We’re currently testing the Hohem iSteady M7, which will likely earn a place in the below list as the best value phone gimbal. Check back again soon for an updated list with more information.
Welcome to our guide to the best phone gimbals you can buy in 2024 – a regularly updated rundown of the finest stabilizers for shooting smooth, steady, and level content on your smartphone. We’ll add to and re-evaluate this guide as new mobile gimbals go through our in-depth testing and review process, so be sure to check back regularly for updates.
For our money, the best phone gimbal in 2024 is the DJI OM 6. The latest entry in DJI’s long-running Osmo Mobile series, it’s a feature-packed and compact flagship model with an extendable selfie stick built-in, excellent stabilization and object tracking, and a brilliant magnetic clamp system that makes quickly mounting and removing your phone a completely painless process.
It isn't necessarily the best choice for everyone, though: it has shorter battery life than some stabilizers and its tracking capabilities aren’t as advanced as a couple of its chief competitors. Rest assured, you’ll find all the worthy alternatives from brands like Insta360, Zhiyun, and more detailed below in our ranked list.
Looking for more general camera gimbal shopping advice? Check out our how to buy a gimbal guide.
Top 3 picks
If you’re itching to start recording smooth, steady videos on your smartphone right away, this summary is here to help. It’s a quick overview of our top three phone gimbals; if you like the look of any of this trio, use the links below to fly down to our full write-ups.
It isn’t the most technically advanced option, but the OM 6’s ergonomics, compact size and general user experience make it a pleasure to use. A simple yet powerful tool for vloggers.
Read more below
DockKit compatibility makes Insta360's compact stabilizer a whizz with recent Apple iPhone models, allowing it to track with third-party camera apps.
Read more below
Best smart stabilizer
It's not the most compact or refined option overall, but the Smooth 5S AI's magnetic tracking module lends it impressive tracking skills.
Read more below
Best by use-case
If you're operating on an ultra-tight budget, Joby's simple phone gimbal represents a great deal.
Read more below
This tiny 4K camera comes with its own 3-axis gimbal and tracking capabilities, making it a great (if pricy) all-in-one alternative to a phone gimbal.
Read more below
Sam has been writing about consumer electronics for over 20 years, contributing to titles including Stuff, Wired, T3 and GQ while covering everything from vintage cameras to video games. He now specialises in photo and video gear, and has become well acquainted with the kind of products promising to turn amateur dabblers into professional content creators – of which mobile gimbals are a prime example.
The best mobile gimbals in 2024
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Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the best phone gimbals in our list. Each one has been tested extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
The best overall phone gimbal
✅ You want the best smartphone stabilizer user experience: Smartphone stabilizers can be fiddly – but not this one. The comfy grip, well-placed controls and intuitive gimbal movements make the OM 6 a joy to use.
✅ You want to immediately turn your phone into a vlogging tool: While OM 6’s quick-launch feature is iPhone-only, it makes it so easy to get stabilizing in seconds. If delays aren’t your thing, you’ll love this gimbal’s near-instant deployment.
❌ You don't need the bells and whistles: If you just want something that does a decent job of stabilizing your smartphone, there are plenty of much cheaper alternatives around.
❌ You want the best object tracking: The Insta360 Flow Pro’s DockKit support, ability to rotate through 360 degrees, and locked-on tracking make it the gimbal to beat in this area. The OM 6 lags behind.
In our opinion, the DJI Osmo Mobile 6 (also known as the OM 6) is the best overall phone gimbal. While we wouldn’t call the OM 6 absolutely outstanding in any one particular area, its approach, design and performance constitute an all-round approach that’ll suit most users, particularly those at the more casual end of the market.
Firstly, its design is excellent. When folded down, the OM 6 is surprisingly compact and lightweight, almost to the point where one could call it ‘pocket-size’. This portability belies its reach, though: a built-in extension rod (or selfie stick) allows the mounted phone to be held a fair distance from the user, which is great for group shots or selfie shooting. It also comes with a screw-on mini tripod so it can be stood on flat surfaces to shoot the user from afar, but our favourite design element is the magnetic clamp that grips your phone, allowing it to be attached and detached from the gimbal arm quickly and with zero fuss.
It also features a quick-launch feature when used with MagSafe iPhones, which pairs the devices and launches the Mimo companion app automatically as soon as the phone is mounted in place.
General stabilization is superb, with the OM 6 keeping the attached phone steady, level and moving smoothly while feeling great in the hand. There are a number of different gimbal movement modes, plus intuitive manual controls, for those who want to achieve different types of shots, but for simple self-shooting the built-in ActiveTrack 6.0 face and object tracking makes things very easy. That being said, it’s not the fastest or most responsive tracking we’ve seen, and it only works when using DJI’s Mimo app; certain other gimbals are able to track faces when using third-party camera apps.
The Mimo app is generally very good though, with easy-to-use controls, enjoyable special shooting modes, adjustable photo and video settings and built-in options for immediately sharing footage to social media.
Finally, we’d call the OM 6’s 6.5-hour battery life good rather than excellent. Other gimbals, even similarly compact ones like the Insta360 Flow Pro, offer substantially more use on a full charge.
Read our in-depth DJI Osmo Mobile 6 review
The best phone gimbal for iPhone users
✅ You want the best gimbal for iPhone: The Insta360’s first-to-market position as a gimbal with DockKit support grants it far more utility for iPhone users than its competitors.
✅ You like to travel light: Its ability to double as a selfie stick, tripod and power bank while folding neatly down make it a perfect companion for travellers who want to up their shooting game.
❌ You want great ergonomics: Its short handle and awkward touch controls mean the Flow Pro is far from the most comfortable gimbal to use.
❌ You want the best gimbal for Android: iPhone users get loads of features, but functionality for Android users is more in-line with the original Insta360 Flow and many other rival gimbals.
A near-identical design to its predecessor the Flow, the Insta360 Flow Pro packs down impressively small but can be set up in seconds, thanks in-part to its magnetic mounting system (which works in much the same brilliant way as the DJI OM 6’s). The gimbal's overly stocky handle is one of its weaker design elements, but it does conceal a selfie stick and a (not particularly stable) tripod, making it possibly the most self-contained phone gimbal around.
It’s also the first smartphone stabilizer to support Apple DockKit, greatly expanding its versatility by allowing third-party camera apps to track subjects automatically – for iPhone users, at least. Users of FaceTime, Instagram, Zoom, WhatsApp, Filmic Pro and beyond can benefit from the Flow Pro’s effective three-axis stabilization.
10 hours of runtime from the integrated battery is very respectable. What's more, dual USB-C ports add extra convenience by enabling the Flow Pro to double as a power bank. Not only does this extend shooting time – it also works as a back-up for your phone, letting you top up the battery if you’re caught short on the road.
Between its slick design, holistic capture, organization and editing experience (provided by Insta360’s companion app), and the wealth of additional functionality the Flow Pro delivers, it's hard to find major fault with this successor to the brand's debut gimbal.
DockKit support is a little limited in its implementation right now, but that's something Apple needs to work on, not Insta360. Otherwise, the Flow Pro is an incredibly competent smartphone gimbal that offers more value than its predecessor and serves as a more unique proposition compared to what else the market has to offer.
Read our in-depth Insta360 Flow Pro review
The smartest phone stabilizer
✅ You need a stabilizer that’ll track with any app: Some stabilizers only track with certain camera apps. Not this one: its AI module allows it to keep you centred in the frame no matter what app you’re using to film yourself.
✅ You need a fill light built-in: The integrated LED light makes filming in dark conditions possible without the need to add additional light modules (although these are sold separately if you want things even brighter).
❌ You need an ultra-portable stabilizer: While it does lock up for storage, the Smooth 5S AI doesn’t fold over to an almost pocketable size. You’ll need a fairly large amount of bag space to transport it.
❌ You’re a vlogger who wants to walk and film: With no extension rod inside the handle, it’s harder to film yourself while walking and holding the Smooth 5S AI than with some other mobile stabilizers. Vloggers beware.
