If you enjoy taking pictures and travel with a tripod you know how terrible it can be carrying that thing around with you all over the world. They are big, expensive, awkward to pack, and the rigid legs do not offer you much room. Even the “lightweight” tripods are never as functional as you hope they will be.
Why Joby Gorillapod is the best travel tripod…
If you are looking for a compact travel tripod that will easily fit in any backpack or carry on then you have to give the Joby GorillaPod a try!
I bought 3 travel tripods that all promised to be “lightweight” “small” “easy” to travel with and none turned out to be so. I really needed a camera tripod for travel that fit our fast pace travel style.
I wanted a portable tripod and a compact tripod, keep reading for my thoughts on the Joby Gorillapod…
Life before the Gorillapod was a total nightmare when traveling. Look at that tripod sticking out of our luggage!
In the photo above you can see it sticking out the side of our backpack. We never kept it in our luggage because we only ever travel with carry-on bags. So there just isn’t a lot of space for anything else if I find a way to fit that tripod in there. It was such a pain.
I hesitated for the longest time to buy one because I felt they were overpriced. Now, after going on a few trips with mine I regret not getting one sooner.
How is it different from a regular tripod?
Benefit 1: It’s smaller, lighter, and easier to pack than both of my “small and lightweight” travel tripods I purchased in previous years
When you travel, space is always at a premium. I can’t be the only one that has ridiculously stuffed bags on every trip. I only ever travel with a carry on and a backpack so it definitely makes things even tighter. The Joby Gorillapods (all of them) are lighter and so much easier to pack in your bag.
Benefit 2: The legs are actually flexible.
The Joby Gorillapod is one of the best travel tripods because the legs are flexible. Having a tripod with legs that bend into any shape you need makes it so easy to secure your camera in tough terrain.
It can wrap around objects and fit into awkward places. When you travel you are hardly ever taking photos on a flat surface. There are hills and rocks and mountains in the way. This makes balancing the firm legs of a tripod important.
Benefit 3: It has a quick release plate (I highly recommend this!).
A quick release plate is also known as a QR plate, or a tripod plate. A quick release system is designed to make it well – quick to attach and remove a camera to a tripod. Instead of having to screw the camera onto the tripod every time you use it, you fit the camera with a quick release plate that slips into a quick release clamp on the tripod. That way you only have to go through the process of attaching the camera once, then clip it to the tripod head and remove it much more easily.
Hint: If you want it with the quick release plate you’ll need to buy the “pro” version.
Benefit 4: The durability is amazing.
I am very “hard” on my tripods. I thought I broke my Joby Gorillapod two different times. Once tearing off the quick release plate a bit too quickly and thinking it snapped – it didn’t. And the other time I ripped off a leg. Turns out, the legs actually pop on and off. Hah!
I haven’t had mine for years, but so far so good.
Which Joby Gorillapod should you buy?
This will depend on what size camera you use. Smaller camera = smaller GorillaPod.
If you have a mirrorless camera and only use small lenses with it then the 3k option is what I would recommend.
Joby GorillaPod 3K – Compact Travel Tripod
Important note if you are thinking about the 3k version: They claim it holds up to 6.6lbs but I have the 3k one and my main camera set-up is just over 4lbs and I had to buy upgrade to the 5k because the 3k Gorillapod doesn’t hold it very well. (For reference my set-up includes a sony A7iii mirrorless camera and the 16-35 Lens)
Joby Gorillapod 5k – For DSLR Cameras
The 5k option is for bigger DSLR’s.
This is the one I recommend getting if you only take photos. Since I have recently started getting more into videos I upgraded to the Joby Gorillapod to the 5k Video Pro. More on that below.
Buy 5k Gorillapod here (Holds up to 11lbs).
Joby Gorillapod Pro 5k – For photos and videos
The perfect compact travel tripod for photos and videos! Obsessed with this one!
Have you tried the Joby Gorrillapod? What is your favorite compact travel tripod?
