If you want to shoot smooth, stabilized video with your iPhone, adding a handheld gimbal is an excellent option. Gimbals counteract the natural shaking from holding your iPhone to produce steady, professional-looking footage that looks like it came from a dedicated video camera and stabilizer rig.
Modern smartphone gimbals are lighter, more compact, and packed with smart features. With so many choices on the market though, it can be challenging to select the right gimbal for your needs and budget.
Below I’ve reviewed the 5 best iPhone gimbals available today based on performance, features, price, and more. I’ll compare the pros and cons of each option to help you determine which gimbal pairs best with your iPhone.
How Gimbals Work
Before jumping into the top picks, let’s quickly cover how smartphone gimbals achieve such smooth video stabilization. These handheld devices contain motorized gimbals that counter rotations on 3 axes — tilt, pan, and roll.
Internal gyroscope sensors detect any motion like shakes or uneven angles. The gimbal then activates tiny motors to keep your iPhone steady and level on all axes regardless of your movements. This floating stabilization minimizes vibrations for polished video footage.
Gimbals connect wirelessly to your iPhone via Bluetooth or a direct app connection. From there, you operate camera controls like record, zoom, tracking, and more right from dedicated buttons on each gimbal’s handle. This eliminates the need to touch your iPhone’s screen once recording starts.
The end result? Cinematic videos that look professionally stabilized — perfect for vlogging, action shots, travel footage and more. Now let’s get into this year‘s top iPhone gimbals that deliver outstanding video stabilization.
1. DJI OM 6 – Best Overall
The DJI OM 6 captures our top spot thanks to its excellent 3-axis stabilization, compact folding design, long battery life, and intuitive controls via the outstanding DJI Mimo app.
It builds on the success of earlier OM series gimbals with a lightweight yet durable magnesium alloy frame along with new upgrades like ActiveTrack 5.0 subject tracking and the useful extendable vertical arm for capturing different angles.
DJI’s stabilization algorithms shine with the OM 6. Footage stays impressively steady when moving thanks to its gimbal correcting shakes instantly. This makes capturing usable action clips while on the go a breeze. The vertical shooting mode also works exceptionally well.
On the backside, a customizable control wheel handles zoom and focus adjustments during recording without touching your phone. It‘s easy to switch between photo, video, zoom, or tracking modes too. We also appreciate that you can fold the OM 6 down pretty small to toss in a backpack when not using it.
If you want the best overall iPhone gimbal that combines stabilization, smart software, and portability, the DJI OM 6 is an outstanding choice.
Key Features:
- Class-leading 3-axis stabilization
- ActiveTrack 5.0 subject tracking
- Customizable control wheel for zoom/focus
- Lightweight yet durable magnesium build
- Extendable arm for vertical shots
- 16 hours of battery life
2. Zhiyun Smooth 5 – Best Value Gimbal
The Zhiyun Smooth 5 packs incredible performance and features at a lower price point compared to other premium gimbals. It’s a fantastic value pick.
A standout is the intuitive zone control system on the front handle. It allows switching between camera modes or activating tracking without touching your phone’s display. There’s also a handy trigger button for quick record functionality.
The Smooth 5 does an awesome job keeping video footage free of shakes and jitter in most situations courtesy of its reinforced gimbal. You can capture solid stabilization during activities with some fast motion like walking outside.
Integrated zoom and focus control wheels give you total control over your iPhone‘s camera too. Overall the Smooth 5 produces professional-looking stabilized clips that belie its budget-friendly price. It‘s a great mid-range gimbal that doesn‘t skimp on premium features.
Key Features:
- Advanced zone control system
- Physical camera trigger button
- Zoom & focus wheels
- Reinforced 3-axis gimbal
- Intuitive mode indicator display
3. FeiyuTech SCORP-Mini – Best Hybrid Gimbal
Want a gimbal that works seamlessly with both your iPhone and a standalone camera? The innovative FeiyuTech SCORP-Mini packs a folding design to handle mirrorless cameras, action cams, or smartphones effortlessly.
The SCORP impresses most with its robust 3-axis gimbal stabilization that counters shakes across all axes using FeiyuTech’s Balancing Algorithm V2.0. It shines for capturing stable tracking shots without purchasing a dedicated camera gimbal.
All camera adjustments happen right on the SCORP’s color touchscreen or via the useful FN buttons on the handle. The buttons allow toggling between mode presets too like pan follow and full follow modes suited for different shooting styles.
If you regularly switch between smartphone and compact camera recording, the SCORP-Mini is a versatile gimbal that eliminates needing two separate stabilizers. It’s the ideal hybrid pick.
