One of the best aspects about Android is the sheer variety that the platform offers. Like the best Android phones, Android tablets cast a wide net, coming in a variety of sizes, shapes, and configurations, each with its own level of performance and capabilities.
If you find the amazing Android tablets available a bit too fragile for your liking, then you need to check out this selection of rugged Android tablets. It has something for just about everyone. You’re covered whether you need it in the field, on your next camping trip, or just something durable to give to the kids. These tablets can handle everything, including drops from high heights to dangerously cold temperatures.
Top rugged tablets around
Ulefone Armor Pad 3 Pro
Rugged good looks
The Ulefone Armor Pad 3 Pro offers great battery life, a good display, and decent performance for a solid rugged tablet. Like many rugged devices, it is big and heavy, but it will not fail you when you need it most.
- Amazing battery life
- Excellent port selection and expandability
- Good overall display
- Thick and heavy
- Image quality isn’t great
The Ulefone Armor Pad 3 Pro is easily the best rugged tablet for most people thanks to its blend of performance and capabilities. Performance is handled by a MediaTek MT8788 processor and either 8GB or 16GB of RAM. The processor is a bit older, but it is still capable of routine tasks like web browsing, surfing social media, or watching your favorite content. It can play lighter games, but that’s not something it’s going to excel at.
With a 10.35-inch 2000 x 1200 IPS LCD panel, the Armor Pad 3 Pro has a decent display for the price, but it’s going to lose out on the punchy colors of an AMOLED. It also has a massive 33,280mAh battery, making it one of the longest-lasting devices on this list. Ulefone wanted to ensure that this tablet never dies while you are away from a charger.
Read our review
Review: The Ulefone Armor Pad 3 Pro is a rugged tablet that makes for a solid workplace companion
Stands up to the toughest jobs
The Armor Pad 3 Pro features a rugged design and can be taken just about anywhere as it meets the MIL-STD-810H standard, and has an IP68/69K rating. Outside its rugged design, it has many port options. You get a full-sized HDMI port, a MicroSD slot to expand storage up to 2TB, a headphone jack, and a uSmart Connector allowing you to connect a sound kit for enhanced audio while on the go.
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
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.
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 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.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.
Oukitel RT6
Perfect for outdoor enthusiasts
The Oukitel RT6 offers great battery life and a durable design while keeping the price minimal. This wallet-friendly tablet is a great choice for people who routinely find themselves in rough situations or even as a tablet destined for use by children.
- Great display
- Expandable storage
- Big battery with fast charging
- Uncertain software support
- Not intended for gamers
The Oukitel RT6 is a great option for anyone who wants a rugged tablet but doesn’t want to break the bank. With a 10.1-inch 1920 x 1200 display, a large 20,000mAh battery, and 33W fast wired charging, the RT6 gets the job done.
With a MediaTek MT8788 processor and 8GB of RAM, it’s ideal for browsing and using social apps while on the go. The tablet’s rugged chassis 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.
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 offer a unique experience capable of surviving the harshest of conditions. These tablets come with a variety of capabilities and are designed for specific individuals, so there’s something perfect for everyone, regardless of why you want a rugged tablet. Some of the best kids tablets are even here as they provide an excellent experience for young ones.
The Ulefone Armor Pad 3 Pro is the best-rugged tablet for most people thanks to its enormous battery, decent performance, and ability to survive some seriously harsh conditions. It’s not well suited for people who want to play the latest games, but if your performance requirements are less taxing, the Armor Pad 3 Pro is a great choice.
If you want a tablet with some additional creature comforts, and a slightly smaller body, but still want that rugged design, you should check out the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 5. It’s more expensive than most of the other options here, but you get a high refresh rate display, a removable battery, but keep the amazing durability of a rugged tablet.
Maybe you aren’t looking to spend a lot on a rugged tablet and just need something you don’t have to worry about breaking when in a rough environment. In that case, the Oukitel RT3 should serve you well thanks to its portability, plentiful connectivity options, and rugged design. It can go anywhere thanks to its 4G LTE modem and has a sleek design as far as rugged tablets go.
Ulefone Armor Pad 3 Pro
Ruggedly awesome
The Ulefone Armor Pad 3 Pro is a solid option for anyone considering a rugged tablet. It has an enormous battery, a decent display, and good performance. It’s a tad thick and very heavy, but if you need a tablet as tough as you are, then the Armor Pad 3 Pro will serve you well.
