| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Excellent grip with honeycomb TPU | Very weak MagSafe strength |
| Great face-drop performance | Oversized buttons feel awkward |
| Flashy, rugged design | Heavier and bulkier than most cases |
| Strong initial camera-lump protection | Floppy camera area despite rigid back |
Here’s the deal: the UAG Monarch has always looked like a tank, and after ten years it’s still one of the wildest-looking cases on the market. But looks don’t earn a spot in our top five tests. So let’s see if the Monarch finally breaks the tough-case curse or ends up just protecting itself more than your iPhone.
How We Test
30+ drops per case | 6+ metrics recorded per impact | 100% independently tested
Our goal is to find out what cases are actually best for your iPhone. We don’t base our reviews on any of the marketing a company wants you to believe. We’re reviewers, not influencers.
Our case testing procedure for the iPhone 17’s:
- Buy the case ourselves
- Measure all the physical dimensions of the case:
- Weight
- Size
- Back rigidity
- Corner/Back Thickness
- Corner compression
- Rank the handling and access of the iPhone in the case
- Perform magnetic strength tests using a force meter
- Perform audio tests (if needed using a DB meter)
- Perform 30 corner, face and camera lump drop tests. This data is collected from the iPhone’s accelerometer and gyroscope. We’ve built custom drop rigs to ensure every drop almost identical. To gauge the iPhone’s protective abilities, we measure:
- Average peak deceleration
- Average decay rate
- Average impulse
- Average max rotation
- Average angular displacement
- Average settling time
- After we collect all the data, we then run it through or scoring formula to figure out how well the case ranks.
We’ve got a few more ideas to implement for the next round of iPhone’s including more data collection during drops as well as high speed camera photos of the initial impacts.
Design
| Metric | Value | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 59.6 g | 45 g |
| Added Case Thickness | 76% | 51% |
| Added Overlook Bulk | 94% | 66% |
The Monarch’s design is still one of the craziest setups we’ve seen. There’s a ton happening. There’s Kevlar trim around the MagSafe area, TPU long edges with a honeycomb pattern, matte short edges, and a rigid PC back that barely flexes. Despite all the visual chaos, it somehow works, even if we’re not usually flashy-case people. Just know this is a big boy case. It adds around 60g and nearly doubles the overall bulk of your iPhone.
The reason this case feels so bulky becomes obvious when you look at the measurements: the corners are 4mm thick and the back peaks at 4mm as well. But despite that rigid PC back, the camera area is all TPU. It flexes far more than expected, requiring just 24N to bend—making it noticeably floppier than the average tough case. It’s a strange mismatch given how armored the rest of the case looks.
Accessibility & Handling
| Metric | Value | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Grip | Strong grip; honeycomb strips + matte TPU edges | – |
| Buttons | Integrated; oversized and easy to find, edges noticeable | – |
| MagSafe Strength | Pull 7.5 N / Push 6.4 N | 10.1 N |
Handling is surprisingly solid. The honeycomb TPU offers great grip and even the matte finish along the short edges feels secure. The oversized integrated buttons are easy to find, though they do feel a little too big. Screen access is fine but the edges are noticeable. The port cutout is large enough for thick cables, but the sharp inner lip is only saved by the angled cut that rests better on your pinky.
The real disappointment is MagSafe. With 7.5N pull and 6.4N push, it’s roughly 30% weaker than the average case we’ve tested. For anyone using wallets, stands, or in-car mounts, this is a problem.
Protection
| Metric | Value | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Back Thickness | 4.0 mm | 2.4 mm |
| Corner Thickness | 4.0 mm | 2.9 mm |
| Air Pockets | Present | 10.1 N |
| Rigidity | 24.00 N | 29 N |
| Initial Impact | 10.336 G | 10.3 G |
| Rotation Rate | 326.00°/s | 300°/s |
| Time to Settle | 0.500 s | 0.53 s |
| Settling Rate | 0.171 s⁻¹ | 0.24 s⁻¹ |
| Total Force | 1.610 Ns | 1.5 Ns |
Corner drops were average across the board. The phone logged 10.3G’s, rotation was 17% higher than average, and the case rang 25% longer after impact. Total force was 10% higher, meaning the Monarch protects itself well but doesn’t necessarily shield the iPhone any better than other oversized tough cases.
Face drops were much better. Despite the loose top edge, the initial impact came in 14% lower than average, and while settling was 40% slower due to thicker TPU, overall force was 19% better. A solid result.
The camera-lump tests told an interesting story. The TPU band around the lens area connects directly to the PC back, which made initial impact an impressive 57% better than average. But, like most thick cases, the settling rate was 47% worse. Still, overall force was 44% better, which lines up with what we’d expect from a rigid back and thick TPU bumper working together to redirect energy.
Value
The Monarch looks premium and feels durable, but the weak MagSafe performance and bulky build undermine its price tag. Tough cases should at least nail the basics and the Monarch misses on two of those three. You’re paying mostly for the aesthetic and the brand’s rugged identity rather than actual real-world protection gains.
Verdict
Would we use the Monarch if we weren’t reviewers? Honestly, probably not. It looks great, the grip is excellent, and the camera-lump performance surprised us. But the MagSafe weakness, average corner protection, and uncovered buttons are frustrating for a case this big and this expensive. It’s a cool design with underwhelming execution so we’re officially off the fence.