Gerber Steady Review: Multi-Tool and Tripod

One of the most interesting, yet polarizing, products being released this year is the . This unique product ventures where no multi-tool has gone before by integrating tripod legs and a camera holder right into the body of the product. Add that to the knife, screwdriver and the other features in the tool and you have the recipe for a great success or a blistering failure. Read on to see what we thought.

The Tool

He tool itself is built with Gerber’s normal attention to detail and strength which has made them one of the industry stand outs. The components fit into the tool well and nothing seems forced. The tool itself still manages to keep its weight no more than 6 ounces, which makes it easy to carry and it can fit right into your pocket.  With an overall length of 6 inches though, this tool is a little bigger than most other multi tools like it.

The components on this tool are the tripod, camera / phone mount, phone attachment, fine blade, serrated blade, micro flat, Phillips and medium flat screwdrivers, bottle opener, needle nose pliers and a wire cutter. All of these piece preform as you would imagine from a Gerber tool; however, one of the big cons that I experienced was that the knife and other tools do not lock into place. This was something I was expecting, so I was surprised to see that it was not there.

The Tripod

I admit I was really excited to test this tool and see how it preforms, and while it works well it still leaves a little to be desired. First the tripod extending legs feel somewhat flimsy. They can create a good stance but can seem weighted down if your camera weighs more than a point and shoot. SLR’s need not apply. That being said I initially only wanted this product for use with my iPhone so the weight of the phone does not seem to push the tripod down too much and it really works well holding phones (I have tried a couple). The tripod screw part of the tool moves very fluidly and allows you get the angle you desire right away.

Second, the included suction cup that screws onto the multi tool really is a great addition for those that love to hike and take pictures with their phone. It stores conveniently into the case so that it does not have to awkwardly fit into the tool which is a huge plus. The suction cup feels very secure with my phone on it as well, it never made me think that it was in danger of falling off. I was also happy that it could connect directly to my case so I did not have to take it on and off.

Video Review

Here is my video review of the product as well.

Conclusion

All that being said I think Gerber has a hit with this multi tool. It is easy to use and really does have a cool feature with the tripod. If they would have had the knife lock into place I would have given it a higher rating. I would recommend you check it out if you are using a cell phone or a point and shoot, but if you are looking for an SLR you should look elsewhere.  You can , and if you try it out make sure to let us know in the comments.

Gear Rating

Gerber Steady Review: Multi-Tool and Tripod, 5.2 out of 10 based on 2 ratings