IP44 is protected against splashes from any direction. IP65 is dust-tight and protected against water jets. In a bathroom, IP44 meets what the wiring standard asks for in zones 1 and 2, and IP65 is our recommended margin over a shower. Outdoors, IP44 is the rating of most wall lanterns and suits a porch or an open wall where its maker lists it; we pick IP65 for a compact modern fitting on the most exposed wall. That is the decision. The rest of this guide is what the numbers mean, where each one belongs, and the four 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, and the rating of most outdoor lanterns |
| IP54 | 5: dust protected, some may enter | 4: splashing water from any direction | Same water digit as IP44, with better dust sealing. Common on outdoor wall lights |
| IP65 | 6: dust-tight | 5: water jets from a 6.3mm nozzle, any direction | Shower spray, and the margin we like on the most exposed outdoor wall |
| IP66 | 6: dust-tight | 6: powerful jets from a 12.5mm nozzle | Powerful jets in the test. Not, on its own, approval to pressure-wash |
| IP67 | 6: dust-tight | 7: temporary immersion to 1 metre for 30 minutes | Lights set into the ground or decking; zone 0 in a bathroom, on extra-low voltage |
| IP68 | 6: dust-tight | 8: immersion under conditions the maker specifies | Underwater only in a fitting made for it, to the maker's stated depth |
An X in place of a digit, as in IPX4, means no rating has been given for that digit, which is not the same as a fail. 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 has passed a test against a jet of water, where IP44 has passed a test against splashing. Neither is 'waterproof', and neither number is permission to pressure-wash: the jet test is a defined laboratory test, and Astro's care and cleaning guide says not to use pressure washers on any Astro product. Immersion is a different test again, which is what IP67 and IP68 describe. What IP65 is, in a house, is a useful margin: for the spray in a shower cubicle, and for a compact modern fitting on the most exposed wall.
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, the one most outdoor lanterns and most bathroom wall lights are built to. IP65 is a sensible margin, and nothing more armoured than that.
Do I need IP44 or IP65 for a bathroom?
The wiring standard, BS 7671, splits a bathroom into zones. Zone 0 is inside the bath or shower tray: IPX7, on safety extra-low voltage of 12V AC at most, so no mains light of any rating. Zone 1 is above the bath or shower to 2.25 metres from the floor: IPX4 at least, rising to IPX5 where water jets are used for cleaning. Zone 2 is the 0.6 metre band beyond zone 1: IPX4 at least. There is no separate basin zone, although a basin usually falls inside zone 2 because of where it sits. Outside the zones there is no zone minimum at all.
So IP44 meets zones 1 and 2, and it is the right rating for a wall light beside the mirror, such as the Astro Zeppo wall light in white glass (£73.83, checked 19 October 2026), IP44 and taking a G9 lamp, for a ceiling light in the middle of the room, or for a pendant over a bath with a high ceiling. Where we push people to IP65 is the shower, and that is our recommendation rather than the regulation. 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 an IP65 downlight need not cost much: the Astro Minima Slimline IP65 fire-rated downlight (£21.73, checked 19 October 2026) takes a GU10 LED up to 6W. 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?
Yes, where its maker lists it for the position. IP44 is the rating of most outdoor lanterns, traditional and coastal alike: of the 230 outdoor lanterns live on our site on 19 October 2026, 202 are IP44 or IP54 and none is IP65. Our rule of thumb is IP44 under a porch or canopy, and IP44 or better on an open wall, from a fitting listed for exterior wall mounting. IP54, the third number you will meet, has the same water digit as IP44; the 5 is dust protection, not extra rain protection.
The Astro Richmond 235 in textured black (£154.95, checked 19 October 2026) shows how to read it: IP44, stainless steel, and Astro's datasheet lists it for exterior wall mounting and for use within five miles of the coast. Nothing on that sheet confines it to a porch.
Where would we choose IP65? For a compact modern fitting on the most exposed wall, where the jet test is a margin we like. The Astro Mast in textured black IP65 (£49.25, checked 19 October 2026) is 135mm high and takes a GU10 LED up to 6W; Astro lists it for vertical wall mounting outdoors and its datasheet rules it out within five miles of the coast, so the higher number is not the coastal answer. At ground level the rules of thumb move on: IP65 for spike lights, and IP67 for anything set into the ground. There is no single legal IP number for outdoor lights. The maker's installation conditions decide, and our outdoor IP rating guide goes position by position with the checks that settle it, while the best outdoor wall lights picks the fittings.
Four things people get wrong
- 'IP65 is waterproof.' It has passed a water-jet test. Immersion is a separate test, covered by IP67 and IP68, and no IP number is permission to pressure-wash: follow the maker's cleaning instructions. If water can pool on top of the light, choose a fitting designed for that position.
- 'IP54 keeps out more rain than IP44.' Both end in 4, so both are tested against splashing from any direction. The 5 is about dust. Choose between them on the fitting and where its maker lists it.
