Which light fittings are allowed in a bathroom: moisture ratings explained

What the IP number on the fitting actually tells you

IP stands for Ingress Protection, and it is followed by two digits. The first digit describes protection against solid objects and dust, the second against water. A higher number in either position means better sealing, so an IP44 fitting is better protected than an IP20 fitting, and an IP65 fitting better still.

For bathrooms, the second digit is what matters most. IP44 means protection against splashing water from any direction, which is the usual minimum near a basin or in a general bathroom area. IP65 means protection against jets of water, the level typically wanted directly above a shower or bath.

The number is not a marketing badge, it is a tested rating, and a fitting without any IP marking at all should be treated as unsuitable for a bathroom regardless of price or appearance.

Why a bathroom is split into zones

Electrical guidance for bathrooms works on zones, based on distance from water and how likely splashing or steam is at that point. Zone 0 is inside the bath or shower tray itself, zone 1 is the space directly above it up to a set height, and zone 2 extends further out from there. Outside these zones, ordinary room rules apply.

The closer to the water, the higher the protection required. A fitting acceptable a metre and a half from the shower may be entirely wrong fixed above it. This is why the same bathroom can reasonably contain two different IP-rated fittings: one over the shower, another lighting the mirror at the basin.

Working out where the zones fall in a particular bathroom, especially an oddly shaped one or one being reconfigured during renovation, is exactly the kind of judgement an electrician makes as routine, rather than something to guess from a diagram online.

Which fittings suit a bathroom and which do not

As a rough guide for planning, not a substitute for a site check: fittings directly above a shower or bath, or inside a shower enclosure, generally need IP65. Fittings elsewhere in the room but still exposed to steam and occasional splashing, such as over a basin or on a low ceiling, generally need at least IP44. A fitting well away from any water source, in a large bathroom with a separate toilet area for instance, may only need to meet ordinary domestic standards.

Recessed spotlights are popular in bathroom ceilings but need checking individually, since the rating covers the whole fitting including the seal around the ceiling cut-out, not just the bulb. A mirror light needs a rating suited to the splashing it will actually get, which is more than it looks from the fitting alone.

• Directly over bath or shower: IP65 as a rule of thumb, confirm with an electrician
• Near the basin or general steam exposure: IP44 minimum
• Away from water, dry corner of a large bathroom: standard domestic rating usually acceptable
• No IP marking on the box: treat as unsuitable for any bathroom zone
• Recessed spotlights: check the sealed rating of the whole fitting, not the bulb

Why this pairs with an electrician rather than staying pure DIY

Buying a fitting with the right IP number is only half the job. It has to be wired, earthed and fixed correctly for that rating to mean anything in practice, and bathrooms also involve additional protection requirements around any switches and sockets in the room, which is not something to improvise.

We do electrical work at 49 € per hour, and a straightforward light fitting installation is offered from 40 € per job, which usually includes checking that the fitting itself is right for where it is going before it goes up. It is a short job on its own, but not one worth getting wrong.

If you are unsure what rating your current fitting has, or whether a fitting you have already bought is suitable for where you want to put it, that is a reasonable question to bring to us before installation rather than after.

When the bathroom is having a bigger renovation

If the bathroom is being gutted or reconfigured, lighting choice fits into a larger set of decisions: where the shower goes, where sockets and the extractor fan sit, what the ceiling height allows for recessed fittings, and how the electrics tie into the rest of the flat or house.

Our bathroom renovation service, from 3500 € per job depending on scope, covers this kind of work as a whole rather than fitting by fitting, and lighting is planned alongside plumbing and tiling rather than bolted on at the end.

In an apartment building, changes to shared risers or the building's electrical supply may need sign-off from the apartment association (korteriühistu), so it is worth raising bathroom renovation plans with them early rather than after the work has started.