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Best tablets for offshore work in 2026

Offshore installations pack their hazardous areas close together, with Zone 1 and Zone 2 around the drill floor, wellbay and process modules, and salt spray, rain and wash-down across the decks. The gases are mostly hydrocarbons, so what separates tablets offshore is less the gas class than the certification schemes they hold, how they cope with water and what a team can do with them on the platform. Schemes differ by region, with ATEX across the EU and Norway, IECEx in many other markets, INMETRO in Brazil and Class and Division listings in North America, and rigs move between them. These are our picks for offshore work, from crews that move between regions and long rotations to inspection and documentation, platforms with Zone 0 areas and materials tracking.

At a glance

The top 5 compared

RankTabletBest forGas groupTemperature classDustCertificationAmbient temperature
1ecom Tab-Ex 05 DZ1Best overall offshoreIICT6 (≤ 85 °C)IIIC, Zone 21ATEX, IECEx, Class I Div 1, KCs (Korea), South Africa−20 °C to +55 °C
2i.safe MOBILE IS940.1Best for long rotationsIICT4 (≤ 135 °C)IIIC, Zone 21ATEX, IECEx, Class I Div 1, South Africa−20 °C to +55 °C
3Xshielder iPad Pro 11-inchBest for inspection and documentation where ATEX appliesIICT6 (≤ 85 °C)IIIC, Zone 21ATEX−20 °C to +45 °C
4Eaton MTL GECMA IS Tablet PCBest for platforms with Zone 0 areas or Windows softwareIICT4 (≤ 135 °C)IIIC, Zone 20ATEX, IECEx, Class I Div 1−20 °C to +55 °C
5BARTEC ET60/65EX2 AndroidBest for stores, logistics and materials tracking in Zone 2IICT4 (≤ 135 °C)IIIC, Zone 22ATEX, IECEx, Class I Div 2−20 °C to +55 °C

The first four are certified for Zone 1/21 in gas group IIC and dust group IIIC and can also be used in Zone 2. The fifth is a Zone 2/22 tablet for stores and logistics areas. Any further approvals are listed in the table. Prices are on request.

The ranking

Our picks for offshore work

  1. Best overall offshore

    ecom Tab-Ex 05 DZ1

    ecom (Pepperl+Fuchs) · Dedicated Ex tablet

    Certified for
    Zone 1/21
    Marking
    II 2G Ex db ia IIC T6 Gb
    Certification
    ATEX + IECEx, Class I Division 1
    Operating system
    Android 16
    Security updates
    Q1 2032 (maker’s statement)
    Weight
    1122 g

    For crews who work in spray and wash-down and move between regions, the Tab-Ex 05 DZ1 is the tablet we rate highest. It is flameproof (Ex db) with an intrinsically safe (Ex ia) circuit, certified IIC T6 and IIIC T80°C for Zone 1/21 under ATEX and IECEx, with an ambient range of −20 °C to +55 °C. It carries IP68 and MIL-STD-810H ruggedness, ecom claims glove and wet-hands operation, and a programmable function key can be set to push-to-talk, an emergency call or an alarm app.

    It is also the tablet most likely to be accepted wherever a rig is sent. Besides ATEX and IECEx it holds a North American listing for Class I Division 1, Groups A to D, T6, plus Class II Division 1, Class III and AEx Zone 1/21, and it lists approvals in Brazil (Inmetro), Korea (KC) and South Africa. On a platform the 8-inch screen is for checklists, permits and inspection forms, and the 13 MP camera with 4K video covers photo records, with a camera-free version if an operator restricts cameras. ecom states security updates until 2032 (unconfirmed).

    ecom rates the tablet IP68, but the marking on its Inmetro (Brazil) certificate includes IP64, so check which figure your operator goes by. The 8-inch, 600-nit screen is the smallest of the Zone 1 picks, it has no LiDAR, it weighs 1,122 g, the battery is not user-replaceable and charging is outside the hazardous area only. It is not certified for Zone 0, and the certificate asks users to keep it away from processes that generate a high electrostatic charge.

