Fully extended, the XShot Selfie Stick Deluxe reaches 31-inches and collapses to a compact 8-inches — perfect for storing in a backpack, cargo pocket, or purse. If you really want to get crazy, keep it inside the fanny pack at your waist for the complete getup and embrace your awesomeness.
Its fully anodized aluminum construction is quite solid as a whole. The bottom features a soft, translucent TPU grip with a handy arm strap attached for extra security. As you extend the selfie stick, there aren't any additional clamps to snap shut for each section, which helps keep it lightweight even with your device at the other end. The first adjustment at the bottom allows you to rotate the base up and down, and screws into the phone clip either vertically or horizontally. For the best tilt, however, you'll want to attach the phone clip vertically.
The phone clip can be extended up to 3.5-inches, accommodating bigger devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 without a hitch. The base features a soft foam that ensures the back of your device stays scratch-free. Even the spring-loaded clamps that hold your phone are rubber inside to not damage the edges. The larger the device, the more effort is required to pull those clamps apart, so you'll want to be careful during installation as well as removal.
Included with the XShot Selfie Stick Deluxe is a miniature Bluetooth remote that uses a single CR2032 button cell lithium battery (included) to keep it powered. There's a small on/off switch on the side of the remote that puts it into pairing mode immediately when switched on. There are capture buttons for both Android and iOS for complete compatibility between devices. You can either attach the remote to the wrist strap at the bottom of the selfie stick, or use the plastic mount included that clamps right above the TPU handle. We found that using the mount was much easier because of its position.
Final thoughts
Having a completely adjustable phone mount along with a Bluetooth remote to capture all your shots by the press of a button is good stuff in our book. If we had to nitpick, an extra 10-inches or so wouldn't hurt for larger group photos. You can snag the XShot Selfie Stick Deluxe in black, blue, or red right now for $34.95 from ShopAndroid.
