I’ve been taking photos since 1993 and have worked as a professional travel photographer since 2010. Most of the time I’m shooting with a “real” camera, but when Jess and I want a photo of the two of us, or a family photo with everyone in it, I usually reach for my phone and the little phone mount that lives inside my Peak Design Travel Tripod.

If you just want the answer: for photos of two people at eye level, get a tall phone tripod with a clamp and a remote, like the JOBY TelePod TP09 Grip. If you mostly want to prop your phone on tables and walls, a tabletop tripod like the Vanguard Vesta TT is smaller and cheaper. And if you already travel with a camera tripod, a phone clamp means you don’t need a second tripod at all.

The easiest way to get this wrong is to buy on price, or on how small it folds, and then find it can’t take the photo you bought it for. A 5 inch tabletop tripod is no help in a field with no wall to stand it on, and a 5 foot selfie-stick tripod is quite a lot to carry to dinner. Start with the photo you want and the right type of tripod follows from it.

I own and use three of the picks below: the Vanguard Vesta TT, a Manfrotto PIXI Mini and the Peak Design Travel Tripod’s phone mount. I’ve chosen the rest on their specs, which we checked against each maker’s own product pages, and on a lot of years of using tripods in the field.

Quick Take: The Best Phone Tripods for Travel

In a hurry? Here’s what I’d buy for each job. The comparison table and the full picks follow.

• Best overall, for photos of the two of you: the JOBY TelePod TP09 Grip. It reaches almost six feet (180 cm), holds the phone in a clamp rather than with a magnet, and comes with a wireless remote.
• Best for MagSafe iPhones: the Ulanzi MT-44M magnetic selfie stick tripod. The phone snaps on by magnet, and there’s a ring for phones without one.
• The cheap Amazon bestseller: the EUCOS 62-inch phone tripod. Fine for occasional use, but read my notes first.
• Best tabletop phone tripod: the Vanguard Vesta TT, which I’ve used for years.
• Best mini tripod for a phone and an action camera: the Manfrotto mini tripod with smartphone clamp (the PIXI Mini kit).
• Best if you want a camera tripod too: the Peak Design Travel Tripod, with its built-in phone mount. This is my own setup.
• Best pocket stand: the Peak Design Mobile Tripod.
• Best flexible tripod: the JOBY PodZilla suction tripod (the PodZilla Octo), for railings, branches and windows.
• Best clamp for a tripod you already own: the Manfrotto MCPIXI smartphone clamp.

Phone Tripod Comparison Table

Here’s how the picks compare on the numbers that decide whether a phone tripod suits your trip. The EUCOS figures come from its Amazon listing. Everything else comes from each maker’s own product page.

Which Kind of Phone Tripod Do You Need?

Phone tripods come in five basic types, and each one suits a different photo. Pick the type first and the model second.

A tabletop tripod (the Vesta TT, the PIXI Mini) is about 4 to 5 inches tall and needs something to stand on: a table, a wall, a rock, the roof of the car. It’s good for a night shot from a wall or a photo across a table, and it’s what I use most for propping my phone up to watch a film on a plane or a train.

A tall selfie-stick tripod (the TP09, the MT-44M, the EUCOS) is a telescoping pole with fold-out legs at the bottom. It’s the only cheap way to get a phone up to eye level for a photo of two people standing up, and most come with a remote. They’re also the least steady of the bunch at full height.

A flexible tripod (the PodZilla Octo) has bendable legs that wrap round a railing, a branch or a lamp post. It’s for the times when there’s nothing flat at the height you want.

A phone clamp or built-in mount for a camera tripod (the MCPIXI clamp, the Peak Design phone mount) makes sense if you already carry a travel tripod. You get full height and a much steadier base than any phone tripod for a few extra ounces.

A pocket MagSafe stand (the Peak Design Mobile Tripod) is a little bigger than a credit card, about half a centimetre thick, and snaps onto the back of your phone. It’s always with you, but like a tabletop tripod it needs something to stand on.

If you only buy one, think about the photo you take most. For us, that’s photos of the two of us, which is why my own setup is a full-size tripod with a phone mount. A full-size tripod makes getting the angle you want a lot easier than a mini tripod does. If you’re not sure a tripod is worth carrying at all, I’ve written up the reasons you need a tripod for photography.

The Best Phone Tripods for Travel in 2026

I’ve started with the tall tripods, since they’re what most people searching for a phone tripod are after, then the small ones, then the camera-tripod route.

