Bjorn3D.com Bjorn3d.com – Satisfying Your Daily Tech Cravings Since 1996
Corsair K68 Ultra-Durable Mechanical Keyboard Review – Ingress Protection (IP) rating
What is Ingress Protection (IP) rating and what does it mean for the K68?
“The IP Code (or International Protection Rating, sometimes also interpreted as Ingress Protection Rating*) consists of the letters IP followed by two digits and an optional letter. As defined in international standard IEC 60529, it classifies the degrees of protection provided against the intrusion of solid objects (including body parts like hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact, and water in electrical enclosures. The standard aims to provide users more detailed information than vague marketing terms such as waterproof.
The digits (characteristic numerals) indicate conformity with the conditions summarized in the tables below. For example, an electrical socket rated IP22 is protected against insertion of fingers and will not be damaged or become unsafe during a specified test in which it is exposed to vertically or nearly vertically dripping water. IP22 or 2X are typical minimum requirements for the design of electrical accessories for indoor use.”
First Digit: Solids
The first digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against access to hazardous parts (e.g., electrical conductors, moving parts) and the ingress of solid foreign objects.
| Level | Object size protected against | Effective against |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Not protected | No protection against contact and ingress of objects |
| 1 | >50mm | Any large surface of the body, such as the back of the hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part. |
| 2 | >12.5mm | Fingers or similar objects. |
| 3 | >2.5mm | Tools, thick wires, etc. |
| 4 | >1mm | Most wires, screws, etc. |
| 5 | Dust Protected | Ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment; complete protection against contact. |
| 6 | Dust Tight | No ingress of dust; complete protection against contact. |
Second Digit: Liquids
Protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against harmful ingress of water.
| Level | Object size protected against | Effective against |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Not protected | – |
| 1 | Dripping water | Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmful effect. |
| 2 | Dripping water when tilted up to 15° | Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the enclosure is tilted at an angle up to 15° from its normal position. |
| 3 | Spraying water | Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical shall have no harmful effect. |
| 4 | Splashing water | Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect. |
| 5 | Water jets | Water projected by a nozzle (6.3mm) against enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects. |
| 6 | Powerful water jets | Water projected in powerful jets (12.5mm nozzle) against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects. |
| 7 | Immersion up to 1m | Ingress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time (up to 1 m of submersion). |
| 8 | Immersion beyond 1m | The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions which shall be specified by the manufacturer. Normally, this will mean that the equipment is hermetically sealed. However, with certain types of equipment, it can mean that water can enter but only in such a manner that it produces no harmful effects. |
How Resistant is the Corsair K68?
The K68 has an IP rating of IP32. Using the data charts above we can get a look at exactly what level of resistance we can expect from the K68.
First Digit: Solids
With the first digit being a 3, this tells us the K68 is protected against:
- Any large surface of the body, such as the back of the hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part >50mm
- Fingers or similar objects >12.5mm
- Tools, thick wires, etc >2.5mm
Second Digit: Liquids
The second digit in the K68’s rating is a 2, in relation to liquids this tells us:
- Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmful effect
- Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the enclosure is tilted at an angle up to 15° from its normal position
So there it is, the K68 has a fair amount of protection for being a keyboard and the highest IP rating on a peripheral that I’m currently aware of. Please take any notions of the term “waterproof” and throw those out the window. The K68 is tested specifically to certain ratings so consumers can know exactly what to expect. Don’t go tossing this thing in water to test it and then bark at Corsair because it died of submersion.
