A product’s IK rating indicates a product’s durability, specifically classifying an electrical product’s enclosure level of protection from external impact. A light fitting with a higher IK rating will be able to undergo a higher force on impact, making it a better fitting for higher traffic and external applications.
How Do We Measure an IK Rating for Light Fittings?
Whilst IP ratings refer to how much a light fitting is protected from ingress of objects like dust and liquids – check out our blog on that – an IK rating measures an electrical product’s protection under varying levels of impact. A rating is calculated by using pre-determined masses dropped from specific heights.
The rating is awarded based on no damage being caused to the fitting, but also so that there is no change in the luminaire’s IP rating.
You may notice that not every product on our website has an IK rating – this is not unusual in the industry – if a product is very unlikely to encounter any external impact, like our Vinko recessed downlight, then a test is an unnecessary use of resources.
IK01: Protection against 0.14J of impact – 0.25kg dropped 56mm
IK02: Protection against 0.2J of impact – 0.25kg dropped 80mm
IK03: Protection against 0.35J of impact – 0.25kg dropped 140mm
IK04: Protection against 0.5J of impact – 0.25kg dropped 200mm
IK05: Protection against 0.7J of impact – 0.25kg dropped 280mm
IK06: Protection against 1J of impact – 0.25kg dropped 400mm
IK07: Protection against 2J of impact – 0.5kg dropped 400mm
IK08: Protection against 5J of impact – 1.7kg dropped 300mm
IK09: Protection against 10J of impact – 5kg dropped 200mm
IK10: Protection against 20J of impact – 5kg dropped 400mm
What IK Rating Do I Need on My Project?
Protection against impact can be an important factor when it comes to choosing your lighting, and there may be a few things to consider:
- Traffic: areas of high traffic can be reason for wanting lighting with a higher IK rating. This could be due to deliberate or accidental contact. Whilst it might not be a factor in downlights (high and out of reach), bulkheads on the wall are more likely to receive some external contact.
- Internal or external installations: Whilst internal solutions are safe indoors, external fittings are much more likely to encounter stones, debris, even animal collision. We highly recommend looking for fittings with higher IK ratings.
If in doubt, reach out to our lighting designers for assistance for your next project.
Here are a few examples of some of our light fittings with high IK ratings:
