It used to be that waterproof stage lighting fixtures were few and far between, and only made by a few brands.  They were heavy, not always reliable, and definitely not as nice looking as their non-waterproof siblings.

Simply put, technology has progressed a LOT and we now have waterproof fixtures in both moving and non-moving lights at really affordable prices - in fact, some non-moving lights are now ONLY offered in a waterproof version.

You might be wondering, what does waterproof REALLY mean?

It's actually fairly simple - EVERY device has an IP rating (or could be rated). This stands for "Ingress protection", and it's a set of 2 single-digit numbers.

This goes for both indoor and outdoor fixtures - so yes, if a sales rep tells you that a product is "IP-rated", that's somewhat lazy and technically incorrect way to represent the facts - as EVERY light they sell is IP-rated, but the one they're talking about is IP-rated for outdoor usage!

The ingress protection numbers have a very specific meaning.

The first number is from 0-6 for dust protection, the second is from 0-9 and is for water protection. The higher the number, the better protected, and if the manufacturer uses an "X" it means they didn't test it against that variable. Learn more about that here if you're interested.

Why Do We Care?

When you put a light outdoors, you need to know what in can handle.

Some of the more common waterproof IP ratings in stage lighting are:

IP65 - Dustproof and waterproof from water jets of 4.4 PSI from 3 meters away.

IP66 - Dustproof and waterproof from water jets of 15 PSI from 3 meters away.

IP67 - Dustproof and waterproof from 1m of immersion for 30 minutes.

IP68 - Dustproof and waterproof from high temperature water jets at a VERY close range.

Long-term rated outdoor fixtures typically carry higher ratings.  Non-moving fixtures also tend to have higher IP ratings as they are easier to achieve.

What don't these ratings cover?  While and IP65 or IP66 fixture can handle rain, even in significant amounts, they are NOT rated for power washing.

Waterproof Fixtures and Service

Repair of waterproof fixtures MUST be done with care.  Depending on the construction, there will typically be waterproof seals at ANY opening, waterproof silicone used in screws, and potentially a one-way "gore valve" to allow pressure to leave the fixture as it heats up. 

While this is beneficial for waterproofing, it is not ideal if you need to service the insides of your lights - care must be taken to properly reseal the fixtures, and it's recommended that you re-certify that they are truly waterproofed before you place them back in service.  Many brands sell a kit which hooks up to your gore valve and tests the pressure when you pull the air out of the fixture - it should not allow more air in from any other place!

Some newer fixtures, like the Mac Viper XIP from Martin, offer a lower, IP54 rating. The benefit there is that it's still very "rainproof", but servicing the insides is a much simpler process with no need to recertify the seals.

If you're buying outdoor-rated stage lights, we LOVE to help! Just contact us! We LOVE to help you find the perfect light or AV gear for your needs (in fact, that's whether you're buying ANY audio, video, or lighting gear!)