IP67 vs IP68 Waterproof Connectors: How to Choose

If your product lives outdoors, on a vehicle, in a wash-down environment or anywhere near water and dust, the connector's ingress protection (IP) rating decides whether it survives. But "waterproof connector" is an imprecise term — IP67 and IP68 are different tests with different pass criteria, and choosing the wrong one either adds cost you don't need or leaves your product vulnerable. Here's how to decide.

1. What IP67 and IP68 actually mean

An IP code has two digits: the first is solid-particle (dust) protection, the second is liquid (water) protection.

• IP6X (first digit) — dust-tight. Both IP67 and IP68 share the "6", so both are fully dust-tight.
• IPX7 — protected against temporary immersion: 1 metre of water for 30 minutes.
• IPX8 — protected against continuous immersion: the manufacturer specifies the depth and time (often 1.5 m or deeper for an agreed duration).

So IP67 means dust-tight and 1 m / 30 min immersion. IP68 means dust-tight and a deeper or longer immersion that the supplier defines. That definition matters — one supplier's IP68 can be much stricter than another's.

Tip: Always ask the connector supplier for the exact IP68 test conditions (depth, duration). Without that number, "IP68" is not a comparable spec.

2. IP67 vs IP68 — head to head

Factor	IP67	IP68
Dust protection	Dust-tight	Dust-tight
Water test	1 m / 30 min immersion	Continuous immersion, depth & time supplier-defined
Typical use	Rain, splashes, short submersion	Prolonged submersion, pressure washing, underwater
Relative cost	Lower	Higher (more complex sealing)
Mating durability	Standard sealing gaskets	Heavier sealing, sometimes mating-force trade-offs

3. Where each rating is really needed

• IP67 — outdoor LED lighting, garden equipment, marine electronics in sheltered positions, many industrial panels, charging ports on e-bikes and EVs exposed to rain.
• IP68 — underwater sensors and cameras, swimming-pool equipment, submersible pumps, and products regularly pressure-washed or fully submerged (e.g. certain automotive and agricultural electronics).

For most outdoor connector ports — a Type-C charging port on a scooter or a DC jack on outdoor equipment — IP67 is enough. You rarely need IP68 unless the port is genuinely submerged for a long time.

4. Why "IP68" isn't always worth it

An IP68 connector typically costs more and can be harder to mate (stiffer sealing), which matters for a high-cycle port. Specifying IP68 when IP67 suffices:

• Raises unit cost and can lengthen lead time,
• Adds complexity to the enclosure design and cable gland,
• Can reduce mating durability if the seal is overly tight.

Match the rating to the real exposure. If in doubt, test your actual product at both ratings before locking the BOM.

5. What to specify with the connector

• Mating state vs unmated — is protection only required when mated, or must the port itself (cap included) stay sealed?
• Rated cycles — the seal wears with every mating; confirm the cycle target at full IP rating.
• Sealing material — silicone gaskets are common and durable, but confirm chemical resistance for your environment.
• Cable side — a waterproof connector is useless if the cable or backshell isn't sealed too.

Selection checklist

Question	Guide
Real water exposure?	Rain/splash → IP67; prolonged submersion → IP68
Mated or unmated sealing?	Confirm with a sealing cap if unmated must also be rated
Mating cycles at full rating?	Confirm seal durability target
Depth/time for IP68?	Ask supplier for exact test conditions
Cable and gland sealed?	Seal the whole assembly, not just the connector

Send us your port location, water exposure, current/data needs and enclosure space, and we'll recommend a rated connector with drawings and samples.

Related products

• USB Type-C AM Series
• DC Jack Series
• USB Series