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  2. Best for long rotations

    i.safe MOBILE IS940.1

    i.safe MOBILE · Dedicated Ex tablet

    Certified for
    Zone 1/21
    Marking
    II 2G Ex ib IIC T4 Gb
    Certification
    ATEX + IECEx, Class I Division 1
    Operating system
    Android 14
    Security updates
    Until Q4 2032
    Weight
    1059 g

    On a rotation of two or three weeks, a tablet that can be recharged without leaving the work area is one less thing to plan, and the IS940.1 is the one that allows it. Charging in the hazardous area is permitted through its IS-DS940.1 docking station, within the certificate’s limits, including a charging temperature of 0 °C to +45 °C, which is worth checking against cold decks. The battery can be swapped outside the hazardous area, a freely programmable red key can be set up for SOS or lone-worker alarms, and an Ex-rated push-to-talk button is available as an accessory.

    It is intrinsically safe (Ex ib), IIC T4 and IIIC T135°C for Zone 1/21 under ATEX and IECEx, with a North American NEC 500 listing for Class I Division 1, Groups A to D, T4. Its national approvals include South Africa, China, Brazil, Japan, India (PESO) and Korea. It is IP68 and MIL-STD-810H, rated to +55 °C, with a 10.1-inch glove-friendly screen, a 50 MP camera and 5G, and i.safe states security updates until Q4 2032.

    It is T4, so it is not for substances that ignite below 135 °C, and our data holds no brightness figure for the screen. At 1,059 g it is lighter than the Xshielder, it has no LiDAR, and the stylus is a separate accessory. The certificate asks users to protect it from excessive UV light and high electrostatic charge, and it is not certified for Zone 0.

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  3. Best for inspection and documentation where ATEX applies

    Xshielder iPad Pro 11-inch

    Xshielder · Certified Ex case for the iPad Pro 11-inch (M5)

    Certified for
    Zone 1/21
    Marking
    II 2G Ex db IIC T6 Gb
    Certification
    ATEX
    Operating system
    iPadOS 27
    Security updates
    7–8 years (based on previous iPad Pro support)
    Weight
    1350 g (including the tablet)

    Where ATEX is the scheme that applies, as on the Norwegian shelf and in EU waters, the Xshielder iPad Pro 11-inch is the tablet for inspection and documentation work. An 11-inch screen at 1,000 nits suits drawings and inspection forms, and Xshielder confirms that the 12 MP camera with 4K ProRes video, LiDAR, the Face ID front camera, stylus input and audio all work through its flameproof (Ex db) cover. A crew can photograph a corroded grating, scan a module with LiDAR and attach both to a job in an iPadOS inspection app. It also has a 1/4-inch tripod mount and a lanyard hole to NS-9611, which is pending testing, like its IP rating.

    It is certified Ex db IIC T6 Gb and Ex tb IIIC T80°C Db for Zone 1/21 under ATEX, with an M5 chip, 12 or 16 GB of memory, 5G on the cellular versions, and security updates expected for 7–8 years (based on previous iPad Pro support). Because the tablet inside is a standard iPad Pro, it works with the same apps and device management as the rest of an iPad fleet. T6 matters little offshore, where hydrocarbons are mostly T1 to T3.

    That is why we do not rank it for water protection. Its IP65 rating is pending testing, so spray and wash-down exposure should wait for the confirmed figure. It is ATEX only, with no IECEx or North American listing yet, so it is not for sites that need those, it is rated to +45 °C, and at 1,350 g it is the second heaviest of our four Zone 1 picks. The battery is not user-replaceable, charging inside the hazardous area is not confirmed, and it is not certified for Zone 0.

