Best Selfie Sticks to Hunt for in 2021 [Buying Guide]

TLDR: In the market for the best selfie sticks? Or a cellphone tripod that does the job? In this article you’ll get selfie stick reviews, buying guide, and tips!

Selfies have long surpassed the area of ‘Experimental photography’ and entered the zone where they’re considered as a mode of expression. Yes, their primary invention was for preserving memories when there was no photographer around to take your photos for you.

During the last decade, especially after the emergence of smartphones and the advancement of social media, selfies have become rather popular. It’s a way of telling your friends where you are and what you’re doing. Now, selfies are an integral part of our lives, especially if you’re an outgoing person.

If you’re reading this article, I can already assume you’re thinking about buying a selfie stick. But you probably don’t quite have an idea about the nooks and crannies of this innovation of modern technology.

Have no fear, Androidista is here. We’ll help you see through your cloud of confusion, introduce you to some of the best selfie sticks in the market, and hopefully lead you to your desired one.

Here’s a Comparison Table of Products for People in a Hurry

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What Is A Selfie Stick? What are The Types?

Apart from full-fledged cameras that are solely designed for photography, perhaps the most popular devices for taking pictures are our smartphones. Of course, they’re not even nearly as good as professional cameras most of the times. But for selfies, they’re probably the best tools out there.

Just like professional photography units, android phones also require some equipment for capturing the perfect moments for you. One such tool is a selfie stick. To break it down, selfie sticks are handheld monopods specifically designed to feel and work like an extension of the human arm holding a cellphone.

Basically, selfie sticks are divided into three main categories based on their connectivity and functionality: Manual, Cabled, and Bluetooth-based.

The Manual Type – Takes Some Work

Manual selfie sticks are the most basic type of selfie sticks out there. They work manually, which means you have to set your phone’s camera on timer mode and then tap on it every time you want to take a shot. But these have become obsolete due to other variants of selfie sticks that are far easier to use.

To be very honest, using these seem like a lot of hassle to me since you have to place your phone precisely on the clamp of the stick and then rush to your position. On top of that, you’d have to reorganize the whole composition if you don’t like the frame or want to make slight changes to it.

The Cable Type – Has A Longer Reach

This type of selfie sticks is fairly simple in operation and is comparatively easier to use than the manual ones. They come with a small cable that you plug into the 3.5mm headphone port of your cellphone and then clamp your phone into the holder.

The built-in button on the side of the stick’s handle will control the phone’s camera operations. I called it simple because it doesn’t require pairing of any kind. Just plug the cable in, and you’re good to go. These are ideal for singe-handed operation and can also be used as gimbals for video shooting.

The Bluetooth Type – People Can Control Remotely

These bluetooth selfie sticks are perhaps the easiest to use among them all. They operate with Bluetooth technology and are completely wireless. They either come with a small remote-control device or an integrated button on the handle of the stick. Which you generally use to pair with your phone.

Taking selfies with a Bluetooth selfie stick has to be one of the easiest jobs to do with an electronic device. I mean, not as easy as lighting a flashlight, but close enough. All you need to do is clip the device on to the holder, pair it with the stick, and start taking selfies!

A Nifty Little Tip for You: At this point you might be wondering whether Bluetooth selfie sticks work the same with both Apple and Android devices. Well, they do. Both Android and Apple OS use the same technology for Bluetooth connectivity. However, Apple just limits the transfer of files using Bluetooth while Android permits it. You can use the same Bluetooth selfie stick on your Android Smartphone and iPhone.

Top Selfie Sticks for Android

Although selfie sticks are designed in such a way that they’re compatible with both iOS and Android devices, we’ll narrow it down a bit. Since we’re all about Android and its accessories, it’s obvious that the selfie sticks I suggest will specially be Android-friendly.

LifeLimit Phone Tripod Stand Selfie Stick (54 Inches)

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I wasn’t familiar with this brand at first. I thought it’s just a cheap Chinese product. Guess what, I was right! It is Chinese, and it is cheap!

But other than that, when it comes to quality and performance, it’s not cheap at all. In fact, in terms of durability, it might even have the potential to outlast some of the leading brands out there in the market.

This is a selfie stick that’s built to last. It’s got a lightweight Aluminum body that makes it easy to hold and handle, while the strong build and durable construction makes it a tough cookie.

As a matter of fact, you can take it out for family picnics, hiking trips, and even trekking. It functions equally well in pretty much all kinds of weather conditions.

