Best Tablet For Construction Drawings

Welcome to the Thomas guide for the best rugged tablet for the construction industry 2021. Thomas has been connecting North American industrial buyers and suppliers for more than 120 years. When you purchase products through our independent recommendations, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Tablets have become a regular commodity on construction sites of all sizes. An affordable alternative to desktop computers and more portable, construction workers use tablets to review plans and images, complete forms, take customer payments, and stay in contact with their team.

best tablets for construction — Tablets offer portability and convenience on construction sites

Image credit: Shutterstock/goodluz

With many cheap tablets on the market, it can seem overwhelming to pick a tablet perfect for your construction business or team. This article presents a list of the best rugged tablets on the market and highlights stats such as battery life, operating system, cellular capacities, and internal storage options.

Choosing the Best Rugged Tablet—Buying Guide

The difference between tablets for contractors and a regular tablet for everyday use lies in the Intel Core CPU options. CPU dictates the speed, consistency, and RAM capabilities of your device. The newest Intel Core is Core i9, designed for high-performance computing and gaming.

The central processing unit provides a powerful tablet with the capabilities of streaming video, screen mirroring presentations, browsing the internet, and managing your customer or business-focused software programs. A cheap tablet perhaps won't have the same power supply, battery life, or ability to handle the extreme temperatures on construction sites as a more higher-end model. You want a tablet with industrial-grade protection that is drop-proof, dust-resistant, has cellular capabilities to link with your team's mobile devices, and has enough storage space for your field service business.

With a new tablet update coming out every year or so, it's good to decide what feature matters the most to you and make a purchase decision from there. Does your team have more Apple devices or Android devices? Are you looking for small tablets that can be taken on the go, or are you hoping to keep them at each construction site?

Things like all-day battery life, network connections, and storage capacity might matter more than screen size or stereo speakers. Having a decent camera or the ability to switch out of tablet mode might not be the first thing you think about but, with many kinds of construction work, tablets for contractors and tablets for construction workers should be tailored to their specific job needs.

Whether you want a high-powered operating system or a small tablet to fit in your back jean pocket, the following tablets have reviews that testify to their ability to withstand busy environments, have long battery life, and/or offer rugged protection from drops and spills bound to occur at a construction site.

Thomas' Top Picks for the Best Rugged Tablets for Construction Workers

Most of the following tablets run on the Android Operating System, meaning they automatically have Android Beam, an NFC technology that allows you to access features such as tap-to-pay, ticket scanning, device configuration, and sharing contacts.

Best Rugged Extreme Tablet: Amazon Fire 8 PLUS Tablet | Buy Now

Best Battery Life: Samsung Galaxy Tab Active | Buy Now

Best Device for Cellular Capabilities: Huion Kamvas | Buy Now

Best LCD Tablet Screen: Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet | Buy Now

Best Android OS Tablet: Android Pritom Tablet | Buy Now

Best Tablet with Optional Keyboard: Venturer Luna Max | Buy Now

Best Large Screen Size Tablet: Dragon Touch K10 | Buy Now

Best Processor Tablet: Pritom TronPad Tablet | Buy Now

Best Tablet for Cellular Connection: Apple iPad Pro Tablet | Buy Now

Best Rugged Windows Tablet: Microsoft Surface Pro X Tablet | Buy Now

Continue reading to find the best rugged tablets for construction workers as rated and reviewed by over 80,000 customers.

1. Best Rugged Extreme Tablet—Amazon Fire 8 PLUS Tablet

Amazon's Fire 64 GB tablet 8 Plus comes in many varieties, including a 32 GB wireless dock bundle, and a 64GB bundle without lock screen ads. While it's one of the smallest tablets compared to the other rugged tablets on this list, you can still use business essentials like Zoom, Skype, and Outlook.

With up to 12 hours of battery life, you can add a microSD card for up to 1TB of additional storage space, or connect to dual-band wifi on public or private networks or through a hotspot. With built-in Bluetooth, this tablet allows you to go hands-free with Alexa or activate VoiceView Screen Reading for easy accessibility while on the job.

