IP66 appears in 19 of the 45 datasheets we hold on robustbook.bitblade.io. That makes it the most common rating among fully rugged tablets and laptops. The rating means dust-tight and protected against powerful water jets. Immersion and pressure washers are not covered, and these two cases are the ones most often mistaken for IP66. This article sets out the test conditions behind the two digits, compares them with a pressure washer and with IP67, and shows in a table how five devices with IP66 still differ. Readers who want to start with how the digits are built up will find it in the overview IP protection classes.
IP66 consists of two tests that have nothing to do with each other. The first digit covers solid particles, the second covers water. Both are defined in IEC 60529, published in Germany as DIN EN 60529.
The 6 in first position is the highest level: the enclosure counts as dust-tight, so no dust may enter at all. According to the description of the enclosure maker ROLEC for EN 60529, the test uses a mixture of talcum powder and air, with a negative pressure of at most 2 kPa inside the enclosure, over 8 hours. The 6 in second position means: water directed at the enclosure from any direction as a powerful jet must have no harmful effect.
The two digits cannot be offset against each other. Anyone who reads “IP6X” learns something about dust protection and nothing else: the X means that no statement was made for that position, not that there is no protection.
The figures for the second digit are fixed. The following table puts level 6 next to level 5 so that the order of magnitude is visible:
| Test parameter | Digit 5 (water jets) | Digit 6 (powerful water jets) |
|---|---|---|
| Nozzle diameter | 6.3 mm | 12.5 mm |
| Flow rate | 12.5 l/min | 100 l/min |
| Pressure | 30 kPa | 100 kPa |
| Distance from enclosure | 3 m | 3 m |
| Duration | 1 minute per m², at least 3 minutes | 1 minute per m², at least 3 minutes |
For level 6 the nozzle therefore delivers 100 litres per minute at 100 kPa, which is 1 bar. Per hour that comes to 6000 litres. According to ROLEC the flow rate may deviate by 5 percent. The jet is directed at the enclosure from all directions. The test is passed if no harmful water enters.
The duration depends on the surface of the enclosure: 1 minute per square metre, but never less than 3 minutes. For tablets and laptops the minimum always applies, because their surface is far below 3 m². Compared with digit 5 that is eight times the water per minute and a little over three times the pressure. How IP65 and IP66 differ in everyday use is covered in the article IP65 in detail.
The name “powerful water jets” invites the conclusion that IP66 also covers spraying with a pressure washer. The figures argue against it. The test works with a great deal of water at low pressure. A pressure washer works the other way round. On the manufacturer’s page the Kärcher K 4 Classic gives a pressure of 20 to a maximum of 130 bar and a delivery of 420 l/h, which is 7 l/min.
Compared with the IP66 test, the washer therefore has about one fourteenth of the flow rate and 130 times the pressure. The jet is thinner and under far higher pressure. That is a different load, and the IP66 test does not contain it. High pressure and steam jets have a class of their own, IP69K, which the article IP69K: high-pressure and steam-jet cleaning covers. A device with IP66 should therefore only be cleaned with a pressure washer if the manufacturer expressly approves it.
The sequence of digits suggests that 7 means more than 6. Beyond 6, that is not the case. From 7 upward the water protection levels no longer build on each other, because a different load is tested: for IP67 the enclosure sits under water for 30 minutes, with its lowest point 1 m below the surface. A device with IP67 is therefore not automatically tested against water jets, and a device with IP66 is not tested for immersion.
If a device meets both tests, the datasheet lists both ratings, separated by a slash, for example IPX5/IPX7. In our 45 datasheets no device carries IP66 and IP67 together. Five devices carry IP67: Getac ZX80, Getac ATEX EX80 and the Fieldbook F57G2, N101 and N80G2. The immersion test is explained in the article IP67 in detail.
Of the 45 datasheets, 19 state the rating IP66: 10 from Getac, 7 from Durabook and 2 from RuggON. They are 14 rugged tablets, 4 rugged laptops and the ground control station Durabook GC-R8. According to its manufacturer datasheet, the GC-R8 has no display of its own; it uses the display and battery of the docked Durabook R8. For comparison, the distribution across the range: 19 devices with IP66, 15 with IP65, 5 with IP67, 4 with IP53, one with IP5X and the Archos X67 5G smartphone with IP68 and IP69K. The Fieldbook devices carry IP65 or IP67, none carries IP66.