Best Overall: JOBY TelePod TP09 Grip Tripod

For photos of the two of you standing up, at eye level, without having to ask a stranger, get the JOBY TelePod TP09 Grip. It extends to 70.87 in (180 cm) as a tripod, which puts the lens at eye level for most adults, and folds down to 15.16 in (38.5 cm).

The phone clamp is hidden in the top and rotates 360 degrees, so it works without a magnet or a ring on the back of your phone. There’s also a 1/4 inch thread and two cold shoes for a small light. JOBY rates it for 2.65 lb (1.2 kg), which is several times the weight of the heaviest current phones, and it comes with a wireless remote with a range of 33 ft (10 m).

The downside is size. At 19.40 oz (550 g) it’s the heaviest phone tripod here, and at 15 inches folded it goes in a day bag, not a pocket. JOBY changed owners in 2025 and the TP09 is one of its newer phone tripods, so it doesn’t have a long track record yet. I’d still buy it over the cheaper poles for the extra height and the clamp.

Price: Check price on Amazon

Best for MagSafe iPhones: Ulanzi MT-44M

The Ulanzi MT-44M magnetic selfie stick tripod is a 7-section pole on a four-leg base, and its phone mount is a magnet. On a MagSafe iPhone you just snap the phone on, which is quicker than any clamp. For other phones, Ulanzi includes a magnetic adapter ring in the box. There’s a 1/4 inch screw as well as the magnet, so you can use a clamp or a small camera instead.

It extends to 58.66 in (149 cm), folds to 13.19 in (33.5 cm) and weighs 14.82 oz (420 g), and the detachable wireless remote works up to 33 ft (10 m) away. The whole tripod is rated for 2.65 lb (1.2 kg) and the magnetic mount for 1.1 lb (500 g), which is still about double the weight of the heaviest phones.

A magnet’s grip depends on what’s between it and the phone, so a thick or wallet-style case will weaken it. It’s also about a foot shorter than the TP09. If you’re tall, the photo will be taken from around your chin, which is fine, just a bit less flattering than eye level.

Price: Check price on Amazon

The Amazon Bestseller: EUCOS 62-Inch Phone Tripod

Search Amazon for a phone tripod and cheap selfie-stick tripods with thousands of reviews come up first. The EUCOS 62-inch phone tripod is a typical one, and I’ve included it because it’s what a lot of people end up buying anyway.

On paper it’s pretty good value. The listing gives it a 62 in maximum height, a folded length of about 12 in, a weight of 12.8 oz, a 2.2 lb load, a holder for phones 2.2 to 3.6 in wide and a wireless remote with a 33 ft range.

Those figures come from the Amazon listing rather than a maker’s spec sheet, so treat them as a guide. Amazon also shows a newer version of this listing, so check which one you’re buying.

My view: it’s fine for occasional use and for a tight budget. Compared with the TP09 you give up 9 inches of height and the reassurance of a maker’s spec sheet. If you’ll use it every day of a trip, spend the extra on the JOBY.

Price: Check price on Amazon

Best Tabletop Phone Tripod: Vanguard Vesta TT

I’ve had a Vanguard Vesta TT for years and use it for all sorts of things. A lot of the time it isn’t for photos at all. On planes and trains it holds my phone up so I can watch a film without holding it the whole way.

When I do use it for photos, which is less often since I normally have a camera with me, it’s for standing the phone (or a small camera) on a wall or a table.

That’s mine above with our RX100 compact on a dry stone wall in the Pentland Hills, just outside Edinburgh. It stands 3 7/8 in tall and folds to 6 7/8 in (the legs close up into a handle, so it’s longer folded than standing), weighs 0.34 lb and is rated for 4.4 lb (2 kg). The phone holder takes phones up to 3.4 in wide, and the small ball head swivels a full 360 degrees.

Vanguard says the kit includes a Bluetooth remote. The Amazon listing’s box contents name only the tripod and the phone holder, so if the remote matters to you, check before you buy. I should also say that I’ve been a Vanguard ambassador since 2014. If you buy direct from Vanguard, the code FindingTheUniverse gets you 20% off.

Height is its weak point. Under 4 inches means it has to sit on something at roughly the height you want to shoot from, and for a photo of two people standing up, that something is rarely there.

