5 Ways to Ruggedise Your Raspberry Pi

Your Raspberry Pi may only cost $40 or so, but it’s very valuable. While implementing many different projects, you must keep them safe. A sturdy case is a good option, especially for transporting your Pi or using it for outdoor projects.

Why Ruggedize?

There are many reasons to harden your Raspberry Pi. As stated above, you may be planning or participating in some projects where the battery-powered Pi takes charge of some outdoor activities; Alternatively, you can keep tiny fingers out.

In its case, the Raspberry Pi is something of a security nightmare, with connectors, sockets, and a bare motherboard waiting to be nudged, splattered, and flipped. Meanwhile, inexpensive plastic cases tend to be too light to really affect the weight of a computer, often resulting in it being stretched just by cable pull. While a Velcro closure might be a good idea to secure in one place, a heavier, more durable case is in another.

Some of them are available on the market; You could even build your own.

2000 Series Waterproof and Shockproof — $14.95

Specially designed for scientific calculators, this durable yet surprisingly inexpensive case is also perfect for transporting your Raspberry Pi from A to B.

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Virtually indestructible and impact-resistant, the case floats in water, protects its contents from impact, and is water-resistant to 100 feet.

While we hope you don’t leave your Raspberry Pi in the hands of such a danger, if there is a danger, then this case seems to be the best way to transport your minicomputer.

Please note that while a suitable size, this case is not designed specifically for the Raspberry Pi; Likewise, it is completely sealed and, as such, not good for the project.

Proto Armor $31 and up

With a solid build and a modular design that allows you to add other breakout cases and a Raspberry Pi camera, Proto Armor is affordable, colorful, and ideal for practical project scenarios.

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One particularly nice aspect of the Proto Armor case is the GPIO access slot — a much better solution than running ribbon cables on top of the case.

Pi Holder $74.95

A high-quality alternative is the Pi Holder, again made from aircraft-grade aluminum.

Not only is this case — which comes with all the access slots you need to run a computer — virtually indestructible, it also doubles as a giant heat sink to help keep your Pi running.

The Pi Holder is made up of two halves, perfectly crafted for you to slide the Pi into the case and secure it. Incredibly strong durable case for the Raspberry Pi, it’s also a visually stunning piece of kit, as you can see here:

UniPi Case $39

Initially launched as a Kickstarter project, the UniPi Case is a successful attempt to mass-produce a unibody aluminum case for the Raspberry Pi.

This rugged case is durable and comes with a pictured vented top as well as an I/O top cover. Constructed from industrial aluminum, the one-piece design has a lightly sanded surface, the enclosure is wall-mountable (ideal for media center projects) and can be stacked. It’s also surprisingly light at just 6.1 ounces.

Conclusion: durable, not lightweight

What we have noticed is that these are durable, hard wearing options for Raspberry Pi owners. If you’ve looked at any of our previous Raspberry Pi case guides (which could be wacky or beautiful), then you should know that there are many different cases available.

Finally, make sure your rugged case isn’t too heavy for the project. If it has to do with your computer being motor or balloon addicted, you may prefer to get a lighter case for your Pi if that means a more successful venture.