Samsung’s latest flagship is a beast with a nearly 7 inch screen (6.8″) and while it would be incredibly cool to run the phone naked, at nearly $1,400 it’s probably none too smart to be without some protection. The Monarch Pro Kevlar series phone case features 5 layers of protection including DuPont Kevlar to protect your most prized device.
Built to withstand 25 ft of impact, the extra drop protection is a welcome bullet point for the Monarch Pro. The 5 layers of protection break down like this: a shock-resistant core, armor frame, layered with DuPont Kevlar® Material, a polycarbonate shear plate, alloy metal hardware, and impact-resistant rubber surround.
Fit & Finish
The case is molded quite precisely and fits the phone like a glove. It can feel a bit stiff when putting the phone in but once it’s in it’s solid. That said, dust WILL make its way behind your phone. You may pick up some streaky scratches on the sidewalls when removing and replacing the phone in the Monarch Pro.
The case design is subjective but if this is your style you’ll love the armor-like design. There’s enough contrast in the different materials and topography that the case is a real looker. You’ll notice people noticing it.
UAG has provided us with the Monarch Pro Kevlar series so that we could bring you our first hand experience and review of the installation process and product.
The front-facing side confidently covers the top edge of the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s bezeless design and provides screen protection with it’s raised edges. The rear-firing cameras, sensors and flash are all recessed well below the case providing nice protection for your cameras.
Pen, speaker, microphone, Type-C charge port cutouts are all perfect. The buttons require a slight bit of extra force to use but this is welcome over mushy button areas.
We are using the UAG Flex Shield Plus screen protector which fits with the Monarch Pro without issue. Any brand screen protector that provides a margin for use with a case should be fine.
Grip
The grip is good, don’t really love it or hate it. The honeycomb pattern on the sides are not our favorite but it does the job. Doesn’t feel the best to us but it does help you grip the phone. Just try not to have dirty hands or you’ll be picking out the dirt from all of those honeycomb cells.
Impact Protection
The Monarch Pro Kevlar series provides great impact protection, particularly on the corners with UAG’s dual layer corner impact designs. We don’t perform lab drop tests so we’ll have to take UAG’s word about the 25 ft of drop protection but the case feels solid and 5 layers of protection sounds great! There’s a metal plate and a magnets inside the case but don’t let that deter you, the case weighs just 0.13 lbs or 2.08 ounces.
We haven’t really dropped the phone yet but I’m sure that’s coming soon. But having that little extra protection is a relief. Looking back, many many phones have been broken over the years, the danger of smashing your phone is real. It pays to have that little extra insurance.
Caveat: The Monarch Pro is advertised as having 5-layers of protection but the Kevlar appears to be decorative, at least the visible portion on the back. We have reached out to UAG but have not received a response. Stay tuned, we will update the post if things change.
That’s a Wrap
The Monarch Pro Kevlar series case for the Galaxy S23 Ultra gives some of the best protection available without becoming too bulky. 5 layers of protection that include DuPont Kevlar® give you a little extra peace of mind. The rugged armor-like go anywhere do anything design looks great and does a nice job protecting your new shiny device. The price is a bit steep but so is repairing a new damaged phone.
UAG Monarch Pro Kevlar series $99.95