Price: Check price on Amazon

Best Mini Tripod for a Phone and an Action Camera: Manfrotto PIXI Mini

I’ve also had a Manfrotto PIXI Mini for many years. Mine mostly carries my action camera rather than my phone, but put a phone clamp on top and it’s a tabletop phone tripod, and with the legs folded together it makes a handle you can hold.

The original PIXI Mini and its first clamp kit are now in Manfrotto’s archive. The kit to buy today is the Manfrotto mini tripod with universal smartphone clamp, the Made in Italy version, which comes with the clamp. It stands 5.31 in (13.5 cm) tall, folds to 7.28 in (18.5 cm), weighs 0.37 lb (0.17 kg) and is rated for 2.2 lb (1 kg).

It has the same limit as the Vesta: it needs something to stand on. If you only want a tabletop tripod for your phone, I’d buy the Vesta for its remote. If you’ll also use it with an action camera or a compact, the PIXI is the better-made little tripod.

Price: Check price on Amazon

Best If You Want a Camera Tripod Too: Peak Design Travel Tripod

This is my own phone tripod, and the one I use most for photos of us. I’ve used Peak Design gear since 2015, and the Peak Design Travel Tripod has a phone mount that stows inside the centre column. When I want it, it latches straight onto the tripod’s head and unfolds, and a spring holds the phone in place. Because it lives in the tripod, it’s always with me whenever the tripod is, and it’s very secure.

I use it all the time for selfies and family photos. A full-size tripod gets the phone to exactly the height and angle you want, and it’s far sturdier than a pole on fold-out legs. It extends to 60 in (152.4 cm) with the centre column raised, folds to 15.5 in (39.4 cm) and holds 20 lb (9.1 kg). The phone mount takes phones up to 3.54 in (9 cm) wide, in or out of a case.

Mine is the aluminium version, which weighs 3.44 lb (1.56 kg). The carbon fibre version is 2.81 lb (1.27 kg) and costs a lot more, and both come with the same phone mount. You can buy either direct from Peak Design, or the carbon fibre version on Amazon.

Of course, this is a lot of tripod to buy just for a phone. It makes sense if you want a camera tripod anyway, and my Peak Design Travel Tripod review covers it as one.

Price: Check price on Amazon

Best Pocket Stand: Peak Design Mobile Tripod

The Peak Design Mobile Tripod is the opposite of a selfie-stick tripod. It’s 3.8 by 2.2 in (9.7 by 5.5 cm), about half a centimetre thick and 2.68 oz (76 g), and it snaps onto the back of your phone with magnets and folds out into a small stand with a micro ball head.

The magnets are MagSafe-compatible. Peak Design says it needs a Peak Design case or its Universal Adapter, and that it also works with MagSafe phones and phone cases. So on an iPhone in a MagSafe case it works straight away, and on a phone without MagSafe magnets you’ll need the adapter or a Peak Design case.

It’s so small that it really can go everywhere with you. But it’s a stand, so it needs a table or a ledge, and it keeps the phone low. It’s also sold direct from Peak Design.

Price: Check price on Amazon

Best Flexible Phone Tripod: JOBY PodZilla Octo

For railings, branches and lamp posts you want bendable legs. The PodZilla Octo is JOBY’s current flexible phone tripod. Its legs end in suction cups, so it’ll also stick to a window or a smooth table, and the phone attaches by magnet, with a magnetic adapter ring in the box for phones that need one. Amazon sells it as the JOBY PodZilla suction tripod magnetic kit.

It weighs 5.15 oz (146 g), measures 6.5 in (16.5 cm) long, folds flat, and JOBY rates it for 1.1 lb (500 g). That’s plenty for a phone, but not for a camera.

If you want a flexible tripod that’ll take a small camera as well, JOBY’s GorillaPod 1K Gen 2 has a 360 degree ball head, a 1/4 inch thread and a magnetic phone mount that you can use at the same time, and a 2.2 lb (1 kg) load. It’s sold direct by JOBY.

I wouldn’t hang an expensive phone off a magnet on bendy legs above a canal, though. Wrap the legs tight and keep it over dry land.

Price: Check price on Amazon

How to Take a Photo of the Two of You with a Phone Tripod

Put the phone at about eye level, or slightly above. A photo taken from below your chins isn’t flattering for anyone, and that’s the main reason a tall tripod beats a tabletop one for photos of people.

Stand a bit further back than feels natural, so you get some of the place you’re in as well as the two of you. Use the main rear camera rather than the selfie camera. It’s the better camera, and with a remote you don’t need to see the screen.

