Smartphones are incredible but they are a fragile piece of hardware. Today’s all glass smartphones look sleek, but break easily when it comes to everyday drops. A good protective case is essential. You spend hundreds to over a thousand dollars on a new phone, so why not spend a little more to ensure it doesn’t get damaged? You wan the best protection. And the best protection is military grade protection.
My Apple iPhone® was getting a bit long in the tooth, so I decided to upgrade to the new iPhone 11. Great phone by the way. Naturally, I needed a new case to protect my investment.
The iPhone 11 series has a high level of water- and dust-resistance but the glass panels on the front and back are likely to break if the phone is dropped on a hard surface. I wanted a case that not only provided maximum protection against drops and shock, but also was lightweight and easy to carry, and stylish enough to fit into a professional setting.
After looking at numerous cases and doing some research, I settled on the Urban Armor Gear (UAG) Monarch Series Case. It not only met but exceeded all of my requirements.
UAG is one of only a handful of case makers whose cases meet Mil-Spec Certification. All UAG cases are independently tested and approved by Met Laboratories, Inc., a NEBS Certified testing laboratory What this means is that UAG cases are designed to withstand the toughest conditions. Perfect for anyone with an active lifestyle.
The Monarch Series is UAG’s premium case line. Monarch Series cases features handcrafted durable feather-light construction with 5-layers of protection consisting of UAG’s signature armor frame and soft shock-resistant core, top-grain leather or carbon fiber, a polycarbonate shear plate, and metal alloy hardware..
The edges of the case are hard rubber with UAG’s Traction Grip™ on the right and left side. The Traction Grip provides a secure grip even with wet hands, but it still allows the case to be easily slipped in and out of a pocket and doesn’t collect pocket lint, which can be an issue with some cases. The rubber has enough flex in it to make putting the case on and taking it off easy to do. It’s thick and solid enough to provide good protection. The corners are reinforced with thicker rubber for additional protection, but they are not not so much thicker than the rest of the case to make it uncomfortable to hold. The case is very comfortable in the hand..
UAG has made usability a priority with all its cases. The Monarch Series case has oversize tactile buttons and screen surround. The button cover and protect the phone’s On/Off Sleep/Wake button and volume buttons. The buttons are all easily operated. The case has cutouts for the camera, mute switch, speakers and Lightening port that allow for full functionality of the iPhone. The Lightning port cutout is over-sized to to allow the use of not only Apple’s charging cable but also larger aftermarket cables. All of the cutouts line up perfectly with the phone. All of the openings are smooth to the touch with no rough edges. The case is compatible with wireless charging and with Apple Pay™.
Most major smartphone damage and resulting costly repairs are caused by dropping the phone. Although all UAG cases meet military drop test standards for drop and shock protection (MIL-STD 810G 516.6 Procedure IV—Transit Drop Test), the Monarch Series case meets double those standards. This is all the more impressive considering how light the Monarch Series case is.
The MIL-STD requires the case, with the device in it, to be repeatedly dropped from a height of 4 feet onto 2-inch plywood over concrete. The case is dropped 26 times—6 times on the faces, 8 times on the corners, and 12 times on the edges. After each drop, the device is visually inspected for functional and structural integrity.
Manufacturers are allowed to use to five different samples during test, so it doesn’t effectively test for cumulative damage. Also, the tests were not designed for smartphones specifically.
To sum it all up, the UAG Monarch Series Case is an outstanding case that It’s a classy case that elicits compliments from everyone who sees it. I highly recommend it. It’s the perfect case for the tactical gentleman.
And while you’re at it, I also recommend that you pick up a tempered glass screen shield / protector for your phone. They too are available from UAG and are a perfect fit for the company’s cases.
MSRP for the Monarch Series iPhone 11 Case is $59.95. It’s available in Black, Crimson, and Carbon Fiber. All Monarch Series cases come with a 10-year limited warranty.
Material Disclosure
I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer via Spotter Up so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based off my personal experience with the product.
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