What’s that you say? You keep missing magazine-worthy photo-ops of yourself, sporting your finest gear atop your gorgeous motorcycle in front of breathtaking scenery, all because there’s no one with you to take the shot? You don’t want to strap a full-sized tripod on your bike, and even those smaller, more portable ones require additional hardware to hold a smartphone instead of a regular camera, gobbling up too much space in your luggage—if you’re carrying any. Well, fear not, intrepid moto-photogs! If you’ve got your smartphone and wallet with you (and I know you do), you’re ready for action. Geometrical’s ingenious Pocket Tripod takes up no more room than a stack of two credit cards and will hold virtually any smartphone at virtually any angle, with or without a case. At 11 grams, it’s even (partly) made of high-tech carbon-fiber to keep your onboard cargo weight nice and low!
Before being deployed, the Pocket Tripod looks like a flat piece of plastic with a bunch of weird grooves and cutouts. Configuring it for use is actually quite quick and easy—if you know what’s what. Fortunately, the provided instructions are extraordinarily clear and thorough. Simply twist its two lengthwise halves 180 degrees on their central pivot to create a quasi-trapezoidal shape, then flip up the two hinged sides. Now the cutouts that hold your phone will be in perfect alignment. With a little pressure, these swivel to allow 105 degrees of rotation, which is as much as you’re ever likely to need, given you can face your phone in either direction within the cutouts. They’re also equipped with non-scratch TPU bumpers to prevent damage to your phone’s glass or case, while still providing a secure grip. The cutouts can be swapped for other sizes (nine pairs are included) to accommodate a broad range of phone/case thicknesses. You won’t have to use trial-and-error to determine the correct gap width, as Geometrical thoughtfully supplies a calibrated thickness gauge (the backside of which can serve as an 18% gray card for setting your camera’s white balance; non-photography nerds can disregard this feature). Any of these little accessories are available for purchase separately if lost.
The two halves of the Pocket Tripod can be separated by twisting them only 90 degrees and pulling them apart from there. Using them independently creates a wider footprint, which may be preferable when orienting the smartphone horizontally or for greater stability when setting things up on uneven surfaces. It also allows a completely unobstructed view of the screen for watching a movie or video call. In any arrangement, the tripod components never interfere with the smartphone’s edge mic.
Although it seems somewhat fragile on the basis of its delicate joints (and those can be damaged by ham-fisted operation), the Pocket Tripod’s “base” is made of sturdy polycarbonate ABS and its “legs” (the vertical supports when deployed) are the aforementioned carbon-fiber bits. When used with a modicum of care, it should be plenty durable, though some online reviewers complained of breakage. I suspect said “modicum of care” went unused in those instances, but the Pocket Tripod does come with a lifetime warranty against defects (though probably not abuse). The other complaint I saw was instability when using the Pocket Tripod with a larger/heavier smartphone on an irregular surface; this is easier for me to imagine—no doubt some combinations of phone and terrain will prove impossible—but this tiny device obviously isn’t meant to be an all-purpose replacement for conventional full-sized photography equipment!
Geometrical says, “The best tripod is the one that’s with you.” It’s hard to argue with that. You could, however, take issue with the current version’s $55.00 MSRP—that’s a lot of money for such a minute, specialized piece of kit. Even Amazon’s heavily discounted price of $39.95 will give some prospective buyers pause. The model pictured was purchased in 2024 and cost less at the time but lacks the updated “PROv2” version’s nickel-plated brass threaded holes for a traditional tripod’s ¼” mounting screw. These allow its substitution for the bulky clamp systems usually required when pairing a smartphone with such a perch. Otherwise, the units are almost identical (the PROv2 offers slightly more rotational range). It would have been nice if Geometrical had kept the original cheaper model for those who’ll never use the screw-mount feature. In any case, you’re really paying for convenience and clever design, not the miniscule amount of physical materials involved.
Whether or not you’re deterred by the Pocket Tripod’s cost, you might be interested in Geometrical’s neat Bluetooth remote shutter button ($25), which could prove handy in many selfie-type situations where you’re not actually holding your smartphone. And if you’re trying to capture your awesome cornering moves from the shoulder of a favorite backroad curve, your smartphone’s timer will record lots of wasted “footage,” whereas you could signal Action! and Cut! efficiently with that remote button on your handlebar. The Pocket Tripod is available in a multitude of colors at geometrical-inc.com or other online retailers.
