So, here’s another neat little product from Joby, makers of the iconic and whimsical Gorllapod products. Like everything in their line-up, the GripTight GorillaPod Stand is an odd solution for an odd set of problems. Niche is one word for it, and there’s a fair amount of debate as to how useful GorillaPods are actually. As an owner of one of the original ones, I can say that I have used it less than I expected to when I bought it. But I’ve never sold it, and continue to pack it for all my big shoots. Why? Because the handful of times I’ve needed it, it was the only tool that would work.

And now there’s this one, for smartphones. Given that over 60% of American adults now use some form of smartphone, and anecdotally we’d say the number of you our customers with them seems even higher these days, there’s definitely a market for something that addresses our phones. Especially as more and more cameras are beginning to allow remote operations from a smartphone.

The GripTight GorillaPod Stand is pretty fundamentally simple. The base is a classic GorillaPod, with all of it’s articulated rubber-striped balls of goodness. But, instead of a tripod head up top, you get a modified version of the smartphone holder jaws they make for cars. Joby’s solution appears more reliable, using two spring-tensioned metal pistons to control and lock the jaws instead of the usual plastic gearing, but the concept is going to be familiar to a lot of you right off the bat. It means it’ll work with any phone, any case, and with any accessories on the phone. A truly universal solution.

And, like Joby’s other products, it’s tempting because it’s also cheap. $29.95 is pretty on anyone’s budget, and certainly cheaper than replacing a phone if you were to drop or fumble one at a shoot instead of just hanging it on a lightstand, or on a table, or, well, whatever.

Oh, and we suppose it’ll probably help act as a tripod for phone pictures too. If you’re into that sorta thing.

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