11 best tripods & stabilizers for creators
The tripods, light stands, grips and gimbals I film with. What holds a phone, what holds a full frame body, and when a gimbal is worth the weight.
Find the video gear I use and recommend, by type, budget and what you film. Navid's picks come first, and each one opens its own page.
This is a list of the best tripods & stabilizers for creators.
In fact, it has 11 picks, with the gear I use myself first.
So if you want gear that earns its place in your setup, you'll love this list.
The tripods, light stands, grips and gimbals I film with. What holds a phone, what holds a full frame body, and when a gimbal is worth the weight.
Here's what's inside:
- Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod
- Peak Design Mobile Creator Kit
- Insta360 3m 9.8ft Extended Selfie Stick
- Ulanzi MT-79 Extendable Tripod
- Peak Design Mobile Tripod
- Sony GP-VPT2BT Wireless Shooting Grip
- ULANZI Light Stand Carbon Fiber MT-49
- Zoom TPS-4 Tripod Microphone Stand
- Ulanzi MA26 Foldable Phone Tripod
- DJI RS 3 Mini Gimbal Stabilizer
- RODE Tripod 2 Camera and Accessory Mount
Each one comes with its type, its budget and what you'd film with it. I may earn a commission if you buy through my links, at no extra cost to you.
The best tripods & stabilizers at a glance
Here's every pick, with its type and budget.
Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod- Type
- Tripods & stabilizers
- Budget
- Professional
Peak Design Mobile Creator Kit- Type
- Tripods & stabilizers
- Budget
- Budget
Insta360 3m 9.8ft Extended Selfie Stick- Type
- Tripods & stabilizers
- Budget
- Budget
Ulanzi MT-79 Extendable Tripod- Type
- Tripods & stabilizers
- Budget
- Budget
Peak Design Mobile Tripod- Type
- Tripods & stabilizers
- Budget
- Budget
Sony GP-VPT2BT Wireless Shooting Grip- Type
- Tripods & stabilizers
- Budget
- Budget
ULANZI Light Stand Carbon Fiber MT-49- Type
- Tripods & stabilizers
- Budget
- Budget
Zoom TPS-4 Tripod Microphone Stand- Type
- Tripods & stabilizers
- Budget
- Budget
Ulanzi MA26 Foldable Phone Tripod- Type
- Tripods & stabilizers
- Budget
- Budget
DJI RS 3 Mini Gimbal Stabilizer- Type
- Tripods & stabilizers
- Budget
- Mid-range
RODE Tripod 2 Camera and Accessory Mount- Type
- Tripods & stabilizers
- Budget
- Budget
The 11 best tripods & stabilizers, ranked
1. Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod
Best tripod for creators. The best tripod I've ever used. Lightweight, portable, and incredibly versatile.
Type: Tripods & stabilizers
Budget: Professional
Made for: YouTube, Travel, Studio
Rating: 4.9
See Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod on Amazon · More about Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod
2. Peak Design Mobile Creator Kit
Perfect mobile mount for tripod setup. Pairs with the Peak Design tripod to mount my iPhone. Essential for mobile content creation.
Type: Tripods & stabilizers
Budget: Budget
Made for: Travel, YouTube
Rating: 4.8
See Peak Design Mobile Creator Kit on Amazon · More about Peak Design Mobile Creator Kit
3. Insta360 3m 9.8ft Extended Selfie Stick
Super long selfie stick for unique shots. Great for unique angles and even faking drone shots. I use it with my Insta360 and action cams.
Type: Tripods & stabilizers
Budget: Budget
Made for: Travel, YouTube
Rating: 4.7
See Insta360 3m 9.8ft Extended Selfie Stick on Amazon · More about Insta360 3m 9.8ft Extended Selfie Stick
4. Ulanzi MT-79 Extendable Tripod
Compact & extendable tripod. My compact travel tripod for iPhone and action cams. Extends tall, packs small.
Type: Tripods & stabilizers
Budget: Budget
Made for: Travel, YouTube
Rating: 4.7
See Ulanzi MT-79 Extendable Tripod on Amazon · More about Ulanzi MT-79 Extendable Tripod
5. Peak Design Mobile Tripod
Compact tripod for smartphones. My iPhone tripod. Compact, sturdy, and always in my bag for on-the-go shooting.
Type: Tripods & stabilizers
Budget: Budget
Made for: Travel, YouTube
Rating: 4.6
See Peak Design Mobile Tripod on Amazon · More about Peak Design Mobile Tripod
6. Sony GP-VPT2BT Wireless Shooting Grip
Perfect grip for vlogging. My vlogging grip for the Sony a6700. Bluetooth control and doubles as a mini tripod.
Type: Tripods & stabilizers
Budget: Budget
Made for: YouTube, Vlogging, Travel
Rating: 4.5
See Sony GP-VPT2BT Wireless Shooting Grip on Amazon · More about Sony GP-VPT2BT Wireless Shooting Grip
7. ULANZI Light Stand Carbon Fiber MT-49
Lightweight stand for content creators. My go-to carbon fiber light stand. Lightweight and portable for any lighting setup.
Type: Tripods & stabilizers
Budget: Budget
Made for: Studio, YouTube
Rating: 4.5
See ULANZI Light Stand Carbon Fiber MT-49 on Amazon · More about ULANZI Light Stand Carbon Fiber MT-49
8. Zoom TPS-4 Tripod Microphone Stand
Lightweight mic stand for travel. I use this for my Shure MV7+. Super lightweight mic stand, perfect for travel.
