The best smartphone gimbals you can buy

Smartphones have become very good at stabilizing video with OIS (optical image stabilization) and EIS (electronic image stabilization), but they can’t beat the efficiency and control of a mobile gimbal. Directly holding your camera phone while recording can lead to unexpected movements, jumps, and trips. Add shaky hands to the equation, and any smartphone will need some help keeping footage steady.

Those looking for the best phone gimbal will soon realize many options are available. Finding the right smartphone gimbal can be daunting, so we have curated a list of the best handset stabilizers available.

Editor’s note: We’ll regularly update this list of the best smartphone gimbals as new ones launch, and older ones are phased out.

Buying the right phone gimbal for your needs

You need to consider several things when picking out a phone gimbal. The obvious factors to consider are price, size, weight, battery life, and build quality. Of course, mobile gimbals have other more complex features to keep in perspective. An essential one is the stabilization technology in use. Are you working with a 3-axis or a 2-axis stabilizer? 2-axis stabilizers smooth out tilt and roll, which means movements going up/down or from side to side. The third axis steadies panning.

It’s also important to consider device compatibility. You will need to look elsewhere if the gimbal doesn’t fit or the hardware isn’t made for your handset. The motors need to handle your handset’s size and weight. The software will make a massive difference in your experience too. Be sure to look at how many features the app has (if there is one).

The best overall: ZHIYUN Smooth 4

The ZHIYUN Smooth 4 is getting older now, but it holds the title as the best smartphone gimbal by our book. This device seems to offer the best value for the money. It comes in just short of $100 and provides an experience that few other gimbals can match. This smartphone gimbal already has two successors, the Smooth 5 and Smooth 5S, but we believe they’re overpriced and don’t offer much more than the Smooth 4. The only upgrade we deem worthy is the addition of fill lights at the top and bottom ends.

ZHIYUN’s Smooth 4 sports impressive build quality, and it offers one of the more stable tripods on the market. It measures 123 x 105 x 328mm and weighs 547g before adding your smartphone of choice. The Smooth 4 packs a 2,000mAh cell, which should keep you rolling for up to 10 hours on a single charge.

We can appreciate the impressive selection of buttons and knobs with which ZHIYUN equipped its Smooth 4. However, the sheer variety results in a steep learning curve, so you may have to do a few practice runs before getting the hang of things. We’re not entirely sold on ZHIYUN’s app, either, but the Smooth 4 combines enough quality and value to command our best gimbal slot.

Check out our full review to learn more about the ZHIYUN Smooth 4.

Other products worth considering

While the ZHIYUN Smooth 4 is the best choice for most users, there are a few other products worth considering. Below you’ll find a quick breakdown, followed by a deeper dive into each alternative further down in the article.

• DJI Osmo Mobile 6: The Osmo Mobile 5 is our top pick for a folding gimbal. It’s lightweight and powerful, and it’s an overall perfect companion for videographers on the go.
• DJI Osmo Mobile SE: Almost as good as the Osmo Mobile 6, but much cheaper.
• ZHIYUN Smooth Q4: This is a great gimbal for mobile videographers. It’s foldable, robust, and the removable LED light will keep clips well lit at night.
• ZHIYUN Smooth X2: The Smooth X2 is not as capable as others, but it’s definitely one of the funnest gimbals with such a pocketable design.
• Hohem iSteady Multi: Smartphone gimbals are great, but many of us have multiple cameras. This stabilizer can be used with a smartphone, as well as a GoPro or a Sony RX100.
• MOZA Mini-P Max: With a carrying capacity of 1,000g, the Mini-P Max is an excellent pick if you prefer a larger phone. It can also hold regular cameras and action cams.
• FeiyuTech Vimble 3: The extendable arm is an excellent addition, and it opens up plenty of new angles. It also offers much more versatility, controls, and additional accessories.

Insta360 Flow: Best compact gimbal

In most cases, the best gimbals are the biggest and heaviest on the market. Thankfully, if the ability to travel easily is most important to you, there are options, and the Insta360 Flow might be one of the best.

This small gimbal, when folded, is about the size of a large smartphone (although much thicker, obviously). It has most of the features you’d expect of a larger gimbal, including a magnetic mounting system, a built-in extender rod, and even a trigger. It also adds something most gimbals on this list don’t have, which is a built-in tripod. You simply pull the three tripod feet out of the bottom, and it will prop anywhere. You don’t need to sacrifice your normal tripod, either, as the Flow also has a traditional tripod mount, too.

Unfortunately, you’ll also spend quite a bit on this, but the cost could be worth it if you want something fully featured but really portable.

DJI Osmo Mobile 6: The best folding gimbal

DJI’s Osmo Mobile 6 barely missed our top spot, mainly because it is a bit too pricey. The OM 5 features a folding design that earns top marks for portability and sets it apart from most other gimbals on the market. It’s super portable and has a built-in extension rod that turns it into a selfie stick.

