The best iPhone tripods and smartphone supports in 2024: for night shots & more

best iPhone tripods and supports
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The best iPhone tripods allow you to take your smartphone shooting to a whole new level. They’re small enough to carry everywhere, slipping easily into a bag or pocket, but they allow for exploring loads of new shooting techniques, especially when used in conjunction with the best photo apps, which allow you to take control of your smartphone’s camera settings. 

Sure, the best camera phones are always getting better, and can do things that the owners of the first iPhone could only have dreamed of. There are some things, however, that are simply limited by hardware. We’ve listed a few things here that a good iPhone tripod will allow you to do:

• Capture night shots. Even if an app lets you open up the shutter on your smartphone camera for a long time, without a good source of support, all you’ll get is a blurry image. Mounting your phone on a tripod means you can shoot long exposures, without worrying about image blur caused by camera-shake. 

• Get vlogging. If you want to vlog with your smartphone, you'll need a good support so you can set your camera up without having to hold it.

• Get a selfie without the arm-stretch. In a similar vein, phone tripods make it easy to get selfies and group selfies without having to stretch out your arm. 

• Try a timelapse. Again, locking your phone in a fixed position opens up all sorts of creative possibilities, one of which is time-lapse shooting. 

• Shoot panoramas. There are apps that will stitch together a rudimentary panorama. But the results you get will dramatically improve if you use a tripod, especially one with a dedicated panoramic head.

Regular tripods and even travel tripods are too big and bulky for a smartphone shooter; they’ll negate the main advantage of a smartphone, which is that it lets you travel light.

Smartphones don’t have a standard tripod socket. This means you need another way to mount the phone to the tripod, even a mini one. The solution is a phone clamp; these are sometimes sold separately, and sometimes come in bundles with mini tripods. In our guide, we’ve included both complete bundles and standalone clamps, so you can decide how best to construct your setup.

We’ve got options for every budget here, from a range of reputable manufacturers including Manfrotto, Joby and more. Let's get started!

Also read: The best gimbals for your smartphone or camera

The best iPhone tripods and supports in 2024

Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.

Benro KoalaPod

(Image credit: Hannah Rooke - DCW)
A flexible tabletop tripod with handy accessory arms is perfect for on-the-go content creation

Specifications

Closed length: 21
Maximum height: 26.5
Weight: 220g
Leg type: Flexible
Phone adaptor included: Yes
Pivot: Ballhead included
Maximum phone width: 83mm

Reasons to buy

+
Versatile
+
Easily mount a light and mic

Last year Benro launched two tabletop tripods, the KoalaPod as listed above, and the Benro TablePod Flex Kit. If you're just after something simple, and compact but still versatile the KoalaPod is the better choice - it's considerably cheaper too! Its flexible legs enable you to wrap it around other objects such as a metal fence or a pole so you can be more creative about the angles you shoot from. If you're a vlogger, influencer or content creator, the handy accessory arms mean you can attach a light and a mic to the tripod and be able to record well-lit videos with good audio. Included are a carry pouch, the phone mount, an auxiliary ring that can be used to stop the legs from slipping and a quick-lock clamp so you can attach 2 legs together when you need a bit of extra strength. 

(Image credit: Manfrotto)
A complete tripod and clamp kit that's solid, simple and versatile

Specifications

Closed length: 360mm
Maximum height: 247mm
Weight: 215g
Leg type: Tilt
Phone adaptor included: Yes
Pivot: Yes
Maximum phone width: 83mm

Reasons to buy

+
Cheaper than buying separate components
+
Works well for cameras as well as phones

Reasons to avoid

-
No height adjustment
-
Limited ball head movement

Manfrotto markets its

clamp as separate items, but it generally works out cheaper to buy these two items as a complete kit. With this, you get the tripod itself, which comes with an integral ball head and is suitable for use with cameras, plus the smartphone clamp, which attaches via a standard 1/4-inch socket, and can accommodate phones of up to 83mm in width. It’s a good solution, though the limited range of movement for the ball head means you can only shoot with the camera phone in landscape orientation. You need the more advanced Manfrotto Pixi Evo 2 and its more advanced ball head if you need to shoot portrait shots (most camera phone tripods are designed for horizontal shooting).

