Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Okay, I admit to a certain amount of skepticism about the usefulness of this item. It seemed to me that a bluetooth device designed solely to allow people to have more range in their selfies was one of those do-you-really-need-this-REALLY??? items that end up gathering dust in a closet. And honestly I'm still not sure it's a have-to-have device. But I'm going to guess that travelers will find it really useful. Imagine yourself at the edge of the Grand Canyon, or standing on the Eiffel Tower looking out over Paris, and you want to send a selfie to your friends to make them weep with envy. The process is fast and relatively painless... once you've figured out what the process is. The manual is not as helpful as you might like since it was obviously written by someone for whom English is a second language, or possibly third. So here's the process in a nutshell: 1) Turn on the monopod. There's a switch at the bottom. If the blue light is flashing it's charged. If not, use the enclosed USB cord to charge it. 2) Pair it with your phone. This means turning on the Bluetooth function if it isn't already on, and having the phone scan for available devices. Your phone should find it pretty simply. Mine did. 3) Mount the phone in the cradle. If it doesn't fit securely you can use the gasket, though I have no idea how it works. My phone didn't require it. Good luck with that. 4) Attach the cradle to the arm. 5) Set your camera to "Selfie!" 6) Fiddle with the length of the arm and angle of the cradle until you're happy. This could take an hour if you're picky. 7) Once you've got the photo you want framed in the camera, press the conveniently located button on the handle. 8) Marvel at how well that really works. You're welcome. I can see carrying it on a trip, that makes perfect sense. But to carry it with you on a day-to-day basis? Not so much. This is not something you cart with you to your favorite club so you can take selfies with your gang to show the world how much fun you're having. It won't fit comfortably in a pocket or a small purse. So it's pretty much limited to travel functions, which is fine, there's nothing wrong with that. $25 isn't a bad price for something that makes your smart phone more useful. But I question the need for a special device just to take selfies, even if you are on a trip. I wish it had been built to function as a tripod as well as a monopod. That would have made it all that much more useful for travelers, helping to steady the phone while taking pictures. I took away one star for a combination of poor documentation and limited usefulness. More wouldn't be fair simply because this is only my opinion on both. There are no real problems that I can point to. I would say that you give it some thought, and if you feel you'll get a lot of use out of it, then buy with confidence because it really is a fun gadget. And you might just surprise yourself and your friends and family at what cool pictures you're taking.