| Best for extreme athletes |  | Chesty Performance Chest Mount | Check Price | When it comes to a natural viewpoint and steady shooting, chest mounts seriously outperform head mounts. | |
| Best for shooting in the dark |  | GoPro Light Mod | Check Price | With output up to 200 lumens, this little light provides a surprising amount of illumination. | |
| Best for all-day outings |  | SanDisk 128GB Memory Card | Check Price | This card is big and fast enough to pull down high-res and slow-mo footage, but buy a few and swap them so you don’t lose a whole day of shooting if you lose the camera. |
The GoPro name is short for “going pro.” As in, making a living from surfing, which was company founder Nick Woodman’s dream when he created GoPro in the early 2000s. Today, GoPro cameras continue to inspire adventurous content creators in death-defying pursuits, as well as normal people looking for a super-tough, high-quality camera. No matter what you’re shooting, the best GoPro accessories will help realize those images you have in your head.
Lights, mounts, GoPro lens filters, and other equipment let you get the most out of your camera, because they can enable you to shoot in more places, for more amount of time, and under better conditions. Here are the best GoPro accessories to help you go for it, whatever your dreams entail.
- Best for extreme athletes: Chesty Performance Chest Mount
- Best for shooting in the dark: GoPro Light Mod
- Best for rough trails: GoPro Karma Grip
- Best for underwater adventurers: PolarPro DiveMaster Filter Kit
- Best for all-day outings: SanDisk 128GB Memory Card
What to consider when shopping for GoPro accessories
You can find GoPro accessory kits with dozens of items, ranging from head mounts to tripods. And indeed all of that equipment can help you get the most out of your GoPro. But for this article, we’ve focused on the best GoPro accessories that will help you capture better content— whether that means a camera mount to get true POV footage on the slopes, or a GoPro light to brighten your shots when the sun’s going down. Here’s what to consider when shopping for the best GoPro accessories to create better content.
What’s it all a mount to?
GoPro camera mounts give your GoPro a place to rest while you’re most active. And that means you’ll be more likely to forget about the fact that you’re filming, and just let her rip. There are a variety of GoPro mounting options, including handheld tripod mounts, helmet mounts, wearable mounts, and mounts designed to go underwater. Some mounts use suction cups to affix to either your boat, car, or plane, while other mounts clamp to your bike handlebars or ski poles to capture footage that can really improve your training. Meanwhile, GoPro gimbal mounts use motion sensors to stabilize the camera, even on rocky trails.
Your GoPro will come with some mounting option in the box—for instance, the GoPro Hero7 includes curved adhesive mounts, while the GoPro Hero9 comes with mounting brackets—but buying a separate GoPro mount will give you something that’s better equipped to handle what you like to do.
Do you need to see things in a new light?
If you plan to shoot at night or underwater, you’ll need something that can change the lighting. GoPro lights attach directly to your camera and are even waterproof, giving you extra LED-supplied brightness when you’re walking under the stars or swimming beneath the surface.
Meanwhile, GoPro lens filters adjust the shade to give you the clearest picture in a variety of settings—from the bright afternoon sun to the low light of dusk.
Do you need more?
Whether filming laps on the ski hill or deep dives to shipwreck, GoPro cameras are designed to be used in places where you don’t want to stop. That means you may run out of basic camera needs like memory space and battery life more quickly than you’d like. A GoPro subscription will give you cloud storage for your files, but extra GoPro SD cards will let you keep shooting new stuff when you’re in the backcountry, or don’t want to take a break to upload your content. Meanwhile, supplemental chargers that plug in or connect to a power source via USB ensure that you always have a spare battery, so you never have to waste a day. On average, the GoPro batteries last about 90 minutes when you’re going hard and filming in HD.
The best GoPro Accessories for upping your photo game
For nature lovers and extreme-sport enthusiasts alike, GoPro accessories can equip you to take the best possible footage. Here are the best GoPro accessories for your next adventure.
Best GoPro mounts for extreme athletes: Chesty Performance Chest Mount
GoPro
Why it made the cut: When it comes to a natural viewpoint and steady shooting, chest mounts seriously outperform head mounts.
Key features:
- Stretchy, adjustable straps
- Carry bag
- Built-in mount
Pros:
- The best possible point of view for many activities
- Makes the camera feel light
- Stretchy straps fit over bulky coats or pads
- Sturdy chest pad is hard to break
Cons:
- Bulky to store when traveling
- Can get snagged if you’re moving through the woods
This adjustable padded camera mount is so flexible, it’ll stretch to fit over most ski jackets. Yet shoulder straps make it secure enough for steeps, bumps, and jumps, regardless of your means of transport. At just 5 ounces, the camera mount is lightweight and breathable.
This is the best way to get stable footage from a recognizable point of view. It easily beats helmet mounts in almost every setting.