Specifications

CPU: Quad-core 2.0 GHz

Display: 8 inches; 1280x800 resolution

Ports/Audio: USB-C, MicroSD, 3.5mm Headphone Jack

Storage: 32 or 64 GB with optional external storage up to 1TB

Wifi/Connectivity: Dual-band WEP, WPA and WPA2, Bluetooth

BUY NOW: $169.99 (Was $179.98), Amazon

2. Best Battery Life Tablet—Samsung Galaxy Tab Active

Praised by one reviewer as the perfect size to fit in the back of his construction crew's Levi jeans, the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active is a lightweight powerhouse that fits in your hand, and is available in 32 or 64 GB of built-in memory, with the option to add 512GB of storage, but the MicroSD card is not included.

Making it stand out from other devices is its ability to connect through both wifi and cellular. With a highly-rated dual-battery system with an impressive battery life of up to 13 hours, similar to other Samsung tablets and devices, users review this tablet as "an improvement over its previous generation's dual-core processors."

Specifications

CPU: Quad-Core 2.0 GHz

Display: 8 inches; 1280x800 resolution

Ports/Audio: MicroUSB, MicroSD, 3.5mm Headphone Jack

Storage: 32 or 64GB with optional external storage up to 512GB

Wifi/Connectivity: 2.4 and 5GHz Radio Frequency, Bluetooth, WLAN

BUY NOW: $129.99 (Was $199.99), Amazon

3. Best Device for Cellular Capabilities—Huion Kamvas Tablet with S Pen

Ideal for upgrading your tablet's size and screen resolution while staying connected to your site's main desktop or laptop computer, the Huion Kamvas tablet is compatible with mobile, Apple, and Android devices.

Described by many reviewers as "great for drawing," this rugged tablet has 1080 HD resolution, with up to 140% RGB color rendering. The included stylus pen, the 'S Pen', is battery-free with 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity. This tablet is compatible with Windows 7 or later, MacOS 10.12 or later, and Android USB3.1 Gen1.

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i5 8400

Display: 21.5 inches, 1920x1080 resolution

Ports: USB-A, USB-C, Type-C, 3-in-1 HDMI

Storage: Dual-channel memory, 1TB and 120GB/240GB SSD

Wifi/Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2, WLAN

BUY NOW: $549, Amazon

4. Tablet with Best LCD Screen—Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet

An updated version from the previously listed Fire 8, the Amazon Fire HD 10 also has storage and lock screen ads options. The display is 10% brighter than its predecessor, two inches larger, and the tablet is compatible with the Made for Amazon Bluetooth detachable keyboard.

With more RAM, a faster CPU, a front-facing camera, and multiple color options, including Denim, Olive, and Black, the Amazon Fire HD 10 is a powerful tablet that can handle daily business use.

Specifications

CPU: Octa-core 2.0 GHz

Display: 10.1 inches; 1920x1200 resolution

Ports: USB-C 2.0

Storage: 32 or 64 GB

Wifi/Connectivity: 2.4 or 5.0 Ghz. Does not support ad-hoc (peer-to-peer) wifi networks

BUY NOW: $149.99, Amazon

5. Best Android OS Tablet—Android Pritom Tablet

The Android Pritom runs on Android 9.0 and effortlessly transfers data and apps from your current Android device. While you cannot add a SIM card, this tablet is wifi and Bluetooth-compatible.

With rear and front-facing cameras, you can use this tablet for conference calls and on-location troubleshooting. You can add a MicroSD card (not included) for an additional 128GB of external memory, and, with a battery life of up to 8 hours, this rugged tablet can be relied on for a full day's work.

Specifications

CPU: 64 bit Quad-core

Display: 10 inches; 1280x800 resolution

Ports: Micro USB

Storage: 32GB with optional external storage up to 128GB

Wifi/Connectivity: 2.4 GHz

BUY NOW: $99.99 (Was $119.99), Amazon

6. Best Tablet with Optional Keyboard—Venturer Luna Max

With a 4.2 out of 5-star rating, the Venturer Luna Max is a well-liked rugged tablet for less than $250. Running on Android, this 14-inch rugged tablet includes a detachable keyboard and stabilizing kickstand.

With a battery life of only up to four hours, this tablet is more appropriate for shorter work days or use during transportation or at the office. Taking pictures and sending updates from worksites is easy with this device, with the option to expand its storage space via a MicroSD card which you have to purchase separately.

