Selfie Stick Buyers Guide

Are you looking to buy the best selfie sticks available in the market? There's no question that a selfie stick can be a handy and cost-effective way to capture brilliant pictures. However, the market is full of countless options that make it very difficult to find the right selfie stick.

Selfie sticks are relatively easy to make, and some people have created them at home, as well. It is also one of the all-time useful tools in the history of mankind. You can find an extensive range of selfies available from different materials like plastic, metal, and fiberglass to various companies.

There are many cheaply built selfie sticks available in the market. Hence, we are here with a full-fledged guide to ensure you don't buy just any selfie stick. We are here to ensure that you find only the best selfie sticks under your budget. So, let's get started and get you the very best!

What is a selfie stick, and why should you buy one?

A selfie stick is a handy invention that allows you to connect a device, primarily the phone, to capture pictures. It is useful because of the extension it provides. Despite being a simple invention, it took the market by the storm. It has been a popular device that has become an everyday necessity to capture pictures, especially among travelers.

The technical term for a selfie stick is 'monopod.' It is an inspiration from 'tripod,' another device with three legs to stand on the surface. The tripod is more prevalent among people with cameras. Unlike a tripod, you have to carry a selfie stick (monopod) in hand.

It is convenient because it can fold and become easy to store. More importantly, it can work with your phone and help you capture beautiful pictures without any restrictions.

Best reasons to buy a selfie stick

There are countless reasons for why selfie sticks became so popular. As mentioned above, a selfie stick has secured its place as one of the most useful and innovative tools of all time. If you start looking at the reason, then it's not just to take selfies conveniently.

There can be countless reasons why selfie sticks are so popular or why you should buy them. We are bringing you some of the unquestionable reasons to buy a selfie stick. It includes benefits or advantages. Furthermore, you may get some ideas to capture images, so read ahead!

No limbs fatigue

The best reason for you to have a selfie stick is the elimination of using your limbs. What does it mean? Your arms have a limited reach, and sometimes it can be very uncomfortable to extend it. Due to awkward extensions or angles, you will not get the pictures you wanted.

Furthermore, it can be tiresome, and the limit of the range might not be appropriate. Often, pictures captured with extended arms are shaky and blurry. So you eliminate that as well if you use a selfie stick.

Traveling companion

The selfie stick became a buzz due to travelers from around the world. They found it to be quite a handy invention to capture quality images by using their phones. Since then, the selfie sticks have become a must-have for anyone traveling. If you want to capture great pictures, then you should have a selfie stick.

It is easy to store and doesn't occupy much space. Most of the selfie sticks, regardless of the material, are lightweight.

Become self-sufficient

Carrying a selfie stick eliminates the requirement to rely on other people. If you have to ask other people to click a picture, then a selfie stick is the right choice. There's no need to interact with other people if you don't want to, making it a boon for introverts.

More importantly, you can never rely on the quality of the image other people will capture. Most of them will quickly capture the picture and get done with the favor. Others might not know the functioning of your phone's camera. Since you know the device best, it's a better idea to take pictures by yourself.

With selfie sticks, you can take pictures without worrying about the image's quality, angles, and much more.

Safety for your device

As you don't have to rely upon others, there's minimum risk of someone snatching your device. There have been many instances where a person has run away with the device. Furthermore, if you are on a risky route or heights where you may drop a device from your hand, a selfie can be a sturdy choice.

If your selfie stick provides a firm grip on the device, you don't have to worry about the security much. It will remain safe.

Experiment with angles

You can get very creative with a selfie stick. There are countless ways to experiment with the angles of your selfie stick. You can capture pictures from different 'point-of-view' or perspectives. Elevate the sticks, place them down, or put them at an apt distance to take landscape pictures. There are countless ways to use a selfie stick

This is one of the best reasons to buy a selfie stick. If you are bored with simple selfies and want to tweak up your style, get a selfie stick. There are countless ways you can use a selfie stick to get some of the most creative and fun pictures.

Fit more people

Similar to experimenting with different angles, you get better reach with a selfie stick. The distance of the device from you enables you to take selfies with more people in it. As long as the camera's quality can support it, you can include as many people as you like.

It is especially useful for parties or hangouts where you have a large group of friends. Often, someone has to volunteer to take a picture of a large group. As a result, there are pics in which that person is missing. If you use a selfie stick, then nobody has to volunteer to take the picture. Hence, you can include everyone in a single click.

Extra stability for pictures

Almost every selfie stick is convenient to handle and lightweight. Even metal selfie sticks are a breeze to carry. Unlike extending arms, which can be uncomfortable and leads to shaky images, you get a sturdy hold through selfie sticks. As a result, you can capture top-notch pictures with impeccable stability.

