Pet Tracker IP Ratings Explained: What IP67, IP68 and IPX7 Mean for a Dog
Updated Joylink TeamShare
Short answer: Read the two digits separately: the first is solids up to six, the second is liquids, and an X means that property was never tested. IP67 means dust-tight plus thirty minutes in a meter of still fresh water, and no rating covers chlorine, salt, soap, or a hose.
IP ratings are laboratory tests, not promises. IP67 means dust-tight and 30 minutes in a metre of still fresh water; IP68 means the maker specifies deeper or longer; IPX7 means water was tested but dust was not. None of them covers chlorine, salt, soap, a hose, or a year of mud — which is what actually kills pet trackers.
| Rating | Dust | Water | Typical wording |
|---|---|---|---|
| IP67 | Dust-tight | 30 minutes at 1 m | Immersion up to 1 m for 30 minutes |
| IP68 | Dust-tight | Deeper or longer, maker specifies | Continuous immersion, conditions per maker |
| IPX7 | Not tested | 30 minutes at 1 m | Water tested, dust not rated |
| IPX8 | Not tested | Deeper, maker specifies | Water only |
| No rating | Unknown | Unknown | Avoid on a pet that swims |
Read the two digits separately
The first digit is solids, on a scale to 6, where 6 means dust-tight. The second is liquids, on a scale to 9. An X in either position means that property was not tested at all — IPX7 tells you nothing about dust or sand.
So IP67 and IPX7 are not the same claim. The first is dust-tight and water-tested; the second is water-tested only. For a device that lives in mud and grass, that difference matters.
What the test does not include
The test is clean, still, fresh water at room temperature, on a new device, for a single immersion. Real life is a chlorinated pool, salt water, a hose at pressure, a shampoo, and grit working into the seam — then a hundred repetitions.
Seals also age. A rating from the day of manufacture says less about month eighteen, after sun, sweat and a summer of swims.
What this means for the trackers people buy
Published ratings as we checked them: AirTag is IP67; Fi Series 3 is IP68; Tractive's trackers are commonly quoted at IPX7; Pawfit 3 is IP68; Halo Collar 5 is IP67. The Joylink Pet Tracker is built to be weather-resistant for everyday rain and wet grass.
Treat all of them as 'survives a swim, then needs a rinse' rather than 'ignore it forever'.
The after-swim routine that doubles a tracker's life
Four steps, and they take a minute. Rinse the tracker and the mount in fresh water — chlorine and salt are what corrode contacts. Dry both thoroughly, especially the seam and the battery cover. Pop the tag out of the holder once a week so nothing sits damp behind it. Check the charging contacts or battery cover for corrosion monthly.
If your dog swims daily, do this every time. The trackers that fail are almost never the ones that got wet; they are the ones that stayed wet.
Mounts fail before electronics do
Most water damage in this category arrives through the mount: a silicone holder traps water against the device, and grit held against a seam does the rest. Choose a holder that drains, or a tracker that is integrated into the collar so there is no pocket to hold water.
That is one reason the Joylink set ships the tracker on a collar rather than as a bare tag you have to house yourself.
When the water rating should decide your purchase
If your dog swims daily, works in water, or lives somewhere with months of rain, weight the rating heavily and commit to the rinse routine. If your pet is a cat who avoids puddles, weather resistance for rain is more than enough — and you should be choosing on weight and collar fit instead.
How we priced this
Prices and specifications on this page were checked in October 2026 against the brands' own published plan and product pages (Tractive, Fi, Pawfit, Apple), retailer listings, and reporting by The Verge and Engadget on the Whistle shutdown. Prices move; always confirm the figure at checkout before you commit. Three-year totals below use the cheapest published term for each brand and assume one pet.
Frequently asked questions
What does IP67 mean on a pet tracker?
Dust-tight, and protected against 30 minutes of immersion in up to a metre of still fresh water in laboratory conditions. It does not cover salt, chlorine, soap, pressurised water or wear.
Is IP68 better than IP67?
It means the maker specifies deeper or longer immersion. The exact depth and duration are the manufacturer's own figures, so read them rather than assuming the number is automatically better.
Can my dog swim with a tracker on?
With a rated device, yes — and then rinse it in fresh water and dry it, including the mount. Most failures come from water and grit left sitting against the seam.
Is a sealed case worth buying for a Bluetooth tag?
If your pet swims, yes. Choose one that drains and dries, and open it weekly so no moisture stays trapped behind the tag.
Related guides
- Escape Artist Dogs: Is Last-Seen Location Enough, or Do You Need Live Location?
- Taking a Pet Tracker to Europe: Roaming, Coverage and What Breaks at the Border
- the full Halloween pet safety guide
- how to find a lost cat hiding close to home
- building a neighbourhood lost-pet chain before October 31
If the subscription is the part that bothers you, the simplest test is a tracker you buy once: Joylink No Monthly Fee Pet Tracker runs on Apple Find My and Google Find Hub with no monthly fee and no renewal bill. If you need live location instead of last-seen, look at Joylink Ultra, which includes three years of cellular service in the purchase price.
Bottom line: If your pet swims, yes. Choose one that drains and dries, and open it weekly so no moisture stays trapped behind the tag.