This is the English edition of a review from my Japanese YouTube channel, iestaLife. I review gadgets from my home studio in Japan, so product links go to Amazon Japan.
Disclosure: BELLEMOND provided the Monster Film for this review. The other two films I bought myself.
Quick take
How much should you spend on a glass screen protector for the iPhone 18 Pro Max? I put three on the same phone: a 100-yen shop film, a ¥1,299 film from Amazon, and BELLEMOND’s Monster Film (clear). The cheap ones protect the screen, but the Monster Film was clearly the nicest to live with: it covers more of the display, leaves a smaller gap to the case, and its alignment kit makes it very hard to apply crooked. Its regular price was ¥1,698 at the time of recording for a two-pack with the kit.
What I tested
- A glass film from a 100-yen shop (Japan’s equivalent of a dollar store)
- An EvoSpace glass film that cost ¥1,299 on Amazon
- BELLEMOND Monster Film, clear type with a black border, for iPhone 18 Pro / 18 Pro Max: two films plus an applicator kit, ¥1,698 regular price at the time of recording
- All applied to an iPhone 18 Pro Max and compared for size, ease of application, the gap to the case, Face ID and how the edges feel
What I found
- 100-yen film: for the price, it does the basic job of protecting the screen. But it is noticeably smaller than the display. With a case on, the film stopped roughly 1 mm short of the case. You can feel the film’s edge when you swipe near the edge of the screen, and dust collects in that gap. Fine for a short time, but on something you touch all day, the small difference starts to bother you.
- ¥1,299 Amazon film: at about ten times the price, I expected a big step up. In practice, its size and feel were very close to the 100-yen film. That doesn’t mean they are identical products, but I didn’t see a difference that matched the price gap.
- Monster Film application: this is where it stood out. You set the iPhone in the applicator, line it up, and pull out a tab. There is almost no fiddling with “is this straight?”, so it is much harder to end up crooked, off-centre, or with dust from re-applying.
- Coverage: the black-bordered Monster Film covers much more of the display than the 100-yen film, and the big gap to the case mostly disappeared, so the edges don’t feel stepped when you swipe.
- Case compatibility: a film that is too large can be pushed up by the case edge; too small leaves a gap. With the case I used, there was no noticeable interference.
- Face ID and display: Face ID worked fine after applying it, and I didn’t notice anything odd about the screen in everyday use.
- Not a 3D edge film: this clear type doesn’t wrap right to the very edge like a 3D-edge protector. If you want edge-to-edge coverage, look at 3D-edge types. If you always use a case, avoiding case interference matters more, and I found this size well balanced.
| 100-yen shop film | EvoSpace (Amazon) | BELLEMOND Monster Film | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price at recording | ¥100 | ¥1,299 | ¥1,698 (2 films) |
| Coverage | Noticeably smaller than the screen | Similar to the 100-yen film | Black border, covers much more |
| Gap to case | About 1 mm | Similar to the 100-yen film | Small |
| Application | By hand | By hand | Pull-tab applicator kit |
Who it’s for
The Monster Film suits you if you are bad at applying screen protectors, want wider coverage and a smaller gap to your case, like a black-bordered look, and want a two-pack at a low price. The 100-yen film isn’t a bad choice either: I use one myself as temporary protection right after buying a new iPhone, while I wait for a proper film to arrive. The question is whether you can live with its size and edge feel over the long term. BELLEMOND is a Japanese brand, so it may be harder to find outside Japan.
The video is in Japanese.
Limitations
This compares three specific films on one iPhone 18 Pro Max with one case; other cheap films on Amazon may be better or worse. If price is all that matters, the 100-yen film is by far the cheapest. The Monster Film was provided by the brand. Prices are what I saw in Japan at the time of recording.
Products
BELLEMOND Monster Film (clear) for iPhone 18 Pro Max / 17 Pro Max: on Amazon Japan
The Amazon Japan links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Check the listing for the exact model, current price and shipping availability in your region.
More reviews in English
All Screen & Lens Protectors (27) →Browse all English reviews →
This review is also available in Japanese.