In simple words, you get the best quality of images without any unwanted distortion. The remarkable stability at any angle makes selfie a great addition to your accessories.

Versatile to use

You can use a selfie stick almost anywhere, as long as it is not banned. For example, you can take your selfie-stick for a dive as long as your device, and the stick is waterproof. We've seen countless images and videos of people paragliding or partaking in other similar sports with selfie sticks.

If you have a high-quality selfie stick, you can use it almost anywhere to take the best images. Additionally, you can reach the areas and capture images where you usually wouldn't. For example, elevation levels, inside a narrow passage, or at some height. You can't look down from the cliff to capture an image.

However, you can safely extend the selfie stick to capture an image of the cliff from 90-degree while keeping yourself safe. Hence, a selfie stick may help in keeping you safe from taking risky actions.

Factors to consider when buying a selfie stick

Now that you understand several benefits of getting a selfie, it’s time to get down to the factors. It might be true that a selfie stick has hit the peak of innovations with not much room for upgrades. However, there are many things that you might not know a selfie stick offers.

We aim to help you get essential information. With that, we also hope to elaborate on several different features that a selfie stick has. All of these factors will ensure that you get the perfect selfie stick for your use. Let's start with:

Device compatibility - Purpose

Many selfie sticks are not restricted to smartphones anymore. A selfie stick can be multi-purpose and could be compatible with different devices. There are also specific selfie sticks that might either fit a digital camera or a phone. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the compatibility of your selfie stick. It all breaks down to the purpose and use of your selfie stick.

For phone

To have a selfie stick for a phone, you will have to check if it supports the model you have. No two phone models are equal. You have to consider your phone's dimension and understand whether the selfie stick supports your phone or not. Apart from that, the connectivity options and buttons should be considered, as well.

Tablet and other devices

Some selfie sticks have larger clamps to hold a tablet. If you want a selfie-stick for tablet and other large devices, or large phones, then you need a selfie stick for tablets. Now, these models have a lack of availability because they are not as popular.

If you want a selfie stick for a tablet, you might have to browse through the internet to order it, most likely. Your nearby stores may not have one.

For cameras

Yes, there are selfie sticks available for cameras. These are not full-fledged cameras like DSLRs. A camera selfie stick is limited to compact-type digital or old-school analogue cameras. As DSLRs and other cameras are heavier, a single clamp can't hold them very very.

More importantly, a tripod is an overall better choice for powerful cameras. If you have a small digital camera, then you may consider a selfie stick for them.

Clamp's consideration

The clamp of your selfie stick is the structure that holds the device firmly. To secure your device and use your selfie stick without any worry, it is vital to consider your clamp. It's design, size, material, and adjustments can play an indispensable role in providing better uses.

Design

The design of your clamp correlates with the compatibility. Some clamps have an adjustable design to suit universal sizes for smartphones and other devices, making it a great choice.

Apart from that, the locking system on your clamp is an indispensable requirement. Does it have bolting types, screw type, or a simple grip? The more substantial the grip, the more freely you can use the device.

Material

Some clamps are straight-up plastics. Others may use rubber for better grip. Make sure to check for these qualities because the clamp's grip will be affected by its material. Furthermore, a rubber grip would absorb shocks better if it hits any surface. For added protection, a rubber grip is best.

Some clamps have additions such as anti-slip or extra flip-locks to hold the device better. You can check that out, as well.

Adjustments

When we talk about adjustment, apart from the size settings, we are talking about angle changes. Some selfie sticks come with a clamp that can shift and change the angles. This could further improve the range of use for a selfie stick. Imagine all the different types of angles you can use.

Angular adjustments are significant for comfortable selfies. However, these selfie sticks may loosen up on the neck from where you adjust it. So make sure that you can tighten it in those cases. Otherwise, your selfie stick will become useless.

Connectivity options

We've been talking about compatibility for quite a while now. This brings us to the first factor that is related to this compatibility, that is, the connectivity options. A selfie stick's connectivity would enable you to capture pictures conveniently.

No connectivity

Some selfie sticks don't have any button or connectivity option. For these, you have to rely upon the timer of your device. They help with the extension, that's all. These tend to be the cheapest selfie sticks with nothing much to offer.

Jack or USB

A jack or USB connectivity is the most common type of selfie stick in use. It uses either a standard jack or USB cable to connect the stick to the phone. Furthermore, there is a button that works like a trigger to capture selfies.

However, some buttons have a delayed response, and others may press the button for the selfie stick to immediately capture the image. Some phones don't support jack or USB selfie sticks. You might have to buy a Bluetooth version.

Bluetooth

A Bluetooth selfie has universal compatibility that can work with almost any device. Most of the time, there's a button on the selfie stick for it. Alternatively, you may get a model with remote control. By using these selfie sticks, you can conveniently capture pictures.