Then decide how you’ll press the shutter. These are the options:

• A Bluetooth remote. Cheap ones typically work by acting like a volume-button press, which is why they work with your phone’s own camera app. On an iPhone, either volume button takes a photo, and on a Samsung Galaxy you can set the volume buttons to take pictures in the camera settings.
• The self-timer. The iPhone camera offers 3, 5 or 10 seconds. Ten gives you time to walk back and get into position.
• An Apple Watch. The Camera Remote app lets you take the photo from your wrist, with a 3 second timer by default. It works within normal Bluetooth range, which Apple puts at about 33 feet (10 m).
• An S Pen. This is what I use. My Galaxy S23 Ultra’s S Pen has a button that works as a remote shutter over Bluetooth: hold it for two to three seconds to open the camera, then press it once to take a photo. Samsung lists the S21, S22, S23 and S24 Ultra pens as having remote features, but not the S25 Ultra or S26 Ultra pens, so on those phones you’ll need one of the other options.

Take several photos. Someone always blinks! Burst mode, or just pressing the remote a few times, means at least one frame will have both of you looking normal.

Is a stranger better? Sometimes. A willing stranger can frame you in a busy spot where a tripod would get knocked over, and you don’t have to walk back and forth. But a tripod gets you a photo you’ve framed yourself, in places where there’s nobody to ask.

What a Tripod Lets Your Phone Do After Dark

Phones take night photos by capturing for longer and combining frames, and the longer that goes on, the more any movement blurs the result. A tripod keeps the phone still, and Apple and Google both tell you to use one.

On an iPhone 11 or later, Night mode switches on by itself in low light. Apple recommends a tripod for Night mode, and in the Night mode controls you can choose Max, which extends the capture time.

On a Google Pixel, Night Sight has an Astrophotography setting for the night sky. Google’s instructions are to set the phone down on a stand or tripod and not use your hands. Once the phone is still, it switches to Astrophotography by itself and takes a multi-minute exposure.

On a Samsung Galaxy, older software puts Night mode under More in the Camera app. From One UI 8.5 it’s part of Photo mode instead, and you tap the moon icon that appears when the light is low. For stars, Samsung’s separate Expert RAW app, which you download from the Galaxy Store, has an Astrophotography mode.

With the phone held still, you can photograph city lights from a wall, blue hour after sunset and the night sky. I’ve done some astrophotography with my Galaxy S23 Ultra on a tripod, mostly to see how it works. It’s OK, and the results are workable, but they’re no match for a full-frame camera.

Phones can manage a decent aurora photo too, but again a camera on a tripod does better, and my guides to photographing the northern lights and photographing the stars cover both. If you’re thinking about a step up from your phone, my travel camera guide is the place to start.

Already Own a Camera Tripod?

Then you probably don’t need a phone tripod at all. A camera tripod is far steadier than any phone tripod above and tall enough for eye level, and all it needs is something to hold the phone.

If you have a Peak Design Travel Tripod, the phone mount is already in the centre column. For any other tripod, a phone clamp with a standard 1/4 inch thread is all you need. The one I’d get is the Manfrotto MCPIXI smartphone clamp.

It takes phones 2.36 to 4.09 in (60 to 104 mm) wide, which is wide enough for the biggest phones in a chunky case, and weighs 0.09 lb (41 g). There’s a 1/4 inch thread on the side and another on the bottom, so you can shoot in landscape or portrait, plus a cold shoe on top for a small light.

Price: Check price on Amazon

If you’re flying, bear in mind that airport security can refuse a full-size tripod in your carry-on. It’s happened to me once, which is why mine now goes in my checked bag (there’s more on that in the FAQ below).

If you’re shopping for a travel tripod in the first place, my guide to the best travel tripods covers the options, from budget to carbon fibre.

What Goes Wrong with Phone Tripods (and How to Avoid It)

Most phone tripod disappointments come from a handful of problems, and you can avoid nearly all of them.

Wobble at full height. A selfie-stick tripod at full extension is a thin pole on small legs, and a breeze or a bump will shake it. Lower it a section or two if you can, open the legs fully on flat ground, and use a remote or the timer so you’re not touching it when the photo’s taken.

Wind. I’ve had a tripod blow over with my camera on it. It was a very windy day and I hadn’t set it up properly, so that one was on me. A phone tripod is far lighter than a camera tripod, so in wind keep it low, stay close to it, and don’t leave it standing near a drop.

