The 10 Best Rugged Cell Phones

Face it: most smartphones, with their big, glass touch screens just aren't that durable. I see plenty of shattered iPhone 4s around New York City. And feature phones aren't much better. Ever drop one? I have. And I spent the next few days waiting for the hinge to give way completely before moving to a phone with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. I dropped that one in a swimming pool a few months later. Needless to say, it wasn't the high point of my summer vacation.

Luckily, that has been the extent of my bad luck with cell phone damage. But if I had been using one of the rugged phones below, these slips wouldn't have such a big deal. A drop to the floor? All of these phones can take that—easily. A dip in the pool? Well, not all of these phones are waterproof, but many of them are, and a lot of them can withstand complete submersion for far longer than I can hold my breath.

These rugged cell phones are solid choices for the accident-prone, for those who work in rough environments, or outdoorsy types. And while being tough is a top-line feature, these phones can do a lot more than just make calls and survive falls.

FEATURED IN THIS ROUNDUP:

AT&T

Samsung Rugby II SGH-A847

Price: $119.99
%displayPrice% at %seller% The Samsung Rugby II SGH-A847 is an excellent rugged voice phone for AT&T that one-ups Nextel with 3G speeds and push-to-talk capabilities. Read the full review ››

Motorola Tundra VA76r

Price: $179.99
%displayPrice% at %seller% The Tundra sets the bar for tough, field-ready devices, and gives AT&T push-to-talk subscribers a viable alternative to Nextel. Read the full review ››

SPRINT

Motorola i686

Price: $119.99
The Motorola Brute i686 is a great push-to-talk phone for Sprint subscribers that need a super-rugged device with fantastic call quality. Read the full review ››

Sanyo Taho

Price: $99.99
%displayPrice% at %seller% The Sanyo Taho is rugged enough to survive being run over by a car, though its voice call performance is only average and it lacks push-to-talk. Read the full review ››

T-MOBILE

Motorola Defy

Price: $99.99
%displayPrice% at %seller% The first great rugged, waterproof smartphone, the T-Mobile Motorola Defy is the handset to get if you need a super-tough Android-powered device. Read the full review ››

VERIZON WIRELESS

Casio G'zOne Ravine

Price: $149.99
%displayPrice% at %seller% The Casio G'zOne Ravine is a virtually indestructible rugged phone with great call quality and plenty of useful features for the outdoors-minded. Read the full review ››

Casio G'zOne Brigade

Price: $99.99
%displayPrice% at %seller% The Casio G'zOne Brigade's rugged design and comprehensive messaging capabilities make it a great choice for Verizon subscribers. Read the full review ››

Motorola Barrage V860

Price: $129.99
The Motorola Barrage offers a good balance of call quality and moderate toughness, though it isn't the most rugged phone on this list. Read the full review ››

UNLOCKED

Sonim XP3300 Force

Price: $499
%displayPrice% at %seller% Simply put, the Sonim XP3300 Force is the world's toughest phone with the longest talk time. It works with AT&T, T-Mobile, and some small rural carriers. Read the full review ››

Sonim XP1300 Core

Price: $425
%displayPrice% at %seller% The Sonim XP1300 CORE may only be a decent feature phone, but it is one of the toughest phones we've ever seen, and it will work with AT&T, T-Mobile, and some small rural carriers. Read the full review ››

About Our Expert

Alex Colon

Executive Editor, Reviews

My Experience

I’m PCMag’s executive editor of reviews, steering our coverage to make sure we're testing the products you're interested in buying and telling you whether they're worth it. I've been here for more than 10 years. I previously managed the consumer electronics reviews team, and before that, I covered mobile, smart home, and wearable technology for PCMag and Gigaom.

My Areas of Expertise

I’ve written hundreds of reviews of cell phones, fitness trackers, robot vacuums, smartwatches, and various other products.
I’ve also edited thousands of reviews and articles on consumer electronics technologies and products.

The Technology I Use

I’m writing this bio on my 24-inch blue iMac, which I initially bought for personal use, but quickly decided to use for work instead of my tiny, company-issued ThinkPad (sorry, IT team). The screen is big, bright, and sharp, and the speakers are surprisingly good considering how thin the machine is.

The other big screen in my life is a 65-inch LG C9 OLED TV. If you’re wondering whether OLED is worth the premium over LCD, I’m here to tell you that it is.

I’d be doing my beloved LG C9 a disservice if I didn’t have it hooked up to a capable sound system, so I have a Sonos Beam sitting on a media console underneath the TV, and two Sonos Ones set up as rear channels for surround sound. If you’re a Sonos user, I highly recommend adding the Sonos Sub to your setup. It’s definitely a little more expensive than it should be, but it's truly money well spent.

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With 15 years of experience in tech, Alex guides PCMag's product testing to help you decide what's worth buying and how to get the most out of it.

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