From Getac these are the tablets F110 G7, K120, UX10 and ZX10 G2, their Ex versions F110-EX, K120-EX and UX10-EX, and the laptops B360 G3, V120 and X600. Durabook supplies the tablets R8, R10, R11, R11L and U11I, the laptop Z14I and the GC-R8. RuggON contributes the VULCAN 10A and the VULCAN 10X.
The rating says little about how the device is otherwise designed. The table shows five devices with IP66 and their core data. The values come from the manufacturer datasheets of Getac, Durabook and RuggON, which we evaluated for our datasheet pages:
| Device | Display | Weight | Operating temperature | Brightness | MIL-STD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durabook R8 | 8.0 inches | 0.86 kg | -20 °C to 60 °C | 800 Nits | MIL-STD-810H, MIL-STD-461G |
| Getac UX10 | 10.1 inches | 1.15 kg (without keyboard dock) | -29 °C to 63 °C | 1000 Nits | MIL-STD-810H, MIL-STD-461G |
| Getac UX10-EX | 10.1 inches | 1.15 kg | -21 °C to 55 °C | 1000 Nits | MIL-STD-810H |
| Getac V120 | 12.2 inches | 2.1 kg | -29 °C to 63 °C | 1000 Nits | MIL-STD-810H, MIL-STD-461G |
| RuggON VULCAN 10A | 10.4 inches | 3.2 kg | -30 °C to 60 °C | 1200 Nits | MIL-STD-810H |
In this selection the weight ranges from 0.86 kg to 3.2 kg, and across all 19 datasheets even up to 4.41 kg for the Getac X600. IP66 changes nothing about that. The lower temperature limit also varies: from -30 °C for the two VULCAN models to -20 °C for the Durabook R8. The pair UX10 and UX10-EX is revealing: both have 10.1 inches, 1000 Nits and IP66. The Ex version, however, operates only from -21 °C to 55 °C instead of from -29 °C to 63 °C and does not list MIL-STD-461G. Anyone looking for a device for cold conditions therefore cannot skip the temperature row, even if the rating fits.
The test under IEC 60529 uses fresh water. Protection against other liquids such as salt water, oils or solvents is not guaranteed by the rating. Much else that matters in use also stays open:
Two uses fit none of the 19 devices: working under water and cleaning with high pressure or steam. In the range, only the Archos X67 5G smartphone carries IP69K, together with IP68. None of the tablets and laptops does. Anyone who wants to use a tablet in a cleaning operation should first clarify what is used for cleaning and at what pressure, whether cleaning agents are involved and whether the port covers stay closed. Whether the touchscreen responds reliably when the display is wet is a separate question that the rating does not answer.
Not in the sense of submersible. IP66 means protection against powerful water jets, tested with 100 l/min at 100 kPa. Waterproof in the sense of the immersion test begins at second digit 7.
Only with the manufacturer’s express approval. A pressure washer such as the Kärcher K 4 Classic works at up to 130 bar, the IP66 test at 1 bar. For high pressure there is the class IP69K.
Neither better nor worse; the two test different things. IP66 covers a powerful jet, IP67 temporary immersion up to 1 m. Anyone who needs both needs a device whose datasheet lists both ratings.
In the range there are 14 tablets and 4 laptops from Getac, Durabook and RuggON, plus the ground control station Durabook GC-R8. A selection with core data is in the table above.
IP66 is worth having if the device comes into contact with a hose, a water jet or heavy rain and the jet can also reach the ports and seams. In that case the 19 devices in the range are a suitable choice, from the 0.86 kg Durabook R8 to the 4.41 kg Getac X600. Anyone who mainly expects rain, splashes and dust gets by with IP65, which 15 devices carry. Anyone who also has to immerse a device needs IP67. Shock resistance is listed separately under MIL-STD. Anyone cleaning with high pressure or steam will find no device with IP69K among the tablets and laptops in the range.
We are happy to work out with you, on the basis of the datasheets, which device suits your use. Typical requirements in production halls are described on the industry page Industry.