Best Microphone Shock Mounts | for all mic types & budget

Today we are going to talk about a unique accessory for your microphone - "Shock Mount", and we will help you choose the best one. The topic of microphone shock mounts is quite vast and nuanced, so based on our experience in studio work and recording, we will help you understand it and in the end, you will be able to find the perfect shock mount for your microphone. But first, let's know what a shock mount is and what a microphone shock mount does.

What is a Shock Mount?

A microphone shock mount is a device used to isolate a microphone from vibrations, handling noise, and other unwanted mechanical disturbances that could be transmitted through a microphone stand or boom arm. The shock mount typically suspends the microphone using elastic bands, rubber, or other flexible materials, which absorb and dissipate vibrations before they reach the microphone, ensuring cleaner audio capture. A shock mount is a microphone accessory that attaches to a microphone stand or boom via a threaded connection, and the microphone itself attaches to the shock mount (in simple terms, it's an upgraded mic holder).

Key Functions of a Shock Mount:

1. Vibration Isolation: It reduces noise caused by footsteps, desk vibrations, or other mechanical movements that would otherwise cause rumbling or thumping sounds in recordings.
2. Handling Noise Reduction: If you're adjusting a microphone stand or moving a boom arm, the shock mount prevents those movements from being transferred to the microphone, avoiding unwanted noise in recordings.
3. Improves Sound Quality: By eliminating low-frequency rumble or interference, a shock mount ensures that your microphone captures clearer and more professional-quality audio.

Who Needs a Shock Mount?

• Podcasters, streamers, vloggers and vocalists: Reduces desk or stand vibrations.
• Recording musicians sound engineers: Eliminates disturbances from footfalls, stand movements, or room vibrations.
• Field recordists: Especially useful in environments where external vibrations or movements are common.

In summary, a shock mount is essential for preventing unwanted mechanical noise and improving the overall clarity and quality of microphone recordings.

How to Choose the Best Shock Mount for Your Microphone

This may be one of the most important sections of our article. Please read it carefully before selecting and purchasing a shock mount. Below we will explain all the nuances of the selection process and all the points you should pay attention to. A quality brand microphone almost always comes with a shock mount. If you are reading our article, it is most likely that your microphone's shock mount is broken (it's quite a common case in our studio practice) or you purchased a microphone without a shock mount in the kit (your microphone probably came with a desk stand or simple mic holder).

• Price: The very first thing to consider when choosing a shock mount is price. Consider how much you are willing to spend. Looking ahead, we will say that this microphone accessory is not expensive. But there is a pitfall: if your condenser microphone is quite expensive (for example, from brands such as Neumann, Soyuz, Telefunken, Lewitt, or expensive series from AKG, Audio-Technika, Shure, etc.), you should buy expensive shock mounts. Usually, the brands sell their own shock mounts for these expensive microphone models. So why should you buy expensive shock mounts for expensive microphones? - The answer is quite simple, imagine you buy a cheap universal shock mount for about $10 and use it with your expensive Neumann microphone, first of all, it will not be aesthetically pleasing, secondly, the cheap shock mount can break in the area of attachment to the microphone stand under the weight of the microphone and drop your heavy Neumann or Soyuz. You can imagine the consequences (we have already witnessed such a situation, luckily the microphone was not damaged)! That's why we recommend cheap or medium-priced shock mounts for inexpensive and not very heavy condenser and dynamic microphones.
• Your Microphone: This is probably the most important part to pay attention to. We want to point out that not all shock mounts are universal. The type of microphone you have and its housing parameters such as a specific shape will affect your choice of the shock mount. The first thing to consider is the weight of your microphone. If it weighs more than 400-500 grams / 0.88-1.1lb, you should choose solid shock mounts that can easily support the weight of your microphone. The second thing is the type of microphone you have, namely its shape. For example, if you have a handheld dynamic microphone, you should choose universal shock mounts with a smaller diameter. If you have a condenser microphone with a cylindrical body, the diameter of the universal shock mount should be larger and match the size of your microphone. In case you have a microphone with a specific shape, such as Lewitt microphones or Logitech Yeti, then universal shock mounts will not fit and you will have to buy specially branded shock mounts. Third, not all universal shock mounts will fit your microphone. In general, universal shock mounts fit around the body of your microphone. But if your mic housing has encoder knobs or control buttons, universal shock mounts will definitely not fit your microphone. No need to worry, in our list of best microphone shock mounts, we have collected all shock mounts for every type of microphone.
• Shock Mount Material: With the widespread use of Chinese goods, there are a lot of poor-quality shock mounts made of plastic on the market. Even though it is hard plastic, such shock mounts are not very reliable and we recommend using them only with very light microphones weighing up to 250 grams. With heavy microphones plastic shock mounts often break and you have a high risk of damaging your microphone in case of a fall. Therefore, we recommend you not to save a couple of dollars on the material of shock mounts and choose metal ones. Metal shock mounts are more durable and your microphone will be safer.
• Your Microphone Stand or Boom Arm: Almost all shock mounts will be compatible with your mic stands or mic boom arms. Initially, all shock mounts are 5/8“ threaded and often come with a 3/8” adapter. As a reminder, all microphone stands, boom arms and desktop stands of the "audio equipment" type have a 5/8“ or 3/8” thread standard. Some camera-type stands or tripods have 1/4" threads, which are smaller than the 3/8" and 5/8" threads. For these types of stands, you will need to purchase a 1/4" female to 5/8" male adapter to attach a mic shock mount.

