Kraftgeek Just Tap Tripod review: Compact, clever MagSafe tripod meets selfie stick

Macworld

At a glanceExpert's Rating

Pros

Lightweight & compact

Bluetooth remote control included

Good magnetic adhesive force

Also serves as a selfie stick

Cons

Wobbles noticeably at maximum length

Closing the legs can be a little fiddly

Our Verdict
The Kraftgeek Just Tap is a clever MagSafe tripod with a length of between 13 and 66 inches (33-168cm). This is impressive Considering the dimensions when retracted. The compact design causes some instability when fully extended, but when retracted the tripod serves as a selfie stick as the supplied Bluetooth remote control is magnetically attached to it.

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Tripods can be a real pain if you want to take photos or videos with your iPhone when you’re out and about, as standard models tend to be heavy and bulky. Not so the Kraftgeek Just Tap Tripod tested here. It’s a lightweight, compact MagSafe tripod that doubles as a selfie stick when the legs are folded.

Kraftgeek specialises in tripods and stands of all kinds. In addition to various smartphone stands, the company also offers music stands, easels and other stands.




Eugen Wegmann

The Just Tap consists of ten interlocking aluminium segments, creating a telescopic pole. This is inserted into a round plastic body, which in turn consists of three segments and folds out into three tripod feet at the touch of a button on the underside.

This in itself is a pretty cool mechanism that enables an incredibly compact design: the entire pole has a diameter of just 1.5 inches (3.8cm) once inserted, apart from the flat MagSafe holder with a diameter of 2.4 inches (6cm) at the top and the remote control, which minimally protrudes from one of the three feet. This corresponds roughly to the diameter of a relay baton in athletics.




When fully extended, the telescopic pole bends noticeably.Eugen Wegmann

The thickness of batons means it can be gripped comfortably and securely with one hand, and this is also an advantage for the Kraftgeek Just Tap, as it also sits comfortably in the hand when folded up as a selfie stick. The only drawback: the tripod weighs 16oz (455g), while a baton only 1.8oz or 50g, and this is noticeable, especially when an iPhone is hanging at the other end and the extended telescopic pole increases the leverage on the arm.




Eugen Wegmann

The MagSafe holder is connected to the telescopic rod via a plastic rod and two hinges. Each hinge has just over 180 degrees of travel, so you can rotate your iPhone a total of just over 360 degrees relative to the rod. This is most useful if, for example, you want to film yourself sitting at a table over your shoulder or use the Kraftgeek Just Tap as a selfie stick.




Eugen Wegmann

Speaking of MagSafe: the adhesive force is surprisingly strong. My iPhone 16 Pro Max stays stable on the tripod even when I shake it up and down wildly. Of course, you shouldn’t overdo it, because sooner or later the iPhone could suddenly go flying, but with normal use I’m not worried at all. However, if the tripod falls over, the iPhone will also come loose—although, of course, this risk exists with tripods of any design.

So that you can also attach smartphones other than the iPhone, Kraftgeek includes a metal ring that you can stick to an Android smartphone and which honestly holds even better than the Magsafe magnets in the iPhone. As long as you haven’t stuck it on, you should keep it at a distance from the MagSafe holder of the tripod as a precaution; otherwise it could cost you a fingernail or two to pull the ring off the holder again.




The Bluetooth remote control has its own place on one of the tripod legs.Eugen Wegmann

In addition to the metal ring, the scope of delivery also includes a small Bluetooth remote control, which you can use to operate the shutter release of your iPhone from a distance. For transport, it is magnetically attached to one of the three base elements in a recess provided for this purpose and also serves as a shutter release when you use the tripod as a selfie stick. The remote control is charged via USB-C, and the 50mAh battery lasts for what feels like half an eternity in this simple device. When the battery life is running low, the integrated LED lights up red.




You can simply press the Kraftgeek Just Tap on the floor to open it, but you can also simply drop it.Eugen Wegmann

The compact and lightweight design also has disadvantages. Although the ten aluminum segments fit together almost perfectly, each of them has enough play to affect the overall stability. In other words, the Just Tap is a little wobbly at maximum length. This is particularly noticeable when filming outdoors in moderate winds, regardless of whether you are using action mode or not.

Due to its low weight, the centre of gravity also shifts very far upwards as soon as you attach an iPhone to it, which is why the Kraftgeek tripod falls over more easily than professional models. But it’s not as if the Just Tap would fall over at the slightest breeze. You just have to be careful not to knock it over with a clumsy movement.

Last but not least, the walls of the aluminum segments are very thin. Although they are strong enough that you probably won’t run the risk of bending them in normal use, but if it falls over and you trip over it and land on it, it’s bound to break. As with the previous point, you just have to be a bit careful.

Price

Considering the price, however, it is not difficult to recommend the Kraftgeek Just Tap. The tripod costs $49.99 / £38 / 37.95 euros, and shipping from the company’s own shop currently takes 1-2 weeks. Kraftgeek’s products will also be available on Amazon in the future, but Kraftgeek has not yet set a specific timetable, Kraftgeek told me when I asked.

Should you buy the Kraftgeek Just Tap Tripod?

While there are compromises that you must make if you are looking for a lightweight, compact tripod such as the Kraftgeek Just Tap, this is built for the iPhone and works so well we can highly recommend it.