Best Phone ND Filters of 2026

The NEEWER box contains seven 52mm filters: a circular polarizer, an ND32, a six-point star, and four graduated colors in red, orange, yellow, and blue, plus a phone clip and a 37–52mm adapter ring. The ND32 is fixed at five stops; the rest are there for reflections, color, and light-point effects. It is a kit for experimenting, not for dialing exposure shot by shot.

For creative phone work, the variety is the point. We liked the CPL for cutting reflections on water and glass, and the star filter turns streetlights into six-point bursts without any editing. The graduated colors are more of a mood tool than a correction tool, but they are fun to have in the same case. If you want to dial exposure smoothly, this is not the kit—the ND32 is one fixed strength, and you will be swapping filters rather than turning a ring.

The 52mm thread keeps the rig light, and the clip fits a wide range of phones. The trade-off is coverage: on a multi-lens phone, a 52mm filter may not sit over every camera at once, so you need to line it up with the lens you are using. The clip is a clamp rather than a magnetic mount, so switching filters takes a few seconds longer. The ND32 handles the bright-light work; the rest are there for the shots you cannot get with exposure alone.

The K&F 58mm kit uses a press-on mount that sits flatter against the phone than a typical spring clamp. The filter weighs 19.3g, and the kit includes a storage case and a security strap so it does not wander off in a bag. The 58mm thread is a useful middle ground: wider than the 52mm filters here, so it covers more of the camera bump, but not as bulky as the 67mm options.

The ND2–32 range is five stops, enough to tame bright sun for video or slow the shutter a little for moving water. The press-on design is the part we noticed most in use: it keeps the filter close to the phone, so it does not feel like a clamp hanging off the screen. The filter is light enough to leave on between shots, and the security strap is a small but welcome detail when you are moving through a crowd.

What we liked most is how little it changes the phone in your hand. The 19.3g weight is easy to forget, and the flat mount is less likely to snag on a pocket than a big spring clip. For everyday video and walk-around photography, five stops is usually enough, and the smaller kit is easier to carry. The Akanabi is the one to choose when you need more range.

The cold shoe on top of the NEEWER clip is the feature that separates it from the other magnetic kits. You can slide a small LED light or a wireless mic receiver onto the same mount that holds the 67mm variable ND, which is useful if you are shooting video and need to balance light and sound without a cage.

We liked the magnetic filter attachment for quick changes: the adapter ring stays on the clip, and the ND2–32 filter snaps on and off without threading. The 1–5 stop range is the same as the K&F press-on, and the magnetic hold feels secure in normal handling. The catch is compatibility. The clip is not designed to work with a phone cage or a thick case, and the filter is large enough that it can crowd a small gimbal. If your rig is a bare phone, it is a smart video tool; if you shoot in a cage, measure first.

The 67mm thread also means you can use the filter on a DSLR lens with the right step-up ring, though the kit is really built around the phone clip. The included pouch and cleaning cloth are welcome, and the magnetic mount makes it easy to swap to a CPL if you add one later. The locking knob is the other detail we appreciated—it lets you snug the clip without relying on spring tension alone.

At 11.2g, the K&F snap-on is the lightest filter here, and it attaches directly to the camera deco on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max instead of clamping around the phone. That makes it the one we prefer for gimbal work and quick one-handed shots: there is no clip pressing on the screen, and the phone stays balanced.

The 1–5 stop range is enough for bright daylight video, and the 28-layer coating on AGC glass is there to keep reflections and color shift under control. The friction fit is the trade-off. It is snug in normal use, but it can pop off if it catches on a pocket or bag. The frame is designed to avoid the X-cross pattern at strong settings; test your phone at the darkest setting before an important shoot.

The snap-on design is specific to the 17 Pro and Pro Max, and it will not work with a full-wrap case that covers the camera plateau. That is the main reason it is a runner-up rather than the top pick: it is the cleanest mount here for one phone, not a kit that moves between devices. If you have that phone and shoot bare or with a thin case, it is easy to forget it is there until you need it.

The ALILUSSO kit is the budget way to get a very dark variable ND on a phone. It covers 1–11 stops, which is more range than any other filter here, and the 52mm clip is small and light enough to leave in a bag. The filter is multi-coated, and the upgraded clip has curved edges and rubber pads to grip the phone without scratching it.

The range is the headline: you can go from a slight cut for a bright video to a very dark setting for long exposures. At the darkest end, variable NDs can become uneven across the frame, so check the edges before you commit to a shot. The ring is the only control, so there is less to fiddle with than a kit full of effects.

We liked the range for the money: it is the least expensive way here to get past five stops, and the clip is easy to position. The 52mm size is the compromise. On a multi-lens phone, it may not cover the whole camera array at once, so you need to choose the lens first and then center the filter. If you want a case and a wider filter, the Akanabi kit is easier to live with; if you want maximum darkness for the least money, this is the one.

The APEXEL kit is the other seven-filter box in this group, and the detail that sets it apart is the cold shoe on the phone clip. That gives you a place to mount a small light or mic without adding a separate cage. You get a CPL, an ND32, a six-point star, and four graduated colors, plus a carrying pouch.

The ND32 is fixed at five stops, so it is not the filter for dialing in exposure shot by shot; it is the one for adding reflections, starbursts, and color moods to a phone video or landscape. The 58mm thread is a useful size—wider than the 52mm kits, so it covers more of a multi-lens phone, but not as bulky as the 67mm filters. The clip is a standard screw-on design, and the cold shoe is the reason to choose this over the NEEWER set if you need to mount accessories.

The filters screw onto the clip one at a time, so changing effects takes longer than a magnetic system. The pouch keeps the clip and filters together, which makes it a true grab-and-go kit. The ND32 is the workhorse; the star and graduated colors are the fun extras.

We put this one a step behind the NEEWER set because the NEEWER's filter lineup feels more settled in use, but the APEXEL is the better choice if the cold shoe matters to you. The filters are fun to experiment with, and the fixed ND32 is best treated as a creative tool rather than an exposure dial. If you never mount a light or mic, the NEEWER kit is the easier recommendation.