Traveling with camera gear can be a complete nightmare. Every extra thing you take with you adds up to extra weight, and, extra space. Things you often don’t have enough of.
I was recently faced with exactly this dilemma, while also trying to upgrade my 10-year-old, super small, but mostly useless, old tripod.
At A Glance: Our Top 3 Travel Tripods
So in this post, I am going to share the fruits of my long, arduous quest for the best travel tripod. From the top of the line to the super affordable, I have found the best options out there to help you take amazing pictures on the road!
Best Overall Tripod
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Best High-End Tripod
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Best Budget Tripod
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When I was looking for a new lightweight travel tripod, I thought I would end up with one of the more popular brands. However, don’t close your mind to new players, there are some amazing travel tripods out there like this one – Brian from Three Legged Thing.
Three-Legged Thing is a “relatively” new brand in the tripod world. They are based in the UK and produce super-high-quality tripods that are focused on travel.
I came across them in my recent quest for a new travel tripod. I read all the reviews and blog posts around, and always saw the same companies – Manfrotto, BeFree, Gitzo, etc. But I wanted to find the optimal tripod in terms of weight, useable height, and collapsed size. All without giving up any functionality.
Three-Legged Thing also produces a huge range of tripods, so if you want something smaller, longer, lighter, etc. they are sure to have it.
I ended up with the Brian tripod from Three Legged Thing because it fits all those criteria. It fits easily in a normal backpack, is close to the best lightweight tripod around, and when it is fully extended it is 74 inches (188 cm) – so eye level or above for almost anyone. Rare in such a lightweight travel tripod.
They have also thought about almost everything including
My only beef with this tripod apart from the fact I would have liked it to be even lighter (you can get those, but they are always smaller and don’t expand as high) is that it does not have a quick-release plate – a minor detail, given you can get alternative heads for it. It is Arca compatible though. And of course, it sits on a lovely ball head, so all in all you can’t really complain.
But for me, this is the best travel tripod you can get right now.
Gitzo makes the absolute cream of the crop when it comes to tripods, and many would claim they are the absolute best tripod around. Quite a few travel photographers will be seen on Youtube toting a Gitzo and for good reason. The quality and craftsmanship of their gear are almost second to none.
It just comes with a price tag to match. And, I actually found the specs a little lacking compared to Brian above when I seriously compared them. And for more than double the price, Three Legged had me sold.
Anyway, back to the Gitzo. It is a carbon fiber tripod at 3.1 pounds and extends all the way to 58.5″ (158.6 cm) so not quite as high as the Brian, but most people will be ok with it.
Note: If you want a taller one, you will have to compromise on the weight and folded height quite a bit. One model you can check out is the Gitzo GK2545T (max height 65.2″)
Where this carbon fiber tripod excels in the specs is the folded length is one of the smallest around at 14 inches (35.6 cm) so will easily fit in any backpack or case.
The Traveler has all the other features you would expect from a lightweight travel tripod including:
The Benro Slim is probably the cheapest, smallest, and simplest of all the lightweight travel tripods in this review. That doesn’t mean that it’s not worth your time, it just lacks a few features and a little bit of full height, as well as weight capacity.
But it makes for a great travel companion for those wanting to save weight, space and don’t need pro camera features.
Weighing in at 2.64lb, it’s certainly the lightest I have seen in a while. And I was surprised it was able to extend to 57.1 inches (147cm). Not a towering tripod, but given it collapses to 12.9 inches (32.7cm) it’s probably the smallest too.
Otherwise, it is quite a simple travel tripod, with an extending and reversible center column, simple lockable 4 part carbon fiber legs that have multiple angles (as all of them do).
The one small touch it does have is a hook on the end of the column to hang your bag or weight for windy conditions.
The ball head is decent enough, although not quick release. It has a bubble level that gets hidden by the camera when attached, which is a small downside. But the lever release is an easy-to-use feature. And this lightweight travel tripod has a separate panoramic knob for rotating.