See Manfrotto PIXI mini tripod review 

(Image credit: Joby)

3. Joby GorillaPod Mobile Mini

A tiny but effective flexible friend for your camera phone

Specifications

Closed length: 118mm
Maximum height: 100mm
Weight: 32g
Leg type: Flexible
Phone adaptor included: Yes
Pivot: No
Maximum phone width: 90mm

Reasons to buy

+
Very small and lightweight
+
Wraps around objects

Reasons to avoid

-
Limited maximum height
-
Lacks the versatility of larger GorillaPods

With suitably small and phone-friendly dimensions, the

weighs in at just 32 grams. It’s also Joby’s cheapest ‘tripod’, yet features the company’s trademark flexible legs, constructed from a series of movable joints. As such, you can stand it up like a mini tabletop tripod, or wrap its legs around other objects to cling onto them. It comes complete with a phone mount so it’s an all-in-one solution. The only real drawback is that each leg is only 60mm long, so you can only attach this relatively small GorillaPod to fairly thin objects.

(Image credit: SmallRig)

4. SmallRig Tabletop Mini Tripod

A tripod equipped with a capable 360-degree ballhead

Specifications

Material: Aluminium alloy
Extended height: 11.3cm
Folded height: 23cm
Weight: 0.408kg
Feet: Rubber
Leg sections: 1
Max load (legs, head): 2kg

Reasons to buy

+
Strong aluminium-alloy build
+
360-degree ball head

Reasons to avoid

-
Smartphone grip costs extra

With a standard 1/4" screw mount, the SmallRig Tabletop Mini Tripod is a versatile tool for all sorts of setups (though you'll need to pick up a smartphone clamp separately). It's equipped with a 360° ballhead that provides a great deal of shooting flexibility, thanks to its 90°/+45° front tilt, and -50°/+50° lateral tilt. The head even has accurate calibration and an independent panning knob for panoramic shooting, which you may not have even considered with a smartphone! The plate is an Arca-Swiss type, so you can quickly mount and dismount your setup, and the rubber feet ensure a non-slip support on practically any surface.

(Image credit: Manfrotto)
With this clever clamp you can mount your phone on any tripod

Specifications

Closed length: 180mm
Maximum height: N/A
Weight: 80g
Leg type: N/A
Phone adaptor included: Yes
Pivot: N/A
Maximum phone width: 82mm

Reasons to buy

+
Space-saving twist-action design
+
Nicely engineered

Reasons to avoid

-
Relatively expensive
-
Tripod sold separately

This isn't a tripod, but the cleverly designed

universal smartphone clamp does let you attach your camera phone to any regular tripod, including the Manfrotto Pixi above. It also folds virtually flat for stowing away in a pocket. You simply twist each end to pivot the clamping jaws around, so they can attach to any phone of up to 82mm in width. The clamping action itself is nice and solid, thanks to a locking screw at the rear. Immaculately engineered from high-grade aluminum and colored dark grey, the TwistGrip looks and feels a quality item. It can mount on any tripod via its 1/4-inch screw socket, and has a cold shoe at the top for attaching accessories, like the Manfrotto Lumimuse LED light.

• Read Manfrotto TwistGrip universal clamp review

(Image credit: Joby)
A phone case that has tripod legs

Specifications

Color: Black
Compatible with: iPhone 12/ 12 Pro/12 Pro Max/11/11 Pro/X/Xs, Google Pixel 4/4XL
Dimensions: 14.7 x 82.4 x 156 mm
Weight: 60g

Reasons to buy

+
Doubles as a phone case
+
Useful for video watchin

Reasons to avoid

-
Limited phone models
-
Needs a flat surface 
-
Limited camera angles

This is a tripod that you can carry around permanently with your smartphone – as it doubles as a protective phone case. However, as well as its photographic uses, the StandPoint is perfect for perching your phone on a surface – a train or airline tray-table being the obvious candidates – for hands-free video as well as video calls and photo reviewing. We like the case’s protective nature, and the fact that it works with wireless charging pads. The only drawbacks are that the StandPoint’s tiny tripod legs do require a flat surface, and don’t allow many angles. 

