The Joby Wavo Boom Arm isn’t cheap, but if you’re a streamer or digital content creator it’s worth every penny.
Joby is marketing the Wavo Boom Arm as a companion to the rather excellent Wavo Pod microphone, which we reviewed here. But as long as your microphone – or other device – has a standard screw fitting you’ll be able to make use of this bendable gem.
It’s priced at £89.95/$99.95, which is the same price as the Wavo Pod microphone but it’s worth the money. We’ve plumped for a cheap microphone arm before and, as it had a habit of slipping down over long periods of time, we ended up having to adjust it. The Wavo Boom Arm, however, is so so sturdy thanks to its solid metal construction that you needn’t worry about wobble.
It comes in two parts: the arm itself and the clamp for your desk. You can also attach it to an existing grommet or hole but we just clamped it to our desk. The instructions are online only, but the included QR code made them easy to find.
Our one worry was that, given how hard it gripped, we’d end up somehow crushing the desk’s cheap MDF. Yes, it’s a fair cop – the Wavo Boom Arm is worth more than the desk we were attaching it to.
The cup and headset holder, both built into the clamp, are welcome additions. You can remove the main arm and leave them clamped to the desk, which we’re definitely doing. Our one grumble is that the screw you use to tighten the arm can, if you’re not careful, fall out.
We caught it so we didn’t have to fumble around on the carpet but it’s something to be aware of – and we wish Joby had included a couple of spares just in case. A neat feature is the way you can string your microphone wire through a groove, hiding it from view.
So if you’re using the Wavo Boom Arm to stream, as you probably should, it looks suitably streamlined. The red clip-on pieces complete the package, though they’re optional. We were slightly concerned by the “stored energy hazard” warning in the instructions. But, no matter how much we repositioned the arm (it’s easy to manipulate without it feeling slack) our fingers survived the adventure.
You don’t actually have attach a microphone, either, since the arm can support cameras or webcams. We clamped the arm to a shelf and attached a regular camera, which made it much easier to take timed photographs. It was a real step up from balancing it on whatever books we had handy. And, supporting up to 1KG, the arm should handle most reasonably sized devices.
Whether or not you’ve got a Wavo Pod microphone, the Joby Wavo Boom Arm is a great piece of kit. It’s ideal for streamers, podcasters or anyone who uses a proper non-webcam microphone. It’s pricier than a standard boom arm, yes. But for quality, sturdiness and value for money you’d be hard pressed to beat it.
You can purchase the Joby Wavo Boom Arm, priced £86.95, from the company’s online store.
Thanks to Joby for providing us with the Wavo Boom Arm for the purposes of this review.