Zhiyun’s current flagship mobile gimbal is, as its name suggests, an upgraded version of the Smooth 5. The Smooth 5S AI sports a similar design but incorporates a number of improvements, most notably a magnetic AI-powered tracking module that can be set to face towards or away from the holder. This module has a tiny camera that recognises human faces, allowing the gimbal to follow a single subject’s movements independently. Which means it’ll track you no matter what camera app it’s using.
This hardware-based app-agnostic tracking is what really sets the Smooth 5S AI aside from its competitors. It’s great for anyone who’d rather use third-party camera apps, of course, but tracking is noticeably smoother and more responsive when capturing video with the Zhiyun ZY Cami app than it is when using with the AI module. With the latter, gimbal movements are jerkier and more delayed, which does take the shine off the AI module somewhat.
The Smooth 5S AI also comes with a built-in LED light on its gimbal arm. While this only faces forward and isn’t bright enough to, say, light an entire living room, it’s a pretty decent fill light that can illuminate faces up close. We’re not so sold on some of the other design choices, though: while it folds down to an extent, it’s much larger and less portable than the Insta360 Flow Pro and DJI OM 6, and there’s no extending selfie stick built into the handle to increase its reach. The mounting setup isn’t as fast as the magnet-based options mentioned above, either. There’s a nice enough mini tripod included in the box, however.
Stabilization works very well – to a point. The 3-axis gimbal succeeds in keeping a smartphone level and follows movements well, tilting the handle more than around 40 degrees in either direction can fox it to the point where it abruptly stops, allowing the phone to tilt too. It’s not a huge issue as long as you take pains to avoid it, but given the weightier, more articulated gimbal setup it uses compared to the compact DJI and Insta360 models, we were expecting a little more robustness from the Smooth 5S AI.
Read our in-depth Zhiyun Smooth 5S AI review
The best cheap phone gimbal
✅ Your budget is tight: This is one of the cheapest usable phone gimbals we’ve come across but performs well for the price.
✅ You need a workhorse: With its tough carry case and hard plastic build, this feels like one of the sturdier low-price options available.
❌ You need something portable: The non-folding design of the Smart Stabilizer means it requires a fair bit of bag space. Pocketable it certainly is not.
❌ You own a larger phone: With a carrying capacity of just 210g, Joby’s gimbal and motor will struggle to properly stabilize heavier handsets.
Disclaimer: The Joby Smart Stabilizer is the only phone gimbal on this list that doesn't currently have an accompanying review live on TechRadar. We have, however, spent enough hands-on time with the product to know that it's a competent budget option.
Joby’s flexible GorillaPod mini tripod is a staple of many a vlogger, but the company’s phone gimbal isn’t quite so iconic: with its Micro USB port and bulky, non-folding design, the Smart Stabilizer feels very much behind the times compared to the other models here. It does come supplied with its own hard carry case, which is impressive considering the ultra-cheap price point but, while some of the other gimbals mentioned here will fit in a large pocket, this one requires something in the backpack or camera bag range.
Decked out in tough, hard-wearing plastic, the gimbal does look the part and performs well as a stabilizer, with the companion app offering some effective and smooth object tracking. However, do note that despite the Smart Stabilizer’s size and weight, the motor can only stabilize phones up to 210g – a fair bit lighter than the DJI, Insta360 and Zhiyun gimbals can manage. It all adds up to the feeling that Joby is lagging well behind the curve – even if the inclusion of a built-in extension rod may be useful to some. But we suppose that’s acceptable given the budget-friendly nature of this device.
The best gimbal camera
✅ You want something truly pocketable: It's much smaller and faster to deploy than a phone gimbal, thanks to its built-in camera.
✅ You shoot a lot of slow-mo: The Pocket 3 delivers 4K footage at 120fps. This is an impressive resolution, and enables footage to be slowed down by four times.
❌ You need all-day battery life: With only around 160 minutes of recording time on a full charge, the Osmo Pocket 3 doesn't last as long as a phone gimbal.
❌ You're on a tight budget: At almost £500, it costs far more than any phone gimbal. If your phone camera's already great, it's cheaper to pair it with a gimbal.
Taking a slightly different approach, the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is a 4K video camera that comes with its own integrated gimbal. That makes it a fully self-contained setup and, as such, it's lighter, more compact, better balanced and much faster to deploy than a phone gimbal. It even comes with its own crisp 2-inch OLED display.
