While many earphones are “sweatproof,” what does that actually mean? Can these devices be used in the rain? What about in the shower, or even the pool? Sweatproof doesn’t mean the same thing as waterproof, so let’s break things down.
The first thing you need to look for is a device’s IP rating.
IP ratings are usually made up of four characters. The first two characters, I and P, stand for Ingress Protection or – in other words – how good it is at keeping stuff out. The third digit is the number that indicates how good it is at fending off dust and dirt, ranging from zero to six — with zero as no protection and six as completely dust-proof even under pressure. The last digit is the liquid or water resistance rating, with a max level of 8.
In other words, if you see IP68 somewhere, you know it offers the highest IP rating for both dust and water resistance. At least, when it comes to the IP-rating certification.
But what is IPX7?
The presence of the X in the rating does throw some people. It literally means the device hasn’t been certified for protection against dust, but doesn’t mean it’s not dust resistant.
As with any other rating with 7 at the end, it means the device can last up to half an hour in water up to 1 meter/3.3 feet deep.
For a breakdown of each individual possible IP-rating, check out the level-by-level chart: