Customer Reviews

Joby GM1-01EN Gorillamobile Flexible Tripod with Suction Cup and 2 Adhesive Clips

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The Gorillapod tripod is a very good tripod in general for cameras - the flexibility of it makes it much more useful than a standard tripod and it is compact (6.5") and light enough to take with you just about everywhere. The ball-and-joint construction allows it to be wrapped around tree branches or put in other places where a standard tripod just wouldn't work. The only downside is that the ball-and-joint can't support as much weight as a standard aluminum tripod, so I would not recommend it for devices that are much heavier than a pound. Standard cameras are fine, larger video cameras will probably not work.

This particular model of the Gorillapod is a little more versatile than the regular Gorillapod because it has a variety of attachments included to use with different devices. It includes 1 standard 1/4" screw tripod mount, 2 adhesive mounts, and one suction cup mount all of which fit into a slot (or shoe) on the tripod. All of these mounts are about the size of a nickel. The camera screw mount makes it compatible with just about any camera, and it is small enough to just leave attached to the camera so it doesn't get lost. The adhesive mounts are for permanently affixing the mount to a device that does not have a screw hole, such as a micro-projector, a handheld game console, a media player, etc. The adhesive works well, but it is not perfect - it must be allowed to dry before using, and even when dry there is a concern that it will not stick, especially with heavy devices or under rough conditions. I would recommend securing the mount with a superglue adhesive to be absolutely certain. The suction cup mount is almost worthless; it works only on very smooth and absolutely flat surfaces and even then can be knocked off fairly easily. It might be fine to use with a phone or similar device on occasion, but certainly not under any conditions in which the suction cup failing might result in damage to the device, since there is a fairly good chance of that happening.

So if you are looking for a tripod to use mainly with a camera but which can, on occasion, be used with other devices this is definitely the one to get. But you must be willing to adhere a mount to your other device permanently if you want to be 100% certain that the device will stay on the tripod.

I bought this on a lark thinking that I wouldn't use it all that much. Not only do I use it all the time, but it has made the video feature on the iPhone suddenly an important application. Well constructed and versatile.

The tripod is pretty handy. The joints are stiff so it holds itself in place where every you set it. They did not include a suction cup or the other adhesive pad so the whole thing isn't very useful. The adhesive pad is pointless because nobody wants a big foam sticker stuck to their phone. I could attach the sticker to a case and use that as the 'holder' but then I'd need a separate case so one of them could have a big sticker and plastic tab stuck to it.

Short story: if they sent the suction cup it would be great.

I bought this to use with my iPhone. The device would not hold the weight of the iPhone with no case on. The build quality was just OK. Overall I was not happy and returned the product!

I found the adhesive clips and suction cup adapters useless, but then I bought the iphone case from joby. If you have an iphone buy the model that comes with actual iphone case that has the integrated adapter.

Been using my gorillamobile for less than a week now and I'm already very impressed. I bought this to solve the issue of not having a tripod for my Droid 2, and because I use the video option often, being able to angle the camera the way you want it is crucial. Propping it up on things just doesn't do the job, and it often falls over; a dangerous thing when it's a $300 phone. The selection of tripods that would work for my phone were few, but they didn't compare to this product.

Many things about this product are impressive and set it apart from any normal tripod. The most obvious feature is that all the legs are bendable. Stand it up on a table, angle it any way you want, or wrap it around things to get angles where no normal camera could go without having to hold it. Each section on the leg has a rubber ring around it for added friction, plus a big rubber foot on each end, which keeps it from falling down or slipping off surfaces. Each of the legs are pretty stiff too. You can easily bend it the way you want with your hands, but when you let go, it's unlikely to shift on its own.

That wouldn't be very useful, however, if the tripod couldn't hold your phone. There's a number of models out now that support specific iPhone models, and have more solid ways of attaching to your phone or camera, but for the rest of us, the gorillamobile has 3 different connectors that slide onto the top and lock in place. The first is the 1/4" screw which will probably work with any camera (granted it's small or light enough). You simply screw the adapter into the camera, tighten it with a coin or a screwdriver, then slide it onto the tripod. Pretty solid, so the likelihood of it falling off is low, even in unconventional positions. The second is an adhesive adapter. Each package comes with 2 of these. It's basically the slide on clip with a sticky pad on the other side for things you want to have a more solid connection to. Unfortunately, this means you basically need to keep the adapter on it for as long as you want to use it. Tearing it off will likely reduce its adhesiveness. Use sparingly, you only get two of them and you'll probably only get to use each of them once. I haven't tried them out yet, but I won't unless the third and last adapter fails completely. Speaking of which, the last adapter is a suction cup, much like what you would find on a car mount for attaching to windshields. This cup, about the size of a quarter, is surprisingly powerful. The bottom is made of a material that's hard to describe as other than "gel-like". I would assume this helps fill in any possibly crevices on the surface of what you're attaching it to, and it seems to work quite well. A small lever is on the back side. Pull it up all the way to release the suction, press the cup down as firmly as you can without damaging whatever you're attaching it to, then push the lever down to pull up on the inside of the cup, thus securing it. I'm amazed at how well this works, especially for how small it is. I've been using this adapter for my Droid 2 and was surprised to see that it held up easily. Also worked marvelously for my PSP, and held it at about a 70 degree angle without falling off. Be warned though, the suction cup doesn't guarantee a solid connection. Be careful when positioning it with a phone/camera/handheld gaming device that feels a little heavy, because it can still fall off and possibly break it. Also, bumping it while the cup is already in place could break the suction. Don't be afraid to test its limits - it'll probably surprise you - but don't do so without considering the risk.

Overall, considering all this thing has done for me, I consider it a worthy use of my money. It's exactly what I needed to fix my problem, it works with my phone plus other devices, and it exceeds my expectations by fitting into areas that a normal straight-legged tripod could never fit. I use it every chance I get both to take video/pictures, and as a stand so I can watch movies on my phone, and because of it's bendy legs, I can do these things without needing a flat surface. If you need something to do any of these things, don't ignore the gorillamobile.

This is a fantastic little tripod. It is strong, it easily holds the adjustable positions you can set it to and is very light making it a breeze to take with you anywhere. The best portable tripod I have ever seen, or owned.

We purchased this to avoid drill mounting our baby video monitor to his crib. It works great!! Easily repositioned around the crib. Gave 3-stars for versatility b/c the platform for mounting is rather small. We have tried sticky mounting tape & now velcro & the monitor still does flop off sometimes. Still worth it though b/c I don't have holes in my beautiful crib!!

One word of caution: we have had some rubbing off of the finish on the rails due to the product. The space in between the balls is a harder material & will cause friction.

Overall, great product for so many uses! We have the big one for our camera & use all the time!!

This is simply a cool device. It came and met my expectations as described on the website. it is really cool to wrap it around a door handle to frame a odd angle picture. Well worth the money. Also the device is light but seems very sturdy.

Concept is great - suction cup should work in theory, but it comes off when trying to manipulate iPhone when trying to frame your photo or adjust - scary because am afraid to drop my phone! Tried the "permanent" connector - better - just stick it onto one of your iPhone cases - make sure it sticks well or same issue and could drop off. BTW - the app for this item is excellent - find in iTunes: [...]