Top 6 Rugged Phone Cases for Farming: Protect Your Devices Outdoors

Standardized durability rating standards for cases

To make it a little easier to compare durability between cases, we have outlined the most common standards below. It is important to note that all these standards (and all listed durability specifications) can be self-tested and ratings can be self-applied. In our phone case round-up, where possible, we have attempted to clarify whether the manufacturer has conducted their own testing or has employed a third-party testing company to validate their ruggedness rating.

IP

The most common internationally recognized durability rating is the IP (Ingress Protection) rating. It is developed by the EU-based International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). It specifies the protection level against solid objects (like dust) and liquids (like water) using a two-digit rating code. The first digit is a 1-6 rating indication of the durability rating for solids and the second is a 1-6 rating indicating its waterproof rating. Sometimes there is an additional letter at the end to denote the type of liquid and conditions used in the liquid testing. Generally, a tool fit for outdoor/rugged use will have an IP65 rating or higher. See the charts below on both solid and liquid protection thresholds to better understand the IP code system.

NEMA

Another common solid and liquid durability rating system specifically for the US markets is NEMA. Developed by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (also NEMA), this is a rating you will often see on cases marketed for sale in North America. It does not directly map onto the IP standards but accomplishes the same goal of specifying the level of solid and liquid durability for an enclosure. It is slightly more nuanced than IP ratings in that it specifies an enclosure rating against corrosive atmospheric contaminants like acetylene and gasoline though it is also a little more confusing as the ratings are not sequential. For example, types 3, 4 and 6 are rated for outdoor use but type 5 is not. A strong NEMA rating for a case used on a farm is NEMA 4X (outdoor, waterproof, corrosion-resistant).

IK (EN 62262)

IK ratings, also developed by the IEC, are used to indicate the durability of the enclosure to impacts, either a strike or a fall. It used to be a part of the IP rating system but was further defined in its own standard due to unstandardized testing processes. It progresses from IK00 to IK11 with IK07 and up lasting through a free fall test.

MIL-STD-810

MIL-STD-810, officially named ‘Environmental Engineering Considerations and Laboratory Tests’ was developed by the US Department of Defense for testing the durability of systems and equipment. It includes standardized laboratory testing procedures for durability and encourages real-world environmental testing that matches the conditions of the intended use of the product. It tests for a wide range of environmental factors including impact, temperature fluctuations, water, dust and more. It is often favoured by manufacturers based in the US particularly because of its flexibility. Commercial product tests can be tailored to assess only the environmental factors the manufacturer deems relevant. Because of this adaptability, it is often hard to actually interpret MIL-STDs attached to products.