UAG Monarch Series iPhone Case Review

by Kevin_Fonger

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UAG iPhone 11 case review - Monarch Series

The UAG Monarch Series iPhone 11 case is designed for the person who can’t go a week without dropping their phone. Whether you are outdoors in the mountains, work in construction or just tend to drop your phone a lot, the Monarch Series of cases is a great option.

The UAG iPhone 11 Monarch Series case fits a screen size of 6.1 inches which is compatible with the iPhone 11 and has five layers of construction. This consists of an outer aluminum frame on the back, leather, polycarbonate plate, alloy screws to hold the layers together, and an outer layer of rubber that is designed to absorb the shock.

iPhone 11 Case Protection Features

While anyone can make a layer of plastic that covers the sides and back of your phone, it’s the details that really set the UAG Monarch Series apart from the $10 iPhone 11 cases on Amazon.

Extra Rubber on the Corners

Extra rubber on the corners of the case to take the hard impact of long drops. It seems that every time you drop your phone, the corners often take the majority of the impact. This is also one of the common places where the screen of your phone tends to crack which is a double whammy. On UAG’s website and packing, they call out that the case Monarch Series case meets 2X Military drop-test standards (MIL STD 810G 516.6) which after multiple drops, I can confirm this case does an amazing job at keeping the phone intact.

Frame of case

The frame of this iPhone 11 case is designed to protect the back of your phone from big and hard drops. Since I have dropped my previous iPhone 7 while trail running with a cheaper case with no strong backing, I can attest to the value in having a durable frame on your phone case.

Camera Window Frame

The camera window of this case provides a little more of a buffer space than most iPhone 11 cases which is a big plus in my opinion. Since this area of the phone is somewhat large and you don’t want to cover it up with some sort of screen protector, it can be more susceptible to getting scratched or broken. The camera on the iPhone 11 sits out more than previous iPhones which pretty much forces you to buy a case if you don’t want to scratch your camera lens. The Monarch Series case provides enough space to keep me feeling comfortable about the lens not getting scratched with normal wear and tear.

Easy to use buttons

This case has button coverings that are easy to use. While it seems like a no brainer to make button covering easy to use, I can tell you that not all case designers get it. The button coverings are soft enough where you don’t have to press down too hard to turn the volume up or down or turn the screen on or off. It is also easy to push both sides at the same time for a screenshot.

iPhone 11 charging port and speaker access

The speaker and plug-in ports at the bottom of the UAG iPhone 11 case allow for easy access without muffling the sound from the speakers and allow for easy plug-in access for the iPhone charging cable.

Real-world testing on the iPhone 11 UAG Monarch Series Case

I received the UAG Monarch Series iPhone 11 case a few days before I left for a three week trip to Nepal. During this trip, I trekked up to Everest Basecamp and had my phone in and out of my pocket every 10 minutes to take pictures of all the amazing mountains and places in Nepal. During this time, I dropped the phone a few times while hiking along with a few drops in the city. The biggest drop the case experienced was during a trail run where I tripped over a rock and superman’d into mud and rocks. The phone case landed on the backside frame and after wiping the dirt and mud off the case, the case looked like new and more important, my phone walked away unscathed.

The one damage that I have had to my phone since using this case was to my screen protector which has a small crack on it due to falling face down on the screen. Most of the cases out there for the iPhone 11 don’t have a full protective screen enclosure and you have to rely on the extra screen glass protection. This makes sense in my opinion since if you have a full enclosed case with a tough protective glass, if you happen to break the screen, you would have to buy a new case. When the individual screen protector cracks, you just need to replace the glass protection which costs less than a case.

Final Thoughts

This was my first time using a UAG iPhone case and while the outside of the case has a different look compared to most cases, it is nice to know that your iPhone investment is protected from big drops. Overall, I am a fan of this case for people who tend to be rough on their phones. For more information, visit urbanarmourgear.com or amazon.com.