Best hohem iSteady Gimbals: X3 SE Plus, V3, V3 Ultra, M6 and M7 Compared

The hohem iSteady X3 SE Plus is the gimbal most people buy first, and its 2,600-plus reviews show why: three motorised axes, a detachable Bluetooth remote, a fold-out tripod and a price that a decent selfie stick asks. It folds flat and weighs about 260 g.

The limits are the payload and the tracking. It is rated for about 280 g, which is a phone in a slim case and nothing else; add a mic receiver and it struggles. The face tracking works only inside hohem's app, so a stream or a third-party camera app gets no tracking at all.

Battery is about 9 hours. Owners rate it 4.2 across more than 2,600 reviews.

The hohem iSteady X3 is the X3 SE Plus with a small fill light in the box, for a few dollars more. Same three axes, same 280 g class payload, same app-only tracking, same 9 hour class battery.

The fill light is small: enough to lift a face at arm's length indoors, not enough for a night street. If that is the difference you want, this is the cheaper way to get it than the M6 kit. Owners rate it 4.2 across about 200 reviews.

The hohem iSteady V3 is the model that made the line worth recommending. The payload rating went up to 300 g, which is the number that lets a phone wear a case and a wireless mic receiver at the same time without the motors complaining. The AI tracker is a small module that magnets onto the phone clamp and follows a face with its own sensor, so it works in the camera app, in a streaming app, in anything.

The handle hides a fold-out tripod and the battery runs about 13 hours, long enough for a full day of clips. Gesture control starts and stops recording with a raised palm, which is more useful than it sounds when the phone is at arm's length.

The catch is the extension: there is none, so a higher angle means a longer arm. Owners rate it 4.4 across more than 500 reviews, the best score in the line.

The hohem iSteady V3 Ultra takes the V3 and fixes its two complaints. The handle gains a built-in extension rod for a higher angle or a longer arm, and the battery can charge the phone over USB-C while you film. The motors are stronger, which shows as a steadier horizon with a heavier phone.

The tracker is the same magnetic module as the V3, so tracking works in any app. The price is about $26 over the V3, which is fair for the rod and the charging.

Owners rate it 4.3 across about 270 reviews.

The hohem iSteady M6 Kit was the top of the line before the M7 and is now the better deal for a phone-and-mic rig. The 400 g payload takes a phone, a case, a mic receiver and a small light without strain, the battery runs about 18 hours, and it charges the phone.

The kit adds a magnetic fill light that snaps onto the clamp. It is bright enough to light a face on a dark street at arm's length, which the small lights on the cheaper gimbals cannot. AI tracking is built into the gimbal and works in any app.

It is bigger and heavier than the V3 line and does not fold as small. Owners rate it 4.2 across more than 1,300 reviews.

The hohem iSteady M7 is the flagship and the only hohem with a detachable touchscreen remote. Pull it off the handle and it shows the phone's camera view, so you can frame a shot with the gimbal on a tripod and yourself in front of it, or hand the gimbal to someone else and keep the framing.

The payload goes to 500 g, which is a phone with a case, a wireless mic receiver and a clip-on light together. The battery runs about 24 hours and charges the phone, and the handle has a built-in extension rod. AI tracking is on the gimbal and works in any app.

It costs about twice the V3, and for a phone with only a mic on it the V3 or M6 does the job. Owners rate it 4.2 across more than 1,300 reviews.