Type: Tripods & stabilizers
Budget: Budget
Made for: Travel, Podcasting
Rating: 4.5
See Zoom TPS-4 Tripod Microphone Stand on Amazon · More about Zoom TPS-4 Tripod Microphone Stand
9. Ulanzi MA26 Foldable Phone Tripod
Compact & foldable phone tripod. Compact foldable phone tripod. Great for stable iPhone shots while traveling.
Type: Tripods & stabilizers
Budget: Budget
Made for: Travel, YouTube
Rating: 4.7
See Ulanzi MA26 Foldable Phone Tripod on Amazon · More about Ulanzi MA26 Foldable Phone Tripod
10. DJI RS 3 Mini Gimbal Stabilizer
Lightweight gimbal for smooth shots. Considering this for gimbal-stabilized shots with my a6700. Lightweight and compact.
Type: Tripods & stabilizers
Budget: Mid-range
Made for: YouTube, Travel
Rating: 4.6
See DJI RS 3 Mini Gimbal Stabilizer on Amazon · More about DJI RS 3 Mini Gimbal Stabilizer
11. RODE Tripod 2 Camera and Accessory Mount
Compact & versatile mini tripod. Compact mini tripod I use for my Rode VideoMic NTG. Sturdy and quick to set up.
Type: Tripods & stabilizers
Budget: Budget
Made for: Studio, Podcasting
Rating: 4.5
See RODE Tripod 2 Camera and Accessory Mount on Amazon · More about RODE Tripod 2 Camera and Accessory Mount
FAQs about tripods & stabilizers
The questions people ask most about tripods & stabilizers.
The Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod at $594.95 if you can stretch to it. It is the best tripod I have ever used and my highest rated piece of gear anywhere on this site at 4.9.
It collapses to roughly the size of a water bottle, holds a full frame body without complaint, and sets up faster than anything else I own. If that is too much money, start with a cheap tripod and upgrade when it annoys you.
Only if you carry it. Sitting in a studio, aluminum does the same job for a third of the price.
Carbon fiber buys you weight saved and less vibration, and both of those only matter when the tripod is on your back or on a windy street. My Peak Design travel tripod earns its cost on trips. If yours lives permanently behind your desk, put the money into a light instead.
The Peak Design Mobile Tripod at $79.95 is the one that lives in my bag. It is small, sturdy and quick to open.
For something cheaper, the Ulanzi MT-79 at $28.45 on sale extends much taller and packs down just as small, and I use it for iPhone and action cameras. The Ulanzi MA26 at $35.99 folds flat if pocket space matters more than height.
With a dedicated mount rather than a spring clamp.
The Peak Design Mobile Creator Kit at $49.95 pairs with the Peak Design tripod and locks the phone in magnetically, so there is no clamp squeezing your buttons or blocking your charging port. Cheap spring clamps work until the day one slips, and they always slip on the take you cannot repeat.
Less often than you think. A gimbal solves walking shots, and nothing else.
The DJI RS 3 Mini at $199 on sale is the lightweight option I have been considering for my mirrorless body. But before buying one, look at the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, which has stabilization built in and weighs nothing. If most of your handheld footage is you walking and talking, the Pocket 3 replaces the gimbal entirely.
The Sony GP-VPT2BT wireless shooting grip at $97, which is what I put on my Sony body for vlogging.
It gives you a handle with record and zoom on it over Bluetooth, and the legs fold out so it doubles as a mini tripod when you want to put the camera down. It is the cheapest piece here that meaningfully changes how comfortable solo filming is.
Angles you cannot reach, and faking drone shots.
The Insta360 3m selfie stick at $89.99 on sale extends nearly ten feet, and paired with a 360 camera the stick disappears from the footage entirely. The result looks like a drone flying overhead. I use it with the Insta360 X5 and my action cameras, and it goes places a drone legally cannot.
Yes, and do not try to make a camera tripod do it.
The ULANZI MT-49 carbon fiber light stand at $99.95 is what I use. Light stands go higher, which matters because a key light wants to be above eye level, and they are built to be top heavy without falling over. A camera tripod holding a softbox is one bumped leg away from an expensive noise.
For the Shure MV7+ I use the Zoom TPS-4 tripod mic stand at $17.99. It is the cheapest thing in this category and it works.
The RODE Tripod 2 at $44 is the sturdier tabletop option, and it is what I put my Rode VideoMic NTG on. Neither is a boom arm. If you need the mic to swing out of frame between takes, that is a different purchase.
More than the spec sheet suggests, and less than you should trust.
The Peak Design travel tripod handles my Alpha 7 V with the 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II on it, which is a genuinely heavy combination. The small phone tripods here are rated for phones and action cameras, and putting a mirrorless body on one is how you learn what a $2,798 camera sounds like hitting a floor.
Ball head for locked off shots, fluid head if you pan on camera.
Almost everything I film is static, so a ball head is fine and the Peak Design tripod's built in head is quick to level. A fluid head only earns its extra bulk if your pans and tilts appear in the final cut. For talking head video, they never do.
Whichever one matches the camera you actually film with.
If you shoot on a phone, that is the Peak Design Mobile Tripod at $79.95 or the Ulanzi MT-79 at $28.45. If you shoot mirrorless, it is a full size tripod that will not wobble. The mistake is buying an expensive tripod for a camera you are planning to buy rather than the one you own today.
Final thoughts on tripods & stabilizers
The best gear is the gear you'll actually use. Start with sound and light, then upgrade the camera once your setup holds you back.
Navid Moazzez
AI business strategist & AI OS builder
Navid Moazzez helps creators and founders master AI and build their own AI Operating System (AI OS) to automate their business and life.
Navid.me is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
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