360 Camera Accessories

Best360 Monopod review and comparison vs. Insta360 Invisible Selfie Stick and Bushman Monopod

Best360 Monopod review and comparison
Best360 Monopod review and comparison

Here’s a review and comparison of Best360 Monopod, a carbon fiber monopod designed for 360 cameras. I’ll compare it to the Insta360 Invisible Selfie Stick and to the Bushman Monopod.

Monopods and selfie sticks are essential for 360 cameras.  Not only are they for static shots, but you need a selfie stick to create a third person view (the invisible flying camera effect).  But which selfie stick or monopod should you get?

TYPES OF MONOPODS

Some selfie sticks are designed for portability, such as the One R selfie stick.  Other monopods are designed to capture a cinematic, drone-like perspective.  These are usually at least 9 feet long such as the Telesin monopod.  Then there are the general purpose monopods which are around 4 feet long and can fit inside a backpack.  This includes the Insta360 Invisible Selfie Stick, the Bushman monopod, and the Best360 monopod.  How does the Best360 monopod compare to other monopods in its category?  Best360’s Shanil Kawol sent me a unit for testing.

BEST360 MONOPOD

Top to bottom: Bushman Monopod v1, Best360 Monopod, Insta360 Invisible Selfie Stick
Top to bottom: Bushman Monopod v1, Best360 Monopod, Insta360 Invisible Selfie Stick

The Best360 monopod is a carbon fiber monopod with a counterweight and a stand.  It has five sections and uses twist locks.  When collapsed, the Best360 is about 15.5 inches, a couple of inches shorter than the Bushman v1 (18 inches), while being about 4 inches longer than the collapsed Insta360 Invisible Selfie Stick.

Top to bottom: Bushman v1, Best360, and Insta360 Invisible Selfie Stick
Top to bottom: Bushman v1, Best360, and Insta360 Invisible Selfie Stick

When fully extended, the Best360 (59 inches) is about as long as the Bushman (60.75 inches).  Both of them are about more than a foot longer than the Insta360 Invisible Selfie Stick (45.5 inches).

In terms of weight, the Best360 is significantly lighter than the Bushman because of its carbon fiber construction.  Bushman is about 237 grams, while the Best360 is 191 grams, almost 20% less weight than the Bushman.  The lower weight might not seem like much but over extended use, a lighter selfie stick will cause less strain on your wrist.  Moreover, carbon fiber is stronger and stiffer than aluminum.  Carbon fiber is also better at absorbing vibrations.

Top: Bushman v1, Bottom: Best360
Top: Bushman v1, Bottom: Best360

The Best360’s shaft is a little thicker than that of the Bushman, by about 3 mm diameter.

Top: Bushman shaft vs. Bottom: Best360 shaft
Top: Bushman shaft vs. Bottom: Best360 shaft

Both are slim enough to be invisible to a 360 camera but the very top part of the Bushman is about 1 mm narrower than Best360.

Top: Bushman v1. Bottom: Best360
Top: Bushman v1. Bottom: Best360

Best360 includes a small tripod and a counterweight.  The counterweight is about 500 grams and is made of stainless steel.  One difference is that the Bushman’s counterweight comes in two pieces that can be split up, which makes it more versatile.  On the other hand, the Best360’s counterweight has an anti-slip pad on top to reduce the chance of the counterweight loosening or falling off.

Top: Bushman v1 counterweight, Bottom: Best360 counterweight
Top: Bushman v1 counterweight, Bottom: Best360 counterweight

Both the Best360 and the Bushman include a tripod.  The Insta360 Invisible Selfie Stick does not include a tripod, but Insta360 has a Multipurpose Tripod with extendable legs.  When collapsed, the Insta360 Multipurpose is only 5 inches, making it more pocketable than either the Best360 or Bushman.  When fully extended, Insta360 also has the widest radius of about 9 inches, compared to around 6 inches for the Bushman and 6.75 inches for the Best360 tripod.

Left side (L to R): Bushman, Best360, Insta360. Right side (L to R): Bushman, Insta360, Best360
Left side (L to R): Bushman, Best360, Insta360. Right side (L to R): Bushman, Insta360, Best360

However, Best360’s tripod has tripod holes in them for attaching additional counterweights.  Furthermore, Best360’s tripod has two angles: flat and raised.  However, Best360 recommends against using the raised configuration because it has a higher chance of being toppled over by the wind.   Best360’s tripod is also solidly built and is made of steel.  Insta360’s tripod has lower quality construction and is more flimsy.

Best360 has tripod holes for counterweights
Best360 has tripod holes for counterweights

Summary; where to buy for extra discount

Best360 is an excellent monopod with a design that is similar to that of the well-regarded Bushman monopod but Best360 is made of carbon fiber, which is not only lighter but is also stronger than stiffer than aluminum.  I do wish that the tripod legs were longer, and I’ve told Shanil about that.  For now, I will probably pair it with the MT-02 stand (reviewed here) for better stability.  I also recommended to Shanil to use three smaller counterweights instead of one large counterweight so that users can attach the weights to the ends of the legs. Notwithstanding these minor issues, the Best360 monopod is a very good monopod and I plan to use it as my primary general purpose monopod in place of the Invisible Selfie Stick.

If you want a low-cost monopod that still works pretty well, I would still recommend Insta360 Invisible Selfie Stick ($20) because it is more affordable.  For maximum stability for static shots such as virtual tours, I would prefer a lightstand, which is heavier and has legs that are wide enough to be used outdoors even in a strong breeze.  However, if you want a longer and more versatile selfie stick that is ideal for vlogging, you can either get the Best360 carbon fiber monopod (GBP 129.99) or the Bushman aluminum monopod ($149.95).    Between the two, in my opinion, the Best360’s higher quality carbon fiber construction for just 15% higher cost offers a better value than the Bushman.   BTW, you can get an additional 5% off the Best360 monopod using this link and the code 360rumors.  Thank you very much for using my affiliate links to support 360 Rumors at no additional cost to you so I can do more tests and reviews.  For other monopods and selfie sticks, see this comparison.

About the author

Mic Ty

8 Comments

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    • But the large package size and the large lever fixer (instead compact turn fixer) would be to big for my taste. One shot pano cameras are so small and light weight so that the monopod can be compact too. 😉 My dream is a monopod like the Velbon Ultra Stick Super 8, but with screw connectors on both ends.

  • For me the ideal monopod needs a small package and a large extended size. The master of this discrepancy is the Velbon Ultra Stick Super 8 -> 26cm/156cm (10.2″/57.9″). But unfortunately there is a camera connector on one side only and no foot can be added to the other side.
    I modified the monopod so that I can use it upside down with a foot (andoer). I wished someone could get in contact with the manufacture and convince him to create a version with a connector at each end. It could be one of the best monopods for one shot 360 cameras.

      • Great, the Bexin P-308A has a connector at both ends and the sizes are very good. I wished it could be used with the thin end upward. It’s not good for stability if the heavy parts are at the top end. Maybe with some adapters it can be use upside-down. Do you own it? Can you use it upside-down?

        • Yes, I have been using this monopod for about two years. 3/8 on both sides. So there is nothing stopping you from using it upside down. You just need to grind the head of the turner. When folded, it is the size of a stick from insta360, and when unfolded, it is like best360 (С-222)