Consumer tablets rarely die of anything dramatic on electrical jobs. They die slowly, of the ordinary conditions of the work, and then quickly, of a drop onto a tiled floor.
What kills devices in electrical work
- Plaster and brick dust. Chasing walls and opening up consumer units fills the air with fine dust that works its way into charging ports, speaker grilles and buttons.
- Damp meter cupboards and outbuildings. Condensation, garages, external meter boxes and the odd leaking pipe. Enough moisture, often enough, to finish off a phone in a soft case.
- Lofts, voids and under floors. Dark and cramped. Things get balanced on joists and then fall off them.
- Steps and ladders. A tablet dropped from the top of a stepladder onto a hard floor is the single most common way a consumer screen breaks.
What actually matters in a spec
Sealing first. Look for IP68 rather than "splash resistant". The first digit covers dust, and a 6 means dust tight, which is the bit that matters in a dusty consumer unit. If you want the difference between IP67 and IP68 explained properly, our IP68 vs IP67 guide covers it.
Drop testing. MIL-STD-810H is a set of test methods rather than a promise, but it means the device is designed to take drops that would crack a normal tablet.
A screen you can use with gloves on. Glove mode saves taking gloves off every time you tap in a reading.
Battery that lasts a long day. EICR days can mean hours of entering circuit after circuit.
Android is fine. Most EICR certification apps and job management apps run on Android or in a browser. Unless your office insists on a piece of Windows desktop software, there is no reason to pay noticeably more for a Windows device.
What we would pick
For most electricians, the Tuga A8 at £379. The 8 inch screen is large enough to fill in a schedule of test results without endless pinching and zooming, and small enough to hold in one hand on a ladder or slip into a van door pocket. It is sealed to IP68, drop tested to MIL-STD-810H, has glove mode and a 10000mAh battery, and the 800 nit screen is still readable outside on a bright day. It ships with a hand strap in the box.
If you would rather carry one device than two, the Tuga A6 at £299 is the cheaper option and a perfectly sensible one. It is a 6.8 inch rugged phone, sealed to IP68 and IP69K, with a 10600mAh battery and 5G. The 64MP night vision camera is genuinely useful for photographing a board in a dark cupboard or cabling in a loft. The trade off is screen size: filling in long test schedules on 6.8 inches is doable, but less pleasant than on 8.
A Windows tablet only makes sense if your certification software is desktop only. If it is, talk to us first via the contact page and we will tell you honestly whether it is worth the extra.
Accessories worth adding
For the A8, a Capacitive Stylus (£14.99) makes customer signatures neater, and a 12V DC Car Charger (£26) tops it up between jobs. A Tempered Glass Screen Protector 2-pack (£14) is cheap insurance against grit on the screen. For the A6, a Belt Holster (£22) keeps it out of your trouser pocket and out of the way. All of these are on the accessories page.
Questions electricians ask
Will my certification app run on it?
If the app is available for Android or runs in a web browser, yes. If it is Windows only, you will need one of the Windows models. Check with your software provider, or ask us if you are unsure.
Can I use it with gloves on?
Both the A8 and A6 have glove mode. Very thick insulated gloves will still be clumsy, which is where the stylus helps.
Is it worth it over a cheap tablet in a rugged case?
A case helps with drops but does nothing for dust in the ports or damp. We have written up the sums in rugged vs consumer tablet cost.
I run a small firm. Is there a discount?
Yes, and it is automatic: 3% off at 2 devices, 5% at 3 to 4, 8% at 5 to 9 and 10% at 10 or more. You can mix models. See bulk pricing.
