Water damages LED strips in exactly one of two ways: slowly, through humidity and condensation working into an unsealed PCB, or immediately, through direct submersion in a pool, pond or flooded channel. Every waterproof strip on the market is built to resist one of those two failure modes — rarely both equally well. That is why Nucleo splits the 2835 24V waterproof range into IP65 and IP68 rather than selling a single "outdoor" strip and hoping it covers everything.

Get the rating wrong in either direction and the cost shows up later: an IP65 strip specified for a submerged pool step will fail within a season, while paying for IP68 encapsulation on a dry indoor cove is money spent on protection nobody needed. The sections below break down exactly where each rating belongs, with full spec tables for both.

Rule of thumb: if a hose, a splash, or humidity is the worst-case exposure, IP65 is sufficient. If the strip could ever sit under standing or flowing water — even for a few hours during heavy rain — specify IP68 from the start. Retrofitting a failed IP65 run after installation costs far more than speccing IP68 up front.

IP65 vs IP68 — Matched to the Environment

IP65
Silicone Sealed · Splash & Humidity

A conformal silicone coating flows over the PCB and every LED chip, sealing out dust and moisture and resisting low-pressure water jets from any direction.

  • Bathroom and wet-room coves
  • Covered outdoor facades & soffits
  • Outdoor kitchen and bar undershelves
  • Sheltered pergola and planter coves
  • Humid interior plant rooms
  • Not rated for submersion
IP68
Fully Encapsulated · Submersion

The full strip is encased in a gel-filled tube or epoxy shell rated for continuous underwater use at a stated depth, holding its seal through years of immersion.

  • Swimming pool walls & steps
  • Ponds, fountains & water features
  • In-ground landscape channels
  • Fully exposed, unsheltered facades
  • Rain-flooded outdoor recesses
  • Any location where IP65 is a gamble

Reading the IP code: the first digit (6 in both ratings) means total protection against dust. The second digit is what separates them — 5 means protected against water jets from any angle, 8 means protected against continuous submersion beyond 1 metre for a manufacturer-stated duration. The gap between those two digits is the entire difference between a bathroom cove strip and a pool wall strip.

Full Specification Reference

Both protection classes share the same base platform — SMD 2835, 24V DC, 24–26 lm per LED, CRI 80+ — so the choice between them comes down purely to where the strip sits.

IP65 — Silicone-Sealed Strip
CodeLED/mPCBPower/mCCT / Colour
2835-24V1205mm10W4000K, 3000K, 2700K
2835-24V1685mm12W4000K, 3000K, 2700K
2835-24V1208mm10W4000K, 3000K, 2700K
2835-24V1688mm15W3000K
2835-24V24010mm20W4000K, 3000K, 2700K
IP68 — Fully Submersible Strip
CodeLED/mPCBPower/mCCT / Colour
2835-24V1685mm12W3000K
2835-24V1208mm10W3000K, 2700K
2835-24V1688mm15W3000K, 2700K
2835-24V24010mm20W3000K, 2700K
2835-24V12010mm12WRGB
2835-24V24012mm12W3CCT Tunable
5050-24V6012mm15WRGB + WW

On termination: the seal is only as good as the weakest cut point. Every IP68 run needs its cut ends closed with a heat-shrink cap or an IP68 connector rated for the PCB width in use — an open end on an otherwise-sealed strip is the single most common cause of submerged-strip failure on site.

Why This Matters

🧪
Silicone Conformal Coat
IP65 strips get a flowed silicone layer over the entire PCB — resists humidity, condensation, cleaning agents and directional water jets.
🔒
Full Gel/Epoxy Encapsulation
IP68 strips are entirely sealed in gel-tube or epoxy — the correct build for anything that sits under water, not just near it.
⚡
24V SELV Throughout
Every strip in the range runs at Safety Extra Low Voltage — no meaningful shock hazard at the strip surface, correct by design for wet-area use.
🎨
White, CCT, RGB, RGB+WW
Both ratings carry the same colour range as the dry IP20 strips — waterproofing is not a trade-off against colour flexibility.
📏
5mm to 12mm PCB
Waterproof strips fit the same aluminium profile channels as standard indoor strips — no bespoke extrusion required to go IP65 or IP68.
🎯
CRI 80+ Consistent
Colour rendering does not drop when the protection level goes up — 80+ CRI holds across the full waterproof range.

Where Each Rating Gets Specified

Eight applications, split by which side of the waterline they sit on:

🛁
Bathroom & Wet Room
IP65 for mirror surrounds, shower niches and ceiling coves exposed to steam and splashing.
🏢
Covered Facade
IP65 for building elevations, walkways and soffits protected from direct rain by an overhang.
🍽️
Outdoor Kitchen & Bar
IP65 for covered cooking and serving areas exposed to steam, splashes and cleaning water.
🌳
Sheltered Pergola
IP65 for roofed outdoor seating, planter coves and covered garden structures.
🏊
Swimming Pool Walls
IP68 for pool perimeters, steps and underwater accent lines — RGB for colour-changing water.
⛲
Ponds & Fountains
IP68 submerged in ornamental water features and illuminated fountain channels.
🌦️
Exposed Facade
IP68 for fully weather-exposed elevations and roofline runs with no overhead cover.
🪴
In-Ground Landscape
IP68 in ground-level channels, paving slots and garden path lighting exposed to rain and irrigation.

Installation Questions, Answered

What is the practical difference between IP65 and IP68 LED strips?
IP65 strips carry a conformal silicone coating over the PCB and LEDs, sealing out moisture, humidity and directional water jets — enough for a bathroom cove, covered facade or outdoor kitchen shelf, but not built to sit under water. IP68 strips are fully encapsulated in a gel-filled tube or epoxy shell rated for continuous submersion. If the location could ever be underwater, even briefly, specify IP68.
Is it safe to run these strips near a swimming pool?
Yes, with the IP68 variant specified correctly. The strip runs at 24V DC — SELV — so there is no meaningful shock risk at the strip surface in a wet pool wall. The driver must sit outside the wet zone in a dry, ventilated enclosure, and all wiring into the water zone should run through a proper cable gland or IP68 connector rather than an open splice.
Can an IP65 strip be used outdoors, or does it need IP68?
IP65 works outdoors when sheltered — under an eave, inside a closed profile with a diffuser, behind a covered facade. It does not handle ongoing direct rain exposure or standing water. If a location is fully open to weather or near ground level where water can pool, move up to IP68 rather than relying on the mounting to keep IP65 dry.
How are IP68 strips joined, cut or terminated without breaking the seal?
Cut only at the marked cut points, then reseal the exposed end with a heat-shrink end cap or a silicone-filled IP68 connector rated for the strip's PCB width. Every joint, tee and power feed in a submerged run needs the same treatment — an open cut end on an otherwise-sealed strip is the most common cause of on-site failure.
What PCB widths and colour options are available across the range?
IP65: 5mm, 8mm and 10mm PCB in 3000K, 4000K and 2700K single white. IP68: 5mm, 8mm, 10mm and 12mm PCB — the 12mm boards carry 3CCT tunable and RGB+WW. Straight RGB is available on 10mm IP68. All PCB widths remain compatible with standard aluminium profile channels.
Why do most IP68 strips ship in warm white rather than cool white?
Because the applications drive the demand — pools, ponds and spa edges are almost always specified in 2700K–3000K warm white or RGB, since cool 6000K reads clinical against water and stone. IP68 stock leans toward 3000K and 2700K for this reason, with RGB and RGB+WW available for colour-changing water effects. Cooler CCTs can be sourced on request for landscape or facade runs.