The DJI Osmo Mobile 6 comes in at 309 grams right out of the box, and measures 276 x 111.5 x 99mm when completely unfolded. The gimbal packs a 1,000mAh battery, which isn’t great, but you still get about six hours and 24 minutes of battery life. The clamp can also handle its own, as it can hold devices as heavy as 290 grams, and as wide as 84mm.

Check out our full review to learn more about the DJI Osmo Mobile 6.

DJI Osmo Mobile SE: A cheaper version of the best DJI gimbal

If you like the DJI Osmo Mobile 6, but deem it too pricey, then we’d like to show you something more affordable from the same brand.

The DJI Osmo Mobile SE comes with some of the best features you’ll find on its bigger brother, such as 3-axis stabilization, a portable and foldable body, a magnetic design, and even a very similar control interface. In fact, some people might see it as a bit of an upgrade, as it has a longer 8-hour battery life, as opposed to 6:26 hours of juice on the Osmo Mobile 6. It also happens to have improved mechanical range, especially on the pan and tilt.

Of course, some downsides come with a price cut. It is larger, even if by a bit. It’s also heavier at 352g. It lacks a selfie stick extender, and a rocker replaces the side wheel.

ZHIYUN Smooth Q4: Powerful, foldable, extendable, and with a light!

As you might have guessed, our favorite gimbals often bounce between DJI and ZHIYUN. Although ZHIYUN’s Smooth Q4 doesn’t fold quite as small as the DJI Osmo Mobile 5, it’s a very compact and portable gimbal that can also be folded down. 

Great features include a removable, magnetic LED fill light, which is excellent for lowlight shooting. The light intensity can be customized by tapping on the top surface, and it can be used either pointing towards or against the shooter. The unit also features good stabilization, great controls, and an ergonomic handle. Another great improvement over the Smooth Q3 is that the Smooth Q4 can be extended to work as a selfie stick hybrid.

The body is still made of plastic. While it won’t feel as good as aluminum or other metals, it feels pretty solid in hand. Battery life is pretty good, too, at 15 hours on a single full charge. Of course, you’ll still enjoy all the great features you can expect from ZHIYUN’s ZY Cami app. These include Dolly Zoom, SmartFollow, Gesture Control, MagicClone Pano, and more.

ZHIYUN Smooth X2: Super portable, fun, and comes with LED light

If you’re looking for the most portable gimbals around, ZHIYUN’s Smooth X2 might be right up your alley. It is so tiny it can fit in a regular pants pocket when completely folded down. Don’t let its tiny size fool you, though. The portable gimbal has plenty of fun to offer. For starters, it comes with plenty of lighting effects, which activate with interaction. Additionally, you can use a removable LED fill light, which you can customize with different color filters.

Additionally, the unit can be extended by up to 265mm, essentially making it a stabilized selfie stick. And you still get great ZY Cami app features, such as Smart Mode, SmartFollow, and online editing. The only downside is that it’s a bit too pricey for what you get, and you can get higher-end units like the ZHIYUN Smooth 4 and Smooth Q4 for about the same price, but this one is definitely fun and much more portable.

Hohem iSteady Multi: The best for using with all cameras

Smartphone gimbals are great, but it’s definitely better to have some versatility. The Hohem iSteady Multi features more compatibility with smartphones and other cameras, including GoPro shooters and Sony RX100 cams. And while the included cable is only for Sony cameras, the gimbal can handle other cameras, too, as long as they don’t weigh over 400g.

The gimbal only weighs one pound, and it features plenty of mobility. It can pan 600 degrees, tilt 320 degrees, and roll 320 degrees. Another great thing about the Hohem iSteady Multi is its app’s features, including really unique ones like “Inception Mode.”

MOZA Mini-P Max: Amazing payload

The MOZA Mini-P Max is a beast of a gimbal. We can comfortably say it is the strongest in this list, being able to hold up to 1,000g of weight. This makes it the perfect gimbal to use with any smartphone, as well as full-sized DSLR, mirrorless, and action cameras. Compatibility with so many types of cameras also makes it an excellent alternative to the Hohem iSteady Multi.

The big difference is the price. The MOZA Mini-P Max has a $199 MSRP, making it one of the pricier options in this list of the best smartphone gimbals. It comes with all the bells and whistles, though. You get 3-axis stabilization, it’s not too big, it has a nice ergonomic design and hand position, and really good mechanical range. The pan can reach 360 degrees, while roll and tilt stick with 330 degrees. And get this; it has an estimated 20-hour battery life.

FeiyuTech Vimble 3: The best for selfie-takers

We loved the FeiyuTech Vimble 2S, and the Vimble 3 seems to beat it in every aspect. The foldable design can be reduced to 114.4 x 175.6 x 64.6mm. There are much more buttons for those who need more controls. The design is much more ergonomic. Additionally, it supports cool accessories, including a magnetic fill light and Feiyu Intelligent Tracking Module.

One of the things that made the Vimble 2S special was the 180mm extendable arm. The Vimble 3 one-ups it with a 198mm extendable arm, making it great for selfie shooters.

FAQs

Sometimes smartphone gimbals are a bit overkill. You may be happier with something simpler, like a smartphone tripod. Check out our post below to see which are your best options.