The cellphone holder of this selfie stick can extend from 2.1 up to 4.1 inches. This can be exceptionally useful if you’re taking group photos. You know, when everyone wants a picture on their phone and you’re the one with the only selfie stick around. All the different kinds of smartphones will fit perfectly.

You can even use it for video calling and live broadcasts. But if you really don’t feel like using your hands at all, there’s a solution for that as well. The remote shutter button allows you to operate the selfie stick in hands-free mode.

The simple and easy to operate design of this product will allow you to access all its features using just one button. You can even switch between photos and videos and work either features with equal effortlessness with that one button. No hassles.

The rotating head construction rotates and twists the head of the stick 360 degrees. This will allow you to capture photos and videos from every angle without having to struggle with the positioning of your cellphone. Taking a group-fie from a weird angle? Just turn it the other way!

This versatile selfie stick can be used as a handheld extension for taking selfies, as well as a stand-alone tripod that you can keep on one position and use the remote-control button to take selfies from a distance.

This comes extra handy when you’re taking a group photo and no one wants to sacrifice their position in the photo and become the photographer. I mean, if you’re taking a class photo on a field trip, or a graduation picture of the entire class, obviously you’d want everyone in the class to be in the photo.

In such cases, you just open the 3 stands at the foot of the stick and put your phone up on the stand while using the remote controller to do the photography for you. This way, everyone gets to be in the picture.

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Rainco Capture Genie Smart Selfie Stick

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The reason why they decided to call it a ‘smart’ selfie stick is because it’s more than just a selfie stick. In fact, it’s not even a ‘stick’ to begin with. It’s unique design and smart technology sets it apart from conventional selfie sticks and turns it into something much more than the average joe.

It’s more like a robot cameraman. It can detect and recognize not just human faces but also objects as soon as it marks them as the ‘tracking target’. It can switch between photos and video modes any time you want it to, with its auto countdown feature.

To make things even smarter, the device has an app available on both Play Store and App Store that you can use to control features of this selfie device (I’m not calling it a stick, although it’s one of the best selfie sticks for Android).

For instance, the app will allow you to switch between ‘PHOTO’ and ‘LIVE’ modes effortlessly anytime you want with it. So, if you’re at a concert and you want to share your live experience on social media, this is the tool for you.

The super-fast tracking and still motion detection of the device will enable your phone to reach up to the maximum spinning speed of 180 degree per second, without any latency.

On top of that, the anti-shake design will ensure that you get a smooth shooting experience and shots without accidental blurs and shakes. No matter how bumpy the road is or how fast the subject is moving.

This device literally improves your phone’s performance by enhancing its capabilities! What more can you ask for?

I can’t get enough of the build and design of this thing. It’s literally pocket-sized! The neck has a 360-degree automatic rotation that basically opens every horizon that’s out there for you to explore. This’ll allow you to make video calls and stream live videos while you’re on the move.

If you want it to function as a selfie stick, you could always get an extendable tripod stabilizer and use it as a hybrid of a selfie stick and a pod. I like this idea especially because I do a lot of live streams and video tutorials at home. With this, I can just rest my phone on the pod and I don’t have to worry about the phone falling off or the pod shaking. The stabilizer will hold it in place.

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Bluehorn All in one Portable Selfie Stick

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The ‘All in one’ in its name is a giveaway that it’s a multi-purpose contraption. It functions both as a selfie stick and a tripod. You can open up the legs at the bottom of the stick to turn It into a tripod, and then fold it back up into a selfie stick again once you’re done using it.

The length of the pole is extendable from 7.9 inches to 40 inches, so you can easily extend it to the length that’s the best for your shot.

The foldable design enhances the portability of the stick. You can fold it into this tiny little thing that you can carry around with you anywhere effortlessly. This makes it a perfect companion for travel, sports activities, camping trips, convocations, and all sorts of other programs.

The body of the stick is made of aluminum alloy which makes it strong enough to support stands, and resistant to corrosion and rust. The aluminum alloy makes the body extremely lightweight and ideal for single-handed operation.

There’s an easy to grip handle at the bottom with a matte rubberized finish that feels good in your grip and can even stay put in sweaty and slippery hands.

On one side of the handle, there’s the shutter button that does all the selfie-taking. There’s also a zoom in and zoom out button on the two sides of the shutter button for finding you the perfect framing for your shot.

This saves you the trouble of having to manually zoom in and out using your phone’s screen and makes the stick even more useful.

The wireless remote-control shutter button is super-fast when it comes to connectivity, and costs very little battery power. This means, you can keep using it for a long stretch of hours before it completely runs out of power.

