I used the Freewell Vlogpod 3K tripod for low-angle photography, and it earned a place in my bag

The Freewell Vlogpod 3K is a compact, flexible-legged tripod aimed primarily at vloggers and content creators, though, as with a lot of this kind of kit, it’s just as handy for photographers who want a small support without having to carry a full travel tripod. The legs bend and hold their shape, so you can splay it flat on a table, prop it on uneven ground, or wrap it loosely around a support, although I would be a little careful with this last one. On top of the tripod sits a 2-in-1 ball head that switches between a camera mount and a concealed smartphone clip, which is clever.

It’s a surface-based tripod rather than a full-height one; with the legs held straight, it stands somewhere around 380-410mm tall, and there’s no centre column or any way to extend beyond that height. If you want it higher, you’re relying on finding something to stand it on. It weighs 456g and folds down to 328mm, so it’s light, though, as I’ll come to, not exactly pocketable.

At £44.99, it sits at the pricier end of the mini-tripod market, and Freewell is clearly pitching it to people building a vlogging or hybrid photo/video kit, with the phone holder, the dual cold shoe mounts, and the four accessory threads all aimed at that use. It supports smartphones, action cameras, and compact and mirrorless cameras up to 3kg, which is impressive for something this size.

Maximum load: 3kg (6.6lbs)
Weight: 456g
Folded size: 328 x 75 x 65mm
Working height (legs straight): approx. 376-409mm
Leg material: ABS and PA+GF with reinforced aluminium core
Head: 2-in-1 ball head, horizontal/vertical switching
Phone clip: built-in, concealed, 56-90mm range
Mounts: 2 x cold shoe, 4 x 1/4″-20 threaded ports
Compatibility: smartphones, action cameras, cameras up to 3kg
Warranty: limited lifetime against manufacturing defects
Price: £44.99

The first thing you notice when picking up the Vlogpod is that, for a mini tripod, the legs are chunky. They have a triangular, ribbed profile rather than the round segmented look of a lot of flexible tripods, and Freewell makes a thing of the snake-inspired design, but what matters in practice is that they bend easily and then stay exactly where you put them. Over two months, that’s held true; there’s been no gradual sag or loosening, and the ribbed inner surface grips well, while the rubberised outer is comfortable in the hand when you’re using it as a handheld grip.

On top is the 2-in-1 ball head, which is all plastic; even so, the movement is smooth with a firm locking screw to tighten. The head features a small clip just under one edge that, when pulled back, enables you to flip the head vertically so that you can get to the base clamp screw that attaches to your camera.

The head also features two flip-up sections that enable you to switch between a standard camera mount and the concealed phone clamp, which is a genuinely nice touch; the clamp is tucked away until you need it, then opens to take a phone between 56 and 90mm to fit most phones.

My main gripe on the handling side is that there’s no quick-release plate. The camera screws directly onto the 1/4-inch thread, which means every time you mount or remove a camera, you’re threading it on and off, and that gets fiddly, particularly with a caged body where you’re lining up the screw thread with either the full weight of the camera or the tripod. A simple Arca or even a basic QR plate would have made this far quicker to use.

The tightening for that 1/4-inch screw is via a fold-out loop, which is a good idea in principle, giving you something to grip and turn, but the loop itself is made of very thin metal, almost a wire, and it digs into your fingers when you’re really trying to lock a heavier camera down. It works, but it’s not comfortable, and I did find myself wondering how well that thin loop will hold up over a few years of use.

Folded, the Vlogpod is neat enough; the legs fold together tidily thanks to that triangular shape, but it’s still bulky. This is a bag tripod, not a pocket one; the legs are both thick and fairly long, and while that length is exactly what gives it its grip and stability, it does mean you’re not slipping this into a jacket. In a camera bag or backpack, though, it doesn’t add much weight or bulk.

The flexible legs are the headline feature, and they do more than just fold flat. Bent into shape, they let you set the Vlogpod down on almost anything, a rock, a wall, uneven ground, and get a stable base where a rigid mini tripod would wobble. For low-angle work in particular, being able to splay the legs right out and get the camera close to the ground is really useful.

