Tablets come in various sizes and prices, and while some of the best tablets feature high-resolution, large, responsive displays, they’re very fragile. That’s where rugged tablets come into play, offering a fair compromise on the latest features, providing only the essentials in more compact and durable designs and form factors.
This resilient selection includes models that can withstand extreme temperatures, feature programmable buttons and user-replaceable batteries, offer multiple connectivity options, and have a durable design that won’t crack open after numerous drops. There are safe and controlled tablets for kids built to withstand some tough love, to more sophisticated selections for frontline workers. No matter your needs, this list has the perfect option.
Top rugged tablets around
Blackview Active 8 Pro
Enormous battery, and rugged looks
The Blackview Active 8 Pro features a 22,000mAh battery and a 10.36-inch display. It can last a long time on a single charge, and the display is perfect for browsing, consuming media, and getting work done. It supports 33W fast wired charging, which makes this behemoth faster to power up, and the chip is fast enough to handle most tasks.
- Massive battery
- Large, high-resolution display
- Great connectivity options
- Questionable software support
- Midrange performance
The Blackview Active 8 Pro features an enormous battery, a large, vivid display, and overall great connectivity features to keep you up and running. It’s perfect for those who are always on the move, looking for an inexpensive tablet that’s durable, easy on power, quick to charge, and has all the essential features.
The Active 8 Pro has a 10.36-inch scratch-resistant display that’s perfect for viewing photos and videos and running multiple apps simultaneously. The tablet has 256GB storage, which is expandable via a microSD card slot for up to 1TB. In terms of connectivity, the tablet supports 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.0, making it a great companion for outdoor enthusiasts and those looking for something more sturdy and tough.
The tablet has a midrange chip with 16GB of memory, making it great for using multiple apps simultaneously. And while it won’t break any records, it’ll be good enough for some occasional gaming in medium settings, browsing, using social media apps, and storing digital content.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 5
Top-of-the-line tablet, great for frontline workers
The Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 5 is one of the best portable, rugged, and durable tablets you can buy right now. It comes with the S Pen stylus that lets you sign documents, sketch, and draw, and it’s powerful enough to carry out work in challenging places. It has a user-replaceable battery and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
- S Pen stylus included
- Excellent connectivity options
- Durable design
- Same camera as on Galaxy Tab Active 3
The Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 5 is an excellent rugged tablet with a compact, portable form factor. It has an IP68 rating, a Military-Grade 810H certificate, and a drop-to-concrete resistance of up to 1.8 meters. So, it’s extremely durable and can withstand water, dust, and almost anything you can imagine and come across in challenging work environments and the wilderness.
The tablet boasts many features that could benefit various workplaces; it has a 3.5mm headphone jack, eSim support, a user-replaceable 5,050mAh battery, and expandable storage via microSD. Despite its rugged looks, it also has NFC and support for multiple positioning systems, including GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, and QZSS. This is essential for any rugged device, as it ensures you can be found and located using various satellites and systems.
The tablet packs an 8-inch LCD with a 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring it remains sharp, colorful, and responsive. It provides a smooth performance when browsing the web, messaging colleagues or friends, or using various applications. The device also has a 13MP rear and a 5MP front-facing camera, which are great for snapping quick photos and making video calls. It runs Android 14 and Samsung says it’ll receive four major Android and five years of security updates, making the Galaxy Tab Active 5 even better value.
OUKITEL RT3 Rugged Tablet
An inexpensive alternative for those on a budget
The Oukitel RT3 is ideal for outdoor enthusiasts and those looking for a small, compact tablet with a rugged chassis. It has a decently sized 5,150mAh battery, and 4G LTE with GPS built-in, making it a great on-the-road companion.
- Portable, and compact form factor
- Great connectivity options
- Rugged design with tough looks
- Not the brightest and sharpest display
- Battery isn’t large compared to competition
- Uncertain software support
The Oukitel RT3 might lack a powerful chipset, a sharp display, or a large battery, but it ticks all the boxes regarding ruggedness and portability. The tablet offers 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.3, making it a great companion for consuming media while out and about. It’s an excellent secondary device for those looking to connect to the internet in challenging weather conditions and locations.
The 8-inch display might not be the sharpest or the brightest one around for the money, but it’s a decent size that’s ideal for watching videos and movies and making video calls. The 5,150mAh battery might not be massive, but it’ll provide plenty of power to help carry out important work or relax at the end of a busy day after climbing a mountain.
If you’re looking for a secondary device for outdoor purposes or giving a child their first tablet, the Oukitel RT3 is a great option at an affordable price. It’s powerful enough to handle most modern apps, and while it’s unlikely to run more demanding games, it’ll do perfectly well for general titles that don’t require too much power.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 4 Pro
It even comes with the S Pen stylus
The Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 4 Pro is one of the best large-screen tablets with a formidable design that can withstand extreme temperatures, water, dust, and drops. It has a user-replaceable battery that can last a long time on a single charge, and it supports 5G and LTE connectivity for internet connection anywhere in the world.
- Great connectivity options
- Withstands extreme temperatures, drops, and spills
- Programmable keys
- Quite heavy at 674g
- Low memory means it’s not the best for multitasking
The Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 4 Pro is a great option because of its rugged design, compact form factor, and excellent overall features. The tablet packs a large 10.1-inch LCD and is sturdy. This is evidenced by the device’s IP68 rating and military-grade certification; it can withstand extreme temperatures and can also take beating with its drop-to-concrete resistance from up to 1 meter.
While the tablet launched back in 2022, it has already received Android 14 with One UI 6.0. Samsung indicated the Active 4 Pro would receive five years of security updates, making it a great option for those looking for a tablet that’ll be functional for a few more years.