Key Features:
- Handles iPhone + mirrorless/action cams
- Balancing Algorithm V2.0 stabilization
- Color touchscreen with camera controls
- Useful FN mode preset buttons
- Handles phones & cameras up to 0.88 lbs
4. Zhiyun Smooth XS – Best Budget Gimbal
The most affordable quality iPhone gimbal that still delivers excellent stabilization goes to the Zhiyun Smooth XS. It manages to pack premium features like a portable charging case, basic touch controls, and integrated tripod despite its tiny size and budget price tag.
Amazingly, the Smooth XS provides reliable 2-axis stabilization in landscape or portrait orientation to counter shakes, tilts, and uneven footage effectively. It’s not quite as robust feeling as 3-axis gimbals, but performance punches well above its compact form factor and cost.
While the Smooth XS skips advanced controls, you still get one-touch buttons for basic shooting modes along with an LED indicator that displays status. It also helps that you can pop it into an included protective case that doubles as a power bank for charging.
If you want great stabilization at a wallet-friendly price without needing every bell and whistle, the Smooth XS is a fantastic bargain pick.
Key Features:
- Impressive 2-axis stabilization
- Intuitive touch controls
- LED mode status indicator
- Integrated portable charging case
- Built-in extendable tripod
5. DJI Pocket 2 – Best Standalone Camera Gimbal
Want cutting-edge stabilization built right into a standalone 4K camera instead of using your iPhone? The amazing DJI Pocket 2 packs a 3-axis gimbal integrated camera into an ultra-portable device barely larger than a smartphone.
Despite its tiny size, the Pocket 2 records incredible quality lossless video at 4K 60 fps along with crisp photos. The integrated gimbal ensures all your footage maintains professional-level stabilization when moving thanks to machined aluminum mechanical components and advanced brushless motors.
Put the camera in follow mode, and motion tracking ensures your subject stays centered automatically. There’s also FaceTrack for focusing specifically on people. All your shots remain perfectly steady!
If you want a fuss-free camera with gimbal built-in, the DJI Pocket 2 eliminates the need to mount an iPhone while providing outstanding video quality in an ultra-compact form.
Key Features:
- Built-in 4K 60fps gimbal camera
- Advanced stabilization components
- Tracking modes like FaceTrack
- HDR photos & lossless digital video
- Pocketable standalone device
What To Look For In an iPhone Gimbal
With so many iPhone gimbals available, it helps to know the key factors and features that separate the best options:
Stabilization – The most critical element is a robust 3-axis gimbal that counters shakes and uneven angles in real-time. Look for strong motors and stabilization components.
Portability – A compact, lightweight design you can fold down for tossing in a bag or backpack rates highly for keeping things portable.
Battery life – Longer battery life means you can record stabilized video for extended periods without swapping cells or external chargers.
Smart controls – Intuitive buttons, presets modes, and control wheels directly on handles allow adjusting camera controls without touching your iPhone’s display mid-recording.
Extra features – Nice bonuses include things like subject tracking, focus pulling algorithms, timelapse modes, zoom functionality, and standalone usability.
Compatibility – Ensure the gimbal works with latest iPhone models and iOS versions to have full app integration and accessory support.
Price – Set a budget for iPhone stabilization needs. Greater features demand higher prices, but excellent budget gimbals exist too!
Gimbal Shooting Tips
While smartphone gimbals hugely improve shooting smooth video, getting the most out of your new accessory requires learning a few best practices:
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Properly balance your phone – If the phone isn‘t perfectly centered, stabilization will suffer from the offset weight distribution.
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Mind accessories – Don‘t use thick cases or heavy lenses that introduce extra size/weight which the motors must work harder to stabilize.
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Try accessories sparingly – Things like external mics can cause balance issues and introduce handling noise. Test gear before shooting important footage.
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Use tracking intelligently – Subject tracking modes work best when subjects don‘t move excessively fast or change directions unpredictably.
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Practice, practice, practice! It takes time adjusting to moving naturally while retaining proper stabilization and framing.
Final Thoughts
Adding one of the best iPhone gimbals takes your mobile video recording to the next level with professional stabilization. Whether you want specialty tracking capabilities, standalone shooting, or basic smoothing of handheld clips, a smartphone gimbal offers outstanding upgrades over shooting handheld video directly on your iPhone.
Hopefully the gimbal recommendations and tips above help you find your perfect iPhone accessory for capturing exceptionally smooth, stable footage on the go! Let me know if you have any other questions.
