IP65: the protection rating of our sensors
The sensors and the gateway we build ourselves sit in an IP65 enclosure. Rain and irrigation do them no harm. Below you can read what the code promises, and where the limit is.
What the two digits mean
IP stands for International Protection, defined in the IEC 60529 standard. Each digit belongs to a fixed test. That lets you compare two enclosures from different brands fairly.
Dust-tight
The highest level for solid particles. In the test, the enclosure sits in a cabinet full of fine powder that is blown around, and afterwards there may be no dust inside. For you: sand, soil and pollen stay away from the electronics.
Protected against water jets
Water from a 6.3 mm nozzle, about 12.5 litres per minute, from roughly three metres away and from every direction, for at least three minutes. Any water that gets in must not cause damage. For you: rain, irrigation and the garden hose.
Where IP65 sits among the other water ratings
The second digit runs from 0 to 9. These are the ratings you come across with outdoor sensors.
Higher is not automatically better. IP67 is a test with still water, IP65 a test with a jet. An enclosure that survives immersion does not have to survive a water jet. That is why you sometimes see a double code, such as IP65/IP67. The x stands for a digit that was not tested.
Which rating do you need?
Four questions about the spot where the sensor will stand.
Our sensors fit. Rain, irrigation and dust are exactly what IP65 is for.
What that means in your field
IP65 is about the enclosure with the electronics inside. This is what you can do with it, and what you had better not.
No problem
- Rain and thunderstorms, even when it pours for days on end.
- Irrigation and sprinklers that soak the enclosure every day.
- Hosing down with a garden hose when it is covered in mud.
- Dust and sand blowing across the field during cultivation.
Better not
- In a hollow that floods. Mount it higher on a post if water stands there after a shower.
- A pressure washer at close range. That is a tougher test than IP65.
- Immersion, in a tank, a ditch or a pond.
- A cable hanging loose in it. An enclosure is only as tight as its cable entry, so keep the entry sealed.
What the code does not tell you
IP65 is only about dust and water. Four things that matter just as much, outside the standard.
Sunlight
The test does not look at UV light. How an enclosure looks after a few summers depends on the material.
Frost and heat
The code says nothing about temperature. An enclosure can be tight and still not cope with frost.
Condensation
A tight enclosure also traps moisture that was already inside. With big differences between day and night, it can fog up inside.
What is connected to it
The code applies to the enclosure. A separate sensor on a cable has its own properties.
Why we build to IP65
- 1Seal all around the lid
- 2Cable gland that grips the cable tight
- 3At most 12 V, no mains voltage
- 4Industrial components
A field is not a living room. Many wireless sensors are made for indoors, and outside they fail where the water creeps in. Because we design our ESP-NOW sensors ourselves, we choose the enclosure and the components ourselves.
IP65 is the rating that belongs outdoors on a post: rain, irrigation and dust. An enclosure that can also go under water needs more expensive seals, and you pay for that in the price of every sensor. On the device itself there is nowhere more than 12 V, so there is no mains voltage inside the enclosure.
Our own Zigbee gateway also sits in an IP65 enclosure. CE certification of our own hardware is planned for mid-2027.
Questions we get
What does IP65 mean in plain words?
No dust gets in, and a water jet from any direction does the electronics no harm. Putting it under water is a different rating.
Can I hose down my sensor?
With a garden hose, yes, that is exactly what the test is for. With a pressure washer at close range, no: that is the tougher IPx9 rating.
Is IP67 not simply better?
For immersion it is, but it is a different test. IP67 tests still water, IP65 a jet. An enclosure that passes one does not automatically pass the other.
What does the x in IPx5 mean?
That this digit was not tested. So IPx5 says something about water and nothing about dust. IP65 says something about both.
Can an IP65 sensor go in the greenhouse?
Yes. Irrigation and high humidity are no problem. In the greenhouse, do watch out for condensation with large temperature swings, because the code says nothing about that.
Is your hardware CE certified yet?
Not yet. CE certification of our own hardware is planned for mid-2027. Until then it is not officially approved; test units can be discussed under conditions.