Best In Durability: 7 Of The Best Rugged Smartphones Right Now

Rugged phones stand apart from regular smartphones for their ability to survive in a variety of conditions and environments. After all, the typical smartphone remains a fragile instrument. It might survive if you're caught in a light rain shower or drop it onto a carpeted floor, but it doesn't take much to crack a screen or otherwise damage your favorite device. That's where rugged phones come in.

This niche class of cell phones is designed for durability and resilience, whether you're using it at home, on an extreme adventure, or in extreme professional settings like a construction site. They tend to have military-grade testing to withstand drops and have a higher ingress protection rating for dust and water resistance than you'll find on a standard cell phone. Some of these phones target enterprise use with special abilities like infrared cameras, while others have longer-than-usual battery life. What they lack are the cutting-edge features and design of flagship phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy Fold 5.

It's often easy to distinguish rugged phones from their ordinary brethren. The chassis typically has a reinforced, bulky design that provides shock resistance and keeps the phone safe wherever you use it. However, that's no longer the case across the board since some durable models have a sleeker appearance that appears more like a standard handset. Some ruggedized models carry a premium price or are only available via specific mobile carriers, while others are more reasonably priced. Read on to see our picks for the best rugged phones you can buy in 2023.

The Samsung XCover6 Pro 5G rugged phone targets business users, but anyone can buy the phone and benefit from its formidable design. The phone has a 6.6-inch LCD screen with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ to prevent scratches and cracks. In addition, the screen has enhanced touch capabilities for using gloves on the screen even when the display is wet. Samsung says the phone passed MIL-STD-810G testing. The XCover Pro also has an ingress protection rating of IP68, which makes the phones especially resistant to particles (dust, dirt, and sand) and water.

Don't expect flagship phone performance as you'd find on Samsung's Galaxy S series. It includes an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor, 6 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of onboard storage, which is upgradable to 1 TB via the microSD card slot. For imaging, the XCover6 Pro has a 50 MP main and an 8 MP ultrawide rear camera array, and a 32 MP front camera, which is more than enough to suit most users. 

The phone has dual SIM support (one Nano SIM and one eSim). The phone also has a removable battery, which means you can always have a second battery at the ready. Since it's intended for enterprise environments, the phone ships with Samsung's enterprise firmware for over-the-air updates, and it supports Knox Platform for Enterprise for security and Knox Manage for device management.  

HMD Global's Nokia XR21 takes rugged to a new level. The company claims this model can withstand the pressure of a 100-bar water jet and bills this phone as drop-proof, dustproof, and waterproof. Indeed, it has an IP rating of IP69K, where the "9K" connotes the maximum protection level against water, including pressure washers. The 6.49-inch 1,080 by 2,400 pixel screen has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection, works with gloves in wet conditions, and carries a 1-year screen replacement guarantee.

Unlike many rugged phones, the Nokia XR21 targets everyday consumers for whom extremes are a lifestyle. After all, I think we can all agree that there's something nice about knowing your phone can handle whatever you throw at it — whether it's extreme temperatures (-4 degrees to 131 degrees Fahrenheit) or extreme elements such as rain, snow, sand, and dirt.

The phone has stereo speakers, AI-enhanced imaging with a 64 MP wide and 8 MP ultrawide rear camera array, and a 16 MP front camera. The phone has military-grade MIL-STD-810 protection, and it is drop-proof from up to 1.8 meters, more than enough to cover it falling from your hands. It uses a Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 processor with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, all in a relatively sleek design.

Notably, HMD Global provides a three-year warranty, plus it promises three years of OS upgrades and four years of monthly security updates. You can buy the Nokia XR21 for $500 at Amazon. If that's too pricey for you, consider the Nokia XR20 5G, the previous model that now sells for $349 at Amazon.

Blackview is a Hong Kong-based purveyor of rugged cell phones. The company has a wide range of options available on its site and via Amazon. The Blackview BV8900 stands out as one of the newest models from the company, and its first with Android 13. As you can see from the image, this phone has molded edges and distinctive buttons that are clearly designed to provide fortification and protection against drops and elements. The bulky design is reminiscent of what you'd expect from a super-protective case on top of your ordinary cell phone. The advantage here is that you don't need a protective case — this phone can handle the most challenging environments around.

The BV8900 also stands out for its packed feature set. It has a FLIR thermal camera, in addition to its 64MP wide camera and 16MP selfie camera. It has an FM radio, MediaTek processor, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage (with support for up to 1TB more via microSD card. The 6.5-inch 1,080 by 2,400 pixel display has a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus cover layer. And it has IP68/IP69K dust and water resistance, with support for up to 1.2 meter drops to concrete and other MIL-STD-810H spec compliance. The massive lithium polymer 10,380 mAh internal battery is twice the capacity of the typical phone battery

The Blackview BV8900 sells for $450 at Amazon.