Best GoPro accessory for shooting in the dark: GoPro Light Mod
GoPro
Why it made the cut: With output up to 200 lumens, this little light provides a surprising amount of illumination.
Key features
- Waterproof to 33 feet
- Up to 200 lumen output
- Up to six hours of battery life
Pros:
- Surprisingly bright for its size
- Rugged built
- Easy attachment to a camera or mount
Cons:
- Only compatible with most recent models
This GoPro light features four brightness settings that deliver up to 200 lumens of output, making it about as bright as the best headlamps. Take the Mod on your next shallow dive—the LED GoPro light is made of carbon fiber that’s waterproof up to 33 feet. Or take it on your next overnight climb—the rechargeable battery offers up to 6 hours of run time. A strobe feature lets you use it as a beacon, so it can be as much a part of your survival gear kit as it is one of your camera accessories. The GoPro light is compatible with the Hero9 Black or Hero10 Black, or it can be used as a standalone mount with other GoPro mounts.
Best GoPro accessory for rough trails: GoPro Karma Grip
GoPro
Why it made the cut: The built-in image stabilization can sometimes use help from an outside source. This grip can handle the seriously choppy stuff.
Key features:
- Weight: 1 pound
- Built-in camera controls
- Two-hour battery
Pros:
- Compact
- Built-in camera controls
- Excellent at smoothing footage
Cons
- Limited battery life
- Takes some getting used to
While gimbals have been around since Ancient Greece, they seem to be all the rage right now in action photography because they can create shake-free footage, even on the bumpiest of terrain. Gimbal-equipped stabilizers like the GoPro Karma Grip allow the camera to be fixed on one axis as you and the stick move around it.
The 1-pound GoPro Karma Grip is compatible with GoPro mounts, meaning you can hold it, or fix it to your GoPro backpack. Use it to stop or start recording, adjust the camera angle, or tag footage while you’re on the go. The battery tops out at two hours, but how long can you really tolerate a bumpy road anyway?
Best GoPro accessory for underwater adventurers: PolarPro DiveMaster Filter Kit
PolarPro
Why it made the cut: These high-end filters negate the weird color casts and contrast issues that pop up during submerged shooting.
Key features:
- Tool-free attachment
- Different colors for various situations
- Rugged glass resists impacts
Pros:
- Easy to attach
- Durable
- Easy to transport
Cons:
- Easy to lose
GoPro made its mark in part because it produced fish-eye cameras that function so well underwater. Filters let you maximize what you see when you’re shooting in a pair of fins, providing more vibrancy in the muddled blues and greens of the water. Use the red GoPro lens filter for blue water, magenta for green, and the snorkel filter for skimming along the surface. Made for the Hero10 Black protective housing, the GoPro lens filters attach easily without any tools.
Best SD Card for GoPro: SanDisk 128GB Memory Card
SanDisk
Why it made the cut: This card is big and fast enough to pull down high-res and slow-mo footage, but buy a few and swap them so you don’t lose a whole day of shooting if yo lose the camera.
Key features:
- Up to 1 TB space
- Class 10
- Fast enough for 4K video
Pros:
- Affordable
- Fast enough for high-res footage
- Super reputable brand
Cons:
- Still tiny and easy to lose
Reading footage at a rate of 160 megabytes per second, the GoPro SD card can support 4K HD files. And offering 128 gigabytes of storage for under $25, this is a great gift idea if you’re looking to give a GoPro accessory on a budget—or if you or the GoPro content creator you know records A LOT of material.
FAQs
Q: Do all GoPro accessories fit all GoPros?
No, not all GoPro accessories fit all GoPros. While almost all GoPro mounts work universally across the lineup, power-based accessories will not. The original GoPro models used a mini-USB charging port, while models beginning with the Hero5 switched to USB-C.
Q: What do you need to buy with a GoPro?
If you want, you can buy a standalone GoPro camera. But your best bet—especially if you’re buying your first GoPro camera—is to buy a bundle that includes GoPro accessories like a case, hand grip, clip, and spare battery. From there, shop for more customized GoPro accessories like mounts or lenses that are more tailored to your specific interests.
Q: Which GoPro accessories are good for travel?
GoPro accessories that are good for travel are accessories that will protect your equipment and ensure that you’ll get the most use out of it. There are a variety of GoPro case options that will keep your camera safe. Meanwhile, GoPro SD cards and chargers help you keep it rolling, longer.
The final word on shopping for the best GoPro accessories
GoPro cameras are unique in their ability to capture action footage at the tops of mountains and under the sea. But the best GoPro accessories are required if you’re hoping to get the most out of your camera. After all, you wouldn’t ski or bike without the necessary add-ons, so why would you want to film these activities without the best GoPro accessories?
The post The Best GoPro accessories for 2022 appeared first on Popular Photography.