I have always been a big fan of Kenu products. I have owned many of their products and their simple design, high-quality materials, and ease-of-use are top shelf. So when I heard about the new Kenu Stance, I was intrigued. My smartphone is the main camera that I use to document the moments in my life, and every holiday I invariably find my phone perched atop a large stack of boxes and books as I try to position it without falling over for that perfect family group shot in front of the fireplace. Some of you are grinning because you have done the same thing! The $24.95 Kenu Stance solves this problem by providing you a mini-tripod that attaches to the power port on the bottom of your phone. Did it measure up to the high standards that I have come to expect from Kenu? Let’s find out.
The Stance is 3.1 inches long and weighs only 1.2 oz., and they state that it is smaller than a pack of gum. I received 2 models for the review, one for iPhone (with lightening ports) and one for micro-USB phones (which is what my phone is) and one for USB-C. Here is what Kenu states regarding the compatibility of the Stance with Apple, Android, and Windows smartphones:
Stance is designed to work with any iPhone with a Lightning Port, which includes the iPhone 6 Plus, 6s Plus, 6, 6s, SE, 5s, 5c, 5 and iPod iTouch Gen 5. Stance for Android and Windows Phones is designed to work with any smartphone with a centered (not off-set) micro-USB charging port. We have tested Stance to work with the following smartphone models:
Samsung Galaxy S5
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Samsung Galaxy Note 3
LG G3
LG Optimus L90
Motorola G
Motorola X
Nokia Lumia 530
Nokia Lumia 635
Nexus 6
And I can confirm that it also works with my phone, which is a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, which is micro-USB. I should also mention that Kenu clearly states that large tablets like the iPad should NOT be used with the Stance even though the Stance will clearly fit into the lighting port on the iPad. The reason for this is that the iPad is simply too large and heavy and will easily tip over if you try to use the Stance. I can also confirm that the Stance does work with my 7 inch Nexus 7 tablet, which you can see below, as long as I keep the tablet straight up and don’t let it lean in any direction because it is clearly heavier than most smartphones.
The iPhone version of the Stance come with a neat little key-ring that you can use on your key-chain, but the micro-USB version does not have one, sadly. I would attach it to my key-ring if it had one. And each Stance has a bottle opener built into one of the legs (easily seen in the first picture of this review). Of course. And why not? If it is going to be dangling off your key-chain, it might as well be useful!
The Stance has rubberized feet to keep it in place when the legs are extended and your phone is perched atop and the ball joint adapter easily moves in all directions, 360 degrees, so you can position your phone in numerous angles. The ball joint is tight and firm enough that your phone won’t flop all around when you stand it on the table, but if you have a heavy phone like I do you have to be careful not to angle it too far in one direction or it could fall over. Use the Stance for taking pictures like I do at my family gatherings, or perhaps on a video conference call, or a web chat, or watching a movie on a plane. It can be used to stand your phone straight up and down, or let it sit landscape on the table by folding the legs back together and rotating them behind the phone as you can see in the picture below.
The only drawbacks that I can see are minor. The micro-USB version for my phone doesn’t have a key-ring, so my feelings are hurt. But I’ll get over it. And when the Stance adapter is plugged into your phone’s power port, you can’t actually charge your phone. That could possibly be an issue for some folks because when you need juice, well, you need to plug up to power. Finally, if your power port on the bottom of your phone is off-set to one side, the Stance won’t work. It has to be centered so that your phone will be stable while attached to the Stance.
Final thoughts
The Kenu Stance is every bit as wonderful as all the other Kenu products that I have used. High-quality materials, drop-dead simple design, and anybody can use it without any instructions. If you need a tripod of your phone, get the Kenu Stance. Then pop a bottle top and enjoy!
Source: The samples for this review were provided by Kenu. Please visit their website for more info and Amazon to purchase.
Product Information
| Price: | $24.95 |
| Manufacturer: | Kenu |
| Retailer: | Amazon |
| Requirements: |
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I have always been careful of using the charging ports to mount and hold any of my devices. I prefer the spring loaded side clamping devices.
My first thought is if the connector the tripod attaches to is built strong enough to support the weight of the phone? Will it fail after repeated or extended use?
That is a great question. I haven’t had it long term yet so I cannot answer that question. But what I can tell you is that the ball joint is very sturdy, although not overly sturdy to the point that it’s hard to move. I hope that makes sense. It just feels solid like all the other Kenu products that I have owned.
I have a slightly older version of the Kenu Stance (no key ring.) It’s an awesome and high quality accessory that I use primarily for taking photos with my iPhone 5c. I use my Apple Watch as the remote viewfinder/shutter and this combination works perfectly. The Stance is also very useful as a stand when viewing videos/reading since you can vary the viewing angle to whatever you want. Apple engineered the iPhone connector to support the weight of the phone when using accessories such as the Stance. To date, I’ve had no issues with it. I love this little accessory! It fits in my pocket and attaches quickly and easily to my iPhone. It even has a pass-thru adapter for the Lightning cable, so you can use the stand and charge/sync at the same time.
@Lee Moon Where did you get yours? The models that I reviewed did not have any type of pass-through feature that would allow you to charge while you are using the Stance. That would just be icing on the cake of a great product, if it had that!
I picked mine up at Target and it had an included Lightning Cable Adapter. It’s a small plastic piece that slips over the nub on the Stance (where the phone would normally attach) and then the lightning cable is fed through the side extension on the adapter such that the cable is now being used as the nub to support the phone. My Stance is orange and doesn’t have the key ring on it (which I didn’t need) but did have the Lightning Adapter. Perhaps finding an orange version will have that. If you find one, it’s written/photo on the box that the adapter is included. I hope you find one!
I forgot to mention that you can do a google image search for:
“kenu stance iphone lightning adapter”
and see what the adapter looks like and how it slides onto the Stance/Lightning cable. It appears that Best Buy has the Stance and their product photos show the adapter. Might want to give them a try. 🙂