7 Best Rugged Tablets in 2023 [Solid Build Quality]

Tough and rugged tablets exist, period. But then why would you even need them in the first place when there are several sleeker options available? Well, that’s subjective. While thin and light travel-friendly tablets are easy to carry, they aren’t meant for professionals who end up subjecting the devices to some jagged means.

This means, if you are into construction work, inventory management, drone setup, or crew management, you might want to consider investing in a ruggedized tablet. And by rugged I mean devices that can withstand hits, shocks, bumps, and drops. But that’s not all that you want from these ruggedized tablets.

A good, heavy-duty tablet should offer the highest water and dust resistance level, an excellent bright screen for outdoor usage, decent camera units, a dependable battery, and a slew of ports and relevant wireless standards. And yes, the availability of a good processing setup cannot be ignored as well.

Still, it is hard to find rugged tablets that cover each of the mentioned bases. Most randomly purchased ones lack effective water resistance, legible levels of sunlight visibility, and other restrictions. And yes, the high-end tablets from Samsung and Apple offer every possible feature in the book but can barely come out unscathed from a drop.

Keeping these diverse needs and pain points in mind, I have finally decided to enlist and review some of the top-rated ruggedized tablets around that can be purchased as per needs, budget, and relevant requirements.

7 Best Rugged Tablets in 2023

Purchasing a rugged and tough tablet is as uncommon as it gets. Still, it is better to keep some of the most reliable options handy to ensure that you make the correct decision every time you plan on purchasing one.

Therefore, I have subsequently listed the toughest tablets around, starting with the more premium variants and eventually tapering down to the mid-range and budget options. It is advised to read through these reviews in detail to eventually make the best buying decision based on the type of ruggedness you seek and the nature of functionality that you want the tablet to exhibit.

1. Best Overall: Samsung Galaxy Tab Active3

Personally, I would prefer the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active3 even if it wasn’t the most durable tablet. I believe that this tablet would really make sense to a designer who prefers moving across the globe with the mobile workstation. Plus, it is even better than the slightly older Tab A, courtesy of an improved battery backup.

Build Quality

As far as the structural composition is concerned, the shock-proof, MIL-STD-grade chassis is nothing short of an enigma. The military-grade design on this Samsung-branded rugged tablet isn’t just compelling to look at but also lends enough protection against dirt, dust, and water, with the IP68-certification in place.

Hardware & Performance

At the core, Samsung has the usual Exynos 9810 processor, which works in tandem with 4GB RAM. This feature takes care of the multitasking and ensures that the tablet doesn’t slow down a bit, even with multiple processes running at once. On top of that, the storage concerns are deftly handled by the 128GB unit, which can be upgraded by 512GB if needed.

The performances, courtesy of the hardware setup, are fast, commendable, and without hiccups. And yes, the Android 10 OS in play boots up in almost no time. 

Display

The 8-inch screen is bright enough for being used outdoors. Not to mention the IPS panel that even exhibits a standard resolution of 1920 x 1200. Plus, the screen is extremely touch responsive.

Design & Connectivity

The hardened tablet is relatively light considering the structural strength on offer. At 0.93 pounds, it feels light in hand. The dimensions at 8.42 x 4.99 x 0.39 inches can also be worked around.

The fortified chassis also makes way for a Type-C port and the Pogo-Pin setup that lets you dock keyboards and chargers to the tablet. Plus, there are high-speed Wireless and Bluetooth standards to make this device more mobile.

Battery Life & Other Features

When it comes to battery backup, the Galaxy Tab Active3 has you sorted with over 13 hours of juice. But that’s not what entices me the most in going for the tablet. Lo and behold, the tablet also comes stacked with stereo speakers, a fingerprint scanner, and a water-resistant S-pen for better handling the touch screen.

Plus, there is a 13MP rear and a 5MP front camera unit in action to make this tablet more suitable for professional usage. Finally, this device comes equipped with Samsung’s DeX functionality that allows you to convert the tablet into a remote workstation.

