The Fine PrintNothing here was tested in a lab. Every line below is a synthesis of what verified buyers report in their own reviews, including the complaints, which is the part most roundups leave out.
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These five are filed under one category and they are really two products. Two of them extend to over six feet and stand on the floor for group shots. Two are hand-sized things that wrap around a railing or sit on a desk. Comparing their star ratings against each other tells you almost nothing, because they are not competing for the same job.
The table sorts that out first. Below it: why the magnetic ones fail differently from the clamp ones, why one of these lists its height in centimetres while every other number on the page is in inches, and the uncomfortable fact that not one product here has enough reviews behind it to be confident about.
The short answer
- Best small oneULANZI MT30 Magnetic Flexible Tripod. 4.6 stars, the highest here, on a magnetic mini that reviewers say grips harder than its size suggests and wraps securely around poles, branches and railings. Around ten inches, so this is a desk-and-railing tool rather than anything you stand on the floor. A few reviewers report the rubber coating on the legs tearing within about a month.
- Best full-height oneMagnetic Tripod with Light. Extends to 69 inches and folds to twelve, with a magnetic mount reviewers prefer to the stretchy clamps these usually ship with, plus an attached light with three brightness levels. One reviewer had to take their phone case off entirely before the magnet would hold, which is the recurring cost of magnetic mounting.
- Tallest, and quickest to set upMQOUNY Magnetic Phone Tripod with Remote. 76 inches, the tallest here, with auto-open legs reviewers describe as near-instant and a rechargeable remote in the box. Good for group shots and overhead angles. A couple of reviewers report a leg breaking when the tripod tipped over, which is worth weighing against standing a phone six feet up.
- Most useful beyond a phonePhone Tripod Mount with Cold Shoe Mount. A cold shoe mount and a ball head, so it takes a small camera or a light as well as a phone, and it packs down to 7.3 inches, the smallest here. It holds by clamp rather than magnet, so no case problems. Several reviewers say that clamp weakens over time.
- Best for a GoPro or action cameraULANZI MT-91 Flexible Octopus Tripod. Ships with a GoPro adapter, a phone clamp and a Bluetooth remote, and the flexible legs wrap around handlebars and branches. 13.5 inches, so again a small one. Reviewers with thicker cases say the clamp does not hold as snugly as they would like.
All 5 compared
| Product | Extends to | Holds phone by | Packed | Rating | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ULANZI MT30 Magnetic Flexible Tripod | 10.2" (listed in cm) | magnet | 11" long | 4.6 (40) | A few reviewers say the rubber coating on the legs tore within about a month. |
| Magnetic Tripod with Light | 69" | magnet | 12" folded | 4.4 (50) | One reviewer said they had to remove their phone case entirely to get... |
| MQOUNY Magnetic Phone Tripod with Remote | 76" | magnet | 14" folded | 4.3 (31) | A couple of reviewers say a leg can break if the tripod tips over. |
| Phone Tripod Mount with Cold Shoe Mount | Not stated | clamp | 7.3" folded | 4.2 (68) | A few reviewers say the clip that holds the phone felt weak over time. |
| ULANZI MT-91 Flexible Octopus Tripod | 13.5" | clamp | - | 4.1 (47) | Some reviewers with thicker phone cases say the clip doesn't hold as snugly as... |
This is two categories wearing one label
Look at the height column and the split is obvious. Two of these reach 69 and 76 inches. The others top out around 10 and 13 inches. There is no overlap and no sense in which they compete.
A floor tripod is for standing back: group photos, filming yourself, anything where the phone needs to be at eye level several feet away. A mini is for the opposite, propping a phone on a desk or wrapping it round a railing at arm's length. Buying the wrong class is a much bigger mistake than buying the weaker product within a class.
Decide which of those two things you actually want before you compare anything else. The star ratings on this page are not comparable across that line.
Magnets fail on thick cases, clamps fail on time
Three of these hold the phone magnetically and two use a clamp, and their complaints are cleanly split along that line.
The magnetic ones draw reports of having to take the case off entirely to get a secure hold. That is the same physics as a magnetic car mount: magnetic force falls away sharply with distance, so a few extra millimetres of rugged case turns a strong mount into a weak one. Nothing is faulty; the gap is simply too big.
The clamp ones draw reports of the clamp weakening over time, and of not gripping thick cases snugly. A spring loses tension with use in a way a magnet does not.
So the choice is between a failure you can predict from your case today and one that arrives gradually over months. If you use a thin case, magnetic is the easier life. If you use a heavy protective case, take the clamp.
