The launch of thePixel Tabletmarked Google’s confident (-ish) step back into creating Android hardware and software designed around larger displays, one that for all intents and purposes not only bore meaningful fruit in the tablet itself, but its foldable cousin, thePixel Fold. Google’s big idea - besides leaning into custom hardware like theTensor G2- was to accept tablets' role as a couch companion. A homebound computer that’s portable enough to slip in a backpack, but at its strongest when it’s the first big screen you reach for or speak to at home. Key to that realization was the Charging Speaker Dock that was bundled with the Pixel Tablet at no additional cost, andHub Mode, which turns the Pixel Tablet into a smart-home-controllingGoogle Nest Hubwhen it’s docked.
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But that doesn’t mean the Pixel Tablet can’t be used on the go, or shouldn’t be protected even when it is at home. A case can keep the Pixel Tablet from bumps and scratches, prop it up when it’s away from its dock, and even offer a way to get extra storage for accessories, you just need to find the right one for you. We were drawn to the simplicity, protection, and dock matching color of the Spigen Thin Fit Pro, but what you ultimately slide onto your Pixel Tablet is going to come down to what you use it for. Luckily for you, our collection of cases below can serve as a guide.
Spigen Thin Fit Pro for Pixel Tablet
Google Case for Pixel Tablet
Aippdo Protective Cover Case for Google Pixel Tablet
Speck StandyShell for Google Pixel Tablet
MoKo Slim Trifold Cover Case for Google Pixel Tablet
Poetic Turtle Skin Series for Google Pixel Tablet
Fintie Multi-Angle Case for Google Pixel Tablet
Native Union Stow Slim for Pixel Tablet
The Spigen Thin Fit Pro Case is our top pick because it keeps things simple. It wraps around the entire tablet, has raised edges that protect the screen and camera, and it has built-in pogo pins that should mean your Pixel Tablet can connect to the dock uninterrupted. The best bit is its minimalist gray color compliments the Pixel Tablet’s dock perfectly.
Google’s own case effort is a gorgeous thing, with a kooky but functional stand - and it works with the tablet’s charging dock flawlessly. There are more protective options, and certainly less pricey ones, but none more elegant.
Aippdo’s Protective Cover Case uses a trifold design to cover the Pixel Tablet’s screen when you’re not using it and act as a stand with two different viewing angles. The affordable case has polycarbonate edges for protecting your tablet from drops and an inelegant but effective flip-out cutout on the back, so your Pixel Tablet can still dock when the case is on.
Speck has a beefier case that still works with the charging dock wonderfully, has a quick-release kickstand, and has really impressive durability. It’s perfect if you really want to get some protection, at a solid price.
The MoKo Slim Trifold Cover Case uses a similar trifold design as the Aippdo case, with padded corners to avoid damage from drops and bumps. The major difference is how the MoKo case maintains connectivity. Rather than a flip-up, the cutout in the back is left uncovered, leaving the Pixel Tablet exposed, but making it easy to drop it on its dock.
While the Poetic Turtle Skin Series is one of the most rugged options we picked for this collection, with its thick, kid-friendly silicone and tactile side grips, it also leaves the Pixel Tablet exposed in a major way. Like two of our other cases, Poetic’s case ops for a cutout on the back so the tablet can fit on its dock, which leaves that portion of the tablet more vulnerable than the rest.
For more of a folio-style case, the Fintie Multi-Angle Case lets you prop your Pixel Tablet up at several different viewing angles, and keep the screen and back covered when it’s not in use. The only really impractical part of the case is how they imagine you using it with the Pixel Tablet’s dock: by placing the dock inside the case when it’s folded open.
Native Union’s premium sleeve is another great option, with a magnetic enclosure, microfiber lining on the inside, and even a little loop to store a stylus you might have with your Pixel Tablet.
What is the best Pixel Tablet case?
In terms of protection and working with the Pixel Tablet’s Charging Speaker Dock, our overall favorite, the Spigen Thin Fit Pro, manages to protect the sides, back, camera, and screen of the tablet without getting in the way of the dock whatsoever. Google’s own Pixel Tablet Case comes at a slightly more premium price, but its sleek, minimalist design and unique metal loop of a kickstand makes it perfect on or off the dock. Of course, you don’t even have to spend a lot to get versatile protection. The Aippdo Protective Cover Case means the protection for your screen can act as a stand in a pinch, and when you do need to attach a Pixel Tablet to its dock, you only need to flip up a cutout on the back.
Does the Charging Speaker Dock work through a Pixel Tablet case?
With the right case, yes. You’ll notice that several of our case selections feature cutouts or ports that can open and close so that the Pixel Tablet can maintain a good connection with the dock. That’s because to charge the Pixel Tablet’s connector (the three metallic dots on the bottom back of the tablet in landscape mode) need to be touching the pogo pins on the dock to charge and enable Hub mode.
For a case that’s able to create its own passthrough connection like Google’s Pixel Tablet Case or the Spigen Thin Fit Pro, completely covering the back of the tablet is less of an issue, provided you’re aware of the extra heat that comes from wireless charging. Either way you shouldkeep those pogo pins cleanto make sure everything is charging and connecting correctly.
