Joby GripTight Pro 2 GorillaPod review

Verdict

If you want a tripod that can be mounted in more places than any other, the Joby GorillaPod is the way to go. It’s versatile, rugged and fun.

Introduction

The GorillaPod is a tripod unlike any other, rather than having straight rigid legs, it’s made from a series of connected balls that can be bent and twisted in all directions. This means it can be tied around a tree branch, hung off a fence, or just used like a regular tripod – it’s all about flexibility.

The GorillaPod is famous for being Casey Neistat’s vlogging handle of choice, and there’s no doubt that it’s a versatile option. The tripod we’re looking at today, the GripTight Pro 2 GorillaPod, is essentially a scaled-down version of the same design with a sturdy locking phone clamp added to the package.

The question is, what’s it like to live with? After all, such a unique design must come with compromises. I’ve been testing it out for the last few weeks, and here’s what I make of it.

Design 

• 282g weight
• 13.46 x 16.76 x 34.29 cm
• Plastic construction with metal phone clamp

The Joby GripTight Pro 2 GorillaPod is a kit that’s comprised of three Joby products. The legs are the GorillaPod 1K Stand, the head is the GripTight Pro 2 Mount and the accessory shoe is Joby’s Cold Shoe Pro. 

Starting with the legs, if you’ve used a GorillaPod before, it’s quite a unique experience. Essentially, each leg is a string of connected plastic balls with rubber rings around the edge. Each segment can be twisted in a different direction, allowing you to create whatever kind of shape you want.

It takes a bit of force to bend the legs, especially when it’s brand new, and that’s exactly what you want, as it means it’ll stay rigid when you’re smartphone or camera is mounted on top. The idea with this design is that you can either use it like a normal tripod, bending the legs to adjust the height or to compensate for rough terrain, or you can wrap the legs around objects and dangle the camera from all kinds of things.

You can also shape the legs into a kind of handle or short selfie stick, but personally, I don’t find it as comfortable as ergonomically shaped options like the Joby HandyPod. Still, this method is good enough for Casey Neistat, so I’m sure most people won’t have complaints.

The GripTight Pro 2 smartphone clamp is a sturdy bit of kit that’s mostly made from metal and locks into place to keep your smartphone secure. The bits that touch your phone are coated in a rubberised material to ensure it doesn’t mark up your phone.

It can be rotated 90 degrees for vertical shooting and once it’s in place it feels rock solid. Getting it mounted is a little trickier than some other options, though, as there’s no spring in the clamp. It’s not too tricky, but it’s the kind of job that takes two hands, whereas a spring-loaded clamp can be jimmied in single-handedly.

Under the clamp, there’s a locking tilt adjustment hinge, but there’s no swivelling. This means you often have to move the tripod to change the angle. It’s no big deal, but a ball head would have solved this issue.

The side of the tilt-adjustment point has another tripod thread that allows you to connect additional accessories, like Joby’s GorillaPod Arm Kit. You’ll also find a cold shoe adapter on top of the smartphone clamp, which can be used to mount an external microphone or a fill light. There’s a good amount of versatility on offer here.

Performance 

• 1kg maximum payload
• Can be wrapped around objects
• Cold shoe mount included

GorillaPod tripods are really handy to have in your kit bag, as they allow you to mount your camera at angles that just aren’t possible with a traditional tripod. For example, imagine you’re trying to get a high-angle shot, but your tripod doesn’t go high enough. If there’s a tall tree or fence nearby, you can tangle the GorillaPod legs around it and get the height required.

The fact that it’s lightweight and portable means that it’s easy to carry with you, too. Needless to say, a normal tripod that can get super high-angle shots is not something that you’d want to cart around all day.

The grippy rubberised coating on each ball means that the GorillaPod stays firmly in place when it’s wrapped around a pole or a tree branch, and it also helps on rocks and uneven ground.

That said, there are situations where the GorillaPod isn’t ideal. I don’t find this tripod to be quite as stable as its rigid-legged rivals. So if you’re trying to do long exposures or astrophotography, you’re almost guaranteed to run into frustrations. It’s still very stable but it’s definitely more prone to interference from the wind.

The GripTight Pro 2 clamp works just as well horizontally as it does vertically, so no matter whether you’re shooting a self-timed group photo or getting involved with the latest TikTok trend, it’s easy to mount your phone in the correct orientation.

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