Gorilla Pod vs Pocket Tripod ProV2: Why Pocket Tripod Stands Out
If you've spent any time searching for the best travel phone tripod, you've landed in the same two-product debate. The Joby GorillaPod has been the go-to recommendation for over a decade — it's flexible, capable, and genuinely clever. The Pocket Tripod PRO v2 is something else entirely: a credit-card-sized adjustable stand that lives in your wallet and deploys in seconds. They're both excellent products. They're solving different problems. Here's the honest breakdown of which one belongs in your kit.
In This Comparison
Portability Setup Speed Adjustability Stability Versatility Value Verdict
Portability: Not Even Close
The Pocket Tripod PRO v2 is 2.3mm thin and fits in a standard wallet slot. You don't think about carrying it — it's just there, the same way your credit cards are there. The GorillaPod Mobile is a capable, compact flexible tripod, but it's still a dedicated accessory you have to pack, find space for, and consciously bring. At 120–250g and roughly the size of a folded pair of sunglasses, it takes up real bag real estate.
This sounds like a minor distinction until you're at an unexpected viewpoint at dusk and you either have your support with you or you don't. The GorillaPod lives in your camera bag. The Pocket Tripod lives in your wallet — which means it lives everywhere you go.
Edge: Pocket Tripod PRO v2 Not comparable. A credit card in your wallet vs. a dedicated item in your bag is a fundamentally different category of carry.
Setup Speed: 10 Seconds vs. a Minute
Getting the Pocket Tripod ready takes about 10 seconds — pull it out, snap your phone into the adapter, set the angle, done. This matters most for spontaneous shots: the couple kissing under a streetlight, the golden hour that peaks for exactly 4 minutes, the landscape that's perfect for the next 30 seconds before a cloud rolls in.
The GorillaPod takes longer. You need to unpack it, extend or arrange the legs, attach your phone's grip or mount, find the right surface or wrapping point, and ensure it's stable. Done well, this takes 45–90 seconds. On a busy street or a scenic overlook with other people waiting, that's a long time.
Edge: Pocket Tripod PRO v2 10 seconds means you never miss the shot. 60 seconds sometimes does.
Adjustability & Versatility: Where Joby Has a Real Edge
This is the GorillaPod's genuine advantage. Its flexible legs can wrap around a railing, a tree branch, or a fence post. You can position it on uneven terrain where a flat-surface stand simply won't work. If you need to mount a phone to a bike handlebar, a car headrest, or a rocky hillside, the GorillaPod gets there when the Pocket Tripod can't.
The Pocket Tripod PRO v2 requires a flat or near-flat surface. It doesn't wrap around anything. Its angle range (roughly 0°–45°) is narrower than the full 360° flexibility of the Joby. For the majority of travel photography scenarios — tables, ledges, walls, rocks, floors — this isn't a limitation you'll notice. But for action sports, vlogging from a moving vehicle, or shooting in environments without a flat surface, the GorillaPod does things the Pocket Tripod cannot.
Edge: Joby GorillaPod The flexible legs are a genuinely unique capability. If you need to mount in non-standard environments, Joby wins this category.
Stability: Solid Footing vs. Wobble Management
The Pocket Tripod PRO v2, when properly set on a flat surface, is rock solid. The carbon fiber composite construction and precise angle-locking mechanism mean there's essentially no flex or wobble. Long-exposure night shots, time-lapses, and even ProRes RAW video all benefit from this rigidity. The contact-surface relationship is straightforward: flat surface + Pocket Tripod = stable camera.
The GorillaPod's rubber ball joints are where its flexibility lives — and also where stability concerns arise. On a flat, hard surface it's stable enough. But those flexible joints have inherent micro-movement. When you need absolute stability for a 10-second night exposure or a video that has no business shaking, the GorillaPod's joints can be a liability. Many GorillaPod users compensate by tightening the joints as much as possible, which somewhat defeats the purpose of flexible legs.
"For long exposures and video on flat surfaces, the Pocket Tripod is more rigid. For getting into impossible positions, the GorillaPod gets there first."
Edge: Pocket Tripod PRO v2 On flat surfaces, the rigid carbon fiber construction delivers cleaner stability for long exposures and video. The GorillaPod's joints introduce micro-movement at longer exposures.
Final Scorecard
The Verdict: Buy Both If You Can, Choose the Pocket Tripod If You Can't
There's no scenario where you regret having both. The GorillaPod handles the situations the Pocket Tripod can't — unconventional terrain, wrapping around things, action sports mounting. The Pocket Tripod handles everything else with less weight, less time, and less friction.
If you're choosing just one: choose the Pocket Tripod PRO v2. The reason is simple — it's the one you'll actually have with you. The best tripod for travel photography isn't the most capable one you leave at the hotel. It's the one in your wallet when the light turns perfect at 6:42am and you have exactly 90 seconds to get the shot.
The Pocket Tripod's precision adapter system means it works with any phone and any case — iPhone 17 Pro, Galaxy S26 Plus, whatever comes next. The carbon fiber construction is both lighter than plastic and more rigid than rubber joints. And unlike a GorillaPod, it goes from your wallet to a stable camera mount without any thought. Friction is the enemy of great travel photography.
Pocket Tripod PRO v2
The Travel Tripod That's Always With You
Credit-card sized. Works with any phone and case. Deploys in seconds. Backed by a lifetime warranty. Over 9,800% funded on Kickstarter — this thing has earned its reputation.
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