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When folded, the best travel tripods should be small enough to fit in a bag or be attached to one. They should also be light enough to carry all day, whether you’re walking around a city or hiking through the mountains.
The best travel tripods are a must-have for many amateur and professional photographers because they allow you to take stable landscape and studio photos, work better in low light, and give you the freedom to take photos from interesting or abstract angles.
When it comes to giving your photography a solid base, the best tripods are hard to beat. The problem is that many of them are heavy and hard to move, so you usually leave them at home and put them in your studio
Best Travel Tripods
Peak Design Travel Tripod
Specifications
Material | Carbon fiber, or aluminum alloy |
Extended height | q53cm |
Weight | 1.27kg |
Max load | 9kg |
Folded height | 39cm |
Peak Design’s first tripod is the Peak Design Travel Tripod. There is, however, a version made of aluminium that is a huge 40% cheaper and has all the same design features except that it can shake less.
It’s made to cut out the “dead volume” between the legs and the column when folded, so it’s not just short but also very slim when folded. You could put this inside your camera bag or cabin bag as well as strap it to the outside.
Pros
- Very easy to carry
- Ball head with a very low profile
- There is a phone mount and a bag.
Cons
- Not the tallest
Legged Thing Punks Corey
Specifications
Material | Magnesium alloy |
Maximum height | 147.5cm / 58″ |
Weight | 1.5kg / 3.4 lb |
Max load | 14kg / 30lb |
Meet Corey 2.0, the next step in the development of Punks tripods from 3 Legged Thing. This ultra-compact, lightweight best travel tripods is made of aerospace-grade magnesium alloy and has three legs that can be taken off. It will take your photography to new heights.
Corey 2.0 has a wide range of working heights, from 3.8″ to 57.4″. It folds up to 14.2″ and weighs only 3.92 lbs, making it the perfect travel companion for photographers. Even though it is small, it can hold up to 30 lbs, which is 9 times its own weight.
Pros
- Multiple attachment points
- Stylish design
- Strong legs
Cons
- Colours not for every taste
Benro Rhino FRHN24C+VX25 Head
Specifications
Best for | Stiffness when extended |
Weight | 3.8 lbs |
Leg sections | 4 |
Maximum payload | 39.6lbs |
Maximum height | 66.3 inches |
The Rhino series is the top of the line for Benro’s travel tripods. It has a detachable monopod, a phone mount, and studied carbon fibre tubes, making it one of the best tripods we’ve looked at.
The best travel tripods is braided material used to make the carbon tubes makes them stiffer, and at normal working heights, the FRHN24C works as well as other tripods that aren’t made for travel.
Pros
- Excellent height
- Included monopod
- Easy to use
Cons
- Quite pricey
Gitzo Traveler Series 0 GK0545T-82TQD
Specifications
Maximum load | 10kg |
Maximum height | 133cm |
Number of leg sections | 4 |
Weight | 1.29 kg |
Even though the legs only extend to 133cm, this helps when you’re on the go because the length when closed is the shortest at 36.5cm, and only the Befree is lighter at 1.29kg. Even though they have a small diameter, Gitzo’s four-section Carbon eXact leg tubes are amazingly stiff, which makes the 10 kg payload rating believable.
All of the other parts are also of the highest quality and accuracy. The ball head that comes with the kit has a separate lock for the pan, and its 32mm ball diameter is just about big enough to hold a full-frame cameras.
Pros
- Superb finish
- Incredibly compact
Cons
- Expensive
Manfrotto Befree Advanced Twist Camera
Specifications
Material | Aluminum |
Tripod weight | 3.5 pounds |
Weight | 19.8 pounds |
height | 59.45 inches |
If money is a big concern, the Manfrotto Befree Advanced Twist Camera Tripod is a great choice. It has a lot of great features and is currently on sale for just over $150. This travel tripod is small and easy to carry.
It’s great for pretty much every kind of travel photography, from night shots to landscapes to street scenes. It is made of carbon fibre, which makes it lightweight and easy to carry. The best travel tripods controls on the head clamp the camera quickly and precisely, making it easy to use and good for panning.
Pros
- Aluminum construction that is light
- Can handle heavy full-frame gear and lenses
- Good ball-heads
Cons
- When folded, it’s a bit wide.
MeFoto tripods Globetrotter
Specifications
Weight | 3.7 lbs |
Load Capacity | 26.4 lbs |
Minimum Height | 16.1″ |
Maximum Height | 64.2″ |
Folded Length | 16.5″ |
Over the years, we’ve used a number of MeFoto tripods. The one we have now is no longer being made, but the one we’re talking about here is the newer version.
MeFoto hasn’t been making tripods for long, but when they did, they made them with travellers in mind. Even the best travel tripods of their lines, RoadTrip, Backpacker, and GlobeTrotter, show this. They come in different colours so that you can find yours in a sea of black tripods.
Pros
- Can be used as a monopod or a tripod.
- There are many colour choices.
Cons
- This tripod weighs the most.
FAQs
What should a travel tripod’s weight be?
A travel tripod should weigh about 3 pounds on average (1.3 kg). Look for one made of carbon fibre, which is usually lighter than one made of aluminium.
How high should a travel tripod be?
150cm is a good maximum height, but tall photographers will still have to stoop a little when using it or any of the other best travel tripods. The HEIPI is only 1.35 kg and is made of carbon fibre with an aluminium subtripod.
What makes a good tripod for travelling?
The best travel tripods are small enough to fit in your bag, light enough to carry, and strong enough to keep your photos from shaking. When folded, the best travel tripods should be small enough to fit in a bag or be attached to one.