Is IP67 Different From IP68?
Yes, and the difference is more specific than "68 is better." IP67 requires immersion to exactly 1 meter for 30 minutes, a fixed figure written into IEC 60529. IP68 requires immersion deeper than 1 meter, with the manufacturer declaring its own depth and duration — meaning IP68 alone doesn't tell you the actual number the way IP67 does.
Fixed standard vs. manufacturer-declared standard
This is the core distinction: IP67's figure is baked into the standard itself, so any IP67 product is comparable to any other. IP68's figure is set by each manufacturer, so two IP68 products can differ 4x in declared depth — see the real examples in the IP Rating Reality Index.
Real IP67 examples
The JBL Charge 5 and Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 speakers are both rated IP67, declared for 1 meter / 30 minutes in fresh water. Compare that to the iPhone 15's IP68 rating at 6 meters / 30 minutes, or the Galaxy S24's IP68 rating at just 1.5 meters / 30 minutes — all verifiable in our dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. IP67 requires passing immersion to exactly 1 meter for 30 minutes, a fixed figure defined in IEC 60529. IP68 requires immersion deeper than 1 meter, with the manufacturer declaring the actual depth and duration — there's no single 'IP68 number,' while IP67's figure is fixed by the standard itself.
In principle IP68 requires exceeding what IP67 requires, but because IP68's exact figure is manufacturer-declared, always check the actual number — a poorly-specified IP68 claim with an undisclosed depth tells you less than a clearly-stated IP67 claim of 1 meter/30 minutes.
Yes — the JBL Charge 5 and Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 speakers are both rated IP67 (1 meter / 30 minutes, fresh water) in our IP Rating Reality Index.
No — both IP67 and IP68 use digit 6 for solids (dust-tight, full protection). The two ratings differ only in the second digit's liquid-immersion requirement.