IP44 bathroom lights are sealed against splashing water from any angle and against solid objects over 1 mm across. That is the rating UK wiring rules ask for in the wet zones around a bath or shower, so it is the one to look for on a ceiling light above the bath, a mirror light beside the basin or a downlight in a shower room.
Splash-proof is not the same as waterproof, though, and IP44 is not the right answer for every spot in the room. Where the line falls depends on the zone, and the zone depends on where your bath and shower sit.
An IP rating has two digits, set out in BS EN 60529. The first is about solids: a 4 means nothing thicker than 1 mm – a wire, a screwdriver tip – can get inside. The second is about water: a 4 means splashes from any direction. Jets of water, such as a hand-held shower pointed straight at the fitting, need a 5 or higher; full immersion needs a 7.
You may also see IPX4. The X simply means the solids test was not carried out. For water, IPX4 and IP44 are the same.
Section 701 of the Wiring Regulations divides a room with a bath or shower into zones. The height limit is 2.25 m from the floor, or the height of a fixed shower head if that is higher.
| Zone | Where it is | Minimum rating | Typical fittings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | inside the bath or shower tray | IPX7, SELV at no more than 12 V | rarely lit at all |
| 1 | directly above the bath or shower, up to 2.25 m | IPX4; IPX5 where jets are used for cleaning | ceiling lights and downlights approved for zone 1 |
| 2 | 0.6 m beyond zone 1, up to 2.25 m | IPX4 | mirror lights, wall lights by a basin near the bath |
| Outside the zones | the rest of the room | no minimum in a home bathroom | pendants, central ceiling lights |
Every circuit in the bathroom needs 30 mA RCD protection. In England, most new lighting work in a bathroom is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, so have a registered electrician fit and certify it.
This is the question most people get stuck on. For a wall light beside the basin, a mirror light or a ceiling fitting in zone 2, IP44 is all you need. For a downlight directly over a walk-in shower – especially under a rainfall head or near body jets – IP65 is the safer pick, because the fitting may take a direct spray rather than splashes. A shower room without a bath follows the same logic: zone 1 sits directly over the tray, zone 2 runs 0.6 m out from it.
Outside the zones, an ordinary IP20 fitting is allowed, but steam still rises to the ceiling. In a small en suite with a weak extractor fan, an enclosed IP44 fitting tends to last longer than an open shade.
The same rating earns its keep elsewhere: over the kitchen sink, in a utility room full of steam from the tumble dryer, in a cellar or garage, or in a porch where rain drips off coats. In dusty spaces, remember that the first 4 does not mean dust-tight – a workshop or garage with sawdust in the air is better served by IP54 or IP65.
An IP rating only holds if the seals do. After changing a lamp, make sure the gasket sits flat and the diffuser is screwed home. Clean with a soft, damp cloth and mild washing-up liquid; bleach-based cleaners and cream cleaners dull chrome and dry out rubber seals. Switch off and let the fitting cool first. And no rating stops condensation forming inside a fitting in a room that never airs out – the extractor fan matters as much as the light.
Yes, for zones 1 and 2 and anywhere outside the zones. It is not suitable for zone 0, inside the bath or shower tray.
No. It is splash-proof. A fitting that can be submerged needs IPX7 or IPX8.
IP44 meets the minimum in zones 1 and 2. Choose IP65 where the fitting could be hit by a direct jet – typically a downlight right above a shower.
Yes, provided the fitting is approved for the zone it sits in. Directly over the shower tray, check the manufacturer allows zone 1 use; many people go for IP65 there.
Integrated LED fittings have fewer joints to seal and run cool, which suits a humid room. Fittings with replaceable bulbs are easier to keep going for many years. Both carry the same rating if built that way.
Under a porch, canopy or carport, yes. On an exposed wall or at ground level, IP54 or IP65 will cope better with driving rain and hose spray.
For lighting the rest of the house, see indoor lights; for the garden, path and front of the house at the same rating, see IP44 garden lights.
