It’s easy to see the appeal of tough tablets. They offer far more screen real estate than a rugged mobile phone, and are also more portable and adaptable in the field than a rugged laptop.
The Nuffield Technologies Best Tough Tablets for 2025 guide reveals our top recommendations. We’ve tried to present a broad cross-section in terms of price and functionality, so wherever you’re coming from – education, logistics, construction, pharma, defence or public sector – there should be something for you.
As for the tough factor, if you’ve landed on this page you may be convinced of the benefits of rugged devices already. However, here’s a quick recap. Rugged devices are going to be especially durable in the field and survive knocks and drops. Typically, they have longer life spans and better power management than consumer devices. Also, leading brands offer an ecosystem of add-ons such as carry straps and barcode readers that further increase functionality. Finally, some of our featured best tough tablets offer extraordinarily good maintenance plans, which could boost your return on investment.
All of the tablets on this page have excellent MIL-STD rugged credentials and an IP (Ingress Protection) rating of 65 or higher, unless otherwise specified. Find out more about these international rugged standards.
Without further ado, here’s the guide.
Panasonic Toughbook G2 mk3: durability and speed make this a compelling machine
- Cost: £££££
- Release date: September 2024
- OS: Windows 11 Pro
- Weight: Approx. 2.64lb
- Maintenance plan: Three-year standard warranty with optional ProTect PLUS upgrades offering fast device repair turnarounds
- Notable feature: Great processor for data-heavy apps
- Room for improvement: Very costly
Designed for harsh environments such as utilities, manufacturing, emergency services and defence, the Panasonic Toughbook G2 mk3 is a great choice where knocks, drops and vibrations are all part of a day’s work.
The toughness, however, is about more than physical challenges. The Intel Core Ultra5 processor 135U helps to run taxing, data-heavy software with ease – no freezing in the face of the big boys and girls of the app world.
Two standout features of this machine will be appreciated by users and help to nudge it into our best tough tablets guide. Firstly, it features up to 15 hours of battery life – reassuring in critical environments. Secondly, its ergonomic 2-in-1 design with an optional detachable keyboard transforms the tablet into a laptop. This provides versatility for plenty of work scenarios, from office settings to field operations.
Any gripes? It’s great that this machine is compatible with most existing accessories and vehicle docks, but this does naturally lead to the observation that there are other manufacturers with a wider range of truly useful business-centric accessories.
However, this zippy machine could be a perfect fit for your workplace setup.
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme Tablet: the tough customer for any temperature range
- Cost: £££££
- Release date: October 2022
- OS: Windows 11 Pro
- Weight: 3.5lb
- Maintenance plan: Standard one-year warranty plus an option to purchase ProSupport Plus, which offers priority access to expert support, accidental damage repair and proactive monitoring for automatic issue prevention and resolution
- Notable feature: Good range of add-ons
- Room for improvement? Not the biggest or sharpest of screens
With its optional handle, chunky bumpers and highly rugged profile, this tablet could probably double as Thor’s hammer and come out unscathed. Not only will it survive shocks, vibrations and direct spray and dust, it also works across an impressive temperature range from -20ºF to 145°F.
There’s a lot to love about this machine, including options for 4G and 5G mobile data and a sunlight-ready touch screen that works with gloved hands or the included pen.
It also comes with some useful add-ons, so you can tailor it exactly to your needs. These include a dockable keyboard for that 2-in-1 tablet / laptop experience, a barcode scanner, a fingerprint or SmartCard reader and more.
Cons? The above extras are going to ramp up the price, the touch screen isn’t all that sharp and overall performance is average. Just like Thor’s hammer, it will be too heavy for some. But this is a tough model that could be just the job with the right choice of accessories.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Active5: a super-light machine that’s great for mobile workers
- Cost: £
- Release date: January 2024
- OS: Android 14: One UI 6
- Weight: 0.95lb
- Maintenance plan: 24 months standard warranty, plus various Samsung Care packages available offering accidental damage repair, battery replacement and more
- Notable feature: Super lightweight (lighter than some phones)
- Room for improvement? Very little storage
Powerful things do indeed come in small and lightweight packages. The Samsung Galaxy Tab Active5 features a high-end Samsung Exynos 1380 SoC processor that has impressed many a reviewer, Wi-Fi 6E, 5G and a replaceable battery. All of this in a machine with an 8in screen weighing less than a pound.
This is clearly going to be a great choice if your workers need to be light on their feet.
However, there are some small things about this device that we’re less enthusiastic about. A minuscule 128GB storage? Really? Even many phones have 256GB or 512GB these days. Yes, you can add a MicroSD card, but this won’t work as quickly as onboard storage. The 6GB of RAM is, frankly, not much to write home about either. Also, the cameras are modest in terms of resolution.
All in all, this one’s a bit of a mixed bag of high end and lower end. However, we include it in our best tough tablets list because the weight profile and attractive price could make it a great fit for your business use-case – providing you don’t need lots of onboard storage.