The wireless connection has a range of up to 10 meters. Yes, you’ve read that right, 10 meters! You can literally place it on top of a small cliff and take landscape selfies with it with just one click! The Bluetooth connectivity is compatible with a handful of Android and Apple devices.

To top it off, it runs on a rechargeable lithium battery that’s built-in and which lasts long enough to shoot a whole day of events before draining out. Not to mention, charging the selfie stick is also very plain and simple. Just plug it into a USB cable, connect it to a cellphone’s charger and forget about it.

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BlitzWolf BW-BS10 Selfie Stick Tripod

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When it comes to cellphone accessories, BlitzWolf is a brand you can trust with eyes closed. Earlier we’ve reviewed their earbuds on our site, but what if I told you that they’re also great with selfie sticks? In fact, BlitzWolf was the first brand to produce the first integrated selfie stick come tripod in the world!

Yes, the BW-BS10 is the world’s first innovative integrated selfie stick tripod. But that doesn’t mean that its design is ancient and obsolete. It wouldn’t be around for so long in the market if that was the case.

The design of this thing is pretty much what the rest of the leading brands are following right now, and for good reason. For a start, it’s a selfie stick that can also be turned into a tripod. Yup, most of my recommendations are hybrids. There! I said it! On top of that, when you’re done using it, you can just fold it into a tiny little thing and slide it into your backpack.

I mean, seriously! It’s hardly longer and thicker than a toothbrush! After folding it up, it’s basically nothing but the handle. You won’t have to compromise with portability just because you’re carrying a ‘tripod’. It’s so lightweight that you’ll hardly notice it’s even there.

The BW-BS10 has a stable Bluetooth connection that’s compatible with most of the Android and Apple devices currently available in the market. It takes almost no time to connect, so that you don’t miss out on precious moments fumbling to get your selfie stick connected before capturing them.

Speaking of moments, you’ll be delighted to know that the rechargeable lithium battery of this thing can last up to 24 hours. Imagine how many selfies you can take in that time. Well, the makers of the stick did. It’s 20,000+! You can easily cover an entire convocation or camping trip without having to recharge.

One of the trickiest parts of taking the perfect selfie is getting the right angle. Especially when it’s a group selfie or a group-fie. You need the perfect angle to keep everyone’s face in perfect focus without overexposing or underexposing them.

This selfie stick makes the job easier for you. It’s got a handy rotatable design which allows you to adjust it to the best camera angle while keeping everything you want in the frame and in sharp focus. On top of that, the extendable pod can be stretched as long as 32 inches. What more could you ask for?

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Appolab Selfie Stick Tripod with Bluetooth Wireless Remote

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This is a 3-in-1 extendable selfie stick that’ll work as a selfie stick in handheld mode, a tripod that works with a Bluetooth remote-control shutter button, and a gimbal for when you shoot a video with your phone.

Its compact and lightweight design extends the pole up to 27.6 inches when you need it to, and then folds back up to a pocket-sized thing as tiny as only 7.64 inches. The adjustable and rotatable phone holder of this selfie stick rotates up to 360°.

This enables you to take selfies, group photos, and shoot videos in landscape, portrait, and every other creative shooting mode you can think of. Don’t back off from being your best creative self with it. This ensures that you get the best angles for your selfies at all times.

This rotatability of the phone holder along with the super flexible clamp that opens as wide as 8.5 cm makes it suitable for use with any smartphone regardless of how big or small it is. Even the huge phones manufactured by Samsung and Apple fit easily into it.

Also, since it was released in the market only last year, it’s compatible with almost all the latest smartphone models. The vast compatibility along with its unique portable design makes it suitable for using at home or in events such as birthday parties, weddings, graduations, and outdoor activities.

What makes it one of the best selfie sticks for Android is, the quick response of the remote-control shutter button. Let me explain. You know when you’re taking a group photo, and you just can’t get everyone to strike the perfect pose at the perfect moment?

Even if they do manage to do so, and even if you click the shutter button exactly on time, still it’s for such a brief instant that the moment often slips away. In one such instance the Bluetooth remote-control shutter button of this selfie stick showed me its precision and timing.

It takes the picture exactly when you press the shutter button, without any latencies whatsoever. This is quite impressive considering that it’s Bluetooth operated. I’ve had latency problems with almost every Bluetooth device I’ve used so far. This doesn’t seem to have that problem.

The lightweight construction and the portable design give you the optimum portability without any hassle. Wireless, weightless, worry-less. What more do you need?