However, an important consideration to make is the Bluetooth version. Some selfie sticks have older versions that may not connect with your phone's Bluetooth. Make sure that your phone's Bluetooth can connect with the selfie stick for proper use.

Most of the time, a Bluetooth or remote trigger allows you to use a selfie stick from an extra distance, almost like a tripod, to capture images.

One crucial factor to consider when buying a Bluetooth selfie stick is the battery life and performance with charging availability to make sure that it can work optimally.

Material

We've already talked about the importance of material for your clamp. However, your stick's material can be equally important.

Type of material

A selfie stick is available in different materials ranging from standard plastic, non-toxic or biodegradable plastic, and metal. In metal, you may find aluminum as a common construct. Some high-end selfie sticks use carbon as body material for reinforced durability.

Weatherproofing

A selfie stick with weatherproof quality will allow you to use it in any season. You can use it in summer, during winter, or even in the rain. Often, the stick may have an extra weatherproof coating to prevent any damage to the material's integrity.

If not, you can buy a waterproof coating to make your selfie stick work better. Some selfie sticks are not waterproof. Others come with a clamp that may cover your phone entirely for underwater usage. So choose a selfie stick with some form of proofing for added versatility.

Fold & extension

How much reach can your selfie stick provide you without becoming uncomfortable? That's the question you should ask. Standard selfie sticks have an extension of around 30-40 inches. However, if you need more extension, they are available with better material.

Almost every selfie stick is telescopic in design to fold conveniently. Most of them fold to be around 5-10 inches in size. This provides ease in traveling while carrying them. So make sure that the fold and extension of the selfie stick match your requirement.

Extra Features

There can be many handy features in a selfie stick, eliminating the requirement to have other tools. Let's look at some of these:

Additional handles

An extra handle can boost the stability of the selfie stick. Most of the time, an additional handle is integrated into selfie sticks with a longer reach. Some do it to offer more convenience to take the picture.

Flashlights

Selfie sticks with flashlights are very common, and they usually have a battery for it. Bluetooth selfie sticks may have this addition. A selfie stick with a flashlight can have two uses. One is to illuminate the darkness. Other things could be to provide extra brightness and flash to take better pictures.

Mirror

Do you own a phone that has a better read camera than the front camera? Then you can place your camera with the rear body on the front to capture images. How will you see what the picture looks like? That's precisely the purpose of an added mirror in selfie sticks.

It will show you the screen of the camera to see what kind of picture you are clicking. So if you want to have a selfie stick for your phone's rear camera, this is a handy feature.

Other features

Some selfie sticks generally have a monopod design but can split to be a tripod, as well. Similar to this feature, there may be countless features for added benefits. So you can check that out.

Price

Of course, in the end, you will get what you pay for. Whether it is a premium-grade material, waterproofing, extra features, or warranty, you need to consider your budget. However, you can browse different companies for a branded selfie stick. Some companies have competitive pricing and provide better selfie stick choices at economical rates.

FAQs: Best Selfie Sticks

Q: Are selfie sticks banned?

A: Not globally, but there are some places selfie sticks are prohibited or banned. These are the places where they may disturb others, like stadiums. Since a selfie-stick is a rod, people can use it as a weapon. So sites with strong weapons regulations don't allow selfie sticks. Famous amusement parks such as Disneyland and Universal studios have also banned selfie sticks.

Q: Can you carry selfie sticks at the airport?

A: Yes, you can travel with your selfie sticks anywhere, and airports have allowed traveling with selfie sticks. However, some destinations may have regulations regarding the use of a selfie stick. Therefore, you may have to submit the selfie stick to the airport security if you decide to go to the city with a ban on selfie sticks.

Q: Are selfie sticks still popular?

A: There isn't much left to innovate with selfie sticks, that's why they are not in the news all the time. Selfie sticks are still very popular, but they have become widespread for people to own. It is always a great idea to own a selfie stick, but it has become a norm. So if you want to stand out because you own a selfie stick, that's almost impossible.

Q: Do I have to maintain and clean my selfie stick?

A: Any tool or device requires proper care. Your selfie stick might require appropriate cleaning. Some models, mostly metal, require lubrication. If you want your selfie stick to last, then proper maintenance and care are paramount.

Conclusion

A selfie stick can never go out of style as long as we have smartphones. If you want to take vibrant pictures and have fun without any restrictions, it is a must-have tool. Just make sure that you have a selfie stick that fits your purpose and works with your device.

We didn't shed too much light on the budget or cost factor because most of the selfie sticks are highly affordable. If you have a friend or want to help someone make a decision, this guide will help. We hope that the guide was easy to understand and helped you learn some essential factors. As long as you follow this guide, you will have the best selfie sticks.