Switching voltage of a reed contact, measured in volts, is the maximum voltage a reed contact can switch.
A higher switching voltage always results in arcing which degrades the contact and reduces the life of the reed switch. Special reed switches can switch voltages as low as 10 nano-volts up to 10 kilo-volts. Subjecting a reed contact to a voltage higher than what is rated can cause contact degradation or early failure.
