The case is 220 x 129.5 x 17.8 mm (length x width x height) (~8.7 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches) and weighs 549 grams (~1.2 pounds) without strap. Therefore, the Panasonic Toughpad JT-B1 is relatively bulky and heavy. It is made from silver plastic, which appears robust and feels a bit rough, but it sits comfortably in the hand. The display and the edges of the fully ruggedized tablet are protected by a thick, black rubber coating. Corning Gorilla Glass 2 shields the display from damage.

The replaceable battery is a special feature. Two bolts hold it in place. It remains in place even if it is not closed in error. The tablet cannot be used without a battery. If one of the locks is opened during operation, an alarm signal rings.

The Toughpad is stiff, but it creaks from side-to-side-twisting. The whole device appears to be pressure resistant. However, if you press the backside hard enough, you can create pressure waves on the display. The same is true for the front side. If you press the left or right display frame hard enough, you can trigger a touch event.

Nevertheless, the device is very robust and can stand a lot. According to the IP65 certification, the tablet is completely protected against dust, and hose water from all directions. In addition, Panasonic engaged an independent institute to test the device for compliance to the military standard MIL-STD-810G. We got a detailed list of all tests performed upon our request. These include falls from 1.50 m (~4.9 feet), operation with ambient temperatures between -10 °C and 50 °C (14 and 122 °F), use at an altitude of 4572 m (15,000 feet), heavy rain, high humidity (95%), rapid temperature changes, dust and sand resistance, and several vibration and shock tests. The tablet proved to be very sturdy. We tested its robustness as far as we could in realistic tests and it turned out to be as tough as the Unitech TB100.