How Waterproof is My Vibrator? A Quick Explanation of IP Codes and Sex Toys

How Waterproof is My Vibrator? A Quick Explanation of IP Codes and Sex Toys

Summer heat has already hit record highs across the United States, and it looks like there’s more to come. In other words, it’s a better time than ever to look at ways to get wet — however you like to do that.

Most of the time, getting wet during sex play is a good thing, but if you’re using electrical toys, one of the first things you want to know is which ones handle getting wet best — that is, without ruining your favorite vibrator. The key to that is a somewhat cryptic code in many product descriptions that starts out “IPX” and ends with a number.

That’s the “Ingress Protection Code,” or “IP Code” for short. It’s an international standard defined and managed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to give consumers a very precise idea of how well their electronics will hold up to dust and moisture.

What the IP Code Says

At first glance, the IP code seems very opaque, but once you know the secret, it’s simple to decipher. There are four parts to it:

IP: A simple identifying prefix in front of all IP codes.

First Number (X or 0-6): This number identifies how resistant the item is to solid particles like dust or dirt. An X means that it hasn’t been tested for protection against particles. Moisture is the main concern with sex toys, so most of the IP codes on Stockroom.com have an X here.

Second Number (X or 0-9):

This is the part you’re interested in: This number tells you whether your toy can hold up to some light splashing or if you can drop it into your fish tank for the neon tetras to play with. The scale goes like this:

0. No protection

1. Protected from dripping water

2. Protected from dripping water at a 15-degree angle.

3. Can hold up to water sprayed at an angle up to 60 degrees in two separate tests.

Levels 4-6K should allow you to safely take your sex toy into the shower.

4. Protected against water splashing from any angle.

5. Item is safe against ingress against water jet projected against the surface for at least 15 minutes.

6. Safe against more powerful water jets (pressure: 100 kPa / 14.5 psi from 3 meters / 9.8 feet) for at least 3 minutes.

6K. Water jets with increased pressure (1000 kPA /150 psi from 3 meters / 9.8 feet) for at least 3 minutes.

Now things start to get fun: At these levels, you can start to think about taking your toy into the bath or to the neighborhood swimming-pool orgy.

7. Can be immersed in 1 meter of water for at least 30 minutes.

8. Can be immersed in 1 meter or more of water for over 30 minutes.

9. Protected against high-pressure, high-temperature jets of water for at least 2 minutes.

That might seem like a lot, but we think you’ll find it valuable in doing your shopping and figuring out how you want to use your sex toys. If you want to get into even more depth about the standards and how the tests are made, check out Wikipedia. You may learn more than you ever wanted to know.

Which of Stockroom’s Toys are Best in Water?

So now that you know the arcane secrets of the Ingress Protection code, you can impress your next date by instantly telling your date which of your vibes are built for the deep end of the pool, and which…. are not. But what does all that mean in terms of the Stockroom’s inventory? Well, here’s a quick look:

IPX8: Diving in the Deep End

Right now, we only carry one vibrator that lives up to the IPX8 rating, and it shouldn’t be surprising that it’s a wand vibe. Le Wand Dive Submersible Wand lasts up to two hours, and can be held under 1 meter (about 3 ft) of water while you find new ways of getting naughty by yourself or your partner. In other words, this one isn’t just good for the bath; this is your new pool toy.

A pair of feminine knees rising up out of a bathtub, surrounded by frothy bubbles. A hand points the top of the wand towards the inner thighs.

IPX7: A Better Way to Take a Bath

The IPX7 rating is by far the most common on sex toys, and below you’ll find an overview of the IPX7-rated toys that we have in stock as of this writing. The IPX7 toys have been tested to stand up to being under 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes, which makes them great toys for a nice, warm, and sexy bath.

Butt Plugs

Honey Play Box Frenzy Pressure-Sensing, App-Controlled Rotating Butt Plug-The stockroom

Cock Vibrators

A photograph of the man.wan Vibrator attached to a shower wall with a suction cup.

Clit Vibes

Womanizer Classic 2 Air Pulse Vibrator, Bordeaux

G-Spot Vibes

A Womanizer Blend vibrator submerged in water, bubbles streaming around it from the force of impact.

Panty Vibes

Rabbit Vibes

Wellness G Wave Rabbit Vibrator

Wand Vibes

IPX6: Sexy Shower Toys

These are toys that are tested against a jet of water. There’s very specific details about the pressure, angle, and distance, but the tl;dr version is that you shouldn’t sink them in your bathtub or pool, but they should hold up just fine in the shower. Keeping a couple of these in the bathroom might make your morning shower just a little more stimulating.

We hope you enjoyed this look at the technical aspects of getting your sex toys wet. Now get out there and make some summer heat waves of your own!

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