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Things You Need to Know About Selfie Sticks Before Buying the Best Cellphone Tripods and Selfie Sticks

Since you’ve read this article up till now, I’m guessing you’re serious about buying a selfie stick or a cellphone tripod. Or at least thinking about buying one. So, you know what a selfie stick does, and which ones are the best. But then comes the obvious question, “What if I don’t find them in the market?”

Even if you do find them, how do you check if they’re good with your phone, and good in general?

Of course, you could try and test until you find the one that’s the best for you. But that’s not always an option. Especially if you’re shopping online, or if you’re on a budget. Fear not, I’ll give you a complete guide to buying selfie sticks. Here I’ll be mentioning all the aspects you should look out for while buying a selfie stick, no matter which brands and models are available to you.

Pay Attention to the Build Quality of the Tool

The build quality of any product is important, not just selfie stocks. The reason why I’m putting extra emphasis on the build quality here is because your phone’s future sort of depends on it.

Imagine trying to take a selfie standing on the edge of a cliff and the selfie stick breaks causing your phone to fall off. Won’t that be unfortunate? Pay attention to the materials that are used for making the selfie stick. Whether they are of good quality, whether they ensure the safety of your phone or not. These things are important above all.

Size and Extension Length are Crucial Parts of a Product Such As This

When buying a selfie stick, most people tend to stick to only the ‘Stick’ part of it. But there are many designs that are not necessarily sticks. They’re more like stands, holders, or pods. But they function better than the conventional sticks.

Even if you’re buying a selfie stick, make sure that the length of it is long enough to cover all your selfie angles. Also, if you’re buying a selfie stick that can also be used as a tripod, make sure that it keeps your phone well-balanced. You should however be aware.

The Smartphone Tripod (since I referred quite a few) or Selfie Stick often wobbles and loses balance due to the weight of the phone and the phone falls off. Get a stick that balances your phone’s center of gravity for you.

Pay Attention to the Gripping System

Make sure the handle of the selfie stick is shaped in such a manner that it’s easy to grip, and stays firm in your hand. Nowadays, many selfie sticks come with a handle that has a rubberized coating. The rubber helps you hold on to the it firmly even when your hands are sweaty and slippery.

Speaking of grip, you also need to make sure that the clamp of the selfie stick holds firmly onto your cellphone. If you’re looking at different clamping mechanisms, your primary focus should be on security. But keep in mind that the security should not come at the cost of ease of use and comfort.

The two most commonly used styles of clamps are pull-away wire clamps and an extending plastic grip that has fasteners.  While the metal wire grip offers the advantage of being quick and easy to set up, the grip of it might get a little wobbly if its exposed to sudden movements or bumps. The extending plastic clamp on the other hand, takes a bit longer to fasten up.

But once it’s locked in place, it’ll stay firm and secure no matter how bumpy the road is. If you decide to choose this clamp type, remember to check if the edges have a strong enough ‘bite’ so that the phone doesn’t fall off.

Versatility is a Nice Thing to Have At Our Disposal

While selfie sticks are designed mainly for cellphones, some of them come with the privilege of being suitable with some compact cameras and GoPros. If you’re willing to get a versatile selfie stick with a camera mount, get one that has a good ball joint for the camera mount or the smartphone holder.

Most selfie sticks that are “Dual-Use,” come with a screw that can be easily attached to the bottom of any camera. The ball joint gives you a wide array of options for positioning your camera or your phone while you’re on the go. Do remember to watch out for cheap swivels that don’t work as well as they should or break off easily.

“Hands-Free” Option is a Good Thing to Have

Of course, you can set your phone on timer and then press the shutter for the camera to go off at a specific time after you’ve composed your shot perfectly. But why take the trouble when there’s a remote trigger already there to do the job for you?

Most of the Bluetooth selfie sticks come with a remote-controlled shutter button these days. Then there are also those selfie sticks that come with a smartphone compatible remote that’ll let you allow you to trigger your shot directly from the handle.

The Product Should be Able to Reflect What You Visualized

Let’s face it, if you actually wanted photos with a cutting-edge resolution, you’d take them with a DSLR. Selfies are taken mostly for the purpose of preserving memories more than for their photographic excellence. Which is why they’re mostly taken with the phone’s front camera.

If you want your selfies to look slightly better in terms of resolution, than what your phone’s frontcam can produce, you better use the rear camera. But that subsequently brings the issue of not having a viewfinder.

Normally when you take a selfie with your phone’s front camera, your phone’s screen works as an electronic viewfinder to get an ideal framing. But when you’re taking the selfie with the phone’s rear camera, you won’t get that. That’s when you’ll need an external mirror or screen attached to the stick.