- 'Higher is always better.' A higher rating is a sealed fitting, and sealed fittings 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 meets the regulations 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
The bathroom rows follow BS 7671, with our recommendation marked. The outdoor rows are our rule of thumb, taken from our IP rating guide for outdoor lighting, linked above; the maker's datasheet decides.
| Where the light is going | Buy | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the bath or shower tray (zone 0) | IPX7, extra-low voltage only | BS 7671. No mains light of any rating |
| Over the shower, downlight (zone 1) | IP65, our recommendation | The standard asks for IPX4, or IPX5 where jets are used for cleaning; IP65 meets both and covers the spray |
| Over the bath, ceiling light or pendant (zone 1) | IP44 at least, IP65 if it is a downlight over a shower-over-bath | Splash protection meets the zone; the shower downlight wants the margin |
| Beside the mirror (usually zone 2) | IP44 | Splashes and steam, no jets. This is where IP44 was designed to live |
| Bathroom ceiling outside the zones | IP44 recommended | No zone minimum, but steam does not read the regulations |
| Porch, under a roof or canopy | IP44 | Rain arrives as blown spray. IP23 only where the maker allows it and rain cannot blow in |
| An open wall | IP44 or better, listed by its maker for exterior walls | What outdoor lanterns are designed for. Check the mounting orientation |
| The most exposed wall, a compact modern fitting | IP65, our pick | The jet test is a margin we like where a wall faces the weather |
| Spike lights in beds and borders | IP65 | Wet soil, splash-back and the hose all arrive at ground level |
| Set into the ground or decking | IP67, designed for recessed installation | Water can pool over it, which is immersion rather than rain |
| Within five miles of the sea | A fitting its maker approves for the coast | Salt attacks materials. That is a separate check from the IP number |
| In a pond or pool | A purpose-made underwater fitting | IP68 depth and duration are set by each maker |
The short version
- IP44 = splashes from any direction. IP65 = dust-tight and water jets. Neither is waterproof, and neither is permission to pressure-wash.
- IP54 has the same water digit as IP44. The 5 is dust protection, not rain protection.
- Bathroom: IPX4 meets zones 1 and 2 under BS 7671. We buy IP65 for the shower downlights, IP44 for wall and ceiling fittings.
- Outdoors, our rule of thumb: IP44 under cover, IP44 or better on an open wall, IP65 for a compact modern fitting on the most exposed wall, IP67 set into the ground.
- Higher is not better everywhere. IP20 is correct in a living room; a sealed fitting there is money for nothing.
- Read the number and the maker's installation conditions, not the word 'bathroom' or 'outdoor' on the box.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, IP44 or IP65?
Neither is better everywhere. IP65 is dust-tight and jet-tested, and it is our pick for shower downlights and for a compact modern fitting on the most exposed outdoor wall. IP44 is splash-protected, meets bathroom zones 1 and 2, and is the rating of most outdoor lanterns, which are designed for exterior walls. Buy for the position and the maker's instructions, not the bigger number.
Do I need IP44 or IP65 for a bathroom?
BS 7671 asks for IPX4 in zones 1 and 2, above the bath or shower to 2.25m and the 0.6m band beyond it, rising to IPX5 where water jets are used for cleaning. IP44 meets that for wall and ceiling lights. Over a shower, IP65 downlights are our recommendation rather than the regulation, for the spray at close range.
Is IP44 ok for heavy rain?
Yes, where the maker lists the fitting for that position. Most outdoor wall lanterns are IP44 and are designed for exterior walls that take the weather. Our rule of thumb adds IP65 for a compact modern fitting on the most exposed wall. The maker's datasheet, including any mounting orientation, decides.
Is IP65 suitable for outdoor use?
Yes, in an outdoor fitting its maker approves for the position. IP65 is dust-tight and jet-tested, a useful margin on an exposed wall and for spike lights at ground level. It is not approval to pressure-wash and it does not make a fitting suitable for the coast. For anything set into the ground, use an IP67 fitting designed for recessed installation.
Is IP54 better than IP44 for rain?
No. Both end in 4, so both are tested against splashing water from any direction. The 5 in IP54 means better protection against dust. Choose between them on the fitting itself and the positions its maker lists, not on rain.
Is IP44 fully waterproof?
No IP rating means fully waterproof. IP44 protects against splashing water from any direction, which covers steam, condensation, splashes from a bath and blown rain. It is not tested against jets or immersion.
What happens if IP65 gets wet?
Nothing, if wet means rain or shower spray: IP65 is tested against a water jet from a 6.3mm nozzle from any direction. Do not read that as permission to pressure-wash; follow the maker's cleaning instructions. It is not tested for immersion or for water pooling on top of it, which is what IP67 ground lights are designed for.
Can IP44 be used outside?
Yes. IP44 is the rating of most outdoor wall lanterns, traditional and coastal, and they are made to go outside, under a porch or on an open wall where the maker lists them for exterior wall mounting. We pick IP65 only for a compact modern fitting on the most exposed wall.
