Have you ever been in a situation where you can’t quite find the right angle or where you want to be in the photo but have nowhere to put your digital camera? Well, the Gorillapod provides a neat solution. This knobbly, three-legged, bendy piece of kit puts a twist (literally!) on the traditional tripod.

Its not hard to get it to work for you – just screw the quick-release clip into your camera, make sure the lock ring is, well, locked and find somewhere to perch. Its not particularly pretty, but its not really meant to be. It fulfils a purpose, and does so very well. I do have to say, however, that I happen to like its pseudo-alien, tenticluar appearance!

There are four different types of Gorillapod for different camera weights. This is the entry level version capable of holding up to 325g of camera, itself weighing just 45.3g. The aforementioned “tentacles” are each 15cm long, consisting of nine leg joints that twist in pretty much every direction imaginable. Furthermore, it comes in seven different colours and two alternative methods of attachment via suction cap and adhesive clip – these are extra accessories and do not come with the basic tripod.

I tested the Gorillapod on my trusty Lumix TZ4. This is a slightly heftier model when compared to your usual point and shoot digital camera, and has the added complication that the screw base is located on the far left hand side of its base, not in the middle. After a little bit of adjustment, the Gorillapod coped ably with the off-centre weight and supported the camera more than adequately. Then I started to look around for things to attach it to – doors, railings, bike handles, trees..... Ultimately, so long as there is enough of some form of an uneven fixed point to wrap the legs around, it can cope with pretty much any situation. Achieving a successful mount is very much a trial and error process, but due to the high manipulation factor, I would say that more often than not it successfully keeps your camera sturdy. Just don’t forget to set the timer before finalising the set-up!

Ultimately, the Gorillapod does what its meant to do really well and is a rather clever idea. I do, however, have two reservations. Firstly, I’m not sure how often I’m going to use it.  I usually take my camera on nights out or on holidays and have never thought that I might need a flexible tripod. I don’t even have a bog-standard tripod. Secondly the price tag of £16.95 seems a little steep; particularly for something that I didn’t know I needed and still don’t think that I need. All in all its a great piece of kit, if you need it.

For more information or to buy see joby.com/gorillapod. Four models available with prices starting from £16.95.