A robust hydrogel-solid hybrid formed of a substrate material having a nonporous and non-topographically patterned surface and a tough hydrogel bonded to the surface, the tough hydrogel having over 90 wt % water, and the hydrogel being bonded to provide interfacial toughness over 300 Jm−2, and even over 1000 Jm−2. The hydrogel is formed of polyacrylamide or polyethylene glycol diacrylate, which provide long-chain polymer networks, and chitosan, hyaluronan, or alginate, which provide mechanically dissipative components. An anchor, which can be a silane, a sulfide, or an amine, is disposed between the surface and the hydrogel to provide chemical bonding between the surface and the long-chain networks of the hydrogel.