(Image credit: Joby)

7. Joby GripTight ONE Micro

Swivelling legs mean the Joby can pack away into a smaller space

Specifications

Closed length: 85mm
Maximum height: 30mm
Weight: 88g
Leg type: Swivel
Phone adaptor included: Yes
Pivot: Yes
Maximum phone width: 90mm

Reasons to buy

+
Packs away very small
+
Innovative swivel legs

Reasons to avoid

-
Sits very low to the surface
-
Legs can't be extended vertically

Unlike Joby GorillaPods, the

is a tabletop tripod with rigid, non-flexible legs that swivel around. This makes the whole tripod very small and slim when folded away, while enabling a secure base when the legs are fanned out for the standing position. It’s a neat and very streamlined design, the only catch being that the operating height to the bottom of the phone is only about 30mm. Although there’s no height adjustment, the main clamp does enable you to pivot the phone forward and backward and from side to side, albeit with a fairly limited range of adjustment. You therefore can’t use the phone in upright, portrait orientation.

The best iPhone tripods: Joby GripTight ONE GP Magnetic Impulse

(Image credit: Joby)

8. Joby GripTight ONE GP Magnetic Impulse

This is novel – a tripod with magnetic feet for metallic surfaces!

Specifications

Closed length: 165mm
Maximum height: 60mm
Weight: 92g
Leg type: Flexible
Phone adaptor included: Yes
Pivot: Yes
Maximum phone width: 90mm

Reasons to buy

+
Good versatility
+
Grabs onto almost anything

Reasons to avoid

-
Limited pivot movement in head
-
Less compact than the GorillaPod Mobile Mini

The relatively long legs of this

have nine flexible joints. That’s a significant step up from the GorillaPod Mobile Mini, and enables greater height when using the stand as a tabletop tripod, as well as allowing you to wrap the legs around larger objects, such as tree branches and fence posts. On top of that, the ‘Magnetic’ edition also incorporates magnetic feet, so you can easily attach the GorillaPod to anything metallic. The phone clamp is the same one that’s featured in the GripTight ONE Micro Tripod.

The best iPhone tripods: Joby GripTight Gorillapod Stand PRO

(Image credit: Joby)

9. Joby GripTight Gorillapod Stand PRO

This bigger Gorillapod has a rotating phone clamp

Specifications

Closed length: 267mm
Maximum height: 180mm
Weight: 258g
Leg type: Flexible
Phone adaptor included: Yes
Pivot: Yes
Maximum phone width: 90mm

Reasons to buy

+
Gives firm support
+
Fully pivoting head

Reasons to avoid

-
Quite weighty and bulky
-
Portrait/landscape rotation requires caution

This chunky

gives very stable and solid support for smartphones and comes complete with an up-market phone clamp. It features a locking screw for adjusting the clamp to the exact size of the phone, and this screw also enables rotation for portrait and landscape orientation while shooting. However, a little care is needed to ensure the clamp doesn’t loosen its grip on the phone during rotation. It’s rather bigger, heavier and stronger than smaller GorillaPod siblings, but is still good value at the price. If you unscrew the phone clamp, the legs are also suitable for use with a compact camera or small DSLR.

(Image credit: Joby)

10. Joby GorillaPod Mobile Vlogging kit

Great all-in-one rig for vloggers

Specifications

Dimensions: 330x120x80 mm
Weight: 540g
Leg type: Flexible
Phone adaptor included: Yes
Pivot: Yes
Maximum phone width: Plus size phones

Reasons to buy

+
All-in-one rig for sound and light
+
Works with all cameras 

Reasons to avoid

-
High price

Here’s an all-in-one vlogging rig for anyone after versatile, well-lit visuals, and superior sound. It’s all built around the brand’s world-famous GorillaPod – a flexible, strong tripod – which is here joined by two additional, flexible arms to create a GorillaPod Mobile Rig. On one arm goes Joby’s Beamo Mini LED light that goes up to 1,000 lumens and last 40 minutes, and which comes complete with diffuser. Wavo Mobile – Joby’s compact and toughly-made microphone – attaches to the other, or sits on a cold shoe atop this kit’s GripTight PRO 2 smartphone clamp, which supports phones in either landscape or vertical orientation. Although it’s designed for smartphones, remove the clamp and it can work just as well with action cameras, mirrorless cameras and bridge cameras. 

Read more:

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 


His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 


In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.