Conclusion

Not just as a Samsung rugged tablet but even in general, the Galaxy Tab Active3 has all the traits to attract the buyer in you. However, if I were to pick one feature that makes it different, I would consider the secure fingerprint scanner to further safeguard the data sets.

2. Best Battery Life: Samsung Galaxy Tab Active PRO

Closing in on the Active3 is the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active PRO, which is a better tablet to purchase for the warehouse owners and inventory managers. If you have ever used the Active 2 tablet, the Active PRO comes forth as the best possible upgrade, courtesy of the better storage support.

Build Quality

The Active PRO is precisely manufactured, keeping the drops, vibrations, and shocks in mind. The military-grade structure is also immune to water, dust, and temperature extremities, owing to the IP68 certification.

Hardware & Performance

Samsung ditches the Exynos on this one and heads straight for the Snapdragon 670. Working in tandem is 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage space that you can always upgrade by an additional 512GB if required. The performances, on the other hand, are top-notch as the Android 9 OS takes good care of the responsiveness of the apps.

Display

The Active PRO leads with a 10.1-inch screen, which is one of the primary reasons for picking it over the Active3. The LCD panel exhibits full HD resolution and complements each of your diverse visual needs with the 16:10 aspect ratio.

Design & Connectivity

This tablet has dimensions set at 9.59 x 6.70 x 0.39 inches, which makes it a tad thicker than standard devices. Also, it weighs 1.44 pounds, a fact that agrees with the durability checks.

Connectivity-wise, you get Wi-Fi AC support, Bluetooth 5.0, Type-C port, and DeX functionality.

Battery Life & Other Features

Samsung promises 15 hours of battery backup. In addition to the best possible take on autonomy, the tablet also supplies a fingerprint scanner, 13MP and 8MP cameras, and a water-resistant S-Pen that can be used for taking hand-written notes on the tablet.

Conclusion

The Samsung Tab Active Pro is quite similar to the Active3 in certain aspects but makes a better impression if you want a bigger screen real-estate to work with.

3. Best for Barcode Scanning: Vanquisher 8

If you are more of an on-field person who prefers digging into first, middle, and last-mile logistics, the Vanquisher 8 can be a good tablet to invest in. And, on top of that, it comes with a dedicated barcode scanning engine, qualifying it as a great tablet for the delivery guys.

Build Quality

Here is an ultra-rugged tablet that rides on the efficacy of the IP67 certification. The water and dust-proof chassis is also immune against drops, extreme temperatures, vibrations, and shocks.

Hardware & Performance

This tablet stacks in the Snapdragon 625, octa-core processor. Multitasking support is extended by the 4GB RAM. Also, if you want to store files and apps along with the performant Android 9 OS, the upgradable 64GB storage space seems more than adequate.

Display

There is an adequately bright, 8-inch screen in play that exhibits max brightness of 500 nits. Plus, the overall FHD+ resolution takes good care of the sunlight visibility.

Design & Connectivity

The Vanquisher doesn’t try to be sleek, with dimensions running at 9.84 x 7.01 x 3.19 inches. At 1.80 pounds, it is also one of the heaviest.

As far as connectivity is concerned, the Type-C port accounts for faster data transfers, whereas the Wi-Fi AC support and 4G LTE functionality ensure that you are never cut short of internet access.

Battery Life & Other Features

The 15-hour battery backup seems fitting, considering the fact that Vanquisher is one of the best battery life tablets for the delivery guys, who are always on the move. Plus, the 13MP rear and the 5MP front shooters make sense in case clicking images with the product and invoice become important.

Conclusion

Overall, if you want a tablet for scanning barcodes and managing professional work non-stop throughout the day, the Vanquisher 8 seems like a good bet. Plus, the LTE support on offer makes it one of the better products on the list.

4. Best Processing Setup: TRIPLTEK 7

Well, if you prefer smaller tablets for outdoor usage, especially for managing the camera and drone setups in rough terrain, the TRIPLTEK 7 comes across as one of the more promising tablets. I even compared it with the older tablets to find this variant to be a bit brighter and a lot more accommodative towards files.

