REVIEW – I prefer a larger phone. The larger the screen size, the better for me. But here’s the problem with oversized phones: they’re expensive, fragile, and almost guaranteed to take a tumble at the worst possible moment. That’s where the UAG Monarch Pro Kevlar iPhone 17 Pro Max Case comes in. This case is built for serious protection, rated for drops up to 25 feet, along with all the minor scrapes and daily abuse that comes with actually using your phone. My new iPhone 17 Pro Max needs serious armor, and this case delivers exactly that.
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $99.95
Where to buy: UAG, Amazon
What is it?
The UAG Monarch Pro Kevlar iPhone 17 Pro Max Case is a back and sides protective case for the iPhone 17 Pro Max (as well as several other phone models). It has 5-layer construction to fully protect the iPhone.
What’s included?
- UAG Monarch Pro Kevlar iPhone 17 Pro Max Case
Tech specs
- Surfaces protected: Sides and back. A raised ridge protects the camera plateau
- 5-layer Construction (DuPont™ Kevlar® is used in the main frame layer)
- 25-foot drop tested
- Meets 5X MIL-SPEC 810G-516.6
- Integrated magnet MagSafe for MagSafe functionality
- Compatible with iPhone 17 (Pro and Pro Max), iPhone 16 (Pro and Pro Max), iPhone 15 (Pro and Pro Max), Samsung Galaxy S24, and Samsung Galaxy S25 and a few others
- Available Colors: Black, Silver, Blue, Orange, Green, Red (color availability depends on phone model)
- Lanyard connection points on the bottom corners
- Materials: Plastic, Kevlar, Rubber, internal magnets
- Weight (iPhone 17 Pro Max model): 2 oz (56.7 g)
Design and features
The UAG Monarch Pro Kevlar iPhone 17 Pro Max Case is just one of many cases that UAG (Urban Armor Gear) produces for 9 manufacturers, such as Apple, Samsung, Google, and several others. The Monarch Pro Kevlar line is an uber-rugged case infused with DuPont™ Kevlar® as the main protective material. Kevlar was designed for impact absorption, making it ideal for protective gear like bulletproof vests, and in this instance, phone cases.
The Monarch Pro Kevlar phone case is constructed with plastic, Kevlar, rubber, and internal magnets for MagSafe compatibility. The back of the case seems to be primarily plastic and the Kevlar weave. The MagSafe magnets are raised off the back under protective, colored plastic. The sides are made of stiff rubber.
This UAG case protects all sides and the back. The camera bump, or as Apple calls it the “Camera Plateau”, is mostly exposed, with the primary protection provided by the 3mm surrounding lip, which extends a little more than 1mm above the camera lenses.
The fully exposed screen is protected with a similar rubber lip that extends about 1.5mm beyond the screen. Unless the phone is dropped on a very rough or rocky surface, this lip should protect it adequately. The corners have added rubber padding, and the bottom corners have connection points for a lanyard (not included).
The sides are all rubber and almost completely cover the softer aluminum banding of the iPhone 17’s frame. The exposed bits of the iPhone 17 Pro Max are the speaker/microphone grills, the power port on the bottom, as well as the camera control on the right side.
The four physical buttons on the iPhone 17 Pro Max are all covered by the same rubber material on the sides. Each button extends from the case 1mm, and the inside of these button covers are small nibs that make contact with the phone’s physical buttons, which are raised slightly. This is the only flaw I could find with this UAG case. The little nibs on the inside of the case buttons make pressing the phone’s buttons a little too easy. Almost every time I had the phone in my pocket and bent over, the volume on the iPhone would skyrocket to its maximum. I am thinking of taking my Dremel and grinding down the little nibs on the volume buttons on the case to make them less sensitive.
The fit for my iPhone 17 Pro Max is perfect. There is no wiggle room at all. We’ve been doing a major renovation on our house, and I will have my phone either in my pocket or on a table next to a Bluetooth speaker. The sawdust from my circular saw covers everything. Yet, at the end of the day, there is no sawdust inside this UAG case. The phone is sealed up just about as good it can be.
The UAG Monarch Pro Kevlar phone case has great looks. The blend of the plastic, rubber, and Kevlar layers is very well done and looks sharp. There are small red accents that give it a stylish look. I really like the design of this case. The blue used on the case I received to review is a more royal blue than the dusty blue of the iPhone. I prefer the blue that UAG used on the case more than I do the iPhone’s blue.
The case has integrated magnets surrounding the UAG logo on the back for MagSafe compatibility. I shook the MagSafe charger quite a bit, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max and case stayed put—no worries about it coming off at all.
Installation
Slip the phone into the case. It fits perfectly. The rubber sides very easily conform to the sides of the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Final thoughts
The UAG Monarch Pro Kevlar iPhone 17 Pro Max Case is a very good product for protecting my $1,199 iPhone 17 Pro Max. It looks, fits, and feels great. Although the $99.95 price tag makes this case on the more expensive side compared to other cases, you have to ask yourself, “What does a new screen or back for an iPhone 17 Pro Max cost?” I bet it’s more than $99.95. The sensitive buttons are a little annoying, and hopefully will be corrected in a future revision. All-in-all, this case would be a good investment.
What I like about the UAG Monarch Pro Kevlar iPhone 17 Pro Max Case
- Excellent fit and finish
- Protection is top-notch
- Very lightweight
- Adds much-needed grip
What needs to be improved?
- Button covers make buttons too sensitive (at least on the iPhone 17 Pro Max)
- More expensive than many other iPhone 17 Pro Max Cases
Price: $99.95
Where to buy: UAG, Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by UAG. UAG did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
ESR Upgraded for MagSafe Wallet, 5 Card Holder, RFID Blocking, Magnetic Wallet for iPhone with Adjustable Stand, Slim for iPhone 17/16/15/14/13/12 Series, Not for 13/12 Mini, Vegan Leather, Black
$19.99 (as of October 28, 2025 14:15 GMT -04:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
