Bathroom lighting: which IP rating in which zone?

What the IP rating means

The IP code has two digits. The first says how well the lamp is protected against solid particles such as dust, the second how well against water.

So a lamp rated IP20 is for dry rooms only. IP44 is splash-proof, IP65 dust-tight and resistant to water jets. An X, as in IPX4, means only the protection against water is given.

The zones in the bathroom

NEN 1010 divides the bathroom into zones, measured from the bath or shower:

• Zone 0: the bath or shower tray itself, up to its rim. Only electrical equipment made for it, at a safe extra-low voltage of up to 12 volts AC and IPX7.
• Zone 1: above the bath or shower tray, up to 2.25 m above the floor. For a walk-in shower without a tray it is a circle of 1.20 m around the fixed point of the shower head. At least IPX4, and IPX5 where water jets are used for cleaning.
• Zone 2: with a bath or shower tray, a strip of 60 cm around zone 1, also up to 2.25 m high. At least IPX4, and here too IPX5 where water jets are used for cleaning. How the zones run exactly around a walk-in shower or a fixed glass screen is for an electrician to determine.

Outside the zones the standard sets no IP requirement, but steam gets there too. That is why bathroom lamps are usually IP44 or higher. In Belgium the AREI uses its own division into volumes; ask a certified electrician what applies there. In other countries, the national wiring rules apply.

Ceiling lamp and recessed spots

In the middle of the ceiling the lamp is often outside the zones, but in a small bathroom it is quickly above the shower. Then choose a lamp with at least IP44, such as the Briloner Navaro, the Brilliant Brennan or the Briloner Slim Drip. Osram has bathroom ceiling lamps whose light colour you set with the light switch, such as the Osram ORBIS Disc and the Osram square wall and ceiling lamp.

Recessed spots above the shower must meet the IP rating of that zone, and the rating applies to the spot as fitted in the ceiling. Paulmann gives IP65 for its Calla recessed spots, also as a single spot; Ledvion for its tilting recessed spots. The Philips Idris is a surface-mounted spot rated IP44 and, according to Philips, only suitable for LED spots. More models are under recessed spots.

Light at the mirror

Licht.de advises two identical lamps to the left and right of the mirror: they light the face evenly and without shadows. For a wide mirror licht.de advises an extra lamp above it. Light from above only casts shadows under the chin and nose, and ceiling spots aimed at the mirror cause glare. Mirror lamps rated IP44 come from Lucide, for example: the ONNO in two versions, and wall lamps such as the DAVY and the BEREND with a G9 bulb. More are under wall lamps.

Light colour

At the mirror you want to see colours as they are. Licht.de recommends warm white there, with colour rendering of Ra 90. For the rest of the bathroom, warm white feels calmer, especially when dimmed. How to read kelvin and Ra is in our guide Colour temperature and colour rendering.

Leave the wiring to an electrician

A ceiling lamp or spot in the bathroom is wired to the mains, often close to water. Always switch off the circuit before you work on a lamp. For a new light point, recessed spots or doubt about the zone, call in an electrician.