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  4. Best for platforms with Zone 0 areas or Windows software

    Eaton MTL GECMA IS Tablet PC

    Eaton · Dedicated Ex tablet

    Certified for
    Zone 1/21
    Marking
    II 1GD Ex ia IIC T4 Ga
    Certification
    ATEX + IECEx, Class I Division 1
    Operating system
    Windows 11 IoT Enterprise
    Security updates
    Until October 2034 (unconfirmed)
    Weight
    1430 g

    On platforms where the work reaches Zone 0 areas, or where the software is Windows only, one tablet that covers both saves swapping devices. The Eaton MTL GECMA IS Tablet PC is intrinsically safe to Ex ia (IIC T4 for gas, IIIC T135°C for dust), certified for Zone 1/21 under ATEX and IECEx, and Zone 0 rated only inside the case supplied by Eaton. It is the only pick certified for Zone 0, though few tasks take a tablet into Zone 0, so the case for it is one device across mixed areas.

    It runs Windows 11 IoT Enterprise on an x86 processor, so Windows desktop software runs natively, on a 10.1-inch 2560 × 1600 screen. The battery is the largest of our four Zone 1 picks at 49.68 Wh, with a typical runtime of 12 hours, and it is rated from −20 °C to +55 °C. Eaton lists a camera-free version, and its UL certification covers Class I Division 1 for Groups C and D only, at T4, so not hydrogen or acetylene. Eaton’s manual shows IP67, which the IECEx certificate does not state.

    It is the heaviest of our Zone 1 picks at 1,430 g, and its 540-nit screen is the dimmest that states a figure. It runs a quad-core Intel Atom (Apollo Lake) processor with 8 GB of memory, against the Xshielder’s Apple M5 with 12 or 16 GB, and it has no LiDAR. It is T4, the battery is not user-replaceable, charging and connecting are for safe areas only, and Eaton does not state which release of Windows 11 IoT Enterprise it ships, so ask for the edition and its support date before you plan around it.

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  5. Best for stores, logistics and materials tracking in Zone 2

    BARTEC ET60/65EX2 Android

    BARTEC · Rugged tablet, Ex version

    Certified for
    Zone 2/22
    Marking
    II 3G Ex ic op is IIC T4 Gc
    Certification
    ATEX + IECEx, Class I Division 2
    Operating system
    Android 14
    Security updates
    Until December 2031 (unconfirmed)
    Weight
    1074 g

    For the stores, laydown areas and logistics offices where most scanning happens, a Zone 2 tablet is enough, and the ET60/65EX2 Android is built for the job. An SE55 1D/2D scan engine can be built in as an option, the battery can be hot-swapped through an internal supercapacitor, and BARTEC describes the 1,000-nit optically bonded screen as easy to view in sunlight. It has a 16 MP camera with flash, an 8 MP front camera with a privacy shade, NFC, three programmable keys and a 1.5 m drop rating, and the ET65 version adds 5G.

    It is intrinsically safe (Ex ic) for Zone 2/22 only, IIC T4 and IIIC T135°C, under ATEX and IECEx, rated to +55 °C, and its North American versions carry Class I Division 2. It runs Android 14, upgradeable to Android 16 per BARTEC. It is a 10.1-inch tablet at 1,074 g.

    It is for Zone 2 and 22 only, so it does not go into the wellbay or other Zone 1 areas. Its IP64 rating, in its Ex marking, protects against splashing and sits below the IP68 of the ecom and i.safe tablets, so keep it out of wash-down. Security updates until December 2031 are Zebra’s date for the ET60/ET65 the tablet is built on (unconfirmed for this model), and BARTEC says they need a LifeGuard service contract. It has no LiDAR, and charging and battery changes are outside the hazardous area only.

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Method

How we ranked them

Rank 1 goes to the Zone 1 tablet best equipped for the mix offshore work throws at it: spray and wash-down, and crews that cross regions. We look for the widest gas and dust coverage (IIC T6 and IIIC), a high water rating, a broad set of certification schemes and the top of the ambient range. The ecom Tab-Ex 05 DZ1 is the only current Zone 1 tablet in our data that combines all of them: IIC T6 and IIIC for Zone 1/21 under ATEX and IECEx, a Class I Division 1 listing at T6 for North America, national approvals in Brazil, Korea and South Africa, IP68 and a range to +55 °C. The i.safe IS940.1 matches it on IP68 and the +55 °C range and lists more national approvals, but it is T4, and the Xshielder iPad Pro 11-inch is T6 but ATEX only.

