Vanguard VEO AM264TR £80, $100
Not only is this the least expensive monopod of our six, it’s also the most portable, tipping the scales at just 900g and boasting a collapsed length of 56.5cm. It’ll still extend to a useful 163cm, though, and it even shapes up well as a walking pole thanks to an ergonomic handle.
The basic fixed head won’t permit panning, so you’ll have to rotate on the stiff ball-and-socket base to track a subject, but at least this can be locked to keep the Veo vertical. It probably wouldn’t be your first choice for shooting video or photographing moving subjects, though.
You also get a trio of flip-out feet which are useful for stabilising the monopod on loose terrain, but they’re less effective on sloping surfaces thanks to the ball joint’s restricted articulation.