What I will highlight, mainly due to the marketing focusing on the snake-and-branch imagery, is that in practice, this is a surface tripod rather than something you can wrap around a post or railing. The legs are strong and hold their shape, but they don’t have the length or the loose, coiling flexibility to properly grip and hang from a vertical support the way a Gorillapod-style tripod does. If your plan is to strap it to a fence or lamppost to get some height, that’s not really what this is for; it wants a surface to stand on.

The accessory mounting is where the Vlogpod provides in abundance, and it’s the feature I found incredibly useful. Four separate 1/4-inch threaded ports plus two cold shoe mounts mean you can build a proper little rig on it: a light at one point, a microphone at another, and a phone or monitor on the head. For a vlogging setup, or for a hybrid shooter who wants to hang a couple of accessories off their support, this many attachment points on something this size is unusual and very welcome.

The built-in phone holder should also get a mention, as, rather than making you carry a separate phone clamp, it’s concealed within the head and folds out when you need it. It’s the kind of small addition that is just genuinely useful, and  if you are switching between a phone and a camera through a shoot, it saves rummaging for an adapter. The dual cold shoe mounts are more phone- and action-cam-oriented than camera-focused; with a mirrorless body on top, you’ll likely use the 1/4-inch threads instead, but for a lightweight vlogging build, they certainly make sense.

For the bulk of the two months, the Vlogpod has been carrying a GoPro Mission 1 and a Panasonic Lumix DC-L10, and for that kind of load, it’s excellent. The legs hold their shape, the ball head locks firmly, and I’ve had no worries about anything tipping or drooping mid-shot. As a stable base for a phone or an action cam, it does everything you’d ask of it and more, and while I was dubious throughout the review about wrapping the tripod on the backs of chairs and poles with the Sony A7 IV, for the smaller cameras, this actually worked well.

The more interesting test was pushing the payload. The rated 3kg is generous for a tripod this size, so I wanted to see how honest it was, and I mounted a Sony A7 IV in a SmallRig cage with a Sony 24-70mm attached, coming in at around 1,757g. That’s well over half the stated limit, and the Vlogpod held it without any issue, though I did make sure the legs were firmly and evenly set first. I wouldn’t want to walk away from a full 3kg on it without being careful about how the legs were arranged, but the rating is an exaggeration.

The ball head levelling is smooth and easy to fine-tune, and once locked, which is surprising considering the use of plastic for the clamp, and it stays put even with a heavier body on top. Used as a handheld grip for pieces to the camera, the rubberised legs are comfortable to hold, and the weight sits nicely in the hand, which is exactly the vlogging-and-selfie use it’s built for.

The one limitation in use is obviously the height, but then this is a simple mini style tripoid. There’s no centre column and no extension, so the height you get is the height the legs give you, and beyond that, you’re hunting for something to stand it on. For tabletop work, low angles and handheld use, that’s fine, that’s the point of it, but if you regularly need the camera at eye level, this isn’t the tripod that gets you there on its own. It’s a support for specific situations rather than a do-everything tripod, and as long as you buy it with that understanding in mind, it’s a great option.

The Freewell Vlogpod 3K has done exactly what I wanted it to: be the tripod that’s always in the bag, ready for whatever comes up. The legs are strong and well-behaved, the 3kg rating is pretty much spot on, and that spread of accessory points makes it far more versatile than its size suggests. For vloggers, especially, the built-in phone holder and the mounting options make it a genuinely well-thought-out little support.

It’s not perfect. The lack of a quick-release plate makes mounting and unmounting fiddlier than it needs to be; that thin wire tightening loop is uncomfortable, and I have my doubts about its longevity; and it’s a surface-only tripod, so don’t buy it expecting to wrap it around posts and railings. It’s also bulky enough to need a bag rather than a pocket, and at £44.99, it’s not the cheapest option out there.

But for what it is, a strong, flexible, accessory-friendly mini tripod for photographers and vloggers who need a reliable support that lives in the bag, the Vlogpod 3K is a good one.