Getac ZX10: a reliable performer that will see you through multiple shifts
- Cost: £££
- Release date: January 2025
- OS: Android 13, supporting three Android updates with security updates and feature improvements for five years
- Weight: 1.99lb
- Maintenance plan: Three years ‘Bumper to Bumper’ warranty introducing accidental damage as standard
- Notable feature: That warranty is impressive and could save money
- Room for improvement? Some similarly priced rivals may offer higher-spec features
Some reviews have suggested that the ZX10 prioritises ruggedness over standout enterprise features, but we have a one-word answer to that: batteries.
This model comes with two hot-swappable batteries as standard, which means they can be changed without shutting down. We think this is a compelling feature for any best tough tablet list.
Other things to love about the ZX10 include the Qualcomm CPU with a NPU, which makes it ready for AI workloads, and a versatile bright screen that can be used in sunlight, rain or with gloves. There’s also an option for a stylus and digitiser for accurate input.
Connectivity is excellent – Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 – and there’s an option for dual-band GPS for quick data transfer and precise location tracking.
One other thing we like about this model is the excellent three-year warranty and a commitment to support three Android updates. Reassuring.
But back to that opening statement about a lack of enterprise features: there is a grain of truth to this. Other models will provide processors that are likely to be even better suited to AI applications – the Qualcomm 6490 2.7 GHz octa-core processor in Zebra’s ET6X series comes to mind. And, while there are plenty of accessory options, including barcode scanning, these are limited when compared to the standout enterprise providers.
Zebra ET6X: the ultra-rugged and best-in-class machine **STAR BUY**
- Release date: June 2023
- Cost: ££££
- OS: Supported up to Android 16
- Weight: 2.3lb
- Maintenance plan: Warranted against defects in workmanship and materials for a period of three years from the date of shipment; plus OneCare maintenance plans – which include firmware and software updates, and security patches – can extend life to up to 10 years
- Notable feature: Zebra DNA: a complete eco-system of productivity-boosting software
- Room for improvement: Not the cheapest tablet, but still a great buy compared to like-for-like rivals
If you need a tablet that will do virtually anything, in almost any environment, here’s your machine.
Zebra’s ET6X series (ET60 is Wi-Fi only; ET65 is Wi-Fi and mobile connectivity) is billed as the manufacturer’s most versatile and rugged Android tablet. In fact, says Zebra, it’s put through more real-world tests than any other tablet in its class.
This means it’s first choice for the most punishing environments such as warehouses, manufacturing plants, ports, yards, freezers and out in the field. Hose it off. Take it from cold rooms to blazing sunshine. Paw your way through dusty environments. This one is going to keep delivering.
Under the hood, the features are best in class. The ‘blazing speed’ Qualcomm® 6490 2.7 GHz octa-core processor handles artificial intelligence functionality and machine learning. The tablet supports Wi-Fi 6E with the new 6 GHz spectrum. And the ET65 model provides 5G and private 5G.
The beauty of Zebra devices is their sheer range of add-ons for every use case. You can use this one as a vehicle mount computer in forklifts, a desktop computer in the office and a handheld tablet on the floor or field.
Compare it to most other similar machines by Panasonic, Getac and Honeywell and it does more, better. It’s cheaper than many comparable rivals too.
One thing many comparisons point out is the superior ecosystem of accessories available with Zebra. However, one other important factor is Zebra DNA – a suite of software solutions for optimum deployment and management – that could be an absolute game-changer.
For this reason, this machine, with its efficiency-boosting accessories and software, is our star ‘best tough tablets’ buy.
Zebra ET4X: the best budget enterprise tablet on the market
- Release date: June 2022
- OS: Up to Android 14
- Price: ££
- Weight 8 inch,1.07lb; 10 inch, 1.52 lbs
- Maintenance plan: ET40 and ET45 tablets will be available for purchase for up to three years and can be supported for up to six years with Zebra’s optional OneCare™ Maintenance plans
- Notable feature: Satisfyingly slim profile
- Room for improvement: While tough, it’s not as rugged as other Zebra models
What if you need a top-performing rugged tablet, with plenty of accessories and software support to tailor it to your use case, but, frankly, don’t have the budget to go near the £1-2k-plus models?
Here’s your solution. The Zebra ET4X series (ET40 is Wi-Fi only; the ET45 Wi-FI and mobile) is a modestly priced tablet that packs a powerful enterprise punch.
First, a reality check. Of course, a tablet that’s considerably cheaper than the ET6X won’t perform like the latter. While justifiably on our best tough tablets list, the ET4X is not in the same rugged category in terms of sealing, working temperature range etc.
However, this satisfyingly slim, zippy machine available in 8 and 10-in models supports leading Wi-Fi 6, as well as 5G in the ET45 model. It also offers much of the functionality of leading Zebra machines, including support for multiple point-of-sale (POS) applications, tap-to-pay functionality for mobile POS and a workstation set-up providing a desktop-like experience.
Finally, you get access to Zebra’s wide range of accessories and its superb Zebra DNA software solutions – almost worth the price of admission alone.
The verdict: not the most rugged tablet on the market, but a cost-friendly and hardwearing choice for retail and fieldwork from an industry leader.
Our blog has lots more expert advice on rugged devices to help you find the right model for your business. Read about the best tough phones, the importance of calculating the total cost of ownership before buying a device, and the pros and cons of a bring your own device policy for your business.
This post was updated in May 2025 from an earlier post to reflect the current best tough phones on the market.