Yes, there are selfie sticks that come with a mirror extension attached to the stick’s front. It will reflect what’s shown on your phone’s screen when you are shooting with its rear camera. You could get one of those if you’re that picky about the resolution of your selfies.

Our Product of Choice Needs to be Portable – Carrying It Shouldn’t be a Hassle

This is a very important aspect because selfie sticks are usually used in outdoor events, trips, picnics, weddings, birthday parties, that sort of stuff. The sole purpose of carrying a selfie stick with you is so that you can take good selfies without having to be weighed down by the size and the weight of a full-fledged tripod.

Case and Point: Pick a selfie stick that’s easily foldable, lightweight, and pocket-sized. One that’s easy to handle with one hand, and can be operated with ease in every mode. Otherwise, what’s the point of it anyway?

DO Check for Connectivity Options!

Two types of selfie sticks are most commonly used these days. The cabled kind, and the ones that are connected via Bluetooth. While the Bluetooth Selfie Sticks of Cellphone Tripods need no wire to connect, they come with the drawback of having to be charged regularly.

While on the other hand the cabled type connects using the 3.5mm port of your phone. Choose the one that seems to be the most convenient to your phone’s capabilities. There might even be ones that can be connected both ways, via cable and via Bluetooth. Just like some headphones. You could also go for those if you feel like it.

Waterproof, Dustproof, Weatherproof – What’s the Proof?

If you’re an outgoing person like I am, you need your selfie stick to be resistant to water, dust, snow, and all the other ‘blessings’ that Mother Nature throws at you. Imagine if you go scuba diving or snorkeling and your selfie stick gets an accidental splash of water, what would happen then? Hence, it’s a good idea to get a selfie stick that is water resistant to the very least, if not anything else.

How To Get The Best Out Of the Top-Rated Selfie Sticks Out There?

We all know how to use a device such as these. Basically, you attach it to your phone, connect it, hold it to the correct angle, and press the shutter to click the selfie. But just like every other kind of photography, there are some basic tips and tricks that you can apply to make your selfies look better, especially with these products. Here are some that I apply.

I Play Around with Lighting A LOT!

Lighting is crucial in any kind of photography, not just selfies. If you don’t have proper lighting, your photos will seem too dark, everyone’s faces will become unrecognizable, and the photos will get too noisy. When taking a selfie, be cautious about harsh lighting and shadows on faces. Always prioritize lighting, even if that means you have to move to a different location altogether.

I Always Keep the Lens Clean

Make sure to clean the lens of your camera, whether it’s the frontcam or the rear camera you’re using, before you shoot a selfie. You don’t want your perfectly composed selfie that you spent so much time and effort to create, to get ruined by a smudge or a fingerprint.

Use a clean piece of soft fabric or tissue to o the cleaning. You could even use a drop or two of alcohol or those lens-cleaning liquids you get in camera stores. But be careful not to rub it too hard and get scratches on the lens while cleaning it.

I Try to Get My Angles Right

Angles are especially important when it comes to selfies. Because in a selfie, you’re not trying to create a photographic masterpiece but rather trying to show everyone your point of view of the whole picture. A selfie stick helps you get the best angles by enabling you to see things from a higher perspective.

This will help you to remove shadows by providing a more complimentary look when you’re shooting a portrait. Getting a good angle also means hiding your selfie stick in the frame. You can try tilting the camera back or forth to minimize the appearance of the stick in your picture.

My Advice: Take A Good Look at Your Surroundings

With the emergence of selfie sticks, many wannabes have started using them as tools to polish their photography skills. But to get a good composition, always remember to take a good look at your surroundings.

Check if you really need to use a selfie stick there, and if they’re allowed there in the first place. Even while using it, be careful not to bump into or accidentally hit anyone with your selfie stick while you’re at it.

I Experiment Frequently

Don’t be afraid to be experimental and creative with your selfie stick.  Try taking the same shot from multiple angles to see which one brings out your best creative self. Take in-action shots of fun and exciting moments, take short videos and boomerang shots, set your creativity at loose.

To Sum It Up

Selfies are all about having fun and preserving the best moments in your life. Nobody takes a formal photo with a selfie stick. These things were created so that people could be (and capture) their true selves with them.

Make sure to get the best selfie stick that truly allows you to use your phone’s and your photographic potentials.  Use this gift of modern science to add more magic to your life. Let your selfies speak for yourself. Hope my writeup helped you to get a better understanding of the product itself. That’ll be all for now. Happy shopping!