Positions 2 to 5 are the strongest choices for four kinds of offshore work: long rotations, inspection and documentation where ATEX applies, platforms with Zone 0 areas or Windows control software, and stores and materials tracking in Zone 2. Prices are on request for every brand, so cost plays no part in the order. We do not rank the Xshielder tablet on water protection, because its IP65 rating is still pending testing; it sits third for the inspection and documentation work that its screen, cameras and LiDAR suit, on installations in Norway and the EU, where ATEX applies. Its other limits are in its entry below.

The order would change if another Zone 1 tablet were confirmed to match the ecom on gas and dust coverage, water rating and schemes, or if the Xshielder gained a confirmed IP rating, IECEx and a North American listing. For long rotations where charging in the zone matters more than T6, start with position 2.

Every figure comes from certificates, declarations of conformity and manufacturer datasheets, and the same rules apply to every brand. Read how we rate or see the disclosure.

Before you buy

What an offshore tablet must show

Each installation has its own classification, operator rules and region, and they decide which of these matter. Have your safety engineer confirm them, then read each tablet’s certificate for your exact model.

  • Certification schemes

    ATEX, IECEx, Class I Division 1 and INMETRO are separate schemes, and acceptance depends on the region and the operator. Check that the tablet holds what each installation needs: among our picks, the ecom Tab-Ex 05 DZ1, the i.safe IS940.1 and the Eaton list a Division, only the ecom and the i.safe list national approvals, and the Xshielder iPad Pro 11-inch is ATEX only.

  • Water protection

    Spray and wash-down are routine offshore. Check the IP rating in the Ex certificate as well as the headline rating: ecom rates the Tab-Ex 05 DZ1 IP68, but the marking on its Inmetro certificate includes IP64, and the Xshielder’s IP65 is pending testing.

  • Gas group and temperature class

    Offshore gases are mostly hydrocarbons, such as methane (IIA T1) and condensate (IIA T3), with H₂S (IIB T3) on sour fields. A T4 tablet covers them, and T6 adds headroom only where a substance ignites below 135 °C.

  • Ambient temperature

    The picks here are rated from −20 °C up to +45 °C (Xshielder) or +55 °C (the rest). Check the top of the range against sun-heated decks and the bottom against your coldest sites.

  • Charging, spares and weight

    Only the i.safe IS940.1 may charge in the hazardous area, through its dock. The ecom, Eaton and BARTEC tablets charge outside it, charging in the zone is not confirmed for the Xshielder, and the batteries of the Xshielder, ecom and Eaton tablets are not user-replaceable, so plan spare tablets or a charging point in a safe area. At 1,059 g to 1,430 g, check the weight against a full round and your lanyard policy.