In summary, you don't have to worry about choosing a shock mount, because, in our list of the best microphone shock mounts below, we'll present all types of shock mounts for all types of microphones and all price ranges.

Here's our list of The Best Microphone Shock Mounts

We will start our list with universal microphone shock mounts and end with specific shock mounts for specific microphone models & brands. All of the products we have selected for you below are recommended for purchase, as usual, we have selected only the best microphone shock mounts for you, based on our experience in the studio and recording industry.

1. Rycote Invision USM Shock Mounts (USM-VB, USM VB-L, USM-L, USM)

Universal: Yes

USM-VB: for heavy and large microphones weighing up to 900grams/1.98lbs and mic housing diameter from 55mm to 68mm / 2.1 to 2.67 inches

USM-VB-L: for microphones weighing up to 450grams/1lb & between 55mm and 68mm / 2.1 to 2.67 inches in diameter

USM-L: for microphones weighing up to 400grams/0.88lb & between 18mm and 55mm / 0.7 to 2.16 inches in diameter (horizontal & angled weight tolerance - 250grams/0.55lb)

USM: for microphones weighing up to 400grams/0.88lb & between 18mm and 55mm / 0.7 to 2.16 inches in diameter (horizontal & angled weight tolerance - 500grams/1.1lb)

At first glance, you might think that there is no difference between the USM & USM-L shock mounts (the only difference you can see in the pictures is the color of the W-shaped lyres, which are dark in the USM version and red in the USM-L version). But there is definitely a difference when using your microphone with these shock mounts. To better understand the difference between USM and USM-L, we have included a link to a thread on Gearspace, a popular forum for audio engineers. Or you can check out the differences on the official website, Rycote has explained the differences between USM & USM-L.

Meet the "Rolls Royce" of studio microphone shock mounts - the Rycote Invision USM line. Founded in 1969 in the UK, Rycote specializes in accessories for audio equipment but has recently expanded its product line to include excellent microphones. Rycote's products are characterized by the use of modern materials and innovative technical solutions.

Rycote's shock mounts are truly a masterpiece of engineering, thanks to the patented vibration-resistant Lyre Mount. In this mount, the W-shaped lyres are placed around a central mounting ring and perform better than rubber or elastic parts of shock mounts. There are 4 models in the Rycote Invision line of shock mounts - USM-VB, USM VB-L, USM-L, and USM (read about their differences above). We want to point out that Rycote Invision USM shock mounts are quite expensive and we recommend buying them for expensive microphones costing more than $300. In our SoundGale studio, we also use several Rycote shock mounts, and we have not encountered any nuances when using them, we are satisfied (the main thing is to pay attention to the housing of your microphone and check beforehand if the shock mount fits your microphone).