All in all, this would be the best option in terms of size, weight, and price, if you want to save on all three! (and don’t mind the reduced max height or capacity).
Note: there is an even smaller and cheaper option too, the Benro TSL08CN00.
Manfrotto is one of the absolute go-to brands when it comes to travel tripods and their BeFree series of tripods has definitely made a name for them.
In researching the best travel tripod to buy, I, unfortunately, read a few too many complaints about them to consider them in my final selection. However, they are still loved by many, and for good reason.
Their lightweight carbon fiber BeFree is almost ideal in most of the ways you want a tripod to be. It’s relatively light (but not as light as the Gitzo or 3 Legged above) at 3.59 lb (1.63kg), and can extend to a decent height: 59 inches (159cm), but still short of my final choice Brian.
It almost beats the Gitzo in terms of folded length, at 16.1 inches (40.9cm), which is impressive. It uses the same backward folding, twist-lock leg sections that have become quite the standard in tripods, and makes the most sense as it hides the ball head that way, as you can see below.
However, the Manfrotto is missing some of the features that the more intelligently designed tripods seem to have. This includes the ability to remove the center column to get down low – you have to reverse it and hang the camera under the tripod to do that instead.
It also lacks a place to hang your bag or weight in windy conditions and does not convert to a monopod.
However, the 3 part twist lock, quick release leg sections mean it is marginally faster to extend than others. And of course, it has easy to open legs and the usual ball head that can be used at any angle. All things you would expect from a modern tripod.
However, given the price of this travel tripod, some people will be ok with these compromises
Benro’s Slim above is one of the simplest and lightest, but if you want some more height or weight capacity, then you can upgrade to their Travel Angel series. It is not the best in the class of some of the others, but it has solid specifications in all areas, so is a reasonable travel tripod.
Its maximum height is 66.9 inches / 170 cm, which is still not towering, but more than decent for a travel tripod. This also means it weighs a little more at 4 lb / 1.8kg, a compromise for the height and weight capacity of 22lb.
Again, if this is the kind of feature you need, then Brian beats them all and is lighter and more compact. But Benro makes a competitive travel tripod for sure.
This model also has all the features you will love such as the ability to turn it into a monopod, and a place to add weight via the underside of the center column.
Like many of the other travel tripods above, it also features a twist lock, quick-release legs, an easy-to-use ball head, and the standard plate mounting system to help attach your camera with ease.
However, it is just a little shorter than I personally would have liked. That does not mean it’s not a good travel tripod for you though.
Generally, I don’t include Aluminium tripods in this review because they are heavier than the carbon fiber tripod version and that defeats the travel tripod purpose in my humble opinion. However, in this case, the Vanguard is a great low-priced alternative that is also quite light.
Weighing in at 3.3 lb (1.49 kg) it’s still respectable and also extends to a decent enough 58.6 inches (148cm) and collapses to a small enough 15 inches (38cm ).
Where this travel tripod excels is the foldable center column which can be very handy for weird angles and overtop shots of things on the ground. Not something most of us need a lot, but it can be handy to have the option.
It also has retractable spikes in the feet in case you get yourself in some slippery situations, and an adapter if you want to get down low (no need to reverse the center column). There is also the standard ball head that you can use at almost any angle.
In summary, for the weight and size, as well as the low price, this makes a great entry-level option for any traveler with a camera!
If you plan on taking your travel tripod to some wet places, then the Sirui waterproof tripod is perhaps the one for you. It is the only truly waterproof model in this review.
Like most of the tripods in the travel category, it comes with full carbon fiber legs, with easy-to-use twist locks for fast deployment. These locks are also fully waterproof preventing both water and dust from entering the mechanism and the legs themselves. And the leg angle is automatically locked and easy to change.
It is not the lightest tripod around (at 3.7 lb), but it does make up for that with the amount of extension, reaching a height of 70.9 inches, which is certainly impressive.
