I’ve had the Ulanzi MA26 on my Amazon wishlist for over a 12 months and virtually forgot about it till Black Friday 2024 rolled round. As I used to be scrolling via my wishlist for important value drops, I noticed that the tripod’s value had fallen from a foolish overpriced €45.99 in France to an rock bottom of €25.99 (it had additionally dropped from $35.95 to $28.76 on Amazon US). It didn’t take numerous pondering ahead of I made my acquire, and I’ve 0 regrets.

That is the most efficient telephone tripod I’ve ever observed or owned. It’s essentially the most flexible, essentially the most moveable, and essentially the most solidly constructed.

I really like a just right accent for my Android telephone, and I’ve cycled via many tripod designs and concepts over the past twenty years. From the creative credit-card-shaped Pocket Tripod to MagSafe mounts and bigger table tripods, I’ve had all of them. I’ve lugged them on journeys and adventures, used them anyplace from my table to planes’ meals trays, and carried them around the display flooring of CES, MWC, and IFA. However none of them hit that candy spot of portability, solidity, and flexibility simply but. I needed to sacrifice one or two necessities each time.

The Ulanzi MA26 (and no, this isn’t an advert; I purchased mine, and I’ve by no means been in contact with Ulanzi) is the most efficient a part of each tripod I lately personal. It’s precisely what I’ve sought after all alongside: sufficiently small to slot in my hand or pocket, strong sufficient to face on many surfaces, and flexible sufficient to be a selfie-stick one second and an astrophotography stand the following. Don’t consider me? There are one million evaluations on YouTube that say the similar factor.

So what makes it so just right? First is its portability. It weighs 142g, a lot lighter than my Pixel 9 Professional XL. It’s virtually double the thickness of the Pixel however stays thinner than my minimalist pockets or the case of my Pixel Buds Professional 2. Plus, it’s simply 12cm tall (4.72 inches) when folded.

I will’t inform you how again and again I’ve skipped taking different tripods with me to occasions or day journeys as a result of I simply didn’t wish to trouble with the bulkiness and weight. I hate wearing stuff round; I handiest grasp a backpack once I should, and my shoulder aches from single-shoulder slings. So, on maximum days, I’m typically out with no matter suits in my wallet. And the MA26 even suits within the tiny wallet of my ladies’s pants.

Subsequent is the forged construct. For one thing so tiny and so gentle, you’d be expecting a flimsy construct. However no, the aluminum alloy is rock-solid. It feels great within the hand, like I may just drop it one million occasions and it wouldn’t budge. Each joint that rotates, flips, turns, or expands has sufficient resistance to make me accept as true with it. Not anything strikes on its own; I actually wish to exert drive to spread and fold the stand. Regardless of the resistance, it’s additionally, unusually, buttery easy.

I’d’ve idea that the Ulanzi MA30 ($29.95 on Amazon) with its MagSafe attachment can be higher for me as a result of I actually benefit from the simplicity of magnets, however Qi2 remains to be now not as prevalent on Android as I’d’ve favored. I don’t wish to concern if my telephone has magnets or if I want a particular case or an attachment ring ahead of the usage of the stand in my pocket, so the clamp is as common because it will get for me, for now.

I additionally respect that the edges of the clamp are hollowed out to keep away from triggering the amount and tool buttons on my telephone. Pixel telephones are typically the largest sufferers of tripod clamps, because it’s virtually inconceivable to steadiness the center of the telephone within the clamp with out repeatedly urgent the buttons. That doesn’t occur with the Ulanzi MA26 — whew! The clamp additionally acts as a chilly shoe mount on all sides, however I don’t have any equipment to check it with.

Most likely, although, my favourite characteristic of this stand is how a lot of a Transformer it’s. I will twist and switch each bit in each path to modify the setup. Status tall on a desk to take pictures, compacted right into a table tripod for staring at movies (each on its 3 legs or with two flat in opposition to the table), collapsed down — all of it works. Panorama, portrait, going through up, down, at an perspective; it may do all of it.

Higher but, it balances completely to indicate the digital camera up, a characteristic I had but to seek out in another small tripod. This is without doubt one of the supreme positions for capturing astrophotos. I’ve overlooked dozens of excellent astro pictures as a result of my previous stands have been wobbly within the wind or couldn’t level in the appropriate path with out falling. I typically need to finagle one thing to secure my telephone with different stands, or even then, I finally end up lacking the appropriate angles or getting a blurry photograph. Now not with this one, although.

And once I want a selfie stick, the MA26 too can turn out to be one. Now not essentially the most ergonomic to carry, however I’m so hardly ever taking any selfies that I don’t want extra.

Total? Highest €25 I’ve ever spent on a telephone accent. I comprehend it’ll closing for years and might be in my pocket for each lengthy educate journey, flight, match, accumulating, day shuttle, and random time out. It doesn’t recuperate than this.

Glance, I’m now not seeking to promote you a tripod when you don’t want one. But when, like me, you’ve been in search of a really perfect telephone tripod that marries all of those options, then by way of all way, get the Ulanzi MA26. It’s $35.95 on Amazon in the United States now, which isn’t as dangerous as the unique value in France, however there could also be coupons or value drops once in a while. Stay your eye on that. In case your telephone (or case) is appropriate with MagSafe, the Ulanzi MA30 ($29.95 on Amazon) can be a neat choice, too.