TaoTronics Smartphone Selfie Stick ( Model TT-SH10 )

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received a TaoTronics smartphone selfie stick ( model TT-SH10 ) for a product review.  I was actually surprised how small the stick was when fully closed.  In addition to the stick itself, it included a USB to microUSB cable for charging.

I tested the selfie stick out with my Moto X, after pairing the Bluetooth with the phone and opening the camera application I was able to take pics using the button with no problem.  Honestly I don't run around taking selfies, but I could see how this could be useful.  I also tested it with a Samsung Galaxy S5 and again it worked with no problem.  The manual does mention an Android app you can download if needed, but I didn't have to for either device.

Size comparison with a 16.9oz bottle of water

Size comparison (diameter of stick) with a dime

I don't know if this was intended to be funny or not, but the manual has a caution section and it says "Don't fight with the stick, it will break" - I got a good laugh from that.

So what else can you do with a selfie stick?  By the way I will say that some of these may not make sense, but yes I did them all (except the one I wasn't allowed to do per the instructions):

• Take pictures of hard to reach places
• Use it to take videos of yourself talking ( video blogs, demonstrations etc )
• Fight with it .. ahhh no that is not allowed!
• Show videos to others without actually handing them the phone
• Take a picture of the entire dinner table, not just your plate
• Check out your bald spot
• If you have a dog that won't let you get close without trying to give you kisses, you can take close up photos using the selfie stick
• Get the attention of small children who will feel the need to grab the phone because obviously if you put it near them, it is for them to play with

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Ease of Use: It was pretty easy to mount the phone and pair with Bluetooth, after that it just worked as you would expect - hit the button and take a picture.

Versatile: Although the primary design is for people taking selfies, I am sure people with creative minds can come up with all sorts of ways to make something like this useful - as you can see from my own list, I had no problem finding other ideas.

Compact: When folded down, it can actually fit in your pocket without any real problem.

Bottom line: If you are the type of person that loves to take pictures, especially selfies, then this is pretty much a great option for you.  I wouldn't imagine myself as the type of person to take selfies, but when out with the family it is nice to get a group shot without having to ask a stranger or worse have one person not in the photo.

Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00TI2HCS4