IP67 and IP68 are for.
Can IP44 be used outside?
Yes, in a sheltered spot such as a porch, under a soffit or a deep eave where it will be splashed but never rained on directly. Most traditional wall lanterns are IP44 for that reason. On an open wall or by a gate, use IP65.