More choice

Other Zone 1 tablets on sale

Filter all Zone 1 tablets
TabletTypeCertified forTemperature classCertificationAmbient temperatureOSWeight
Atexxo Zone 1 Galaxy Tab Active5Converted tabletZone 1/21T6 (≤ 85 °C)ATEX, IECEx−20 °C to +50 °CAndroid 16940 g
Atexxo Zone 1 iPad mini 6Converted tabletZone 1/21T4 (≤ 135 °C)ATEX, IECEx, Class I Div 2, INMETRO (Brazil)−20 °C to +50 °CiPadOS 27990 g
Atexxo Zone 1 iPad mini 7Converted tabletZone 1/21T4 (≤ 135 °C)ATEX, IECEx, Class I Div 2, INMETRO (Brazil)−20 °C to +50 °CiPadOS 27990 g
i.safe MOBILE IS930.1Dedicated Ex tabletZone 1/21T4 (≤ 135 °C)ATEX, IECEx, UKEX, Class I Div 1−20 °C to +60 °CAndroid 14890 g
i.safe MOBILE IS945.1Dedicated Ex tabletZone 1/21T4 (≤ 135 °C)ATEX, IECEx, Class I Div 1, South Africa−20 °C to +55 °CWindows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC for Arm641059 g
The Joy Factory aXtion Extreme iPad miniCertified Ex caseZone 1/21T6 (≤ 85 °C)ATEX, IECEx−20 °C to +40 °C (standard range: no Ta is marked on IECEx TPS 25.0016X, so IEC 60079-0 applies)iPadOS 271396 g (unconfirmed)
Xciel XCZ1 iPad mini 5Check availabilityCertified Ex caseZone 1T5 (≤ 100 °C)ATEX, IECEx−20 °C to +45 °CiPadOS 261111 g
Xciel XCZ1 iPad mini 6Certified Ex caseZone 1T6 (≤ 85 °C)ATEX, IECEx−20 °C to +50 °CiPadOS 271350 g
Xciel XCZ1 iPad mini 7Certified Ex caseZone 1T6 (≤ 85 °C)ATEX, IECEx−20 °C to +50 °CiPadOS 271350 g (unconfirmed)

Discontinued models are left out; Find tablets lists them. A temperature class shown as “Not verified” is one we could not confirm from a certificate, and a scheme that is not listed is one we did not find.

Xshielder

iPad Pro for offshore inspection teams

Xshielder’s flameproof cover fits the iPad Pro 11-inch (M5), rated IIC T6 for Zone 1/21 with ATEX certification, which applies in Norway and the EU. Tell the team about your installations and fleet size to get a quote. See the iPad Pro 11-inch cover.

Get a quote Ask us for impartial advice

FAQ

Offshore tablet questions

What is the best tablet for offshore work?

Our top pick is the ecom Tab-Ex 05 DZ1: it combines IIC T6 and IIIC for Zone 1/21 under ATEX and IECEx with IP68, a range to +55 °C, a Class I Division 1 listing and approvals in Brazil, Korea and South Africa. For inspection and documentation where ATEX applies, such as the Norwegian shelf, the Xshielder iPad Pro 11-inch has a larger 11-inch, 1,000-nit screen and LiDAR, but it is ATEX only and its IP65 rating is pending testing.

Which certifications does an offshore tablet need?

That depends on the region and the operator. ATEX is the European scheme, IECEx is accepted in many other markets, INMETRO is Brazil’s scheme and North America uses Class and Division listings, so confirm which one your installation accepts before you buy.

Can I use an iPad on an oil rig or platform?

Yes, provided it sits in a certified Ex cover or is a certified conversion, as a standard iPad carries no Ex certificate. The Xshielder iPad Pro 11-inch cover is certified for Zone 1/21 under ATEX, which applies in Norway and the EU, but it has no IECEx or North American listing yet and its IP65 rating is pending testing, so check acceptance with your operator.

Does an offshore tablet need a high IP rating?

Spray, rain and wash-down are routine offshore, so a water rating is worth having. Check both the tablet’s own rating and the IP rating in its Ex certificate, because the two can differ: ecom rates the Tab-Ex 05 DZ1 IP68, while the marking on its Inmetro (Brazil) certificate includes IP64.

Which offshore tablet can be charged in the hazardous area?

Among our picks only the i.safe MOBILE IS940.1 may be charged in the hazardous area, through its IS-DS940.1 docking station and within the certificate’s limits. The ecom, Eaton and BARTEC tablets charge outside the hazardous area only, and charging in the zone is not confirmed for the Xshielder iPad Pro 11-inch.

Can an offshore tablet be used in Zone 0?

Only a tablet certified for Zone 0 can. Of our picks, the Eaton MTL GECMA IS Tablet PC is Zone 0 rated, and only inside the case Eaton supplies. The ecom, i.safe and Xshielder tablets are Zone 1 tablets.

Facts last verified on against certificates, declarations of conformity and manufacturer data. Always check the certificate for your exact model before use. Spotted an error? Tell us.