When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
The best monopods can get you sharper shots in difficult conditions and they are lighter and faster than a tripod tripod with monopod
The quick list ↩ 1. Best overall: 3LT Trent 2.0 2. Best design: SupaDupa Pro 3. Most versatile: MOZA Slypod Pro 4. Best tall: 3 Legged Thing Lance 5. Value: Vanguard VEO 2 CM-264 6. Best feet: iFootage Cobra 3 7. Compact: Manfrotto Element MII 8. Premium: Gitzo S2 Traveler How to choose How we test FAQs
The best monopods can provide you with extra support to help take the weight of big telephoto lenses for extended periods, they can cut camera shake at slower shutter speeds in low light, and they're great for adding stability to video. But while a monopod might seem like a very simple device, there is a huge range of different options on the market with different advantages and drawbacks.
The quality of the build of monopods can vary greatly, as can their height, weight and maximum payload. Some monopods have more leg sections than others, some have stabilising feet that can sometimes also be used as mini tripods, and some even double as video sliders or have their own levelling heads.
Our team of reviewers, all photographers themselves, have tried and tested a lot of monopods over the years, putting them through their paces in real-life situations in the field. Below, is our pick of the best based on our team's experiences and comparisons of specs. We've identified the pros and cons of each and who we think each monopod is suited for. If you need more stability, make sure you also see our guide to the best tripods and the best travel tripods.
We'll begin our guide with brief overviews of our top choices for different needs. Click 'read more' for fuller evaluations of each, or scroll down for our full selection.
We love this strong but light, durable monopod with attachable feet and a poleaxe that can extend to more than two meters for high-angle work. Read more below ↓
We thought we'd seen everything in monopod design but Benro managed to surprise us with a clever rotating foot for smooth panning, a levelling head and a flip catch for quick adjustments. Read more below ↓
This is a versatile motorised tool for video with a pan and tilt head included. It can be used as a monopod or mounted on a tripod horizontally or at an angle or as a slider for smooth movement.
This sleek, high-quality monopod is our top pick for reaching high thanks to the faster 4-section design, the light carbon fiber build band a max height of over 2m / 6.5ft. Read more below ↓
This value monopod comes in several models, but we think the carbon fiber option is particularly well-priced for the quality of the materials. It's fairly compact and there's an optional tri-stand base. Read more below ↓
Various monopods offer bases for stability, but the iFootage Cobra 3 is the most innovative that we've tested. The feet can serve as a mini tripod on their own, and the pedal lock is super handy. Read more below ↓
Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.
3 Legged Thing is a reliable British brand for tripods and monopods, and we've tested lots of their products over the years. The redesigned Trent 2.0 stands out for its impressive max load-to-weight ratio, able to support up to a hefty 30kg of kit. It can also reach very high, up to over 2 metres, all while being relatively light as well as more affordable than some of the brand's more premium options.
It features redesigned leg locks, which we found are easy to operate even in the cold when you're wearing gloves. And there's the option to include 3 Legged Thing's Docz2 foot attachment, which adds extra stability and allows you to use the monopod hands-free (don't go too far!). The feet can be attached and removed, but that involves screwing them on or off, unlike the iFootage Cobra 3 further down our list, which has a quick release on the feet, making them more convenient to use.
The Trent 2.0 still measures a pretty chunky 60cm when it's packed down (an unavoidable trade-off for all that height). It also lacks a quick-release plate or head, so you'll need to have one already or buy one separately if you want to avoid having to screw the monopod to your camera every time you use it. If you don't mind those frustrations, we think this is a fantastic value for big setups.
Read more: 3 Legged Thing Punks Trent 2.0 review
Just when we think we've seen everything in monopod design, Benro comes along and surprises us with the Benro SupaDupa Pro MSDPL46C, which proves there's still innovation to be found. It's a clever monopod design with a few interesting tweaks that we appreciated when we tested it.
First, there's a clever rotating foot that we found makes it easier to produce smooth panning movements without the heavy and expensive addition of a video head. Second, there's an inbuilt levelling head that offers 20-degree movement in all directions. Like the first feature, it doesn't offer the range and fluidity of a pan and tilt head, but we found it can be very useful in certain situations, For example, you could lean the monopod up against a wall or railing to keep it steady and adjust the levelling head to set the camera straight.
Finally, the leg locks are all twist-style except for the top one, which is a flip catch. This makes it very easy to use the top section for quick height adjustments. All of these features make this a relatively expensive monopod and it's probably more than most monopod users need, but these touches could make the difference, particularly for sports photographers who don't want the expense and weight of an additional head.
Read more: Benro SupaDupa Pro MSDPL46C review
Moza's original Slypod was an innovative 2-in-1 slider-come-monopod: a clever motorized device that could automatically extend at different speeds via a dedicated mobile app. Its big brother Slypod Pro is an evolution of the same concept, with more power and a set of detachable feet.
