Buying guide for best gopro accessory kits
From skydiving to high-speed snowboarding, GoPro cameras are designed to capture the action in your life, but you may need help from the right accessories. Buying a GoPro accessory kit is a great way to acquire a range of accessories for a reasonable price. Of course, you don't need to be a daredevil to make use of a GoPro camera — with the right tools, you can also capture more sedate activities, such as dog walks, family picnics, or days at the beach.
Before you buy, the first thing to decide is what kinds of accessories you need so you can choose an accessory kit that suits your lifestyle. It's also important that the accessories you choose are compatible with your GoPro model.
Because most GoPro accessory kits contain upwards of 30 items, choosing the right kit can be intimidating. Continue reading our buying guide to learn more about GoPro accessory kits and which one might be right for you.
Key considerations
Contents
What's in a GoPro accessory kit? The content varies greatly from one kit to the next — two are rarely the same. Below are some common accessories that you might find in your kit, but it's by no means an exhaustive list of all the options.
- Carrying case: Some accessory kits include carrying cases for your GoPro itself, and others include cases to hold all the accessories — you might even receive both.
- Tripod: A tripod is useful for setting your GoPro down on a surface to achieve steady footage. You can also find tripods with flexible legs that you can wrap around trees or posts to get your shot.
- Harnesses: These are used to mount your GoPro on your body to get a first-person perspective or to film hands-free. Chest and head harnesses are the most common options.
- Waterproof case: GoPro models that aren't waterproof can be sealed inside these cases to take footage underwater. They can also be helpful for keeping your GoPro dry on rainy days or when filming somewhere your camera might get wet, such as close to a waterfall.
- Suction mount: These are most commonly used on dashboards, but you can use suction mounts on any smooth surface where a tripod isn't suitable.
- Handlebar mount: These are great for anyone who wants to capture their BMXing or mountain biking escapades.
- Selfie stick: If you intend to use your GoPro for vlogging or you simply want to make some videos of yourself on vacation, a selfie stick is a must.
- Floating handle grip: This floating handle can be attached to your GoPro to help prevent mishaps when using it in or near water.
- Flat or curved mounts: These are simply simply small plastic mounts, either flat or curved, that hold the GoPro on one side and can be stuck to a surface on the other side using adhesive pads (which are usually also provided).
GoPro model compatibility
GoPro has an ever-expanding range of action cameras. As such, not all accessories are compatible with all GoPro cameras. Before you purchase an accessory kit, double-check whether the included accessories would fit the GoPro model you own.
Features
Number of accessories
GoPro accessory kits can contain anywhere from around five accessories to over 50 accessories. In fact, the majority are on the larger side, featuring 40 accessories or more. This might seem like more accessories than you could need, but often the total includes a significant number of small accessories, such as ten anti-fog inserts and five adhesive pads. You may be getting fewer accessories than you expected. Check the full list of accessories if possible to ensure that you are getting your money’s worth.
Adjustability
Check that any wearable accessories such as straps and harnesses are easy to adjust and will fit you correctly. It can be frustrating to buy a selection of harnesses only to find they're too small or too large to be of any use.
Cleaning accessories
Some GoPro accessory kits contain a number of cleaning accessories, such as microfiber cloths or lens-cleaning spray. While these are undoubtedly useful, you might not want a kit that contains cleaning accessories if you already own plenty. As such, it's important to carefully check exactly what's included in your chosen set, even if the list is long.
GoPro accessory kit prices
GoPro accessory kits are surprisingly inexpensive considering they generally contain a large number of accessories.
You can find smaller accessory kits with three to 30 accessories for around $15 to $20, whereas large accessory kits with up to 50 items cost roughly $20 to $30.
Because the price of these kits is impacted more by quantity than quality, you should worry more about the contents of the kit than its price.
Tips
- Think about what you want to do with your GoPro. This will affect the types of accessories you'll require. For instance, if you want to film a first-person view of your bike ride, you'll need a helmet mount or a handlebar mount.
- Check that your chosen accessories won't interfere with sound capture. Some protective cases can make the microphone less effective, which isn't ideal if you want your videos to have quality sound, too.
- Consider the durability of your chosen GoPro accessory kit. The cheapest accessories might not stand the test of time. Sometimes more expensive kits with a large number of items are the lowest quality when it comes to construction and durability.
- Understand that you may need to buy some GoPro accessories separately. Some high-end GoPro accessories, such as gimbals and remote controls, are unlikely to be found in an accessory kit.
Other products we considered
You can find a wide range of GoPro accessory kits on the market, each with slightly different contents. If you're looking for some more recommendations, we found a few other excellent kits that nearly made it into our top picks.
The Leknes 59-in-1 Camera Accessory Kit features a wide range of accessories, including a chest harness, head harness, wrist strap, backpack clip, suction mount, and a case to keep everything in. It's extremely affordable considering how much is included.
If you know you don’t need every possible accessory and you'd prefer a more focused kit, consider the VVHOOY 3-in-1 Universal Waterproof Action Camera Accessories Bundle Kit. It contains a selfie stick, chest harness, and head harness, plus everything you'll need to attach your GoPro to them.
FAQ
Q. What are the best accessories for using a GoPro underwater?
A. Some GoPro models are waterproof down to around 33 feet straight out of the box, but if your GoPro isn't waterproof or you want to dive deeper, you'll need a protective waterproof case. It's also a good idea to put an anti-fog insert in the case to keep it from steaming up and giving you poor-quality footage. Many accessory kits include floating mounts so your camera won't sink if you accidentally let go of it in the water. If you intend to take videos while diving, a diving light will give you better results.
Q. Will the items in my GoPro accessory kit fit other action cameras?
A. The accessories in some GoPro accessory kits will fit other action cameras, not just GoPros. If you have an alternative brand of action camera, always double check whether your chosen accessories will fit it.
Q. Do I really need all these accessories for my GoPro?
A. Some GoPro accessory kits include 50 accessories or more, so you might be wondering whether or not you really need all these accessories. Of course, only you can answer this question because it depends on what you're going to use your camera for. However, extra-large GoPro accessory kits are often only $5 to $10 more than smaller kits with half the number of items, so it makes sense to buy a larger kit just in case you need the additional accessories in future.