The Galaxy Tab Active 4 Pro is an ideal business and study companion. It comes with the S Pen built-in, enabling users to write, sign documents, and take notes. Overall, the tablet is great for those seeking durability, a large display, and outstanding features, support, and connectivity.
OUKITEL RT5
Perfect for outdoor enthusiasts
The Oukitel RT5 tablet features expandable storage for up to 1TB of space and has a 10.1-inch FHD+ display that looks great. It’s ideal for outdoor enthusiasts looking for a rugged device that can withstand the most challenging conditions and has a large 11,000mAh battery with 33W wired charging, ensuring it’ll be powered during any trip.
- Great display
- Expandable storage
- Big battery with fast charging
- Uncertain software support
- Not intended for gamers
If you’re outdoorsy, and frequently camp or hike, you might be interested in a dedicated tablet that you can take on adventures. The Oukitel RT5 is the right tablet for the job, offering a decently sized display and promising all the basic features you need to stay connected and powered on short expeditions.
The Oukitel RT5 has a 10.1-inch FHD+ display, a large 11,000mAh battery, and 33W fast wired charging. It’s ideal for browsing and using social apps while on the go. The tablet’s rugged chassis ensures it can withstand rain, dust, and challenging weather conditions, making it a viable excursion-ready slate.
The tablet has expandable storage for up to 1TB, and the built-in 256GB of space will enable you to store your survival guides, essential apps, and multimedia. There are also enough connectivity options to stay in touch with your loved ones and friends using 4G LTE. The tablet also has stereo speakers, support for capacitive pens, and even a compass built-in for easy navigation.
Amazon Fire 7 Kids (2022)
Great low-cost option for kids
The Amazon Fire 7 Kids tablet is portable and durable. It’s ideal for children between ages 3 and 7, offering parental controls, a long 10-hour battery life, three fun color options, and 16GB of storage (perfect for apps, games, and photos). Amazon also provides a 2-year worry-free guarantee that makes it easy to replace the device if it breaks.
- Sturdy and durable design
- 2-year no-questions-asked replacement warranty
- Compact and portable, ideal for children of all ages
- Underwhelming display
If you’re looking for a tablet for your little minion, you might not want to spend hundreds of dollars on a new device with all the bells and whistles. Chances are, you’re looking for something cheap and durable to get your child started in the modern, digital world. That’s why Amazon Fire tablets like the Amazon Fire 7 Kids are the best budget tablets you can buy right now.
It features a highly rugged, durable casing that protects the device from all the usual accidents, enduring toddlers and children between ages 3 and 7. It’s available in three fun colors: blue, purple, and red. And it comes with one year of Amazon Kids+, a service that provides educational content, exclusive materials, and all the entertainment your child might want at home, or even on a road trip.
The tablet has a 7-inch display, which doesn’t look particularly great, but it’ll likely be good enough for children acclimating to tech. The primary selling points of the Fire 7 Kids include the durable and portable form factor, expandable storage, easy access to a large catalog of apps, games, and other digital content, and a complete set of parental controls.
Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro (2023)
Great large-screen model for children
The Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is the largest and best tablet for children ages 6 to 12. It has a large display, a long battery life, 32GB of expandable storage to store your child’s favorite apps, games, and photos, and is available in multiple playful colors. It also has excellent built-in parental controls and a sturdy design.
- Excellent parental controls
- Durable, and rugged design
- No integrated ads
- Limited app selection
- Not the best-performing tablet
The Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro offers a lot of bang for your buck and is excellent for children ages 6 and 12. The tablet comes with a rugged and durable casing on the outside that can withstand drops, spills, and more general wear and tear that children usually put their belongings through. It’s an ideal first device for children to use for educational materials, watching cartoons, and playing games.
Amazon also provides a one-year subscription to the carefully curated Amazon Kids+ service that lets children learn, grow, and explore in a safe environment. The service offers additional parental controls, an easy-to-use parent dashboard, and exclusive digital content from Disney, Marvel, Lego, and more.
The Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is a fantastic tablet for children who are just getting started in this digital age, allowing them to safely explore and learn while having fun playing games, reading, and watching videos. While the tablet isn’t great for general browsing and multitasking, it provides all the essentials to get started. Furthermore, Amazon’s parental controls are some of the best in the industry, providing parents peace of mind and kids a little freedom.
The right rugged tablet for you
Rugged tablets might not offer the same performance level and flashy new features as the latest midrangers and premium devices. Still, they deliver an extra layer of protection for those with specialized needs, providing an easy way to work or play.
If you’re looking for the best overall tablet, the Blackview Active 8 Pro is worth a look. It comes with an enormous battery and an excellent rugged design that can withstand challenging conditions. It also offers a large 10.3-inch display and fast wired charging. The tablet provides a great general performance that results in a pleasant experience when browsing, conducting video calls, and multitasking.
If you’re after a premium option with even more business-oriented features, the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 5 might be an even better alternative. Samsung supplies the S Pen stylus, several years of software and security updates, and a compact design that can withstand extreme conditions. The device is up to any task, and while it might not have the most powerful chip inside, it’s a remarkable, hardworking device.
The Oukitel RT3 is great for those on a budget. It has a decent 8-inch display, perfect for browsing and using apps, an adequately sized battery that’ll hold up for the duration of your road trip, and all the main features you need to stay connected with the outside world while traveling.
Blackview Active 8 Pro
Enormous battery, and rugged looks
The Blackview Active 8 Pro features a 22,000mAh battery and a 10.36-inch display. It can last a long time on a single charge, and the display is perfect for browsing, consuming media, and getting work done. It supports 33W fast wired charging, which makes this behemoth faster to power up, and the chip is fast enough to handle most tasks.
