Item level

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Every item in Path of Exile has an item level (also referred to as ilvl). This is generally related to the monster level of the area where it is found. Item level mainly determines what affixes are available to the item.

This is not to be confused with the drop level of an item (the minimum required item level for an item to drop), nor the level requirement on a piece of equipment (which is determined by an item's base type and implicit and explicit modifiers). These are both separate statistics.

Finding an item's item level

To find the item level of an item, a player needs to display the item's advanced description. By default, hold down the ALT key while hovering the cursor over the item or hold down the left stick (L3) on a XB1 or PS4. The item level will be shown above the level requirements in the item description.

There are two additional ways to find the item level:

  • Lift the item onto the cursor, and type the /itemlevel command into the chat box, while the item is held on the cursor. The item level will be reported in chat.
  • Hover with the mouse over an item linked in chat, and press CTRL+C. This will copy the complete item information to your clipboard, including item level.

For items on the ground, it is possible to preview the item level by enabling "Show Full Descriptions" under UI in the Options menu.

Gems and currency have an item level of 1. For all other non-quest items, the item level is determined by:

  • For items dropped by monsters, the level and rarity of the monster that dropped it.
    • Normal monsters drop items with a level equal to the monster level of the area.
    • Magic monsters drop items with monster level +1.
    • Rare and unique Monsters drop items with monster level +2[1].
  • For items dropped by chests or other area interactables, the area level of the area that the chest is in.
  • For quest rewards and items purchased from vendors, these items have predetermined item levels depending on vendor or quest. For example items bought from vendors in Act 10 will have a higher item level than those bought in Act 1.
  • For items created using a vendor recipe, the item level of the resulting item varies depending on the recipe. Recipes that modify an item's modifiers typically keep the original item's ilvl. The 5-to-1 vendor recipe causes the lowest ilvl item inputted to be used on the output item.
  • For race reward items, the item level is always 100.
  • For items from divination cards, the reward uses the character level up to ilvl80, unless the card itself specifies an ilvl.
  • For items from certain vendors like Expedition NPCs, they offer items with an ilvl range that scales up with character level. Items offered are snapshotted per vendor window, and using reroll currency will cause newly generated items to update the range.

What item level affects

Item level restricts which random properties an item can receive.

  • Affixes
Magic and Rare items can only receive affixes which require a level less than or equal to the item's item level. This is true for almost all items that can roll affixes, such as weapons, armour, flasks, etc.
Non-Abyss Jewels are the one exception, and follow different affix rules than most items, as these explicit modifiers all have a ilvl requirement of 1.
  • Vendor Recipes
The Full set of Rare items Vendor Recipe (also known as the Chaos Recipe) uses the lowest ilvl item to determine what currency reward is returned.
  • Sockets
The maximum number of sockets that can naturally roll on an item is determined by its item level. Items with a higher item level can receive more sockets. For instance, with an item level of 1, an item can have no more than two sockets.

(NB: The max number of sockets an item can have are 4 for headgear/gloves/shoes, 3 for shields and one handed weapons such as swords/maces/shields/knives/wands and 6 for chest armour, bows and two handed melee weapons. Having a very high item level doesn't allow for a higher number of sockets than these limits.)

The minimum item level to obtain each number of sockets is as follows:

Number of Sockets Minimum Level
1 1
2 1
3 2
4 25
5 35
6 50
Note that the Strongbox suffix "of Complexity" can override this limit and allow for a higher number of sockets. For example, an item with item level 35 can have 6 sockets instead of 5. Additionally, the Crafting Bench can be used to roll a specific number of sockets to an item regardless of ilvl.
Item level has no effect on the number of socket links that an item receives; this property is only restricted by the number of sockets on an item.
  • An item base type can only drop if the item level is equal or greater than its minimum drop level. This means divination cards that reward items at a specific item level can limit which item types can be rewarded. For example Struck by LightningStruck by Lightning3Electrocuting Jewellery
    Item Level: 76
    'Lightning never strikes the same place twice'
    is really just wishful thinking.
    cannot reward basetypes like Opal RingOpal RingRequires Level 80(15-25)% increased Elemental Damage, Steel RingSteel RingRequires Level 80Adds (3-4) to (10-14) Physical Damage to Attacks or Blue Pearl AmuletBlue Pearl AmuletRequires Level 77(48-56)% increased Mana Regeneration Rate and The Dark MageThe Dark Mage6Six-Link Staff
    Item Level: 55
    With staff in hand
    and wrath in heart,
    your soul and corpse
    shall surely part.
    cannot reward any high level staff type. Similarly, despite being currency, incubators each have a fixed level which determines the item level of the drop as well as what can drop.
  • The item level does not affect the possible unique items that can spawn when using an Orb of ChanceOrb of ChanceStack Size: 20Upgrades a normal item to a random rarityRight click this item then left click a normal item to apply it. on an item. For example: If you use an orb of chance on a Amethyst RingAmethyst RingRequires Level 30+(17-23)% to Chaos Resistance with an item level of 30, it is possible to get an Ming's HeartMing's Heart
    Amethyst Ring
    Requires Level 69+(17-23)% to Chaos Resistance25% reduced maximum Energy Shield
    25% reduced maximum Life
    +(40-50)% to Chaos Resistance
    Gain (40-60)% of Physical Damage as Extra Chaos Damage
    Ming slew Tranquillity
    Took Chaos for his wife
    And on Her immortal finger
    He placed his Heart
    unique ring, even though this ring only drops in maps with a monster level higher than 73.
Note that for the purpose of Ancient OrbAncient OrbStack Size: 20Reforges a unique equipment as another of the same item classRight click this item then left click a unique item to apply it.s, ilvl is relevant. Low ilvl items restrict the possible outcomes that can result from using the Ancient Orb based on the drop levels of the possible Unique item outcomes, though the exact correlation is unknown.[2][3]

Maximum item level

The highest item level required for any affix is 86. ilvls higher than 86 typically have no impact on gameplay and just provide additional flavour to rewards. However, on Standard, items with extraneous ilvls can be used to affect the outcome item after using a Recombinator (the resulting item uses the average of both items + 2).

  • The highest item level a dropped item can have is 89, from Olmec, the All Stone in a Tier 16 Olmec's Sanctum map (area level 83, +2 for unique boss, +4 for the map's Final Boss drops higher Level Items modifier).
  • A strongbox with +5 to Item Level in a level 83 map drops ilvl 88 items.
    • This can be increased to ilvl 89 in a Valdo's Puzzle BoxValdo's Puzzle BoxStack Size: 10Contains a Mysterious Map with a Foil Unique RewardI can find no method of destroying the dangerous contents within...
      perhaps, someday, you will find a way.
      Right click to open.
      map (tier 17).
  • Rare or unique monsters in Delve areas that have a Monsters drop items 3 levels higher modifier drops ilvl 88 items.
  • Uber bosses fought by enabling their Atlas keystone drop ilvl 87 items.
  • Some divination card rewards give an ilvl 100 item.
  • All Event rewards have a set item level of 100.

The following methods no longer work:

  • Deadly Nightmare passive skill and Olmec's SanctumOlmec's Sanctum
    Bone Crypt Map
    Map Level: 68
    Map Tier: 1
    Guild Character: $
    Item Quantity: +(120-200)%
    (40-50)% more Monster Life
    (30-40)% increased Monster Damage
    Final Boss drops higher Level Items
    They flew, and leapt, and clambered over,
    They crawled, and swam, and slithered under.
    Still its ancient secrets await unclaimed
    And of this hidden temple, only legends remain.
    Travel to this Map by using it in a personal Map Device. Maps can only be used once.
    (see above math, plus the +2 from the passive).
  • Lightless Legion passive skill and T16 map (combine with unique watchstone from 3.13-3.16).
  • Unique watchstones that grant +1 to Monster Level of Area.

References