We liked Rycote's attention to detail, namely the presence of a cable clamp near the threaded connector (we've never seen this on a shock mount before). This clamp secures the microphone cable and prevents vibrations from passing through the cable to the mic housing. The Rycote Invision shock mounts come with a metal brass threaded adapter included. Rycote also produces a kit with their proprietary InVision Universal Pop Filter as well this pop filter can be purchased separately and attached to the shock mount.

InVision Universal Pop Filter is quite unique and has a slightly curved frame. It has removable foam for cleaning, and a universal clamp, which allows the filter to fit virtually any shock mount (diameter of the foam: 10mm/0.39 inches | diameter of the pop filter 130mm/5.11 inches). We have also tested this pop filter and can safely say that it copes with its task 100%. In summary, we recommend Rycote products, you will not be disappointed! It justifies its hefty price tag. The shock mount may be a rather primitive accessory, but what else can you expect from a premium brand? - Superior quality, durability, modern materials, innovative designs, and of course unrivaled experience in studio work & the creative process - this is what Rycote is all about.

2. Rycote Invision Line of Shock Mount for Handheld, Pencil & Shotgun Type of Microphones

Universal: Partly (only for shotgun, pencil, and handheld mic types)

INV-3: for microphones with a diameter of 20mm / 0.79 inches (like AKG C430, Behringer C2, etc)

INV-5: a single Lyre at the front holds a mic body diameter of 19-25mm / 0.75-1 inch and the rear, a 9.5mm Lyre holds connectors from 8mm to 11mm in diameter

InVision INV-6: for microphones with a diameter of 19-25mm / 0.75-1 inch (for light & short mics)

InVision INV-6 Heavy: for microphones with a diameter of 19-25mm / 0.75-1 inch (for heavy & short mics). Has stiffer Lyres than in INV-6.

InVision INV-7: the same as the InVision INV-6 but designed to hold long shotgun or pencil-type microphones since the Lyres at the front and back placed farther apart.

InVision INV 7HG MKIII: designed for more forces (high gravity), with thicker and stiffer lyres and a clamp that holds the mic over a longer length. Therefore, it can hold both long and short handheld, shotgun, or pencil microphones (combines the advantages of InVision INV-6 & InVision INV-7). Can accommodate larger shotgun, pencil-type mics from 19 to 25mm / 0.75-1 inch in diameter, and up to 300mm / 11.8 inches long.

InVision 7-HG MKIII with Table Stand: the same InVision INV 7HG MKIII shock mount that comes with a desktop stand.

InVision Stereo Pair Kit: this kit includes 2x InVision INV-7HG MKIII, designed to mount paired microphones for stereo recording. It is also possible to adjust the distance of each shock mount relative to each other (adjustable from 40 to 200mm / 1.57 to 7.87 inches).

InVision BH: suitable for super long shotgun mics, such as the Neumann KMR 82 and MKH 70. Has stiffer Lyres than the InVision 7-HG MKIII and two consecutive holders exactly like in the InVision 7-HG MKIII.

You can read more about the differences between these shock mounts and the Rycote models in the forum thread on Gearspace. And if you don't want to bother with shock mounts, we recommend the InVision INV 7HG MKIII - it's the most universal option for microphones from 19 to 25mm / 0.75-1 inch in diameter.

What can we say? - The same unrivaled Rycote quality we've already talked about, but this line of holders is designed for shotgun, pencil-type, or handheld mics. You can also easily attach these shock mounts to any microphone stand, boom arms, or boompoles. As usual, the Lyre system provides excellent vibration absorption and handling noise reduction from the microphone cable. Of course, we have not listed all shock mounts from Rycote (we have selected the most basic and popular shock mount models), there are also a lot of other devices and accessories for professional operation in their lineup.