Doogee is a Shenzhen-based phone maker that specializes in rugged phones. The Doogee S100 Pro stands out for its colorful design and impressive specs. This early 2023 4G model ships with Android 12, and it's more beefy than the the Doogee S96 Pro we reviewed in 2022. It has an octa-core MediaTek processor with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. The 6.58-inch screen has Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection, up to a 120Hz variable refresh rate, and it works even when wet. 

The triple rear camera array includes a 108 MP main camera, 20 MP night vision camera, and 16 MP macro and wide-angle cameras in addition to a 32 MP front camera. The phone has dual speakers with High-Res audio support, so you can listen to booming tunes while you walk. It also has a massive 22,000 mAh battery and 33-watt fast charging, so you can rapidly recharge as needed. This ruggedly designed device is certified to support IP68/IP69K dust and water resistance, and it can stand up to the rigor of MIL-STD-810H standards. It even has a 130 lumens camping light at the back to give you an extra edge while in the dark.

The black design comes in your choice of gold or silver accents. The phone comes with a 2-year warranty and is available for $489 at Amazon. 

The Kyocera DuraForce PRO 3 is built like a tank, with a sturdy design that can withstand drops and other physical torture. The 5G DuraForce 3 has the distinction of being one of two devices on our list that you can acquire via a U.S. carrier, the other device being the Samsung XCover6 Pro. In this case, the phone is Verizon only — and it's one of the best Verizon alternatives to an iPhone or Samsung phone. If you don't have a Verizon account and don't plan to get one, feel free to move along.

Still, the Kyocera DuraForce 3 is distinctive for several reasons, not the least of which is it's made in Japan and is TAA-compliant. Kyocera also offers a 2-year warranty. The phone is tested against MIL-STD-810H standards and can handle up to a 1.5-meter drop on concrete. It carries an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, and it is HazLoc certified as non-incendive. 

The stereo speakers face front and output audio at 100dB+ with AI-driven noise cancellation. The camera array includes a 64 MP main, 16 MP ultra-wide, and 2 MP macro lens. Kyocera has a unique picture-in-picture macro mode option, so you can capture the detail shot up close and include it on the same image that shows a broader perspective. The phone runs on a Qualcomm SnapDragon 7 Gen 1 processor with 128 GB of storage. It packs FIPS 140-2 security in addition to face recognition and finger biometrics. Kyocera's rugged design includes a removable battery, so you can always stay charged up if you have an extra battery on hand.

The CAT S62 Pro is an updated version of the venerable CAT S60 we reviewed, and it's a slightly older but still appealing model that's optimized for North American carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket Wireless, Boost GSM, and Metro, but not Verizon) and runs Android 11 after an upgrade. This 4G LTE phone has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage with additional storage available via a microSD card slot. Tested against MIL-STD-810H, it is drop-proof to 1.8 meters. Plus, this phone has IP68 and IP69 sand, dust, and dirt resistance.   

The 5.7-inch 1,080 by 2,160 pixel display has a Corning Gorilla Glass 6 cover layer for scratch-resistant protection. Its standard imaging capabilities are modest, with a 12 MP rear Sony camera. It also has a FLIR thermal imaging camera that the company says can visualize heat energy that's up to 100 feet away and can gauge temperature changes, too. The company says the 4,000 mAh battery can last up to two days. 

Blackview has a wide variety of rugged phones. This one is different from most, though, by virtue of its petite size. With a 4.3-inch, 540 by 1,200 pixel QHD+ display, the compact N6000 is the rugged phone that's perfect for a pocket. It only weighs 7.3 ounces, a fresh change from some of the heavier phones out there. The display is especially conducive for use in one hand since its small size makes it finger-friendly. This model packs an octa-core MediaTek processor, 8 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of storage. It runs on Android 13.

The screen has a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 cover layer for scratch resistance and IP68 and IP69K dust and water resistance ratings. It's also tested against the MIL-STD-810H spec and is drop-resistant to five meters. Plus, it works in extreme hot and cold temperatures and it can even resist up to 20,000kg of weight — so if a truck runs over your phone, it should survive the ordeal. It has fingerprint and face unlock for security. It also has a 48 MP rear camera and a 16 MP front camera. The phone supports dual SIM 4G, and it can recharge its 3,880 mAh battery rapidly using an 18W charger. 

If you prefer a smaller phone that can still handle challenging environments, buy the compact and rugged BlackView N6000 for $280 at Amazon.