IPXX Scale
Water-proof Ratings
If you’re looking at buying waterproof or dustproof gear then you may need to know about the ingress protection (IPXX) scale.
Although lots of kit bags and tool bags are made of water-resistant material such as PVC, they’re not all rated against the Ingress Protection scale. If you want to ensure that your gear is as waterproof as you need it to be, look for the IPXX rating to give you peace of mind.
So, what do the numbers in IP ratings tell us? The first number is protection against solids such as dust particles. The second number denotes the level of protection against liquids such as water; the higher the number, the better protection.
For example, the Heightec Kari 5l Tool Bag is rated to IPX7, so it’s not rated against protection from dust, but will withstand accidental immersion in water.
The Petzl Pixa 3R Head Torch is rated to IP67, so it’s completely dust proof, and waterproof up to -1 meter for 30 minutes.
If you have any suggestions for products, or your own hack for winter working, then we’d love to hear from you, please email [email protected]