When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Best Tripods for Video and Vlogging – Overview
Tripods are created to help you record better videos or take good photos. It helps you stabilize your video, especially if you’re moving while recording.
The main points that I would suggest you consider if you buy a tripod are that it’s lightweight and durable and its overall functionality.
Whether you are shooting an indoor video or travel videos, you need something sturdy to hold your camera.
You wouldn’t want something that would easily flip over and crash your gear, and you might have content that would require you to carry around your camera all day, so you’d also want something not too bulky or heavy to carry.
There isn’t much to choose from when it comes to using tripods, but I’m going to list the 4 best tripods for vlogging, what it’s good for and hopefully, that will help you decide which one is fit for your needs.
1. JOBY GorillaPod The ever so popular among vloggers. The “King” of all tripods. You can use this tripod in three (3) ways.
One, you can use it as a normal tripod to hold your camera on a flat surface.
Second, you can also convert it to a selfie stick.
Third, a very cool feature of this tripod is you can bend the legs. Yes, you can fold it however you want. Want it to be hanging on a tree? Sure. Want to wrap it on a pole? No problem.
If you want to place your camera at weird angles, The JOBY GorillaPod can help you with that. This tripod is versatile in many ways. The legs are a bit chunky to hold because of its design but that’s never been a problem.
It can hold almost any kind of camera. JOBY also has phone tripods with the same functionality as their camera tripods.
The downside is you have to really balance your camera and bend those legs properly to secure your camera or your phone.
JOBY GorillaPod 3K Pro is usually what most people are using. They have a GorillaPod 5K Pro but it seems to be quite big and heavier to carry than the 3K.
2. SwitchPod is somehow referred to as the JOBY GorillaPod alternative; this tripod can be portable and lightweight but can support heavy gears.
It can be used in two (2) ways: One as a selfie stick and the second as a normal tripod.
What’s convenient about this tripod is that, unlike the JOBY GorillaPod, you have to manually adjust the legs to switch it back from selfie to tabletop mode. The SwitchPod lets you go from selfie mode to table-top mode in seconds.
It looks sleek, the handles are slim and it is ideal, especially if you’re traveling, as it doesn’t take up space.
The handles are form-fitting, so you can easily hold them for a long time, unlike the JOBY, which is a bit chunky. It can be used for Cameras and Smart Phones.
The downside is that it’s just legs, so you still need to buy a ball head that you can mount to it so you can rotate your camera at different angles and if you look at it, it’s not bendable like the JOBY GorillaPod.
It’s a perfect stick and a table-top tripod. It’s a fairly new product and already a great choice when it comes to stability, size, and look.
3. Manfrotto Compact Action Tripod. This Tripod is great for traveling. It’s a stable and sturdy tripod that could hold DSLR or heavier gears.
The maximum it can carry is about 3 kg. Weighs about 1 kg, which makes it lightweight and perfect to carry anywhere.
It’s compacted and doesn’t take up that much space. It can be extended to a height of 5 ft. It holds your gear safely, so there is no need to worry about it. One of the most trusted tripods for professionals.
4. Peak Design Travel Tripod. Comes in two kinds, Aluminum and Carbon Fiber (a bit pricey). If I were a traveling vlogger, this is what I would get.
The fact that it’s so small, almost the size of a water bottle, is already a buying point for me. It’s easy to carry and super compact.
The aluminum only weighs around 3.4 lbs, and the Carbon Fiber is a tiny bit lighter. Its ball head has a lot of flexibility. You can rotate your cam in any direction, even go completely vertical.
If you want to take very low angles, you can reverse and flip the center column, so you can take low-angle shots. Amazing.
This is compatible with many different kinds of cameras as well as your phone. Yes, you can use it as a tripod for your phone.
Another convenient feature of this tripod is how fast it can easily be set up and packed, won’t take you more than 30 seconds. It feels like this tripod’s been made to meet all Content Creator’s needs.
So, for overall functionality, weight, durability, and price, I’d go for the JOBY GorillaPod since you can do so much with it, and the Peak Design Travel Tripod because it has everything you could ask for in a tripod.
Simple and easy to use. It’s perfect. Remember to use a camera with a flip screen as an articulated screen will make your life much easier when it’s empowered with a tripod.
See Also