IPX4 vs IPX5 vs IPX7: which earbud water rating survives a sweaty hour

The table

“Not rated” means the standard doesn't test it; the maker may or may not permit it. Test descriptions per the Keystone Compliance and BONAD summaries of IEC 60529.

IPX4: splashes

The test splashes water onto the device from every direction. That is a good description of rain and of light sweat on a walk. It is not a description of an hour of sweat running into a hinge from above, drying to salt, and repeating daily. Bose (Ultra Open Earbuds), Beats (Powerbeats Pro 2 and Fit) and Sony (LinkBuds Clip) rate their sport-adjacent products IPX4. They are good products with a rain rating, and they are the rating that shows up most often in the emails we get about earbuds that died. On every ranking on this site, IPX4 costs a product points on the sweat metric.

IPX5 and IPX6: jets

IPX5 sprays the device from a 6.3 mm nozzle at about 12.5 liters a minute from 2.5 to 3 m away for at least three minutes, covering every surface. IPX6 uses a bigger nozzle and more flow. Neither is immersion, but a jet from every angle is a fair stand-in for sweat and heavy rain, and it's where most open-ear hooks live: Shokz's OpenFit line, Soundcore's AeroFit and V20i, JLab's open hooks are all IP55. JLab's Epic Sport ANC 3 is IP66. This is the floor for a gym.

IPX7 and IPX8: immersion

IPX7 is a defined test: up to a meter, thirty minutes, fresh water. IPX8 is whatever the maker states beyond that. Bone conduction neckbands cluster here (Shokz OpenRun and Air 2 at IP67; OpenSwim Pro, Mojawa and Raycon at IP68; Creative at IPX8), plus the Cleer ARC 5 hook (IPX7), the Baseus Bowie MC2 clip (IP67), the Shokz OpenDots 2 buds (IP57) and the Soundcore Sport X20 (listed as IP68 and IPX7 on the same page). An immersion rating is the comfortable margin for a heavy sweater and the only category where a rinse under the tap is inside the spec.

Where a sweaty hour lands

Between the jet and the dunk. Sweat arrives slowly, from above, into whatever crevice is uppermost, and it carries salt the tests don't. An IPX5 pair has proven its seals against directed water; that's enough for most gyms with a wipe afterward. An IPX7 pair has proven them against pressure; that's enough for anyone. An IPX4 pair has proven them against a splash, which is enough for a walk in the rain and a gamble for a spin class. The mechanism, and the two habits that matter more than the digit, are in can sweat damage earbuds.

The X, and IP55 vs IPX5

The X means the dust digit wasn't tested. IP55 and IPX5 promise the same thing about water; IP55 adds a dust result. For earbuds, treat them as equivalent on the sweat question. The full two-digit system is in IP ratings explained.

A pick at each rung

If your shortlist has moved past 7 to immersion ratings, the next question is IP67 vs IP68 — and the answer is that 7 is a fixed test while 8 is whatever depth the maker declares.