3. Universal Microphone Shock Mount with Pop Filter (Rycote Invision USM Replica)

Universal: Yes

Diameter of microphone housing: from 21mm to 62mm / 0.82 to 2.4 inches

It's simple - this is a Chinese copy of the Rycote Invision USM. This shock mount is much cheaper than the original one and comes with a pop filter. We can immediately say that the pop filter will not be as ideal in terms of vocal or voice processing and the shock mount itself will not prevent vibrations like the original Rycote Invision USM. Still, we decided to include this option in our list of the best microphone shock mounts because it is a great option if you want to save money (it costs half as much as the original Rycote). This Chinese shock mount is universal and will still hold your microphone securely. However, we don't recommend using a microphone that weighs more than 400 grams / 0.88 lb with this shock mount because the materials used to make this shock mount are definitely not super durable/premium.

After reading the reviews, we can see that some people complain about the quality of this shock mount and the impossibility of using it with heavy microphones (which we noticed). There's also a camp of people who like this shock mount and are satisfied using this accessory. On the other hand, if you have a light microphone and want to save money - it will be a great option!

4. Boseen Threaded Microphone Shock Mount

Universal: Partially universal

Here is an interesting example of a threaded shock mount. Although the Boseen threaded shock mount is also Chinese, it is of high quality. The entire Boseen shock mount is made of heavy-duty metal (it can withstand some heavy studio microphones), and its special feature is that it does not wrap around the microphone body like other shock mounts, but attaches to the microphone with threads of various diameters that are included in the kit. We want to point out that not every microphone will fit on this shock mount, so it can only be described as partially universal. Microphones without threads at the bottom cannot be tightened on the Boseen shock mount.

Here is the list of supported microphones by this shock mount: Audio-Technica (2020, 2020 USB), Rode (NT1-A, Procaster, Podcaster, K2, NTK, NT2000, NT2-A, NT1000), Samson (C01, C03, C01U, C03U, CL7, CL8), MXL (990, 770, R77, TEMPO, V67G, 2006), AKG (P120, P220, P420), Blue (Ember, Bird SL, Babybottle SL, Spark SL except Yeti, Snowball, Nano), Neumann U87 and Scarlett Cm25.

We also had the Boseen shock mount on stage and based on our experience with this mic accessory we can safely recommend it for purchase. It is quite cheap and has an excellent Price/Quality ratio. But there is one drawback: it is quite bulky, if you use it with a desktop boom arm it may take up a lot of space in your workplace.

5. Chinese Universal Microphone Shock Mounts

Universal: Yes (there are nuances, please read the description)

Microphone Type: Studio condenser microphones with a regular cylindrical shape

Here we have the best-selling Chinese universal shock mounts that you can see in almost all online marketplaces. All shock mounts of this type are produced in China in large quantities, and local audio equipment sellers just sell them under their own brand and sometimes put their logo on them.

But are these Chinese universal shock mounts that good? - Let's find out, if there's a reason our editorial team included them in our list of the best mic shock mounts. Currently, there are 3 types of these shock mounts: the first for microphones with a diameter of 55mm to 60mm / 2.16 to 2.36 inches, the second for housing diameters of 47mm to 53mm / 1.85 to 2 inches, and the third for handheld or pencil-type microphones (which we will discuss in the post below).

First of all, the big advantage is that they are very cheap and made entirely of metal except for the rubber bands (in addition, they come with spare rubber bands and a thread adapter). The way they work is that they wrap around the microphone body like a simple clip or clamp. But this principle has some drawbacks.

Chinese shock mounts are not so universal and will not fit all microphones, even if they match the diameter of your mic. Suppose your microphone housing has protruding encoders or buttons. In that case, this shock mount is not for you (it will overlap the microphone control buttons or it will not be able to fit around your microphone because of the protruding knobs). Also if the body of your microphone is not a proper cylindrical shape this shock mount will not fit either. It doesn't do a great job of reducing vibration, but it's not super bad either. You can think of this shock mount as an upgraded classic mic holder.

Quite often, you can see similar types of shock mounts made of plastic - plastic shock mounts are not recommended for purchase and we did not include them in our list, as they often break under the weight of even light microphones. Another problem with Chinese metal universal shock mounts is that although they are made of metal, we have observed that they break just as often, but under the weight of heavy microphones. Therefore, if you decide to buy these shock mounts, make sure that the weight of your microphone does not exceed 350 grams / 0.77 lbs.

