Mobile Devices: Stands, Sticks, Holders, and Mounts

Published June 28, 2021

As a part-time geek and full-time Low-Tech Grandma, I have to make sure my mobile devices work for me. Not just working from a “does it turn on and function” point of view, but from a “how do you prop it when you’re not at your home desk” point of view. Yes, I’m talking about the various stands, sticks, holders, and mounts for mobile devices.

I’m embarrassed to say that I spent more money on Amazon Prime Days than I’d like to admit. The good thing about it was, the items I purchased were in my “wishlist” folder for almost a year. With the drop in price, I was able to purchase many of those items.

Mobile Device Stands

I’d like to start the discussion by talking about device stands because a stand is my go-to mobile device holder (I've used cartons of milk and other such items to prop devices, but stands are much better). I’ve got two stands, one for the tablet and one for the phone. Neither of these stands was purchased during Amazon Prime days. I purchased these some time ago when I realized I needed them.

The phone stand is a small foldable stand that fits almost anywhere and is easy to carry around. When not in use, I put it in my purse in the event I feel geeky and need to research something while out. I also carry a portable keyboard in my purse for the very same reason (yes, part-time geek). You see, I truly have a difficult time with the on-screen keyboard and avoid it whenever possible. I liked the little stand so much, I got one for my daughter too.

My brother-in-law, who is very handy, built a stand for me out of wood. The problem with it is it’s large and cumbersome and doesn’t travel easily. I like his idea, but it’s not practical for me.

Tablet Stand

The next stand I want to talk about is a portable stand for the tablet. Although I like the ability to prop the iPad up using the protective case I purchased, I find I’d like the tablet elevated a bit higher. At my age, any unnatural repetitive stance or motion causes a cascade of ails. So, instead of holding my head and neck at an improper angle, I purchased a stand to hold the iPad and adjust it to the proper height.

I like the stand because I don’t need to remove the iPad's protective case and I can adjust it to any angle or height I need. It is a bit heavy and cumbersome so I don’t travel with it. This stand remains on my office table.

The stand is versatile and, if I chose, it can double as an iPhone stand, but I think that's overkill. The stand also came with an attachment to hold a camera, but I use it exclusively for the iPad. Speaking of cameras, that brings me to the next topic, selfie sticks.

Selfie Sticks for Mobile Devices

Several years ago while traveling in Austin Texas, I saw my first selfie stick in action. My initial thoughts were, “What a narcissistic society we live in.”  In retrospect, that thought revealed what a small and judgmental mind I had. Over the years, I’ve observed and learned the value of having a selfie stick. It’s especially valuable for vloggers and video content makers.

Fast forward several years (about 6), I now own a recently purchased a selfie stick! Yep, I admit it. I’ve been venturing into the video creation world and found the stick to be a help.

My selfie stick, however, isn’t just a stick. It’s also a stand. It doubles as a tripod. It’s lightweight and extends up to 62 inches. I have an older tripod that is heavy. I’m talking support an old VHS Camcorder type of heavy.

The selfie stick/tripod came with a remote camera shutter. What a difference the remote makes when creating videos. The shutter also comes in handy for taking family photos. No longer do we appoint the youngest and quickest family member to tap the button and run back to join the crowd in time for the shutter to snap.

This little selfie stick/tripod has sent me on a video creation frenzy!

Baby Tripod

In creating my videos, I realized I needed just one more tool. I needed a small tripod to catch those close-up shots that a larger tripod could not. As such, I purchased (after Prime Day) a smaller baby tripod.

What I especially like about this little device, is that the legs can wrap around the handlebars on my bike. It stops me from even thinking about a GoPro (at least for the immediate future).

Geeking Out

Ok, so here’s a useless purchase that sounded good in my brain before I purchased it. Fortunately, it wasn’t expensive. I purchased a head-mounted camera strap. Yep, I did.

I haven’t totally given up on the head mount, but I think I should have let that “bright idea” run its course before acting upon it.

Of course, with all of these stands, sticks, holders, and mounts, I had to create a video of my stand/sticks/holders/mounts showing my growing video prowess (or lack thereof).

Enjoy!

Last Modified: 4 September 2023