Total Waste of Money - A Flimsy Tripod That Fell Apart During Use
check_circleVorteile
- Affordable price point for a basic accessory
- Compact design that's easy to store
- Adjustable legs that can be folded up
- Phone holder can be turned to different angles
- Comes with a standard blister pack packaging
- Small desk footprint that won't take up too much space
- Adjustable legs are a nice feature
cancelNachteile
- Build quality is extremely poor and flimsy
- Fell apart during use, rendering it useless
- Phone holder is uncomfortable and doesn't grip well
- Can't adjust the phone holder to different heights
- Not suitable for phones with cases, as they won't fit
- Legs can collapse under the weight of the phone
- Packaging is a standard blister pack, which is a letdown
Editor's Summary
I recently bought a phone tripod from Fix Price's Flarx brand, hoping it'd make my life easier when taking photos for reviews. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a total waste of money. The build quality is subpar, and it fell apart during use. I was expecting a basic, sturdy tripod for around 149-160 rubles, but what I got was a flimsy piece of plastic that couldn't even hold my phone. The packaging was also a letdown, as it was just a standard blister pack. I'm extremely disappointed with this purchase and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Honestly, I'd say it's not even worth the cheap price point. It's a shame, too, because I think a well-made tripod could be super useful for content creators like me. But this one's just not it. The adjustable legs are a nice feature, I'll give it that, but they're not enough to save this flimsy tripod from being a total disappointment.
Specifications
Total Waste of Money - A Flimsy Tripod That Fell Apart During Use
I recently bought a phone tripod from Fix Price's Flarx brand, hoping it would make my life easier when taking photos for reviews. The tripod cost around 149-160 rubles, which I thought was a reasonable price for a basic accessory. But boy, was I wrong!
Before I got this tripod, I had a floor tripod with a ring light that I could attach a phone holder to. However, the holder went missing during a move, so I was on the lookout for a new one. That's when I stumbled upon a small desk tripod at Fix Price, and I thought it would be perfect for my needs.
The packaging was a standard blister pack, which I was a bit disappointed with. I expected a better quality packaging, considering the product itself was so cheap. But I was hoping that the tripod would at least meet my expectations.
On the back of the carton, it mentioned the size of the tripod and how it could be adjusted. The leg folds up, and the phone on the tripod can be turned. It also stated that the tripod is designed for devices no more than 95 mm. My phone is 90 mm wide, taking into account a pretty large case, and 87 mm without one.
The blister pack opens poorly and is only good for throwing away after use. It's not suitable for storage, which is a bit of a shame.
The tripod consists of two parts: the leg and the phone holder. The leg has a small screw in it that the holder screws into, and the surface is textured for better grip.
The holder has a threaded hole where the tripod leg screws in, and it's extremely tight. I had to force my phone into it, and even with my fingers, I couldn't budge it.
For the sake of experimentation, I used an old phone to demonstrate how it works. It's the same width and thickness as my new phone, but a bit shorter. With a case on it, just like the one on my current phone, the phone refused to fit into the tripod.
I tried to make it work, but the phone wouldn't stay put and kept slipping out. I was worried about dropping it, so I ruled out using this tripod as a stabilizer. The phone holder was too narrow for my taste.
For context, my new phone is a different model with a bulging camera setup at the back. Even without a case with a ring, it barely stays in the holder. The case itself looks like this, and with it on, the phone won't fit in the holder at all:
I thought, why not just remove the case? So I did. And the phone stayed put a bit better. But constantly taking the phone out of its case is a hassle.
There's another issue, too. If you place the phone exactly in the middle of the tripod, it presses down on the power button and holds it firmly in place.
I had an older phone that was turned off, so I tried to put it in the holder. But since my new phone is longer, I encountered the same problem with the buttons getting pressed. The phone started restarting due to the power button being held down. If I moved the phone a bit to avoid pressing the button, it would just tip over to one side and the tripod wouldn't stay steady on the surface.
As I mentioned, the legs spread apart under the weight of the phone, almost to the lowest position. This is the highest position it can be set to.
If you try to remove it vertically, it rotates, but the legs spread even further.
I thought, what's the point of even using it? But there's more. The tripod literally fell apart during its first use.
And, to be honest, I didn't enjoy taking photos with it either. If you just place it on a table, it will only capture the object on the table half-way.
I managed to get a slightly better shot by tilting it forward and moving it away from the object, but it's a bit of a stretch.
When adjusting the phone's position and tightening the screws, I noticed that the screw would occasionally slip.
To be honest, this thing is a complete disaster. I wasn't expecting much for the price, but it was sometimes laughable how often it would malfunction. If I'm being completely honest, it's not even worth using as a phone stand, because it presses down on the buttons. It's a shame to throw it away, but I'm too embarrassed to give it to anyone for free. Maybe someone will take it, though.
I wouldn't recommend buying this. Don't be fooled by the price – you could get a better deal by buying a chocolate bar instead.