One of these states its height in centimetres
Every other height on this page is in inches. One listing gives its maximum height as 26 centimetres, which is about 10 inches, sitting in a category where other products advertise 69 and 76.
The number 26 next to the number 76 reads like a somewhat shorter tripod rather than a completely different object, which is exactly the misreading a mixed-unit spec sheet invites. The table above converts it and flags that it was listed in centimetres, because the conversion is the point.
It joins the pattern across this site: spec fields are typed in by sellers, nobody normalises them, and the unit is as likely to be wrong as the value.
Nothing here has enough reviews to be confident about
The rating counts on this page are 68, 50, 47, 40 and 31. That is 236 ratings across the entire category.
For contrast, a single wall charger compared elsewhere on this site carries 15,604. A 4.6 from 40 people and a 4.6 from 15,000 are not the same statement, and the first can move a long way on a bad batch.
This does not mean avoid them. It means treat the ordering here as weak evidence, weight the specifications and the failure modes more heavily than the decimal places, and buy from somewhere with a return policy you are willing to use.
A tall tripod with a phone on top is top-heavy by design
One reviewer here reports a leg breaking when the tripod tipped over. Extend any of these to six feet, put a phone on the end, and you have a light, thin structure carrying its weight at the very top.
That is inherent rather than a defect. Cheap aluminium legs at full extension are the trade you make for something that folds to twelve inches and weighs half a pound.
The practical answers are the ordinary ones: extend the thickest leg sections first and only use the thin ones if you must, spread the legs fully, keep it out of wind, and do not walk away from it on a hard floor.
Every one, in detail
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Product links below are affiliate links, and the price you pay is the same either way. Full disclosure.
ULANZI MT30 Magnetic Flexible Tripod
10.2" (listed in cm) · magnet · 11" long
Reviewers say the magnetic grip is surprisingly strong for a compact tripod.
The catch. A few reviewers say the rubber coating on the legs tore within about a month.
Magnetic Tripod with Light
69" · magnet · 12" folded
Reviewers say the magnet holds the phone securely without the flimsy stretchy clamps other tripods use, and several like the three brightness levels on the attached light.
The catch. One reviewer said they had to remove their phone case entirely to get the magnetic mount to hold properly, calling it a bit of a hassle.
MQOUNY Magnetic Phone Tripod with Remote
76" · magnet · 14" folded
Reviewers say the auto-pop legs make setup nearly instant.
The catch. A couple of reviewers say a leg can break if the tripod tips over.
Phone Tripod Mount with Cold Shoe Mount
Not stated · clamp · 7.3" folded
Reviewers like that it works as a phone mount, a small camera mount, and a selfie stick in one.
The catch. A few reviewers say the clip that holds the phone felt weak over time.
ULANZI MT-91 Flexible Octopus Tripod
13.5" · clamp
Reviewers love the Bluetooth remote for hands-free shutter control.
The catch. Some reviewers with thicker phone cases say the clip doesn't hold as snugly as they'd like.
Questions people ask
- What height phone tripod do I actually need?
Decide which of two products you want first. Around 60 to 76 inches stands on the floor for group shots and filming yourself. Around 10 to 14 inches sits on a desk or wraps around a railing. The two on this page that reach six feet and the ones that reach ten inches are not alternatives to each other.
- Magnetic or clamp?
Magnetic if you use a thin case, since it is faster and reviewers prefer it to stretchy clamps. Clamp if your case is thick or rugged, because magnetic grip falls away sharply across the extra distance and one reviewer here had to remove the case entirely.
- Will it hold my phone with the case on?
That is the most common complaint in this category, in both directions. Magnetic mounts weaken through thick cases; clamps report not gripping thick cases snugly. Measure your phone with the case on and test the grip the day it arrives.
- Are these sturdy enough to leave standing?
Treat a fully extended one as top-heavy: thin legs at full extension carrying a phone at the top. One reviewer reports a leg breaking after a tip-over. Extend the thick sections first, spread the legs wide, and keep it out of wind.
- The ratings all look good. Why the caution?
Because the samples are tiny: 236 ratings across all five, the largest being 68. Elsewhere on this site a single product carries over 15,000. A high score from 31 people is an absence of evidence rather than a strong result.
- Can these hold a camera as well as a phone?
Two can. One has a cold shoe mount and a ball head for a small camera or a light, and another ships with a GoPro adapter. The purely magnetic ones are built around a phone and nothing else.
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