In summary, we can recommend the Chinese universal metal shock mounts if you have a limited budget or if the weight of your microphone does not exceed 350grams/0.77lb for a diameter of 47mm to 53mm / 1.85 to 2 inches and 450grams/1lb for a diameter of 55mm to 60mm / 2.16 to 2.36 inches.

6. Universal Shock Mount for Handheld (Pencil) or Shotgun Microphones

Universal: Yes

Microphone Type: Handheld, Pencil or Shotgun

This is exactly the same shock mount as the one above but designed for smaller-diameter microphones (handheld or pencil type). In fact, it has all the same advantages and disadvantages as the Chinese universal shock mount for wide studio microphones, except that it is much less likely to break because handheld microphones are lighter.

7. Universal Shock Mount with Elastic Rubber Bands for Handheld (Pencil) or Shotgun Microphones

Universal: Yes

Microphone Type: Handheld, Pencil or Shotgun

Diameter of microphone housing: from 18mm to 40mm / 0.7 to 1.57 inches

A very unusual type of shock mount that also comes from China. The peculiarity of this small shock mount is that it resembles a normal microphone holder, but at the same time, it absorbs vibrations very well thanks to the rubber bands. The disadvantages of this type of shock mount are that it is not very good for handheld microphones (because the handheld microphone body takes up too much space in this shock mount, and the vibration suppression effect works much worse), but it will be ideal for pencil-type microphones or light and small shotgun microphones. If you have a wide handheld microphone, we recommend that you check out the shock mount higher on our list of best microphone shock mounts.

We have this shock mount in our studio and based on our experience with it we can say that first of all, it is very cheap, despite the primitive design it perfectly dampens all vibrations (we used it with a thin pencil type instrumental microphone), but from the disadvantages - the rubber bands often tears and become unusable. Luckily, the shock mount comes with spare rubber bands and a threaded adapter.

We also do not recommend using this shock mount as an on-camera mount with a hot shoe. When interacting with the camera in active motion, your microphone may fly out because the rubber bands of the shock mount do not hold your microphone very securely. If you use this rubber shock mount in static mode, you won't have any problems.

8. Best Shock Mounts for Blue Yeti & Yeti X (also for Shure SM7B, MV7)

Universal: No

Blue Radius III: this is probably the best shock mount for Yeti mics (formerly Blue Yeti, now all Blue USB mics are owned by Logitech) and will fit almost all mics in the line. Yes, Blue Radius III is the most expensive shock mount for Yeti microphones, but it is the most reliable and high quality. All other shock mounts are not so durable and mostly designed and manufactured in China. The Blue Radius III is compatible with YETI, YETI BLACKOUT YETI PRO, YETI X, YETI STUDIO, and BLUE SONA, for YETI NANO you need an additional 5/8 Female to 3/8 Male threaded mic stand adapter. Also compatible with Shure SM7B, Shure MV7, and suspended mic holders such as come with the RODE PodMic or MXL BCD-1, etc.

Even though there are so many Shock Mounts for YETI microphones on the market, the Blue Radius III is still the unchallenged choice. Due to the fact that the competitors could not come close to the quality, the only thing they can offer is a low-cost shock mount, but as you have already realised the quality suffers there.

SUNMON Shock Mount: It can be considered a copy of the Blue Radius III, but the difference is that it is smaller, not as durable, but cheaper than the Radius III. Microphone compatibility is the same as the Blue Radius III. We can recommend this shock mount if you want to save money or are on a tight budget. However, we would still strongly recommend spending the extra $10-20 on the Blue Radius III or Radius II (if you can find Radius II on sale, they are still on sale in small quantities at the moment). Please don't forget "The Miser Pays Twice"!

Borenbuir Shock Mount Holder: A very dubious shock mount design that came onto the market about 2 years ago, from China of course. We have read the user reviews on Amazon and found that half of the people are happy with this shock mount and the other half are having trouble attaching the microphone to it. We have never come across this shock mount, so we will leave the choice up to you. However, we strongly recommend that you read the reviews on Amazon before you buy.

