The 8 Best Helmet Cameras for Capturing Epic Rides

A helmet camera (an action camera that you strap to, yup, your helmet) is a great device for capturing the coolest moments from every ride. These small, lightweight, rugged video recorders can handle all sorts of abuse—an accidental swim, a drop, freezing temperatures, and more. They’re awesome to have on when you’re mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, jet skiing, and parachuting, or just for a ride around the city.

They’re also valuable tools for documenting accidents, since they can provide video evidence for insurance purposes or help unravel how a crash or injury occurred. Similarly, they’re great for training since they can help you understand how you approached an obstacle on a ride after the fact and figure out a better way to tackle that hurdle going forward.

Some action cameras can record in 360-degree format in high enough resolutions to fill a 5K TV with a crisp picture. Others offer varying width formats for everything from panoramic-like views to Instagram-ready recording. To help you figure out which may be the right one for you, we’ve reviewed the best helmet cameras. Find our full thoughts below. But first, some quick info on the top five, plus important aspects to keep in mind as you go about making your decision.

The Best Helmet Cameras

• Best Small Action Camera: Insta360 Go 3
• Best Cube Camera System: DJI Action 2
• Best Image Stabilization: GoPro Hero 12 Black
• Best for Vlogging and Live Streaming: GoPro Max
• Best 4K Action Camera Under $100: Akaso EK7000 Pro 4K

What to Consider

The five most important things to take into account when buying a helmet camera are video quality, battery life, storage capacity, app integration and editing, and accessories. Any great action camera—even a budget model—should record in at least 1080p. Some of the newer, high-end cams can record 6K video. Also, when considering video quality and capabilities, you’ll want to note the frame rate. Higher frame-per-second (FPS) rates mean a camera can shoot better, buttery smooth slow-motion shots.

Finally, for better video quality, look for a model with image-stabilization technology. Better image stabilization is the difference between a video that can make you motion sick and one that looks like it was shot by a professional with an auto-adjusting gimbal.

Battery Life

Most great helmet cameras have batteries that can last for shooting up to 2 hours of video. How much video a battery can handle also depends on the resolution at which it’s shooting. Higher resolution recordings tend to eat up more energy. Thankfully, most action cameras have replaceable, rechargeable batteries, so you can extend your shooting time by swapping in a fresh one. However, most use proprietary batteries, meaning you’ll have to buy the company’s model. If you only need the action camera for shorter shoots, this shouldn’t be a problem. But if you’re filming 6 or more hours of video, you’ll likely need three batteries.

Data Storage

The higher the resolution of the footage, the more data storage you need—and the device has to transfer it fast. Thankfully most cameras use replaceable mini SD cards and can transfer data at well over 100 megabytes per second. But you’ll want to make sure the SD cards you buy are compatible with your device. You’ll have to consult the owner’s manual to determine this. We recommend the SanDisk Extreme Series (including the Plus and Pro) line of cards, which is easy to find in most stores and offers a good value for the speed at which they can transfer data.

Connectivity Options

Most helmet cameras have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity and smartphone/smartwatch apps that allow you to start, stop, and control settings from your devices. Some have remote controls you can mount on a handlebar or elsewhere on your body or bike, and even voice control. Options like these are important for when the cam is attached to your helmet or bike frame, or anywhere you can’t easily access the buttons.

A screen—especially a touchscreen—is a nice feature as well if you want to review your shots while in the field, like when you’re sessioning a jump or parts of a terrain park. GPS is another nice feature to have but isn’t necessary since many riders also track their adventures with cycle computers or apps.

Durability

As the name suggests, an action camera should be able to withstand a beating or being dropped in a puddle. Most have some degree of waterproofing, but you can also house it in a waterproof case if you plan to use yours while swimming or diving. Similarly, you don’t want to damage or scratch the lens or lenses on a 360 action camera—as such, many companies offer lens protectors.

Accessories

A good action camera is mountable in a variety of positions. Some companies, like GoPro and Insta360, offer curated bundles for sports like cycling. These will include helmet mounts, chin mounts, and frame mounts—you could have a camera on your frame focused on your pedal strokes if you wanted, or looking up from your handlebar at your chest. Both are great views for trainers and coaches to watch. Other accessories can make your camera fully waterproof for surfing, snorkeling, or fishing. The opportunities for accessories and mounting your helmet camera are as wide as your imagination at this point. For instance, there are now accessories that allow you to mount a camera to your chest or a backpack strap, a chin guard on a downhill mountain bike helmet, or even a mount to hold the camera in your mouth.

Apps

The accompanying apps for action cams—like GoPro’s, Insta360’s, and DJI’s—not only function as remote controls for the cameras, they’re also video editors. Cutting video, especially 360 video, is daunting on its own unless you have a lot of experience with professional video editors like Final Cut. But the apps for your smart devices and computers use a lot of AI to help you sort through the video. They can help you pick the best shots, select the best orientation in a 360 video, and even automatically cut clips from a longer video, adding in scene transitions and other effects. As of early 2024, we’d dare to say that Insta360’s app is easier to use and the most effective at cutting video and posting directly to social media channels.

How We Selected

I’ve been recording our adventures and misadventures (like smacking into tree branches) while mountain biking, hiking, and on the slopes for years now. I have also written about action and helmet cameras for other publications, like Treeline Review. When considering which cameras make for the best helmet cameras, I thought about how I’ve used action cameras in the past and what makes for the best features. This included considering whether a camera has multiple shooting modes, framing ratios (including 16:9—like a smartphone image—and wide angle or even 360 degrees like the Insta360 X3), and specialized modes like slow motion and speed-burst.

I also considered high frame rates, which makes editing in slo-mo shots easier, like the 240 FPS rate boasted by the GoPro Hero 12 Black, as well as high resolution. Whether or not the camera provider has a good app editing ecosystem—as do Insta360, GoPro and DJI—also factored in. These smart device apps allow for remote-control and editing on the fly. I also looked at whether you’d need to resort to an external video editor, as with the Sony DCS-RX0 II, which has different benefits for advanced video editors.

There are some other high-end models and new models I haven’t had a chance to test personally, like the Insta360 Ace Pro with a larger, 1.3-inch image sensor or Insta360’s latest, the X4 (which launched on April 16) with 8K, 360-degree recording. I also weeded out some lesser models that had short battery life, lower frame rates, poor or no image stabilization, or an app ecosystem that was harder to use or share from, like an Oclu action camera I tested years ago.

These selections on our experiences with the best ones we’ve used, as well as the action cameras we see the most in the wild and hear the best feedback from our fellow outdoor adventurer friends. We also consulted recent reviews of helmet cameras from other sources, like Popular Mechanics, and considered cameras with a wide range of prices and applications.