From January to June 2025, 8,742 electronic products, lamps, and outdoor devices nationwide were submitted for IEC 60529 IP rating certification, with a final pass rate of 82.3%, a year-on-year increase of 5.7%. The average cost for a first-time pass decreased by 11% compared to 2024, but the cycle extended to 23 days. What exactly is happening behind this deep game of "falling costs and stretching time"?
Driven by the dual forces of "Dual Carbon" goals and the outdoor economy, the IEC 60529 standard has shifted from optional to mandatory. It is expected that by the end of 2025, the market size will exceed 4.2 billion RMB, maintaining an annual growth rate of over 18%.
The two standards are 100% aligned in terms of testing conditions and determination thresholds; differences only exist in report templates and regulatory filing processes. Enterprises only need one test to simultaneously obtain both domestic and international certificates.
Starting from July, all lighting fixtures connected to the public lighting network must reach at least IP65; e-commerce platforms have also simultaneously launched "IP Rating Whitelist" automatic interception mechanisms, where uncertified products are directly delisted.
Segmented data shows that IP certification pass rates are not evenly distributed but present a U-shaped curve that is "high in the middle and low at both ends."
| Category | First-pass Rate Visualization | Main Selling Points |
|---|---|---|
| LED Street Light |
92%
|
Mature structure, standardized sealing process |
| Charging Pile |
89%
|
Uses integrated die-cast aluminum housing |
| Portable Power Station |
87%
|
Silicone sealing ring + nano-coating double insurance |
| Smart Sensor |
84%
|
Ultrasonic welded housing |
| Power Tool |
78%
|
Oil-sealed bearings used with O-rings |
| Underwater Camera |
65%
|
Complex lens pressure-bearing structure |
| Industrial Tablet |
63%
|
Difficult to balance heat dissipation and sealing |
| High-end Headphones |
58%
|
Acoustic chamber openings lead to high risk |
| Drone |
54%
|
Lightweight materials easily deformed |
| Electric Toothbrush |
48%
|
Frequent water ingress through button gaps |
Breaking down certification costs, you will find that "hidden costs" are the key to determining the budget.
Full IP65: 7,800–9,500 RMB
Includes: Expedited channel, professional rectification guidance
IP67 Package: 10,200 RMB
Bonus: Two free re-testing opportunities
IP68 Deep Water Tightness: 13,500 RMB
Feature: Flexible pay-per-test, suitable for R&D phase
Doing "housing air-tightness pre-check" in advance can reduce the failure rate from 18% to 6%, saving 1,200–2,000 RMB in re-testing fees per model; if 3 or more models are submitted at once, mainstream agencies typically offer a quarterly agreement discount of 8–12%.
On the surface it is 23 days, but in fact only 9 days are truly used for laboratory environment testing; the remaining time is mainly consumed by procedural steps.
Popular lab schedules are already full until late August
80% of rectifications only require changing sealing rings or applying glue
Time has been shortened by 50% since the launch of electronic signatures
Acceleration Suggestions:
Choosing a laboratory with both CNAS and CMA qualifications can simultaneously start dustproof and waterproof dual-station testing, compressing the overall cycle to 14 days; the expedited fee is about 30% of the basic fee.
A certain IP67 portable power station product shortened its cycle by 52% through the following strategies.
Through front-end 3D printing of prototypes, 2 rounds of air-tightness and drop pre-checks were completed in advance, ensuring no stress concentration points on the housing in extreme environments.
Pre-check data from the same lab can be directly imported into the formal testing system, avoiding secondary filing and repeated setup, saving 2–3 days.
| Node | Recommended Action | Buffer Reserved |
|---|---|---|
| Before July 15 | Complete structural design freeze (Seal-off) | 3 Days |
| Before August 10 | Internal air-tightness pre-check of the first batch of samples | 2 Days |
| Before September 5 | Formal submission (to avoid National Day holiday queues) | 5 Days |
Covers sealing groove width, screw tightening torque, pressure relief valve installation angle, etc. Please ensure full comparison before submission to increase the first-pass rate by 6–8%.