Planning a trip? Or starting a new channel? Invest in one of the best selfie sticks before you do and not only will it enable you to take excellent pictures & video but you won't be tempted to buy a cheap, poor-quality one while you're away.
If you’re not really a selfie-taker, a selfie stick is still a useful tool. I stopped thinking of them as “selfie sticks” and more as multi-purpose camera support devices (not as catchy, it’s true). Yeas, they are a way to take Instagram-worthy selfies that don’t include our arms at weird and unnatural angles and a view straight up our noses, but with features like tripod feet, they have more photographic uses.
Some sticks also come with Bluetooth control, which adds some nifty functionality: I didn’t need to be near my device to release the shutter. The obvious use is for self-portraits of any type, but it makes them useful for capturing stills or footage when I didn’t want to jog my device, for example carefully framed shots or macro or long exposure images. Some designs even have built-in charging so you can do away with a power bank if you're looking to cut down on weight.
As for devices, some of the selfie sticks I tried were only suitable for smartphones, some were device-specific (like GoPro or Insta360), but others had attachments for all kinds of cameras. With so many selfie stick options and possibilities, we’re here to help you find the best one for your needs and budget.
Don't forget, we've also got guides for the best smartphone gimbal guide (for stable video), best tripod guide and best monopod guide. But for now, here are the selfie sticks. The best selfie sticks will come with Bluetooth control, extend to a decent length and pack away small enough to fit in a rucksack.
Here are the best selfie sticks you can buy right now...
Top picks
Strong and stable
With the option of opening tripod legs and a sturdy feel, this is a good choice that can handle a lot of cameras types – even a decent vlogging camera.
Read more below
Light and simple
No bluetooth and a detachable tripod means this can be a handy lightweight travel companion, and it's not short of accessories in the box.
Read more below
Powerful stabilizing tool
The ability to extend like a selfie stick is really a footnote in this phone gimbal's extensive list of features which can really up your video game.
Read more below
The best selfie sticks in 2024
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Best overall
My first thought on unpacking the Andoer selfie stick was how much it resembles a monopod. The mechanism to unlock the stick and enable its extension is the same as found on many tripods and monopods. Fully collapsed and without any of the device-securing attachments screwed onto it, it measures a sizeable 16.5 inches (42 cm), which means it isn’t ideal for slipping into one of my many handbags but it will sit comfortably in my backpack. And it does extend to a whopping 47.5 inches (121cm) which gives incredible range. Given that it’s almost as tall as me when it’s at maximum extension, I don’t think it’s too heavy, either.
I wouldn’t want to attach my dSLR to it as I’d be wary waving around something so heavy, although it would screw straight into the tripod jack. But a small compact camera (like a vlogging one) would work just fine. There’s a smartphone holder and an action cam attachment, too. And it comes with detachable tripod feet, which gives it extra length but means it isn’t so neat as those with integrated supports.
The Bluetooth controller connected to my phone without any hitches and was easy to use.
It might not be the most compact or the lightest, but it offers so much versatility for a very reasonable price that I’m really quite impressed.
Simple selfie stick
At roughly 12 inches (30cm) when collapsed (and without any attachments), the Smatree SmaPole Q3 is a small and lightweight selfie stick. It extends to around 36 inches (91cm) with a turn-and-unlock-lock mechanism. I found it quite stiff to unlock the fourth rod in the extension, but I got there eventually.
The SmaPole Q3 comes with a ball head already attached, and to that you can secure a variety of devices with the included attachments. I was able to attach my compact camera straight to the selfie stick; there’s an action cam attachment for a GoPro or the best GoPro alternatives, or I could use my smartphone with it. It’s a spring clip smartphone holder, which I don’t find as secure as a screw mechanism used in the Andoer selfie stick, but it did do the job.
I thought that the tripod attachment, which comes separately, was pretty heavy. But it screwed into the base of the selfie stick easily to give me a portable tripod. However, as there’s no Bluetooth controller included with Smatree Smapole Q3, it’s not quite so useful for hands-free shooting. Being more expensive than the Andoer and around the same price as the Atumek 3-in-1 makes it harder to see this one as a top pick.
Extending stabilizer
The DJI OM 6 is a smartphone stabilizer and a selfie stick, all in one, like the OM5 before it but a bit more 'Pro' in look and feel. Over several iterations, DJI has taken this product and made it steadily more convincing. I've tried this and its predecessor, the OM5. That was great, but the OM6 brings an analog control which offers a good bit more subtlety. The device can handle the weight of the phone and the magnetic grip (so you can pull your phone out to use it) is a lot more convincing in reality than you might imagine!
While not taking up that much more space in a bag than a selfie stick (it’s positively svelte compared to earlier OSMOs) the brilliance of this OM series is that it hits the balance between quality and convenience for a lot of creators.
