This was purchased as a birthday present for a member of the family who loves to make videos on their ipad mini. The tripod itself is very solid and I would imagine it will last for years with no issue. The clamping mechanism works very well too, the only thing I had to do was reverse (turn around) one side of the clamping arms to better accommodate the ipad mini size. Once this was done it held onto it very tightly. I appreciate the fact I could do this as it works well for both ipad and ipad mini, and I'm sure many other tablets in that size range. The only issue I had which I believe other reviewers have commented on is, the thread on the piece that screws into the ball which allows you to position the tablet on any axis would constantly come loose. It threads into the ball no problem, however when you try to adjust the position of the tablet it comes loose which then doesn't lock the tablet where you want it. There's no reason I can see for having this part removable, so I took some JB weld and permanently welded the pieces together, problem fixed!. The stand gets used almost every day and travels with absolutely no issue now. I would have definitely given the stand a 5 star rating had I not had to make that modification. Hope this helps with your purchasing decisionI ordered this product and due to the e bad weather I wasn't going to have it on time and was disappointed, I shot contacted me and had the product overnighted and I got it in time for a volleyball tournament at FSU. Easy set up great product and everyone ask me where I purchased it! Great buy!!!This product does what it says, and well. Good value for the cost. The ball head that came with it is not great quality and will be replaced. Simple to use. I would recommend it to others.The build quality of this tripod was a much better design and way more durable than the previous tripod I bought. Yes it was double the price but well worth it.My grand daughter loves this iPad tripod as her Christmas present. She is very much into making videos with it and loves it that it provides such a secure hold of the iPad.Works greatLightweightPerfect for mounting my iPad. Easy to adjust and quick set up and storage. I would recommend this to everyone with an iPad and iPad Mini.Works exactly as described...love it!I'm disappointed that the Ipad pro holder only fit on the short side. So it has to be very tight when upright position. I'm always scared it slip and crash on floor. I would like to know if you get a more secure holder. Thanks!