Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.
Love them or hate them, selfie sticks are useful for capturing self-portraits and group shots with you in them.
The best selfie stick is the Anker Bluetooth Selfie Stick. It's stable, compatible most smartphones, has excellent battery life, comes with a handy Bluetooth remote shutter, and it's very affordable.
Advertisement
The selfie stick has become an extremely popular smartphone accessory, particular with tourists or those obsessed with selfie culture. It's also the butt of many jokes and derided by many; those who use them seem oblivious to people around them, wielding it like a weapon.
But when used considerately and judiciously, a selfie stick can be a useful photo accessory. Because this telescoping tool can reach beyond the length of your arm, you can easily capture self-portraits (sorry, selfies) or include yourself in a group photo. As the name suggests, the purpose of a selfie stick to get you in the picture, but it's also handy for photographing up-high or down-low.
Telescoping poles for cameras aren't a new concept, but selfie sticks refer to those designed to work with smartphones. Since they don't need to support a heavy camera, selfie sticks are compact and lightweight - hence, their ubiquity. They are also relatively cheap and can be even purchased in dollar and drug stores.
With that said, you get what you pay for: A cheap selfie stick is, well, cheaply made. If you're looking for a quality product that will last you a while (don't worry, selfies are showing no signs of a downturn) and has unique features, we've rounded up three of our favorites. And remember, use it with care or risk being known as that annoying one.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.
The Anker Bluetooth Selfie Stick is the best one you can buy with its affordable price, Bluetooth controls, and adjustable size that fits most smartphones.
The popular Anker Bluetooth Selfie Stick offers quite a bit of versatility, both in terms of its length and in which smartphones it'll support. It can extend 29 inches, folds up to a mere 7.5-inch stick for easy storage, and should be able to hold most smartphones big or small with its adjustable grip. It's made out of aluminum, which gives it some strength. And, it's from Anker, a company that we often recommend.
The selfie stick connects to your phone via Bluetooth, and you can take a picture with a press of the button in the handle. The Anker Selfie Stick has a strong battery life of 20 hours, and the battery is rechargeable.
In its review, The Guardian loved the sturdy feel of this selfie stick, as it has very little wobble to it, even when fully extended to its maximum size of 29 inches. The Anker selfie stick grips your smartphone tightly, so you feel safe using it. However, this Anker stick is a little heavy, which may make it tough to hold the unit steady for long periods of time. — Kyle Schurman
Pros: Folds down to a small size of about 7.5 inches for carrying, works with a large variety of smartphones, offers strong battery life in Bluetooth selfie stick, good build quality from trusted brand name, low price point
Cons: Above average weight may cause pressure on wrists when fully extended
The best budget selfie stick
With the backing of nearly 7,500 satisfied Amazon customers, the Mpow Selfie Stick is one of the most dependable devices out there.
The Mpow Selfie Stick is a sleek, one-piece accessory that doesn't come with any fancy attachments, bells, or whistles, but it's a great budget selfie stick.
With its U-shaped phone-holder design, the Mpow is extremely compact. The head of the selfie stick can be folded down to take up even less space in your bag than it would otherwise, and thanks to the silicone material on the clamp, your phone won't slip out of its mount even if you're waving the stick around in your excitement. Similarly, the handle bar's matte surface provides the right amount of friction to help the Mpow stay in your hands.
Thanks to a 270-degree adjustable head, you have full latitude to adjust the angle of your shot, which is key when it comes to taking the perfect selfie. The Mpow extends to a maximum of 31.5 inches — While that's certainly not the greatest length on the list, it's still enough for most folks to get a great photo, and is certainly enough distance to allow you to take a pretty big group shot.
The phone holder is adjustable as well, capable of coming down to a height of 2.17 inches and up to 3.35 inches. That'll allow you to accommodate a wide range of smartphones.
When retracted, the Mpow is just over 7 inches in length, which means it'll fit easily in your backpack or carry-on, and the stick is also supremely lightweight.
Rather than depending upon a remote, the Mpow instead has a camera button, which has a satisfying feedback force so you know that you've taken a snap. The stick pairs automatically with most phones, though you may have to undergo a slightly more manual process for some of the newest mobile devices on the market. — Lulu Chang
Pros: Extremely affordable, compact, U-shaped design, satisfying camera button
Cons: Shorter range, slightly more limited functionality
The LifeStyle Designs Premium Selfie Stick is an impressively versatile and popular selfie stick. Not only can it hold many different smartphone models and digital cameras, but it also can convert from a selfie stick to a makeshift tripod when needed. The LifeStyle Designs stick will work as a tree mount, allowing you to set up odd-angle photos, according to PC Mag.
All of the different attachments included with the LifeStyle Selfie Stick make this model a good value, even though it costs a little more than some other options.
Users have noted that the selfie stick is very sturdy, both when you're using it as a selfie stick and as a tripod.
One Amazon reviewer appreciates the lightweight design of the Premium Selfie Stick, which is all the more impressive considering the different ways you can use it. A few Amazon buyers were disappointed in the inability to adjust the angle of the mount of the selfie stick far enough. — Kyle Schurman
Pros: Offers ability to switch between selfie stick and tripod, good value with numerous use options, sturdy performance in all use cases, lightweight design that's easy to take anywhere, works with both smartphone cameras and digital cameras
Cons: Not enough ability to adjust the angle of the mount, slightly higher price than some other options