Phone Rigs and Cages

What a rig or cage does

A phone rig or cage is a frame that goes round the phone, with handles, screw threads and small mounting shoes round its edge. It turns the phone into something closer to a video camera: you hold it with two hands, and the phone, a light and a microphone are fixed to one frame and move together. Two handles alone make handheld video steadier than holding a phone by its edges, and a rig stands on a tripod by the standard quarter-inch thread.

Rigs are for people who film regularly and want more than the phone alone gives: interviews, short films, music videos, vlogging, live streams and filming products.

Rigs and side handles

• Handheld rigs are a frame with a handle on each side and an adjustable bracket, padded with soft silicone, that clamps the phone. The aluminium rig here has quarter-inch screw ports and cold shoes, the small slide-in mounts for a light or a microphone, round its frame.
• Side handles screw onto a phone cage to give it a firmer, two-handed grip, with threads on top for more accessories. One has a Bluetooth shutter button built in and charges by USB-C, so you can take a photo or start recording without letting go.

Side handles are made for particular cages, and each product page lists the cages it fits, so check yours is named before you choose one.

How to choose a rig

Start with the phone. Measure its width in its case and check it against the widest phone the bracket takes, which each product page gives. Make sure the clamp leaves the buttons, the charging port and every camera clear, so the frame does not show in the picture when the phone moves to its ultra-wide camera.

Then think about what you will fix to it. The quarter-inch thread is the usual one on cameras and accessories, and a cold shoe takes a small light or a microphone made to slide into one. A light on the rig lights whoever is in front of the phone wherever you point it: see LED video lights. A microphone makes speech far clearer than the phone's own at a distance: see wireless microphones. With a light, a microphone and a phone on board, a rig gets heavier, so for long shoots stand it on a tall tripod.

Questions people ask about phone rigs

Will a rig take my phone in its case?

If the phone in its case is within the width the bracket takes. A slim case is the safer choice for a rig.

Should I get a rig or a gimbal?

A rig steadies handheld video with two handles and carries a light and a microphone. A gimbal uses motors to keep the phone level while you walk or run. See phone gimbals and the guide to tripods, gimbals and selfie sticks.

How long does delivery take?

Delivery is included in every price and tracked to your door. Each product page says when it usually arrives.

More to look at

• LED video lights
• Wireless microphones
• Phone gimbals
• Tall tripods
• Remote shutters
• For creators
• Guide: Phone tripods, gimbals and selfie sticks
• Guide: Ring lights and video lights for phone filming