The best iPhone camera tripods & gimbals

Joby’s well-respected camera tripod stand, the GorillaPod, has made its way to the smartphone market. The oft-copied but never bettered design uses lots of socket joints to allow the legs to stand like a regular tripod or twist into infinite different positions. Wrap, tuck, hang and shoot with ease.

The Osmo Mobile 2 is a major upgrade to the Osmo Mobile but costs less than half the original’s price. It offers reliable hardware and software that allows excellent video stabilisation.

The Osmo Mobile 2 is lighter and simpler to use as well. It uses a spring-loaded clamp which may at first seem difficult to load your phone, but it’s not a problem once you get a feel for it.

The battery capacity is larger too on the upgrade, now 2600mAh, allowing it to last up to 15 hours. You can charge your phone from the Osmo Mobile 2 as well. Read the full review of the Osmo Mobile 2 on our sister site Tech Advisor, where it comes recommended with 4 stars out of 5.

The Moza Mini-MI offers strong competition against brands like DJI but costs less than £100/$100. It combines high-end hardware features with effective tracking modes built into the  Moza Genie app. It’s a no brainer if you’re looking to pick up a gimbal at a bargain.

Its lightweight, ergonomic design makes it comfortable to hold. It also limits the number of physical buttons and controls making it easy to use. Apart from this, what’s especially interesting about the Mini-MI is that it can charge your iPhone wired and wirelessly with a 2100mAh battery that promises 10 hours of use.

See the full review of the Moza Mini-MI on our sister site Tech Advisor.

The Kenu Stance is another tripod you should consider: it’s affordable and compact enough to carry around with you. But what really sets it apart is the fact that it slots into the iPhone’s Lightning port, letting you avoid fiddly attachments.

The tripod has three legs and a ball joint, which can be adjusted for the perfect angle. It sports a premium zinc alloy construction and non-slip feet, so you don’t have to worry about it falling off a surface. And weighing 34g, it’s far from heavy and easy to throw in your pocket or bag. Nicholas Fearn

Manfrotto’s reputation in the photography world certainly precedes it, and when it comes to smartphone camera accessories, these two don’t disappoint – but you’ll have to buy them separately.

The Pixi Evo is a great portable tripod designed for DSLRs but can be used for smartphones. It’s fairly basic, with two leg angles for ground level shooting and three legs that are adjustable for uneven ground. You’ll also need the TwistGrip, which is a superbly made grip that allows you to attach a phone for shooting in landscape mode; but the Pixi, with its ball socket, lets you twist the phone to portrait if need be.

The TwistGrip is to make up for the absence of a socket to screw the tripod into as found on most digital cameras.

You can buy the TwistGrip from  Amazon for about £33/US$49.77, or direct from Manfrotto ( US site here).