What IP Rating Do You Need for Bathroom Lighting?

IP44 is the minimum for most of a bathroom, and IP65 where the fitting will be hit by water directly. Anything inside the bath or shower itself needs IP67.

That is the short answer. The longer one matters, because the rating you need depends entirely on where in the room the light is going — and the rules are not a matter of taste. They are wiring regulations.

What the two numbers actually mean

IP stands for Ingress Protection. It is always two digits. The first is protection against solid objects, the second is protection against water, and higher is more sealed in both cases.

The second digit decides your bathroom

For lighting, the second digit is the one that decides whether a fitting is safe where you want to put it:

4 — protected against splashing water from any direction
5 — protected against water jets
6 — protected against powerful water jets
7 — protected against temporary immersion

So an IP44 fitting handles splashes and steam. An IP65 fitting handles being sprayed directly. An IP67 fitting can sit underwater.

The first digit, and the X you sometimes see

The first digit follows the same logic for solids: 4 means protected against objects over 1mm, 5 means dust-protected, 6 means fully dust-tight. In a bathroom this digit rarely changes the decision. In a utility room, a workshop or a covered outdoor spot, it starts to matter.

You will also see ratings written with an X, as in IPX4. The X means that digit has not been tested or declared — not that the protection is zero. For bathroom purposes, IPX4 and IP44 are treated the same way: both are rated to handle splashing.

The zones, and what each one needs

UK bathrooms are divided into zones, and each zone has a minimum rating. The heights are measured from the finished floor; the 0.6m distances are measured out from the edge of the bath or shower, not from the wall.

Zone 0 — inside the bath or shower tray

Anything here needs IP67 and must run on low voltage. In practice this means recessed floor or tray lights, and it is not where most people are shopping.

Zone 1 — directly above the bath or shower

This is the space directly above, up to 2.25m above the finished floor — or up to the height of the shower head, if that sits higher. IP44 is the minimum. If the shower head can reach the fitting, or the space is likely to be cleaned with a jet, specify IP65 instead.

Zone 2 — the 0.6m band, and the basin

Zone 2 extends 0.6m beyond zone 1, and, as good practice, covers the area within 0.6m of a basin tap. IP44 is the minimum. This is where most bathroom wall lights actually go: beside a mirror, flanking a basin. It is the zone that governs the majority of real decisions.

Outside the zones

Outside the zones there is no regulatory IP requirement, and a standard fitting is permitted. But a bathroom holds steam regardless of where the lines fall, and a fitting with no moisture protection will corrode faster in that air than it would in a bedroom. IP44 remains the sensible floor for the whole room.

One piece of older guidance still circulates: a zone 3, covering the area beyond zone 2. Current practice works to three zones — 0, 1 and 2. If a product page or a forum post describes a zone 3 light, it is working from superseded material.

How this plays out in a real bathroom

Above the mirror

An above-mirror light is almost always in zone 2, so IP44 covers it. The harder question is glare: a fitting that throws light down onto your face from directly above is unflattering and casts shadows exactly where you do not want them. A shade that diffuses — opal glass, alabaster, anything that glows rather than points — does more for the room than a higher IP number would. The Espada is built for this position and rated IP44.

Beside the basin

A pair either side of a mirror is the better lighting solution, because the light arrives from both sides and fills in the shadows rather than deepening them. Zone 2 again, so IP44. The Louise in rippled glass and the Lothian in carved alabaster are both IP44, and neither looks like a bathroom fitting in the utilitarian sense.

On the ceiling

A ceiling light in the middle of a bathroom is usually outside the zones altogether, which means the regulations do not force a rating on it. Specify IP44 anyway. Steam rises, and the ceiling is where it collects.

It is also worth thinking about the bulb at this point rather than later. The 2025 UK Houzz Bathroom Trends Study, which surveyed 330 UK homeowners renovating a bathroom between May and June 2025, found LED lights to be the most common feature added in the name of sustainability, at 72%. LEDs run cooler and last longer, which suits a sealed fitting — but a sealed fitting also means changing that bulb is more involved than unscrewing a shade, so it is worth knowing what the fitting takes before you buy.

Above the bath, or in the shower

This is the one place where paying for IP65 is usually right. It removes the question entirely, and a fitting rated for full outdoor exposure will shrug off a room that gets steamed every day. The Aosta is IP65 and small enough to work in pairs.

There is a middle rating worth knowing about too. IP54 adds dust protection over IP44 without going to full jet resistance, which suits utility rooms and covered outdoor spots as much as bathrooms.

Three things people get wrong

Treating the rating as a substitute for installation

A high rating is not a substitute for correct installation. Most bathroom fittings are earthed Class I, which means they must be wired in by a qualified electrician. An IP65 light installed badly is not safe because it is IP65.

This is not a theoretical risk. A national study published by the Institution of Engineering and Technology in April 2026 found that 18.7% of UK adults have carried out advanced electrical work such as installing new lighting themselves, and 27% have taken apart or replaced fittings like sockets and light switches. The same release cites Electrical Safety First's figure of around 19,300 accidental domestic fires linked to electricity each year, roughly 53% of all accidental house fires in England. In a bathroom, that is work for an electrician rather than a weekend.

Assuming the rating covers the bulb

Ratings apply to the fitting, not the bulb. A sealed fitting protects the bulb inside it. Choosing an IP-rated light does not mean any bulb is safe anywhere — and if the fitting is sealed, you need a bulb that will last, because getting back into it is a job.

Confusing a zone with a rating

You will see fittings described as "zone 2 lights". Strictly, there is no such thing: zones describe places, IP ratings describe fittings. A zone has a minimum rating, and any fitting that meets or exceeds it can go there. An IP65 light is perfectly at home in zone 2 — it is simply better protected than the position demands.

Choosing from our range

Every piece in our bathroom lighting collection carries its IP rating and its electrical class on the product page, along with the bulb it takes and the finishes it comes in. If a piece is rated IP44, it will say so; we do not leave it to be inferred.

For the rest of the house, where ratings are not a concern, our wall lights open up considerably. Pieces built to your specification sit in made to order, and lead times are confirmed when you order.

If you are planning the room as a whole rather than choosing one fitting, our guide to lighting layers covers how the pieces work together, and how high wall lights should sit covers the measurement most people get wrong.

Common questions

Is IP44 enough for a bathroom?

For most of the room, yes. IP44 is the minimum in zones 1 and 2, which covers wall lights beside a mirror or basin and ceiling lights in the body of the room. Go to IP65 where water will hit the fitting directly.

Do I need IP65 above a shower?

Not always — the regulatory minimum in zone 1 is IP44. But if the shower head can reach the fitting, or you clean the enclosure with a jet, IP65 is the sensible specification and removes the judgement call.

Can I put an ordinary light in a bathroom?

Only outside the zones, and only if you accept that steam will reach it anyway. An unrated fitting in a bathroom will corrode sooner than the same fitting elsewhere in the house. IP44 throughout is the easier rule to live by.

What is the difference between IP44 and IP54?

The water protection is identical; the difference is dust. IP54 is dust-protected where IP44 is not. In a bathroom that rarely matters. In a utility room, a garage or a covered porch, it does.

Does a cloakroom with no bath or shower need a rated light?

If there is no bath and no shower, there are no zones, so there is no regulatory requirement. A basin still throws water, so an IP44 fitting within 0.6m of the tap is a reasonable precaution rather than an obligation.

Can I fit a bathroom light myself?

No. Bathroom electrical work is notifiable, and most fittings are earthed Class I. It needs a qualified electrician, whatever the IP rating on the box.