The Best Tripod for iPhones and Other Smartphones of 2025
Mounts
The MOFT Snap Phone Tripod Stand MOVAS is a slim stand that uses Apple’s MagSafe system to stick to the back of any compatible phone (including Android phones with MagSafe-compatible cases). But while it looks good and feels solidly built, it consistently slipped off our phones in testing, making it unreliable for its main purpose and therefore hard to recommend. If you’re looking to add accessories like a stand or wallet to the back of your phone, we recommend this case instead.
The Benro MeVIDEO Sidekick Pocket is a sturdy mount that’s adaptable to a variety of needs. There are ¼″-20 and ⅜″-16 threaded mounting holes throughout, plus a built-in cold-shoe mount so you can mount an extra light and/or a mic. The base plate is Arca-Swiss- and RC2-compatible for quick-release tripod heads, and it folds down to be nearly as small as our pick. However, we can’t recommend it because the arms that hold the phone allow for more slip along the length of the device than all the mounts we tested in 2022, and the tension screw that holds the phone requires extreme tightening or the mount can still move around with minimal pressure.
The Joby GripTight One Mount, a former runner-up pick, comes standard on many Joby smartphone tripods. The simple spring-release design folds to the size of a large car key and is fast to use. But we found it didn’t hold phones securely; we had to be careful about installing the phone or risk it twisting out and falling.
We found that the RetiCam Smartphone Tripod Mount offered the functionality we wanted, but the Ulanzi ST-27 offered more flexibility for angles and accessories and is faster to set up.
The newest version of the Studio Neat Glif is far better than the first, but we still can’t justify this nifty mount’s price.
Tripods
The Apexel Gorillas Tripod is nifty, but the features that set it apart also keep it from being a possible pick. It’s designed so that each leg can unscrew from the phone base. While the bendable legs are stiff enough that they don’t unbend on their own, they also sometimes unscrew from the base as you position them. Also, the joints where the legs connect to the base have limited range, and you can’t adjust the tension, so you can’t open it far enough to lay it flat or lock the legs in place.
The Joby HandyPod Mobile pairs a short tripod with a Joby GripTight One Mount. Its legs fold together to form a smooth handle that’s more comfortable to use as a selfie stick than the jointed legs of a GorillaPod, but its lack of flexible legs also means it can’t grip tree branches or sign poles. We decided to dismiss it because the Ulanzi ST-27 mount is more secure than the GripTight One Mount. We dismissed the Manfrotto Pixi Mini Tripod for similar reasons.
Joby makes many tripods with bendy legs, but its mounts aren’t as secure or easy to use as the Ulanzi ST-27 or Square Jellyfish mount. As a result, it’s a better idea to buy our pick, the GorillaPod 1K Kit, and pair it with the Ulanzi ST-27. The Joby GripTight Pro 2 GorillaPod is large and strong like the GorillaPod 1K and has the added feature of a cold-shoe adapter for accessories like mics or lights, but it lacks a ball mount. Joby’s GripTight One GP Magnetic Impulse, GripTight Action Kit, and GorillaPod 325 have shorter legs, which means they aren’t as strong and can’t grip as many objects.
The MonoShot (the brand-name model we tested, though many nearly identical versions are available on Amazon) extends to nearly 6 feet but sways in the slightest wind at that height—just what you don’t want for your time-lapse.
Kenu’s Stance smartphone tripods are the only kind we’ve seen that uses your iPhone’s Lightning port of a newer iPhone, Android, or Windows phone as a mount. Though interestingly designed, the Stance models are less stable and work in fewer positions than our main picks.
The UBeesize tripod and mount combo is an Amazon best seller, but it’s far flimsier.
This article was edited by Ben Keough and Erica Ogg.