Specifications

CPU: Quad-Core Processor

Display: 14 inches; 1920x1080 resolution

Ports: HDMI, Full USB, MicroSD card slot, 3.5mm Headphone jack, Microphone, DC jack.

Storage: 64GB with optional external storage up to 128GB

Wifi/Connectivity: 2.4 or 5.0 Ghz.

BUY NOW: $219.99, Amazon

7. Best Large Screen Size Tablet—Dragon Touch K10 Tablet

Boasting a larger screen size than other tablets while maintaining a durable body, the Dragon Touch K10 is ideal for video conferencing, planning and image reviewing, or opening large documents and spreadsheets.

Running on Android 9.0 Pie, this rugged tablet has an expandable memory of up to 128 GB via a microSD card (not included), and you can take advantage of Google Assistant, the internal GPS that allows you to navigate downloaded maps offline, and the ability to mirror your screen to other smart devices.

Specifications

CPU: Quad-core 1.3 GHz

Display: 10.1 inches; 1280x900 resolution

Ports: USB-2.0

Storage: 32GB Storage with optional external storage up to128GB

Wifi/Connectivity: 2.4 and 5.0 GHz

BUY NOW: $129.99 (Was $159.99), Amazon

8. Tablet with Best Processor—Pritom TronPad Tablet

If you're looking to run multiple programs at the same time, the Pritom TronPad Tablet's Octa-Core processor is your best bet. Quickly launch applications, stream videos, and have lag-free performance on this high-performance Android 10 tablet.

At less than two pounds, this tablet has access to the Google Play Store and can connect to your cellphone via Bluetooth. Positive reviewers include apartment managers, distance learners, and artists.

Specifications

CPU: Octa-Core up to 1.8GHz

Display: 10 inches; 1280x800 resolution

Ports: USB-C

Storage: 32 GB

Wifi/Connectivity: 2.4 and 5.0 GHz

BUY NOW: $119.99 (Was $159.99), Amazon

9. Best Tablet for Cellular Connection—Apple iPad Pro

Apple is a popular and respected brand known for, among other things, its durable and rugged tablets and devices. Apple's iPad Pro comes in different sizes, colors, and wifi and cellular, or just wifi options. Created with the Apple M1 chip, an 8-core CPU, iPad Pro tablets have users raving about its fast refresh rate, streaming capabilities, ability to multi-task and resize the tablet's windows.

This tablet is compatible with the Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard, Smart Keyboard Folio, and other Apple accessories, and has access to 5G and 4G LTE through an existing data plan.

Specifications

CPU: Apple M1

Display: 11 inches

Ports: USB-C

Storage: Up to 2TB

Wifi/Connectivity: Thunderbolt, wifi 6 and 5G

BUY NOW: $749 (Was $799), Amazon

10. Best Rugged Windows Tablet—Microsoft Surface Pro X

With Windows 11 released in October of 2021, this Microsoft Surface Pro X offers buyers a free upgrade to the new system. This ultra-thin and easy-to-transport tablet provides a powerful processor under two pounds.

This tablet allows you to work in any Microsoft Store apps in laptop, studio, or tablet mode. With accessory options like the Surface Pro X Keyboard and Slim Pen or Arc Mouse and a SIM card access tool, you can stay connected and productive on the go.

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770

Display: 13 inches; 2880x1920 resolution

Ports: USB-C

Storage: 8 GB

Wifi/Connectivity: Wifi and 4G LTE

BUY NOW: $949 (Was $999), Amazon

The Best Rugged Tablets 2021—Summary

With first-hand reviews of this tablet's ability on construction sites, the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active ($129.99, Amazon) wins out of these top rugged tablets for its long-lasting battery, portable size, and connectivity options. If you are looking for a bigger and higher quality screen—and don't mind being connected to another device, the Huion Kamvas ($549, Amazon) with its multi-device compatibility is our second choice.

We hope our review of the best rugged tablets has been helpful. For more similar suppliers, including suppliers of networks PCs, industrial computers, in-vehicle computers and flat panel computers, consult our additional guides or visit the Thomas Supplier Discovery Platform.

*Prices listed in this article were as shown on Amazon.com as of October 2021.

Sources

https://simplicable.com/new/near-field-communication
https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/intel-core