The best travel tripods are for photographers who often hit the road and like to take their photography equipment with them. They differ from standard tripods thanks to their compact, foldable design which makes them easier to fit inside backpacks. They also tend to be lighter than the standard best tripods.
A good balance of lightness and quality is important, so in choosing the best travel tripods, we didn't just consider their size and weight; we opted for tripods that are also sturdy and well-built. With Black Friday just round the corner, some travel tripods are already on sale, such as the Vanguard VEO 3 GO 204CB which is $35 off at Amazon.
Our expert reviewers have tested the best travel tripods in a range of real-world environments, assessing their ease of use, portability, and weight. And if you'd like help keeping your travel tripod safe, we've got you covered with the best camera backpacks.
The quick list
Best overall
The Peak Design Travel Tripod is a novel travel tripod that is so narrow it can fit into cabin luggage. It is night-friendly and can support full-frame DSLRs and even smartphones.
For
- Narrow design
- Compact ball head
- Hidden smartphone mount
Against
- Lacks height
- Requires Hex key
- High price
Best for height
One of the best tripods we've seen, complete with a detachable monopod and built-in phone mount. The carbon fiber tubes keep it quite light.
Best compact option
Incredibly slimline and great for travel, but the lack of a center column has pros and cons. It's not the tallest tripod out there, but it's lightweight and easy to transport.
Best lightweight option
A very light and compact tripod which can fold down to 13.6 inches, small enough to put into your cabin bag, and a smooth operating ball head.
Best for videographers
The Manfrotto Befree Advanced Travel Tripod's aluminum rig is as light and as solid a travel tripod as you’re likely to find, making it great for full-frame astrophotography gear.
For
- Lightweight aluminum build
- Versatile ball-head
- Soft twist leg locks
Against
- Relatively large when collapsed
- Not full height
Best for content creators
The Joby GorillaPod 3K Pro Kit is a unique take on a tripod that can wrap around almost anything to hold 6.6 lbs (3 kg) worth of photography gear.
For
- Flexible legs can grip around almost anything
- Great for travel
- Very lightweight and portable
Against
- Not for super heavy setups
- Legs can be a bit fiddly
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Best stylish option
An excellent quality premium tripod that looks stunning and performs just as well, but it does come with a premium price tag.
Best budget option
A 6-in-1 option, the Benro MeFoto Road Trip Pro converts into a variety of styles to suit different styles of shooting. The legs have a twist and lock function.
Best value for money
The Punks Corey 2.0 is lightweight, but it can support over 8x its own weight, and you can remove its legs to make it a monopod.
Best travel tripods we recommend in 2024
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Best travel tripod overall
✅ Only the best will do: This is an exceptional, thoughtfully-designed tripod. We found it hard to fault.
❌ You need more height: This tripod can only reach a height of 60 inches.
🔎 Peak Design Travel Tripod: An exceptionally narrow and compact design makes the Peak Design Travel Tripod a great piece of kit for traveling astrophotographers who want something highly mobile, that can be set-up and taken down fast. ★★★★½
The Peak Design Travel Tripod's slim and compact design as well as its high build quality earn it pole position in our guide. This lightweight tripod still guarantees stability, even when using heavy DSLR cameras.
Its three legs and ball head meet seamlessly with no gaps when it's folded, which results in a compact package just 3.13 inches in diameter and 15.4 inches high. As its name suggests, the Peak Design Travel Tripod can easily be packed into your camera bag or luggage if you're often on the go. It does also come with a soft padded case featuring a waterproof zip and carry handles to make carrying it around easier.
During our Peak Design Travel Tripod review, we loved how easy and fast it is to setup and take down, although we were slightly less fond of the camera attachment. The ball head (which, as an aside, is one of the most compact we've seen) comes with a tripod plate that attaches to your camera using a hex tool. While this is great to keep your camera incredibly stable for long hours when shooting star trails, we can't help but feel that a tool-free D-ring plate would have saved a lot of time.
The smartphone clamp on this tripod can be cleverly stowed away under the center column, saving more space in your camera bag. Granted, with a tripod like this one you probably won't be wanting to take smartphone pictures, but the option is there should you need it.
As much as we love the Peak Design Travel Tripod, its size means it may not be suitable for all photographers. It has a maximum unfolded height of 60 inches/152.4cm, which is great for keeping its weight down, but if you're tall or want to extend the height you can shoot from, there are more suitable tripods on this list.
There are two different versions of the Peak Design Travel Tripod available: one with a carbon fiber body, and one aluminum. As you'd expect, the carbon fiber-bodied version is the lightest, but it also comes with a premium price tag as a result. Since the aluminum version is already light — weighing just 3.44lbs/1.56kg — we think it's more than adequate for most people, so you don't need to splash out on the other version unless your budget stretches to it.
- Read our full Peak Design Travel Tripod review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Narrow, space-saving design. |
| Performance | Speedy setup and takedown. |
| Functionality | Not as tall as other tripods. |
Best for height
✅ You want one of the tallest travel tripods: This one has a maximum height of 66.3 inches (168.5cm).
✅ You want a detachable monopod: Monopods are better for the likes of sporting events, where you have limited space. This model comes with a detachable one.
❌ You're sticking to a budget: This is another premium tripod, though we think it's a great long-term investment.
❌ You want something super lightweight: It's not heavy per se, but there are certainly lighter options out there.
