Phone tripod: how to choose a selfie stick tripod or a mini tripod

Height is usually the biggest number on the box, but in practice other things decide. Stability in the legs: a selfie stick has short legs, so the higher you extend it, the more the leg spread and the surface underneath matter. Folded length and weight: a stick that doesn't fit in your bag stays at home.

Then there is how the phone is held – a clamp takes almost any phone, a MagSafe magnet is quicker but needs a compatible phone or a metal ring. A Bluetooth remote is a must for group shots. And a 1/4" thread under the holder means you can later fit an action camera, a light or a small camera too.

The K&F Concept MS08 is the model we recommend when you are not sure. As a tripod it adjusts from 38.4 to 158.4 cm in seven steps, folds down to 35.2 cm and weighs 450 g. The maker quotes a 3 kg load capacity, enough for a small camera or a light.

The clamp takes phones 5.6–9.5 cm wide, so large models in a case fit too. Beneath it is a hidden 1/4" screw, and a GoPro adapter is in the box. The ball head rotates through 360° for portrait or landscape.

A typical situation: a family photo on a day out. Set up the tripod, take the Bluetooth remote out of the handle, join the group and shoot from up to 10 m away.

For a high angle or a full-length shot, choose a taller stick. The K&F Concept MS24 extends to 175 cm as a tripod and 180 cm as a selfie stick, yet weighs only 350 g and folds to 33 cm. The price for the lower weight is a 2 kg load capacity and a narrower clamp, up to 8.5 cm.

One rule applies to every stick: fully extended, it is at its least stable. The top sections are the thinnest, a phone at the top acts like a sail in the wind, and the leg spread is small compared with the height. Outdoors, don't extend the last section unless you need to, stay next to the tripod and never leave it unattended.

The K&F Concept 180 cm magnetic selfie stick holds a phone three ways: an N52 magnet with 3000 gf of holding force for MagSafe phones, a clamp for other phones and a 1/4" screw for a light or microphone. The magnet is fast. With a heavy phone while walking or in the wind, though, the clamp is the safer choice; treat the magnet as a convenience, not a safety catch.

The legs spring open to a 39 cm spread when you drop the stick vertically from 10 cm. The four-axis holder also tilts for overhead shots. For recipe videos, place the tripod right against the worktop and tilt the phone lens-down – the further you lean it beyond the legs, the easier the tripod tips over.

The Ulanzi MT-44 B suits creators who add a mic or light to their phone. The phone holder has a cold shoe, and folding it down reveals a 1/4" camera screw – so one stick can carry a phone and a camera. It has four legs, which open when you tap the base on the ground.

As a tripod it reaches 150 cm, folds to about 33.5 cm and weighs about 415 g. Its load capacity of up to 1.5 kg is lower than on the MS08 and MS24, but fine for a phone and a light camera.

A typical situation: a travel vlog with a small mic on the cold shoe, or a live stream with the 10 m remote tucked in the handle.

For video calls, a film on the train or a quick photo, you don't need a 1.5 m stick. The K&F Concept MS-67 Mantis is a flat magnetic mount that unfolds into a mini tripod. Folded, it measures 15.8 × 0.8 cm and weighs 97 g, so it lives in your pocket.

Its N52 magnets hold an iPhone 12 to 16, with no case or in a MagSafe case, with a force of 22.5 N; other phones need the supplied metal ring. The Mantis hook hangs it on a fence, railing or branch, and a 1/4" screw attaches it to a bigger tripod.

The manufacturer notes it is not designed for high-impact sports. For a video call at a desk, though, it is the quickest option: attach, angle, talk.

Action and panoramic cameras follow a different logic. The K&F Concept MS21 is a slim aluminium alloy pole that extends to 120 cm, folds to 24 cm and weighs 202 g. With Insta360 cameras it disappears from 360° footage on its own – provided you hold it vertically with the legs folded. Don't count on this effect with other cameras.

The 1/4" screw takes the Insta360 X4, X3, ONE X2 and ONE X, and the adapter attaches a GoPro or DJI Osmo Action; the camera should weigh no more than 300 g. The pole is not meant for phones – there is no clamp or remote in the box. For a hike or a walk around town with a 360° camera, though, it is exactly what you want.

Not sure what you'll be filming? Get the K&F Concept MS08 – a 3 kg load capacity, a wide clamp, a remote and a GoPro adapter.

Want height and low weight? The MS24 at 175 cm and 350 g – just check your phone's width.

Got a MagSafe iPhone and film often? The 180 cm magnetic stick switches between selfie and tripod with one hand.

Vlogging with a mic or light? The Ulanzi MT-44 B with a cold shoe and four legs.

Mostly video calls at a desk? The pocket-sized MS-67 Mantis.

Insta360 or GoPro? The MS21, which vanishes from 360° footage.