Knox Gear Shock Mount: This is a more acceptable shock mount for YETI (a good alternative for Radius III). What is it good for? - Firstly, all parts are made of metal, except for the rubber bands of course, and secondly, it secures your microphone through a thread located in the bottom part under the YETI microphones. On the downside, it only fits the classic YETI and YETI PRO, it is not compatible with all other microphone models. We recommend the Knox Gear shock mount, the manufacturer has thought of all the details and created a fairly robust design.

In summary, we highly recommend the Blue Radius III and Knox Gear Shock Mount for your YETI microphones. They will hold your microphone securely in place, provide excellent vibration reduction and will last longer than any other option. With all other specialised shock mounts, be careful, read customer reviews and pay attention to the small details. Unfortunately, there are no universal shock mounts for YETI microphones and Shure suspensions, so we make do with what we have.

Yeti Nano Shock Mount

A few months ago a great shock mount for the YETI Nano was released. This microphone has been neglected for a long time and now there is a solution. Yes, it is still a Chinese development, but as practice and customer feedback show, the Borenbuir shock mount does its job perfectly! Some also note the compatibility of this shock mount with other microphones, but be careful, it is specifically designed for the Yeti Nano. On the plus side, it secures the microphone to the side of the body and comes with a foam windscreen. On the downside, the body of the shock mount is made of plastic, but this is not critical for the lightweight Yeti Nano.

9. Best Shock Mount for Audio-Technica AT2020 and All AT Mics

By popular request from our subscribers, let's talk about shock mounts for Audio-Technica AT2020USB/USBi/USB+/USB-X/USB-XP, ATR2500x-USB, AT2040USB, and all other classic XLR versions. Audio-Technica currently offers only three shock mounts. The first is the AT8455 shock mount for the AT2020USB-X & AT2020USB-XP models. The second, the AT8458 shock mount, is designed for use with the following Audio-Technica microphone models AT2020, AT2020USB, AT2020USB+, AT2035, AT2040, AT2040USB, AT2050, AT3035, AT3060. And the third shock mount is the AT8449a for AT4033a / 4040 / 4040 / 4050 / 4050ST microphones.

Unfortunately, almost all Audio-Technica microphones come without shock mounts. Of course, all of us want to use the microphone not with a classic holder from the kit but with a "trendy accessory". If you can't find official AT shock mounts, we recommend using universal shock mounts with their microphones. In our list of the best microphone shock mounts, universal solutions in position 1,3,4,5 will fit your AT microphone.

10. Shock Mounts We Don't Recommend

We do not recommend buying the shock mounts in the picture above. They are garbage, trash, or junk—call it whatever you want! They break all the time, unreliable as possible, and made of cheap plastic. We've used these shock mounts before, and trust us, it's better to pay $10 and not worry about your microphone in the future. They also do an abysmal job of vibration absorbing. Consider it just a microphone holder of bad quality.

If you see a shock mount like the one in the picture on sale, avoid it. In the future, we will also expand the list of "persona non grata" shock mounts that are undesirable to buy.

Final Thoughts

Our list of the best microphone shock mounts has come to an end, it's time to summarize the results. We put a lot of work into this ultimate guide-article and came to some conclusions. Currently, the best universal shock mounts are made by Rycote, but unfortunately, they are expensive. In case you want to save money choose the rest of the universal options from our list (yes, they are Chinese, but we picked the best ones). The best shock mount for Blue Yeti mics turned out to be the Blue Radius III (or version II). For all Audio-Technica microphones, we recommend buying their proprietary shock mounts labeled - AT8455, AT8458, AT8449. Our SoundGale editorial tried for our readers to select the best of all options on the market.

We hope you enjoyed our list of the best microphone shock mounts. Please, leave your comments, questions, and suggestions in the section below. We will be happy to answer them all as soon as possible. Be sure to post in the comments and we'll help you choose the right shock mount for your microphone model and budget. Feel free to point out where we were wrong and write your suggestions to expand our list. As a final note, we'll leave you with a link to our gigantic article and a list of the best microphone boom arms (this is the perfect accessory to use with the shock mount).