🔎 Benro Rhino FRHN24C+VX25 Head: Although it's not cheap, for passionate photographers who need a lightweight, portable tripod capable of providing more height than most, this is a fantastic option. ★★★★★
The Benro Rhino FRHN24C+VX25 Head's build quality really shines through, typical of Benro's high-end Rhino tripod range. It comes with all the bells and whistles you could ask for from a higher-end model including a phone mount, carbon fiber tubes and a detachable monopod.
In our Benro Rhino 24C Two series review, we praised its sleek design, reliability and portability. It's not the smallest tripod on this list, but since it folds down to 19.3 inches, it's still very compact and TSA luggage allowance-friendly. When completely extended, it measures 168.5cm (66.3 inches), so it should be tall enough for most users. We also love that it can be configured into a monopod, making it versatile for different types of photography.
The Rhino tripod is available in a wide range of different heights and sizes. You can choose between four different sizes and between models with four or five leg sections, so you can tailor it to your needs.
During our testing, we found it easy to set up and take down in the dark. The rubber grips are soft on the hands, and the interchangeable feet are a nice touch — we found that swapping to the spiky feet helped with stability when we were shooting in windy conditions. The VX25 head also has some neat safety features to prevent your camera from slipping off, something many other tripod manufacturers don't think of.
Perhaps the biggest drawback is that the Benro Rhino FRHN24C is amongst the most expensive tripods on our list, but if you're looking for the very best, that cost may be justifiable. After all, many professional travel photographers swear by this tripod and see it as a wise investment. Overall, we loved this tripod and awarded it a full five stars.
- Read our full Benro Rhino 24C Two series review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Stylish carbon fiber construction. |
| Performance | Sturdy and strong. |
| Functionality | Converts to monopod. |
Best compact option
✅ You want to shoot low to the ground: The legs can splay out to almost 90-degrees, great for those shots where you need to be as low to the ground as possible.
❌ You want height: There's no center column, so it can't reach the heights that other tripods can.
🔎 Benro Tortoise 24C Tripod x GX30 head: A sturdy and reliable tripod that will last you for years to come. It doesn't sit at the affordable end of the market, but for photographers who need something lightweight and user-friendly, you can't go wrong. ★★★★
In terms of weight and compactness, it's hard to beat the Benro Tortoise. In fact, in our Benro Tortoise 24C Tripod review, we even questioned why this isn't Benro's flagship tripod. The Rhino, which came in second on our list, may be seen as the superior option, but we think the Tortoise is just as great a tripod.
One of the key differences between the two is that there's no center column on the Benro Tortoise. This means that the tripod isn't very high when extended, coming in at just 51 inches (129.5cm); our 5'4 reviewer felt they had to stoop when they were using it at full height, so it won't be ideal for taller users. On the other hand, the lack of a center column keeps the tripod much lighter and more compact than the Rhino. It also means that the tripod's legs can spread out almost 90 degrees, giving it a greater degree of flexibility. If you're wanting to shoot from unique angles, the Tortoise is a good choice.
The GX30 head features two safety elements to prevent the camera from slipping off when you're putting it on or taking it off, but we found the head was bulkier than it needed to be. The main ball adjustment knob protrudes out a fair amount, when, in our opinion, it doesn't need to. It's not completely impractical, but we think it could do with being smaller.
- Read our full Benro Tortoise 24C Tripod review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Lightweight and compact. |
| Performance | Can shoot low to the ground. |
| Functionality | Lack of center column aids its slimline design. |
Best lightweight option
✅ You want something lightweight: This tripod weighs less than 2 lbs but still has a maximum payload of 6.6 lbs.
✅ You want an affordable carbon fiber tripod: This tripod is excellent value for money and a great price for a carbon fiber model.
❌ You're looking for a lot of height: This one can only extend to 51.6 inches, which may be a bit small for some.
🔎 Vanguard VEO 3 GO 204CB Carbon Fiber Tripod: You won't find a travel tripod much lighter than this compact option from Vanguard. It's ideal for those dark nights when you have to hike to get to your chosen location. ★★★★½
While the Vanguard VEO 3 GO 204CB tripod can only extend to a height of 51.6 inches (1.3m), we were astonished by its lightness, as this model weighs just 1.8 lbs (0.81 kg). Although there are taller tripods in this guide, and those that can bear a weight greater than its 6.6 lbs (3 kg) maximum payload, you can't do much better for sheer portability.
This tripod is perfect for travel or hiking, particularly if you're going to remote locations to shoot astrophotography under glorious dark skies. It can fold down to just 13.6 inches in length, which is quite impressive. Although it may not be as tall as other tripods, its lightweight and compact design makes it an attractive choice.
Photographers on the go will also appreciate its smooth-operating ball head, and overall, we think the build quality is top-notch. This is a surprisingly versatile tripod, and if you're a creative shooter, you'll really benefit from the various forms the Vanguard VEO 3 GO can take: It can also be used as a monopod and a selfie stick.
Like some other tripods on our list, the Vanguard VEO 3 GO comes in both a carbon fiber and an aluminum variant. As usual, the carbon fiber model is the most expensive of the two, but unlike with the Peak Design featured above, we found it to be surprisingly affordable. As the aluminum version is a few ounces heavier (2.1lbs compared to 1.8lbs), we think the small uplift in cost is worth it in this instance.
- Read more: Best mirrorless cameras
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Very light and compact. |
| Performance | Smooth operating ball-head. |
| Functionality | Converts into monopod. |