Can I use magnets outdoors?

Choosing magnets for outdoor use

You can easily use magnets outside. However, it is recommended that you choose a magnet with a rubber surface or another thick coating. We will get into that below.

Ferrite magnets

Ferrite magnets are unaffected by humidity and can easily be used outdoors without additional protection. But it is not very strong, and since it is a raw magnet (without coating), it can rub off with its gray color when it gets wet or damp around it.

A pot magnet (made from a ferrite magnet with a steel pot) is also suitable for outdoor use. The pot does not go all the way around the magnet, so direct contact can still be made between the magnet and what is to be hung up. But the steel pot will eventually rust. However, it is purely in terms of appearance that the magnet is affected, because the magnet itself is stainless.

If you coat a ferrite magnet with rubber, there is so little strength left in it that it is not worth much as a magnet. After all, you use a magnet because it must be able to carry something or be able to keep something hanging to a certain extent. So it is not a solution that is useful in very many cases.

Neodymium magnets

A neodymium magnet is not rust-free. So it can be used outdoors, but after a short while it will rust if it is exposed to wind and weather.

However, we have made an experiment with hook magnets, which are pot magnets (neodymium magnets in a steel pot). And they have been hanging outdoors for more than 2 years: They have only changed purely in terms of appearance (very rusty) but not in terms of strength. So a pot magnet is clearly better than an ordinary one. nickel-plated neodymium magnet. But over time, the rust will attack the magnet all around, and then the strength will be affected.

However, it is precisely because of rust that we recommend a magnet with a rubber coating instead. Since neodymium magnets are very strong, they are not affected as much as a ferrite magnet with a rubber coating. And the rubber coating means that the magnet is not directly exposed to moisture and water. Therefore, it does not rust. 

Bathroom and aquarium magnets

Exactly the same thing applies to damp/wet places as it does for outdoor use. So if you need a magnet for the bathroom (e.g. to hold the shower curtain) or for the aquarium (e.g. to clean the glass or hang things with magnets), then you should choose a neodymium magnet with a rubber coating, which precisely withstands water and moisture. 

You will find all rubber magnets here .