Almost every product datasheet for a commercial LED bar opens with two characters and a number — IP20, IP65, occasionally IP67. Buyers ask us a version of the same question every week: "do I really need IP65 for this?" The honest answer is usually nuanced — over-specifying costs money you don't need to spend, and under-specifying costs more money later. This guide is the conversation we'd have with you over a quote.

What the two digits actually mean

IP stands for Ingress Protection, defined by the international standard IEC 60529. It tells you how well an enclosure resists two specific things — solid foreign objects (the first digit) and water (the second digit) — measured under controlled lab conditions.

  • First digit (0–6): protection against solids. 2 means tools and fingers can't reach the live parts; 5 means dust ingress is limited; 6 means dust-tight.
  • Second digit (0–8): protection against water. 0 means none; 4 means splashes from any direction; 5 means water-jet protected; 7 means temporary immersion.

IP20 means "fingers and 12mm objects out, no water protection." IP65 means "completely dust-tight, protected against water jets from any direction." These are very different operating envelopes.

"Over-specifying IP costs money you don't need to spend. Under-specifying costs more money later."

When IP20 is the right choice

IP20 is appropriate when the LED bar will live in a clean, dry, room-temperature environment with no exposure to defrost moisture, no direct cleaning spray, and no condensation cycle. For commercial retail, that means:

  • Under-shelf gondola lighting in dry retail aisles — packaged food, household goods, beverages on ambient shelving.
  • Display fixtures in clothing, cosmetics, or homeware sections.
  • Indoor display cases that are wiped down rather than washed.

Our SFT series — narrow-beam aluminium-alloy under-shelf bars — ships at IP20 because that matches the retail-shelf environment where it actually installs. Specifying IP65 here would add cost and bulk for a sealing capability that never gets exercised.

When IP65 is essential

The moment moisture, condensation, or commercial cleaning cycles enter the picture, IP65 becomes the floor — not a premium upgrade. Specifically:

  • Refrigerated multi-deck cabinets — defrost cycles drip moisture; condensation pools; routine cleaning involves spray.
  • Glass-door chillers and freezer bays — door seals fail occasionally; humidity differentials cause condensation on cold surfaces.
  • Serve-over counters — direct exposure to ice melt, food spillage, and wash-down cleaning.
  • Combi freezers — alternating temperature zones produce particularly aggressive condensation.

Our SLK, SRL, and SPU series are all IP65-sealed for exactly these reasons. The SNK series is also IP65 because it's specified for both retail under-shelf and refrigerated-cabinet applications — a common-platform choice that means a single product covers more than one site condition.

Decision rule of thumb

  • Dry retail shelf, no cleaning spray exposure → IP20 is appropriate (SFT)
  • Refrigerated cabinet, any cold-store environment → IP65 minimum (SNK, SLK, SRL, SPU)
  • Outdoor-exposed or high-pressure wash-down → IP67 or higher (specify on enquiry)

The two over-specification mistakes

Specifying IP65 for ambient shelving "to be safe"

The cost premium for IP65 over IP20 is real — sealed connectors, sealed end-caps, more material, more complex assembly. Specifying it for an environment that never sees moisture is buying insurance against a risk that doesn't exist. The money is better spent on a higher CRI grade, a better optic, or more bars.

Assuming IP67 is "better" than IP65 for a refrigerator

IP67 protects against temporary immersion. Refrigerator interiors don't flood. The water-jet rating of IP65 is what handles defrost and cleaning cycles; the additional immersion protection of IP67 is engineered for outdoor or wash-down applications and brings extra cost without operational benefit inside a chiller.

What to ask your supplier

When you receive a datasheet, the IP rating alone doesn't tell you everything. Three follow-up questions sharpen the picture:

  • Is the IP rating tested per IEC 60529, or self-declared?
  • Does the IP65 rating cover the connector and end-caps, or only the body?
  • What is the operating temperature window — IP65 doesn't imply cold-store rating; check the temperature range separately.

For CAPST product lines, the answers to those questions are: tested to IEC 60529, full-system seal including connector and end-cap, and operating windows of −20 °C to +25 °C (SLK, SNK) or −30 °C to +35 °C (SRL, SPU).

If you're specifying for a project right now and want to talk through the application before placing an order, our specialists will work through the IP / temperature / format match with you. The technical pack on each product page includes the full IEC test references.