Amazon Basics Aluminum Light Stand twin pack review: so cheap it’s like a BOGOF deal

Amazon needs no introduction. Let’s just say that the company started selling books out of Mr Bezos’s garage in 1994 and has become ‘the everything store’ with an inventory stretching all the way to own-brand photographic light stands. The Amazon Basics range has become renowned for including decent products at rock-bottom prices. 

That’s certainly the case here, with not just one but two light stands included in the pack, both with their own separate carrying bags that have adjustable shoulder straps. As such, they aim to undercut some of the best light stands, as well as offer stable support for the best photography lighting kits and the best LED light panels.

Amazon Basics Light Stand: Specifications

Amazon Basics Light Stand: Price

The selling price of around $35 / £36 is less than you might expect to pay for a single budget lights stand, so it’s all the more remarkable that this kit includes two stands. The kit is ideal for dual light setups, like when using a key light and fill light with two separate studio flash heads or LED panels.

Amazon Basics Light Stand: Design & Handling

The design is entirely conventional for a pair of lightweight light stands. The base section comprises three fold-out legs with a screw clamp and a three-section extending column which has clip locks for the two extending sections. Up on top, there’s the usual 5/8" receiver, which incorporates the often-featured 1/4"-20 screw stud. This makes it easy to attach regular studio flashheads or LED panels, as well as a flashgun mounted in a tripod-friendly cold shoe/stand.

I can’t say the design is a ‘no expense spared’ affair, quite the opposite in fact. That’s no surprise, given the bargain basement price tag. The screw clamp for the base has a small 4-spur handle rather than the often featured bigger T-handle, and the joints don’t feel overly robust. The main column has no springs to cushion the blow if the sections are dropped down too rapidly, and there’s no air cushioning either. On the plus side, the feet have rubber pads and feel quite sturdy.

The length of the base section’s 3-leg spreader is quite modest at 50cm / 20" per leg, which gives a maximum length of about 37cm / 14.5" from the center column to each outlying foot. 

That’s certainly not overly generous and makes it important to position the flash head or LED panel directly over one of the feet, rather than facing out from between two of them. This enables you to gain as much stability as possible when using modifiers like brollies or softboxes hanging off the front of the lamp and reduces the risk of the stand toppling over. 

The upside is that the relatively small area taken up by the base section makes it easier to work in tight spaces, and around furniture, props, and other obstacles.

Amazon Basics Light Stand: Performance

Compared with most light stands I’ve used, these Amazon Basics ones feel a bit on the flimsy side. That’s not surprising as they weigh in at just 0.8kg / 1.76lb each. That’s only about half the weight of many budget light stands. 

The telescopic center column has fairly thin diameters of 23.5/20/16.5mm for each of the three sections, and the legs for the base are quite spindly with a diameter of 16mm. Taking all of that into account, what’s more surprising is that each stand has a beefy maximum load rating of 3.17kg / 7lb. 

There’s a catch though, in that this load rating is quoted when using only the bottom, thickest section of the column. When extending the middle section, the load rating drops to 2.5kg / 5.5lb and falls to just 0.5kg / 1.1lb when also using the thinnest top section.

So what sort of weight are you likely to need to support? As a guide, I tested the stands with one of my trusty Elinchrom D-Lite 2 flash heads plus a wide-angle reflector, which weighs in at 1.3kg / 2.9lb, and one of my Neewer NL660S LED light panels fitted with two rechargeable battery packs, which is somewhat heavier at 2kg / 4.4lb. 

Despite both lamps being considerably over the maximum weight limit for full extension, the stands gave no hint of sagging, although they were quite wobbly when nudged.

The full range of height adjustment extends from 85cm / 2.8' to 213cm / 6.7'. The maximum height should suffice for most scenarios but is a bit on the short side if you want to light a standing subject in portraiture. 

At full height, the modest distance between the center column and the foot of each leg makes the stand feel a little prone to toppling over. As a rule of thumb, I’d use a sandbag for adding ballast when only using one extending section, two bags for two sections, and three bags when using all three sections. It’s especially important if you’re shooting outdoors in breezy conditions, for example with a battery-powered flash head or LED panel.

Amazon Basics Light Stand: Verdict

The Amazon Basics Aluminum Light Stand twin pack feels a bit flimsy for my liking, especially when using heavier flash heads with fairly large softboxes attached, or LED panels with weighty battery packs installed. The maximum height of 213cm / 6.7' can also feel a bit limiting. Even so, the stands are up to the job, and considering they’re sold as a pair rather than individually, they’re standout value for money.