Fugetek 51″ Selfie Stick Tripod - Review 2023

Summary

The Fugetek 51” Professional Selfie Stick Tripod is a hybrid product with a built-in tripod function, Bluetooth remote and adjustable phone holder. You can use it either as a selfie stick or as a tripod depending on the occasion.

It’s difficult to understand why this product is priced as low as it is considering it could be used with a camera for taking serious shots.

The Fugetek is made from aluminum that is sturdy enough to hold your phone or even a smaller DSLR camera. For outdoor use it will need weight at the bottom in windy conditions.

The stick comes with a detachable, battery fuelled Bluetooth remote that is compatible with iPhone and Android, connects quickly and works within 50 feet distance.

While this selfie stick tripod doesn’t demonstrate the strongest durability or portability, the price makes it pretty much a no brainer as long as compactness isn’t a must.

Comfort

The first thing that we noticed after opening the box is that the stick is very lightweight. It weighs only 1.05 lbs and is a similar weight to other selfie stick tripod products.

In both modes you can pull the telescope out to the maximum length (51”), which extends your arm’s reach when trying to take pictures from different angles.

Nevertheless, we found that the stick is awkward to hold when it is fully open. You can hold it with both of your hands and take pictures that way but it isn’t the most efficient tool.

The stick has a non-slip rubber handle, which is pointless since the legs of the tripod are not detachable and fold against the handle. Therefore, you actually hold the legs instead of the handle when you use it as a stick.

Due to the legs, the handle gets so thick that it is a challenge to get a good grip on it, and it is quite uncomfortable to hold the stick and press the button. It might be a great challenge if you have small hands.

Ease of use

To extend the tripod you only have to open the locks, pull up the stick to the height you would like to reach and then close them. It is extremely easy to open and close the locks, you can do it with one hand.

You can set the tripod in 3 different heights depending on your needs; the minimum height of the tripod is 19”, the medium is 31” and the maximum is 51”, it is around the chest height of a 5’8” tall person. But you can use it just in these 3 sizes, as the locks only close when the parts (they are responsible for) are fully open.

To open and close the legs, you just loosen and tighten the screw. The legs of the tripod are connected to each other which makes them adjustable to the exact same length.

One important thing you have to consider with a selfie stick tripod combo is the folding and setting up. While in selfie mode you only have to close the telescope, in tripod mode you also have to close the legs all the time.

Every time you would like to use it, you have to open and find the right width for the legs and then expand the telescope to the right height. The phone holder is also telescopic, so you can adjust it to your phone’s size and the phone sits very securely in the holder.

To use your phone you have to screw on the holder either in landscape or in portrait mode. The holder is designed in a way that you can switch between the angles by screwing off and on in the other position.

The head should be able to tilt sideways to change the two setups without screwing on and off, but does not allow you to change the full way from one mode to the other.

Every time you would like to switch between the two modes, you have to screw off the head and set up the new setup. Because this tilt function does not work properly, it really makes it inconvenient and difficult to use on the go.

The selfie stick comes with a detachable, battery-run Bluetooth remote.

Its holder is built into the stick, but you can easily detach it by pulling it off and you already have the remote with you. It is really light, it feels like nothing when you hold it in your hand and it fits perfectly into your palm.

With the remote, you have full control over the lights, the angles and the moment of shooting the photo. Just make sure not to move too quickly after pressing the photo button, as it may take a few seconds before the shot is taken.

Even though we really liked the remote control, we also had some negative experiences.

Firstly, the remote we received is not the same as the one visible in the pictures. Instead of having one photo button, we have two additional buttons for zooming. Fugetek claimed in their description that the zoom function does not work on the iPhone, but it does work on limited Android devices.

It controls not only the tripod but also the selfie stick, because you have to press the same button to take pictures.

The product is designed for indoor and outdoor usage, but one thing that we experienced is that when you are using the tripod outside you have to pay attention to the wind, because the smallest wind can affect the tripod’s stability.

So if you are planning to use the tripod outdoors, we recommend bringing something with you to weigh it down, even a simple piece of clothes would do the job.

Durability

The selfie stick is made from lightweight aluminum. As we were testing it, it is not the most durable material, we might even say flimsy, but still sturdy enough to hold the telephone at every height. The locks that adjust the heights are very strong. With these locks you don’t have to worry about seeing the tripod collapsing.

Portability

Carrying the selfie stick tripod is not too difficult as it is lightweight and compact. It only weighs 1.05 lbs and 16” long when it is fully closed. This means that the Fugetek is quite portable and can be transported anywhere conveniently. The selfie stick comes with a carrying bag, so you can just throw it over your shoulder or put it into your backpack.

Compatibility / Connectivity

The tripod is compatible with Apple and Android phones. Just connect the Bluetooth remote to your phone and the connectivity is already established.

To pair them, you don’t have to do anything differently than otherwise you would do with another Bluetooth device, just pair the two together and you can take action.

You don’t need to remove your phone case as the holder can accommodate a phone that is up to 4” wide.

Additionally, the head of the stick is designed to hold smaller DSLR cameras without any problem, but the material is not sturdy enough for heavier professional cameras.

Price/Quality Ratio

After testing the product, we conclude that it is a good quality product for an affordable price, but it is more like a tripod than a selfie stick. If you would like to take selfies as well, we would recommend buying an extra selfie stick for convenience. But as a tripod it works perfectly, it frees your hands and gives a stable base for taking beautiful photos both indoors and outdoors.

Do we recommend it?

Overall, we were satisfied with this selfie tripod. It’s not the most durable, but we think that is fair enough for its price. Its ease of use makes it suitable for all age groups, but the constant folding and setting up can be annoying as it takes time.

If you don’t mind taking the time for setting up the tripod, setting the right height and angle then this product is definitely good for you. This tripod will certainly open up a variety of photo and video taking opportunities, from taking selfies on your holiday, to recording your favorite team playing on the court.

You can change the angles, the lights, the height meaning you have all the freedom to satisfy your needs and last but not least, you’ll have a great deal of amazing photos and videos to choose from to upload to your Instagram.

Read the Fugetek 51” review to find out more about connecting your phone to your selfie stick.