Big phones and clamps. Today’s biggest phones are heavy. Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro Max weighs 249 g (8.78 oz), the folding iPhone Duo is 254 g and 84.1 mm wide when folded, and Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra is 214 g. The load ratings in the table are well above that, so weight is rarely the problem. Width is. Check the clamp range against your phone in its case, not the bare phone.

Magnets and cases. Magnetic mounts are quick, but they need a MagSafe phone, a magnetic case or an adapter ring, and a thick case weakens the hold. If your phone doesn’t have MagSafe, a clamp is simpler.

Too short to be useful. Tabletop tripods only work where there’s something to stand them on at the right height. Buy one for photos of the two of you, find there’s no wall, and you’ll end up with a photo taken from the ground looking up your noses!

Phone Tripod FAQ

Quick answers to some common phone tripod questions.

What is the best phone tripod for travel?

For most people, a tall phone tripod with a clamp and a remote, like the JOBY TelePod TP09 Grip. It gets the phone to eye level for photos of two people, which a tabletop tripod can’t do.

If you already carry a camera tripod, add a phone clamp instead. It’s what I do, using the phone mount built into my Peak Design Travel Tripod.

Can I take a tripod in my carry-on?

In the US, yes. The TSA allows tripods in both carry-on and checked bags, although the final decision rests with the TSA officer at the checkpoint.

I’ve had one refused, though. Security in Paris (Charles de Gaulle, I think) turned away my Peak Design tripod, and I had to go back and check it in. Plenty of photographers I’ve spoken to always fly with a tripod in their carry-on, so I may just have been unlucky.

But if security decide your tripod could be used as a weapon, you don’t have a lot of recourse. These days I never travel with a full-size tripod in my carry-on.

Airlines also set their own size limits for cabin bags. A phone tripod that fits in your day bag won’t trouble those, but a longer camera tripod is worth checking against your airline’s carry-on limit before you fly.

Do I need a remote for a phone tripod?

No, the self-timer works. On an iPhone you can set it to 3, 5 or 10 seconds.

A remote is a lot easier, though, especially for several shots in a row, since you don’t have to walk back to the phone each time. Most tall phone tripods come with one, and an Apple Watch or a Galaxy S Pen (up to the S24 Ultra) can do the same job.

Will a phone tripod hold a big phone in a case?

Usually, but check the width. The load ratings are well above the weight of the heaviest current phones, so the limit is how wide the clamp opens.

The Manfrotto MCPIXI takes phones 2.36 to 4.09 in (60 to 104 mm) wide, the Peak Design Travel Tripod’s mount takes up to 3.54 in (9 cm), and the Vanguard Vesta TT’s holder takes up to 3.4 in. Measure your phone in its case before you buy.

Is a selfie stick tripod as good as a real tripod?

No. A selfie-stick tripod is a thin pole on small legs, so it’s much less steady than a camera tripod, especially at full height or in wind.

It’s also a fraction of the weight and a fraction of the price, and for photos of the two of you in reasonable light that’s a pretty fair trade. For night photos, a camera tripod with a phone clamp is steadier.

Are magnetic phone mounts secure?

On a MagSafe phone or a magnetic case, yes, for normal use. The Ulanzi MT-44M’s magnetic mount is rated for 1.1 lb (500 g), which is about double the weight of the heaviest current phones.

A thick or wallet-style case weakens the hold, and I wouldn’t trust a magnet over water or a long drop. If your phone doesn’t have MagSafe, a clamp is the more secure option.

Can I put a camera on a phone tripod?

Some, yes. A phone tripod with a 1/4 inch screw will take a small camera, as long as the camera is within its load rating. The JOBY TP09 and the Ulanzi MT-44M are both rated for 2.65 lb (1.2 kg), and the Manfrotto PIXI Mini kit for 2.2 lb (1 kg).

For anything bigger than a compact, you want a camera tripod. My guide to the best travel tripods covers those.

Does night mode need a tripod?

Not always, but it helps a lot. Apple recommends a tripod for Night mode on the iPhone, and Google’s instructions for Pixel Astrophotography are to set the phone on a stand or tripod.

The longer the phone captures, the more any movement blurs the shot, and a tripod removes the movement.

If you’ve got a question about phone tripods, or a setup that works well for you, let me know in the comments below.