It is also a reasonably priced travel tripod for what you get, which is always a plus. However, not being as popular or well-known a brand, there might be better options above, that is for sure. I for one love my Three-legged thing!
The Peak Design Travel Tripod is one of the smallest and lightest on the market. After all, Peak Design has been relentlessly focusing on improving camera gear for years.
One of the biggest selling points of this travel tripod is how small it packs down. The leg sections collapse down and fold together in such a way that it resembles a water bottle. So, you can easily slide the Peak Design travel tripod into the bottle holder of any pack.
This travel tripod also comes in two flavors, Aluminum, and Carbon fiber, so you can choose how light you want it, and how much you want to spend to get that weight saving.
Overall, this is an impressively compact travel tripod that is very well designed and comes with premium materials. Just remember to add a ball head to your shopping list.
The biggest downside for some may be the fact that the Peak design travel tripod does not have panning. But, if you can live without that, you are good to go!
I did not want to go into detail on absolutely every tripod on the market. However, there are a few other tripods you might want to consider for various reasons.
The first is the Joby GorillaPod which is super popular because of its extremely lightweight and compactness. However, be careful when considering this tripod as I had a small one and they just cannot realistically handle a large camera at all. So, if you have anything other than a light compact camera, I would not use one.
Another option in this very compact category that is far more capable of handling a larger camera is the Manfrotto PIXI Mini Tripod. As you probably know, Manfrotto is the king when it comes to tripods, however, they have just been facing more competition of late. This mini tripod is worth having in your bag as a backup or for when you just can’t carry a larger tripod around.
The following are what I consider to be the most important things to look for:
One of the biggest things you have to deal with when traveling is weight. So, when looking for a travel tripod I usually look at weight as one of the biggest deciders.
Depending on how big (high) the tripod can go and the material it is made from (carbon fiber is lighter in general) the tripod will vary in weight in the 2.5-4 lb range. It’s all a compromise though, as lighter often means more expensive or shorter overall.
Depending on how you shoot, this can be a deal-breaker or not a big deal at all. Photographers that rely on the viewfinder will want a tripod that comes up to eye level. So, look for a tripod with a maximum height that matches your eye height (which is a little lower than your actual height, so be careful to remember that).
If you have a live-view or mirrorless camera, then this may be less of a problem. Because you can always tilt the screen to see what is going on. However, it does limit you in terms of maneuverability and overall height in terms of seeing over objects and so forth.
However, it is a travel tripod and you have to compromise on something!
A travel tripod will usually have to fit into your backpack, or your suitcase, so just be sure that it can. This means figuring out what the maximum overall size/length can be for your situation. For me, it was important that it was as small as possible, without compromising too much on max. height. That is why I settled on Brian. However, you can get taller, and shorter ones that compromise on other things too.
Most of the tripods in this review are carbon fiber. Some are Aluminium. There is little difference in terms of durability, it is just that carbon fiber is more expensive and lighter.
Where you want to pay attention is in the details like the sleeves to open and close the leg sections, the ball head mechanism, and so forth. it is not always easy to know, but if you read the reviews on Amazon, people who have owned them will give you lots of clues about quality and materials.
Most of the travel tripods have the same features like a ball head, collapsable legs with twist locks, and so on. However, there are a few things extra you might want to have.
The first is a monopod which is made using the center column, that is fully removable. Another is to consider how the plate is mounted and where the bubble levels are. This can have a huge effect on usability.
The cheapest travel tripods in this review are around the $100 mark. However, they are not the best in terms of build quality, materials, and features. Similarly, the most expensive, the Gitzo Traveler is nearly $1000, and for most people not worth the money.
However, if you are just starting out, then something like the Benro Slim is a great option in terms of size, weight, and features. Then if you really want to upgrade, you can in the future.
If you want something a little better, the Brian or the Manfrotto or BeFree are better bets.