Build Quality

This tablet is as rugged as it gets, riding on the functionality of the aluminum alloy and aero-grade chassis that has titanium at the core. The composition is kind of self-explanatory when it comes to safeguarding the device from pressure, shocks, and drops. On top of that, you have the IP67 certification to ensure water and dust resistance.

Hardware & Performance

For processes like drone control, the 8-core chipset can be quite a handful. However, it is the 6GB RAM that takes the cake, allowing you to use controllers and functions incessantly, without lags. And to top it all off, there is 128GB of storage space for the apps and the Android 8.1 OS, which can be upgraded by an extra 512GB.

Display

Just like most 7-inch tablets, a 7-inch screen on the TRIPLTEK 7 isn’t about color accuracy here, with HD resolution coming across as a bit underwhelming. Instead, the focus here is on 1200 nits of peak brightness, which is quite useful when it comes to viewing the tablet to perfection, even in glaring sunlight.

Design & Connectivity

This product is quite heavy at 2.53 pounds. Also, the measurements are fixed at 8.75 x 8.59 x 1.85 inches, making it quite a big device to carry around, despite the smallish screen.

As far as connectivity is concerned, TRIPLTEK offers a standard USB port followed by dual-band Wi-Fi and SIM card support for 4G LTE functionality.

Battery Life & Other Features

When it comes to battery life, this tablet promises something close to 6 hours. Also, there is a 13MP rear and a 5MP front shooter to work with.

Conclusion

When it comes to strict outdoor usage, there isn’t a well-built tablet around than the TRIPLTEK 7. However, the 6GB RAM makes it a tad better than some of the other tablets on the list.

5. Best Tablet with Cameras: Bix 7

The Bix 7 isn’t your standard rugged tablet but one of the better devices in the market when camera performances are concerned. Therefore, it makes sense for the excursionists and travelers to purchase this tablet, provided they want to capture the best moments while being on the move.

Build Quality

The build quality takes center-stage, with Bix bringing in hardened plastic to justify the ruggedness. The existing structural integrations ensure shock, vibration, and drop resistance. On top of that, there is the IP67 certification that makes the tablet more enduring to water splashes, moisture, and dirt.

Hardware & Performance

Here is a dependable tablet with an octa-core processor in play. On top of that, there is 4GB of RAM followed by 64GB of storage space. The existing storage module helps you store and retrieve files with ease, whereas the RAM takes care of the multitasking performance.

When it comes to the OS, Bix offers Android 9.0, out of the box.

Display

The 7-inch screen isn’t particularly top shelf but still gets the job done with the overall resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels to rely on. However, the 500-nits of peak brightness capping makes it effective enough for outdoor usage.

Design & Connectivity

This tablet weighs a manageable 1.23 pounds and ends up measuring 8.5 x 5.3 x 0.74 inches. While this qualifies as thick, the tablet makes up for the same by offering a Type-C port for charging and data transfers. Other connectivity-specific traits include Wi-Fi AC, BT 4.0, and NFC support.

Battery Life & Other Features

Bix 7 offers 10 hours of steady backup followed by two exceptional camera modules, i.e., a 13MP rear shooter and a 5MP front-facing selfie camera.

Conclusion

To sum it up, if you want an affordable yet rugged tablet that stands apart from the rest in terms of camera setup, there aren’t many better devices than the Bix 7.

6. Best for Industrial Use: MobileDemand Flex 10A

The MobileDemand Flex 10A is one of the more durable tablets on the list, best used by industry experts and people who are assigned core responsibilities of respective firms. And yes, the battery on offer is one of the best ones around.

Build Quality

The Flex 10A is as durable as a tablet can get, courtesy of the military-grade form factor and a ruggedized chassis that can easily endure bumps, shocks, and drops. Adding to this are the cornered bumpers to avoid chipping.

Hardware & Performance

As the Flex 10A is most suitable for field workers, the hardware setup matters quite a lot and is led by the 4-core chipset. For helping the processing perform at its peak, there is a 3GB RAM module followed by 128GB of integrated storage space. The existing hardware setup lets you handle every application with precision and even boots up the Android Pie OS in a heartbeat.