Your posts will be immeasurably improved with little effort on your part thanks to the fun effects and great shots and you’d be happy to take it traveling. If you have the budget, this is the choice to go with – else check the noticeably cheaper OM 5.
Read more: DJI OM 6 review (and check the DJI OM 5 review too)
Vlogging gimbal
I've used the Insta360 Flow, a compact, folding gimbal that has decent stabilization and tracking technology, making it incredibly convenient and quick to set up. The AI subject tracking feature is very impressive, taking the tracking capabilities to a whole new level. There are a couple of drawbacks to consider though, for example, the vertical support can interfere with the tilt axis range, limiting its flexibility and the integrated tripod legs are not very robust.
Nevertheless, what sets the Insta360 Flow apart is its thoughtful design for smartphone videographers and for the price, it's very good value. It is one of the rare smartphone gimbals that is actually designed to accommodate external microphones which is a big plus. It also has ample space to attach a cable to your phone and a cold shoe mount, you can easily enhance your audio recording capabilities.
Personally, I'd choose the DJI over this, as I think it has better range but Rod – my colleague who reviewed it fully – notes that there are features, especially for vloggers, which might help.
Read my colleague's full review of the Insta360 Flow.
Compact selfie stick
When I took my first look at the Atumek 3-in-1 selfie stick, I was impressed. It’s compact, lightweight, and there are no attachments for me to lose. The smartphone holder appears from the top of the selfie stick when you extend it and the tripod feet are integrated, too. You just gently unclip the tripod feet from the base before extending the stick and they magically appear. Don’t unclip them to use it as a plain old selfie stick.
It was easy to connect the Bluetooth controller to my phone and the controller sits neatly in the body of the selfie stick when it’s not in use. Again, it makes it harder to misplace. There’s a micro USB cable included in the box to recharge it, but in the unfortunate event you lose the cable, they are fairly commonplace.
At a smidge under 32 inches (81cm) when fully extended, the Atumek 3-in-1 doesn’t have the longest range of the selfie sticks I tested and being all-in-one means that it’s smartphone-only. But, if you only need a smartphone selfie stick-come-tripod, its range is long enough and at just under 8 inches (about 20 cm) when collapsed and lightweight, it’s highly portable.
If you don’t need to attach devices other than a smartphone, I think the Atumek 3-in-1 is hard to beat.
Longest selfie stick
If you're after a selfie stick that doubles up as a tripod, includes a remote and has an enormous reach, the Yoto Phone Stand and Selfie Stick has it all. Admittedly it doesn't pack up quite as small as other options on the list but the fact it extends to 176cm kind of makes up for it.
The wireless remote control means you can effortlessly trigger the shutter to record videos, take a selfie or start a live stream. It also comes with a 360-degree ball head for easy shooting and a range of mounts depending on whether you want to shoot with a phone, a GoPro or a camera.
Best selfie sticks for GoPros
While you may not have been expecting GoPro themselves to get into the selfie stick game, in truth the 3-Way Arm is more than that. It also functions as a simple handheld grip and as a static tripod, and when it’s in selfie stick mode, the fact that its arm folds rather than collapses straight down means that it’s possible to arrange the stick at such an angle where you can capture your selfie without getting any of the shaft in the shot, even with the wide-angle lens characteristic to GoPro Hero cameras.
If you don’t mind spending a little more, this waterproof arm is one of the best GoPro tools to augment your GoPro shooting. There is now the GoPro 3-Way 2.0 which includes a ball joint so you can swivel your camera through 360° but as the original currently has 50% off on Amazon which is certainly appealing.
Best selfie sticks for 360 cameras
Using a selfie stick might seem like a good idea in theory for shooting with a 360-degree camera but in practice, you can risk getting it in shot. For this reason, the Insta360 invisible selfie stick is a great choice if you plan on primarily using a selfie stick with a 360-degree camera rather than a phone.
The algorithms on compatible cameras are set to automatically detect it and remove it from shot which means it won't interfere with your panoramic photos or videos. If you're using it with one of the Insta360 cameras which are some of the best 360 cameras available, buying this to go with it makes perfect sense.
I've personally used this stick a lot – you can see the results in a story I wrote about how the Insta360 X3 affected my vacation – most of the time I was using the invisible selfie stick. The stick is strong enough, and narrow enough, for this to work better than I'd imagined.
Of course, you could use it with any camera with the right mount, but it screws with a tripod thrad straight into the Insta 360 X3 and other cameras in the range.
How we test
We test products by using them for their intended purpose, simple as that. With selfie sticks that has meant trying them to shoot selfies and other images. For some of the more sophisticated products – like the extending gimbals – you'll see we have full reviews available with links from the page.
See also
Best gimbals for iPhones and smartphones
Best gimbals for GoPros
The best iPhone tripods and supports
The best mini tripods
Best invisible selfie sticks