It's mainly aimed at videographers, and most of the versatility is more beneficial for video than stills. When we tested it, we found the addition of the feet, larger than many such detachable bases, to be a welcome addition for allowing us to use the device vertically hands-free. Using the motor in the vertical position, we were able to create smooth vertical tracking shots.
Meanwhile, fitted to a regular tripod, the monopod becomes a horizontal or angled slider or boom. Both in this position or vertically, it can automatically extend a total length of 1.46m. We found that the app works well, allowing us to regulate the extension speed between 0.5mm/s and 40mm/s to create different looks.
Unsurprisingly given that it includes a motor, this monopod is by far the most expensive on our list. It's also fairly heavy and measures 65cm when collapsed (without the tripod attachment). But while the motor is of limited use for photography, we found that it comes into its own as a slider or jib arm for shooting video.
Read more: MOZA Slypod Pro full review
We think this is the best monopod overall if you need a lot of height. A fast 4-section design makes it quick to extend, and the lightness and rigidity of carbon fiber helps keep weight down while giving us over 2m / 6.5ft of reach.
That level of extension might be more than what most people need to bring their viewfinder to eye level, but it can be useful in various scenarios, including situations where you want to shoot downward, over people's heads, or if you're on a hill or steps and the base of the monopod is lower than your feet.
When we tested it at its full extension, we felt reassured by the solidity of the build. The thick rubber grip feels secure and comfortable to hold, and the wrist strap provides extra security, and we liked the grips on the ‘O-Pad’ twist locks on the leg sections to aid purchase for tightening and loosening.
As with the cheaper Trent 2.0 at the top of our list, there's an option to include the brand's Docz2 feet for extra stability, but, alas, no head is included. The Lance doesn't pack down small, so you'll need to strap it to a backpack to carry. Also, due to the carbon fibre body, it is more expensive than 3 Legged Thing’s magnesium alloy monopods like the Trent. If convenience and keeping down are priorities, it's a great buy. If they aren't we would stick with the more affordable Trent 2.0 at number one on our list.
Read more: 3 Legged Thing Lance review
It's really quite amazing that this Vanguard monopod is constructed from carbon fibre given its extremely affordable price. There's even an option to get it with tri-stand feet for extra balance. Add a hand strap and carabiner hook for easy transportation, and the Vanguard VEO 2 CM-264 is also one of the cheapest lightweight monopods of its class on the market, weighing just 436g.
With a 6kg max load, its capacity is inferior to most of the other picks we've made but still enough for most DSLR and mirrorless setups, and its extension height of 160cm is more than adequate for most purposes, though it's clearly a long way off options like the 3 Legged Thing Lance above, and taller photographers may find it uncomfortable to stoop to use the viewfinder. It might not have much in the way of clever features, but sometimes you just want a simple, great-value monopod that will do the job.
Several monopods on our list come with bases either included or as optional extras, but iFootage continues to lead the way in this aspect. I'm still a big fan of this monopod's predecessor, the Cobra 2, and all because of the feet. Unlike with the Trent at number 1 in our list, they attach via a quick-release mechanism rather than a screw, so you can fit the quick-release plate directly to the feet as well as to the monopod itself. And the feet fix at three different levels, which makes them really very useful on their own as a mini tripod for low-level shooting.
The new version maintains all this but adds a couple of well-considered improvements. The feet are longer, and there's a new pedal lock mechanism, which makes it quick and easy to switch between locking the monopod in place or letting it move freely. With most monopods sporting feet, you don't want to take your hands off your gear for very long. They'll often stay put if you're not shooting with anything heavier than a standard zoom, but it's a nerve-wracking experience. One relatively mild gust of wind or accidental nudge and it's game over. But we found that with its larger feet, the Cobra 3 can stay upright much more convincingly.
It's still not going to replace a tripod for very long exposures due to the slight wobble caused by the feet being so low, but it does allow the shutter speed to be slowed down, and I've found that it can even do the job for timelapses.
Whether you go for the lighter, more expensive carbon fiber or the aluminum opinion, these are among the more expensive monopods on our list. The weight and size are also drawbacks. Oh, and for some reason the manufacturer feels the need to plaster its logo over absolutely every surface, making it look pretty garish, but I can overlook that for the practicality of it. The simple inclusion of a protective tip to put on the bottom of the monopod to turn it into a walking pole is a nice touch for hiking trips.
Part of a relatively new range from Manfrotto, the Element MII monopod is a winner in two key areas: it's lightweight and it's affordable. And it really sees off the competition for these factors. It weighs just 0.5kg, costs little over $50 and can still hold up to 8kg of kit. Best of all, it folds down to just 43cm, so it should fit in most carryons and backpacks.
universal tripods This all makes the Manfrotto Element MII a great option for the roaming photographer or videographer. It's a simple monopod. There's no tri-part foot or quick-release plate. And to produce an aluminum monopod with such a light weight, it inevitably feels less solid than other options on our list, as well as being a little short for some people or for some high-angle shots. However, the price is tough to argue with, and if you need a monopod from a reliable brand that you know will be a good product, this is the cheapest monopod that we can recommend.