Joby TelePod Mobile review: folds small but reaches tall

The Joby TelePod Mobile is a combined selfie stick and mini tripod designed for phone photography or very lightweight cameras, such as action cams. It consists of a grip that folds out to form tripod legs, and a telescoping center column with a smartphone cradle on top. It comes with Joby's Impulse Bluetooth remote trigger for activating your phone’s shutter.

It's part of a wider TelePod range, which includes the basic TelePod 325 that comes without the phone cradle or remote and is suitable for lightweight compacts, and the more robust TightGrip Pro TelePod, with a higher load rating and more secure phone clamp.

Joby TelePod Mobile: Specifications

Joby TelePod Mobile: Price

At the time of writing, the Joby Telepod Mobile sells for around $69.95 / £54.95 / AU$99.95. This makes it quite pricey compared to some competitor products, especially considering its low payload, which means it's only suitable for phones and light compacts. However, it's well-made and perhaps the asking price isn't that surprising considering that Joby is a ‘brand name’ product.

Joby TelePod Mobile: Design & Handling

Unextended, the TelePod is around 19cm long and has a rubberized but uncontoured grip. To extend the center column, you first need to twist the head assembly to the left, pull out the column to the desired height, then twist it to the right to lock it in place. It extends longer than many similar products, to 56cm, which is almost three times its stowed size, thanks to its four telescopic sections.

The handle splits into three legs for use as a mini-tripod, which can be used in conjunction with the extended centre column for a variable shooting height.

The ball head is small and basic, and locked and unlocked with a simple clamp. The supplied phone cradle is attached via a standard 1/4in tripod screw mount, and has a pair of hinged flaps that grip the phone via a spring mechanism. When packed away, the flaps fold down and the entire cradle can be folded flush against the handle to save space in your bag.

Joby TelePod Mobile: Performance

The TelePod Mobile is straightforward to use, and the twist-lock mechanism works well. However, I found that you had to take care when subsequently adjusting the ball head, as it's quite easy to unlock the center column by mistake, thus collapsing it. While the ball head is small, it's perfectly fine for holding the light payloads it's designed for, such as mobile phones, and it's easy to lock your phone at the correct angle to fit what you want in your shot. When used as a tripod, the leg splay is quite narrow, but again provides enough stability with its intended payloads.

Being able to extend to well over half a meter in length enables you to fit small crowds into your selfie shots, and similarly reach decent heights when used as a mini-tripod. I was also impressed with how the phone cradle folds flat and can be stored flush against the handle, making it easy to stow.

The supplied Impulse Bluetooth remote acts as a simple shutter release or video record button and is easily paired with Apple and Android phones. It is rated for use up to 90ft (27m) away, which is ample for the distance required for selfies or video.

Joby TelePod Mobile: Verdict

The Joby TelePod Mobile has an impressive reach for a device that packs away so small, but the caveat is that it can only handle very modest payloads, so if you're looking to use anything heavier than a phone or action cam, you'll need to look elsewhere.

But it's a supremely portable device that easily fits in a spare corner of a bag or coat pocket, weighs very little, and is easy to use. The folding cradle is thoughtfully designed, too. However, as a well-made brand-name product, it costs a little more than some of its competitors.

Alternatives

Neewer TP38
The Neewer only extends to 38cm compared to the Joby's 56cm, but is a much more robust device that supports a much greater 1.5kg payload. Its head is far more substantial, too, and features a clever mounting plate for full-sized cameras that transforms into a phone cradle.

Andoer 59-inch selfie stick
If you need a really long reach, this is almost three times as long, stretching to a towering 1.5 meters. Like the Joby, it comes with a Bluetooth remote and is limited to small payloads. Its main downside is that, at 42cm folded, it's not nearly as portable without a big camera bag.