Image quality from the 1-inch sensor is excellent, and really elevates the Pocket line from an interesting gadget to something that serious vloggers and creators might use. The 4K footage looks superb, and supports frame rates all the way up to 120p for 4x slo-mo playback (or 8x slo-mo if you're willing to knock the resolution down to Full HD).
It comes with the same ActiveTrack 6.0 face-tracking technology as the Osmo Mobile 6, which works superbly for keeping yourself centred in the frame during vlog recordings or other to-camera pieces, and the stabilization is superb – as you'd expect from something that only has to balance a small lightweight camera unit rather than a whole smartphone.
On the down side, battery life is rather short (although recharge times are also fast) and overheating can be an issue. But the Osmo Pocket 3 makes an interesting all-in-one alternative to pairing your smartphone up with a gimbal.
How to choose the best phone gimbal
What are the best phone gimbal features?
All phone gimbals will hold and automatically stabilize a smartphone, allowing it to remain steady and level while the user is walking or panning. Most also support some form of subject tracking, whereby the gimbal arm will move the phone in order to follow the movements of a human subject. Sometimes these tracking systems are software based, relying on a particular app's algorithm to recognise and track a subject. Other gimbals can track using third-party apps, making them more flexible and versatile. Portability is also a key feature to consider: do you need your gimbal to fold up to a very small size for transport, or are you happy to carry it in a larger bag?
What’s the best phone gimbal for me?
Before buying a phone gimbal, it's important to consider your requirements. How big or heavy is your phone? Do you plan on lengthy days of shooting where good battery life will be key? Are you a solo vlogger who needs effective subject tracking built into the device?
For some, a budget phone gimbal like the Joby Smart Stabilizer is more than sufficient, while those who need to use subject tracking with all their favorite camera apps will value the Zhiyun Smooth 5S AI's hardware-based tracking module. For most people, though, we think the DJI Osmo Mobile 6 represents the best balance between price, performance and usability.
Meet the team
Collectively, our reviewers have amassed hundreds of hours testing phone gimbals, putting models from the cheapest to most premium through their paces in a variety of scenarios.
Sam has been writing about tech and digital culture for over 20 years, starting off in video games journalism before branching out into the wonderful worlds of consumer electronics and photography. Over the years he has written for Wired, Stuff, GQ, T3, Trusted Reviews and PC Zone, and now lives on the Kent coast in the UK – the ideal place for a camera reviewer to ply their trade.
Alex joined as TechRadar's Senior Phones Editor in June 2022, but brings over a decade's worth of experience to the role, with an expertise in smartphones, tablets and wearables. While the mobile space is where Alex operates on a daily basis, his natural passion for technology has allowed him to test everything from automotive audio to AR t-shirts.
Paul is a digital expert. In the 20 years since he graduated with a first-class honours degree in Computer Science, Paul has been actively involved in a variety of different tech and creative industries that make him the go-to guy for reviews, opinion pieces, and featured articles. With a particular love of all things visual, including photography, videography, and 3D visualisation Paul is never far from a camera or other piece of tech that gets his creative juices going.
How we test phone gimbals
☑️ 15 years of product testing
☑️ Over 16,000 products reviewed in total
☑️ Nearly 200,000 hours testing tech
Firstly, it's helpful to nail down what a phone gimbal actually is: a handheld device that removes undesirable shake and wobble from videos captured on your smartphone. It does this by detecting unwanted movements using sensors and immediately counteracting them using motors.
For us, then, the main thing we look for during testing is how effectively the gimbal stabilizes: how quickly and accurately it responds to movement and how smoothly it counteracts it. A jerky gimbal is not much use to anyone.
We also look at the setup process: how easy it is to mount (and unmount) a smartphone on the gimbal, and how easy it is to pair the two devices up so that they work properly. Does the gimbal offer physical controls to ensure we don’t need to touch the phone, and how long does its battery last?
Then we look at any addition functions the gimbal may possess: the ability to track moving subjects, capture eye-catching trick shots, wide panoramic photos or long time-lapse sequences.
