Joby Griptight Magnetic iPhone Tripod - ultra-small and portable. A review

I have been using a Gorillapod ever since it hit the market more than a decade ago. In this recently (Jan. 2020) updated review, re my thoughts about the Gorillapod Magnetic for iPhone photographers.

First, I used a Gorillapod with my DSLR, and once I turned to iPhone photography, buying a smaller Gorillapod for the iPhone was a logical consequence.

I have and use mine now for more than seven years and it's one of the most long-lasting photo accessories I ever owned. To help you decide if the Gorillapod magnetic is right for you:

Table of Contents

• What is a Gorillapod?
• What are the benefits of a Gorillapod compared to other table-top tripods?
• What's a Gorillapod Magnetic?
• Different Versions of the Gorillapod
• Gorillapod Bundles
• Joby Griptight iPhone tripod mounts
• Which Gorillapod should I buy for iPhone Photography?
• Summary

What is a Gorillapod?

A Gorillapod is a table-top sized tripod with flexible legs. I assume a Gorillapod has its name from the same-named species, mainly because the legs are flexible, just like the fingers of a Gorilla.

Because of its flexible legs the tripod will be perfectly leveled on all surfaces and you can even wrap the legs around things like a handrail.

What are the benefits of a Gorillapod compared to other table-top tripods?

I like the Gorillapod for several reasons:

As it's rather small, you often can take it to places where bigger tripods are forbidden. Using a Gorillapod, I took this from the top of the Shard in London, where big tripods are not allowed.

View from the Shard photography using Gorillapod mounted to handrail

You can use a Gorillapod in places where you'd otherwise don't have any room for a big tripod.

It's small and lightweight. So it's a perfect tripod for traveling. Further, it doesn't add bulk if you're out for a day taking pictures. I carry the Gorillapod for iPhone with me all the time. That's how I could take this long exposure during the blue hour just by wrapping the legs around the handrail of the bridge.

Old ship photographed by mounting Gorillapod magnetic to metal handrail of the bridge

It's a quality product. I have and use my Gorillapod Magnetic for almost seven years now, and it doesn't wear out. The feet are still as strong as on day one.

Lastly, if you take a lot of selfies, the Gorillapod magnetic works great for that and allows you to hold your iPhone in a convenient way without getting a cramp in your hand.

What's a Gorillapod Magnetic?

The Gorillapod magnetic is a special version of the standard Gorillapod. It comes with strong magnets at the feet. These magnets are strong enough to hold an iPhone 11 Pro sideways and even upside down like in this lost place:

Joby Gorillapod Magnetic with iPhone 11 Pro at a lost place

iPhone 11 with Gorillapod Magnetic attached to a window frame at an abandoned factory

Once I learned about the magnetic version, I immediately bought it. If you're photographing a lot in cities, the magnetic feet allow you to use any metal structure (and you usually find a lot of these in capitals) as a tripod, like a lamp post.

Different Versions of the Gorillapod

Gorillapod comes in all sizes for different kinds of cameras, ranging from big DSLRs to lightweight iPhones. The Gorillapod magnetic that I'm writing about here is officially designed for point and shoot and small cameras. So, just perfect for iPhone.

But if you like it light, there's even a smaller version, and that's the Gorillapod Mini. But this version is so mini, that, in my opinion, you'll lose the most important benefit. The legs of the Gorillapod mini are so short that you can't wrap it around anything thicker than a finger. No thanks, that's not what I'm looking for.

Gorillapod Bundles

Joby, the maker, and inventor of the Gorillapod often sells bundles that include the Gorillapod itself, maybe a tripod mount for iPhone and even a remote shutter release.

Such a bundle was the Joby Gorillapod Griptight Magnetic Impulse. What a fancy name! This bundle included:

• The Gorillapod Magnetic for point and shoot cameras and iPhone
• A Griptight One tripod mount for iPhone. That's a special mount for iPhones. You can use that one with each tripod that comes with a standard mounting screw. It's not limited to the Gorillapod.
• The Impulse, a Bluetooth remote shutter release that's useful for taking a long exposure and to avoid camera shake when tapping the shutter release.

Joby Griptight iPhone tripod mounts

Joby also makes two great tripod mounts for iPhone that you can use with the Gorillapod and with all other tripods. The first one is the Griptight One, which is a small clamp that you can use to mount your iPhone, even if it's inside a case, to a tripod.

The second one is Gripight Pro. That's notably bigger and bulkier. I haven't tested this one with the Gorillapod magnetic, as I keep it mounted to my bigger travel tripod.

For the Gorillapod, I only use the small Griptight One.

Which Gorillapod should I buy for iPhone Photography?

I'd recommend buying the Gorillapod magnetic. You can distinguish the Gorillapod magnetic from the other Gorillapod by its red feet. Non-magnetic Gorillapods usually have either grey or black feet.

As said, I'd avoid the Gorillapod Mini unless you have a specific reason to buy it.

When you're ready to buy it, try to see if you can get your hands on one of the bundles. Here's a Gorillapod Magnetic Bundle with a remote shutter release on Amazon. And here's a Gorillapod and Griptight One Bundle on Amazon, which consists of the Gorillapod and the necessary Griptight One iPhone tripod mount.

Summary

In my opinion, the Gorillapod magnetic is the perfect travel tripod for iPhone photographers. It's small, light, and allows you to transform anything into a tripod for night photography or to take a long exposure with iPhone.

Just make sure you don't forget to buy a tripod mount along with it, or have a look for one of the bundles, like this Gorillapod magnetic Griptight One Bundle on Amazon.

And if you still want the mini version, that's still available. Get the Gorillapod Magnetic Mini from Amazon.