The IP protection rating tells you how weatherproof your outdoor light for the garden is. It consists of two digits. The first digit describes the protection against foreign bodies. The higher it is, the better the protection. If the light is located close to the house under a roof, a low value of 2 or 4 is sufficient. If you have chosen a location in the open air, a value of 5 or 6 is better. This means that the garden light is protected against dust in damaging quantities or is completely dustproof.
The second digit provides information about water protection. Here too, the higher the value, the better the product is protected. The number 3, for example, indicates that the light is protected against spray water, while 4 stands for protection against splashing water from all sides. If your outdoor lighting is in an unprotected location in the garden, a value of at least 5 or 6 is recommended, as the outdoor lamp is then resistant to water jets or strong water jets. These protection values are usually sufficient for conventional garden lamps.
Special products such as floating lights, on the other hand, should at least be able to withstand temporary submersion. You benefit from even more water protection with pool and pond lights. They must at least be protected against permanent submersion.
Important: If you need connection components such as sockets for your outdoor light, make sure that these also have the required IP protection rating.