Display

The 10.1-inch screen is bright enough to be used in outdoor conditions. However, the HD+ resolution, translating into an overall resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, feels a tad underwhelming.

Design & Connectivity

The Flex 10A weighs over 2 pounds and measures 10.5 x 0.7 x 7.2 inches, which are reasonable enough considering the ruggedness on display. Still, it continues to be functional despite the heft, courtesy of the mount plate functionality and briefcase-like support for carrying the same along.

Connectivity-specific specs include USB OTG support, a mini HDMI port for connecting an external display, MicroSD slot, USB 2.0, and dependable wireless standards in Wi-Fi AC and Bluetooth 4.0.

Battery Life & Other Features

This tablet has a 6000mAh battery at its disposal, which translates into a backup of close to 12 hours. And as part of the bundle, MobileDemand also throws in the oleophobic display protector to immunize the device further.

Conclusion

The MobileDemand Flex 10A is a reliable, strong, and useful tablet that can be used rather perfectly by the field workers like Police, Fire Fighters, and others. Also, it is the connectivity suite that makes it a better bet as compared to other products on the list. 
But that if you are more comfortable in the Windows ecosystem.

Well, MobileDemand also offers the Flex 10B as the go-to, ruggedized Windows tablet that is still durable enough but comes with an Intel N4100 chipset, 4GB RAM, Type-C port, and a bundled, external keyboard.

7. Best Budget Option: Acer Enduro T1

The last product on the list, i.e., the Acer Enduro T1, is as efficient as a rugged tablet can get but at the fraction of the price quoted by other premium models. Plus, this is one of the few devices on this well-researched list that lets you configure a fully functional, remote management setup to control certain processes.

Build Quality

This tablet from Acer boasts military-grade toughness and ruggedness, led by a shock-absorbing bumper, MIL-STD grading, and IP54 certification for being able to withstand splashes of water and a bit of dirt. Adding to the specs sheet is the screen-protecting, Corning Gorilla Glass paneling.

Hardware & Performance

At the core, Acer has the Cortex-A73 cores on-board, courtesy of the MT8385 processor. The chipset can reach maximum clock speeds of up to 2.0GHz and works in tandem with 4GB RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage space. The Android 9 OS sits deep within the storage module and loads up rather quickly.

Display

The 8-inch tablet isn’t really hailed for the visual clarity but makes quite an impression, courtesy of the sharp IPS panel and higher brightness levels at 350-nits. Still, the resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels doesn’t allow it to be tagged as a premium, rugged tablet.

Design & Connectivity

As mentioned, the Enduro T1 is one of the more rugged tablets around, with a cumulative weight of 2.35 pounds. Coming to the dimensions, the product measures 8.94 x 5.78 x 0.43 inches, which is still manageable enough for the field workers, traffic police personnel, delivery guys, and more.

Also, if you are into connectivity, there is a Type-C port on offer, followed by Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.1.

Battery Life & Other Features

The Enduro T1 can last for up to 9 hours on a single charge. In addition to top-shelf autonomy, this tablet from Acer also throws in a 5MP rear and a 2MP front camera module.

Conclusion

Overall, the Acer Enduro T1 packs a punch when it comes to getting some rugged, professional help from a computing device. Also, it is an excellent processor that ensures swift task handling and makes it stand apart from the rest of the tablets on the list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Verdict

Are you still having second thoughts about purchasing a bulky, ruggedized tablet? Trust me, they can and shall last longer, regardless of how you use them. But then, when it comes to professional usage, picking the right tablet is the key. This is why I have created a handpicked, case-relevant mini-list for you to work with.

• In case you still want a light tablet that is ruggedized, durable, waterproof, and versatile, the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active3 is one of the more obvious choices.
• If you are into logistics and warehouse management, the Bix 7-inch tablet with a barcode scanner is the perfect pick.
• Finally, if you want something more affordable that still manages to handle a few splashes and abrasive intrusions, the Acer Enduro T1 is the one to get.

Apart from these choices, you can select any other tablet that resonates with your ideas, vision, nature of work, and certainly the budget.