If you want to shoot adventurous video, the best action camera is what you need. From budget models to the smartest flagships, we’ve tested all of the top action cameras and highlighted our favorites in the list below. Whether for surfing, skydiving or something else, our expert guide is designed to help you find the right action camera for your needs and budget.

We think the best action camera for most people right now is the GoPro Hero 11 Black. It’s the most feature-packed GoPro to date, with a new 8:7 aspect ratio that makes it easy to crop footage for social. Horizon Lock also keeps 5.3K/30p video steady and level through 360 degrees. If you’re looking to spend a lot less on an action camera, the Akaso Brave 7 LE is our top pick for buyers on a budget. With two screens and weather-sealing, it’s the best cheap action camera you can buy.

Whatever your expectations, our round-up covers all of the top action cameras. Our team of experts has put each model through its paces, to assess how it performs in the real world. We test factors such as durability and usability, to ensure every entry can deliver in the thick of the action. We also assess image quality, keeping a keen eye on how effectively image stabilization smooths out bumps in the road. We’ve summarized our findings in the list below, along with useful buying advice to help you pick which action camera is right for you. 

The quick list

If time is short, you can jump straight to the best action cameras by reading our round-up below. If you’d like to know more about a particular model, the link beneath each entry will take you to our in-depth summary.

The best action camera in 2023

Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the best action cameras in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.

The best action camera overall

GoPro’s updated flagship isn’t a huge departure from the GoPro Hero 11 Black, our previous favorite action camera. It uses the same 1/1.9in sensor to shoot high-res 5.3K video, with an 8:9 aspect ratio that’s useful for exporting footage to fit different social channels without sacrificing quality. 

Low light remains an Achilles heel, but the addition of HDR video and GP-Log support gives filmmakers the ability to capture even greater dynamic range. Together with the returning 10-bit color mode, we found the Hero 12 Black capable of producing crisp, super smooth footage in bright conditions.

Besides a speckled casing, the physical design is essentially identical. This means the Hero 12 Black works with the same accessories as many previous GoPro models. It also gains a useful 1/4in thread mount for mini tripods.

Battery life from the default Enduro battery proved mediocre in our review, but Bluetooth audio support is a welcome addition, meaning you don’t need to buy the Media Mod to upgrade the built-in audio. While these modest upgrades don’t justify switching from the Hero 11 Black, they do make the Hero 12 Black an even more polished, feature-packed yet user-friendly action camera.

Read our hands-on GoPro Hero 12 Black review

The best budget action camera

The Akaso Brave 7 LE offers an incredible range of features for its price. If a front-facing screen and weather-sealing are more important to you than outright video quality, then it should certainly be high on your shortlist. In our tests, this model's audio quality was better than any other non-GoPro we've reviewed (in quieter environments, anyway) and it has a fantastically intuitive touchscreen interface.

The only slight downer is that the video quality, while decent at 4K resolution, doesn't quite match the rest of the Brave 7 LE's features. It leans heavily on noise reduction in lower light, giving your footage a soft quality, while the electronic image stabilization is decent rather than class-leading. Still, for the price, it's undoubtedly one of the best action cams out there – and unrivaled in terms of the amount of features it packs in for the price. 

The best premium 8K action camera

A wide-angle warrior, the Insta360 Ace Pro is the first action cam to offer 8K video output. That resolution will be overkill for many, as will the 48MP stills it can produce, and the high price tag it demands. But if you want rugged 8K recording, the Ace Pro is the way to go.

Physically, our review found the Ace Pro nicely built. It’s heftier than its competitors, hitting the scales at 179.8g, which makes it feel substantial in the hand. We also rate its flip-up display, which hinges at the top to deliver a selfie experience that’s more responsive than GoPro and DJI rivals. Mounting options are plentiful, too, with a magnetic base plate for quick switching.

As you’d expect of a sensor co-engineered with Leica, image quality is superb. Our tests found results across all resolutions to be excellent, with good clarity, punchy colors and solid noise-handling in low light (aided by AI processing). Active HDR does pretty well at balancing high-onctrast lighting, while FlowState and Horizon Lock stabilization are proven performers. Professional filmmakers might wish for log capture and higher 8K frame rates, but this is still a mighty impressive action camera.

Read our hands-on Insta360 Ace Pro review

The best low-light action camera

Already a proven rival to GoPro’s Hero series, the modular Insta360 One R is now available with a sizeable 1-inch sensor. In our review, we found that this gives it low-light abilities which are brighter, cleaner and more detailed than its GoPro rivals, plus a native dynamic range that's better than any other action camera. Its raw stills are impressive, while videos are sharp and punchy, in both 5.23K/25p and 4K/60p modes. 

That said, we found also found that GoPro’s processing powers are more effective overall, with video from the Insta360 One R suffering from shimmer and fizz in detailed areas. The One R also lacks the point-and-shoot simplicity of a GoPro, with more sluggish software when it comes to exporting. 

All the same, the Insta360 One R produces some of the best stills and video you can get from an action camera. Its 1-inch sensor also handles the crop of image stabilization better than most. A flexible 5K camera with solid low-light skills, the Insta360 One R is one of the best action cams around.

Read our in-depth Insta360 One R 1-Inch Edition review

The best Hero 12 alternative

Like its predecessor, the Action 4 is designed to compete with the latest GoPro. To that end, it addresses the Action 3’s main flaw with a larger 1/1.3-inch sensor. Stills resolution is lower at 10MP, while video res remains the same at up to 4K/120p. The key difference is pixel size: from our tests, the Action 4 is better at gathering light, improving quality and faring better than the Hero 12 Black in dim conditions.

The Action 4 also benefits from DJI’s D-Log profile with 10-bit color. Based on our review, this dramatically enhances color depth and dynamic range, capturing detailed highlights and cleaner shadows. The downside of the larger sensor and wide 155-degree lens is an increased minimum focus distance, making it harder to shoot up close. Outright performance is also throttled slightly by the microSD memory.

Elsewhere, features remain mostly the same as the Action 3, already one of our favorite action cameras. It retains the same small but rugged build, removable battery and versatile magnetic mounting system that we liked so much the first time. Waterproofing is boosted to an even more impressive 18m without a case, making it a winner for watersports.

Read our in-depth DJI Osmo Action 4 review

The best 360-degree action camera

If you only want to shoot traditional action camera footage (that is, non-360 video) at the best possible quality, then the GoPro Hero 11 Black is a better choice. But if you like the sound of being able to reframe your videos after they've been shot, and are looking for great audio quality, then the Max is well worth considering.

GoPro's most expensive action camera uses two fisheye lenses to shoot spherical 5.6K video, which you can later crop into standard 2D video using OverCapture software. In our review, we found that the six-microphone setup records excellent audio, if not quite up to the level of GoPro's 'shotgun mic' claims.

Our tests revealed that it doesn't offer the best 2D video quality, due to the need to convert it from a fish-eye image, and the max 1440/60p resolution. It can't match standard rivals like the GoPro Hero 11 Black in low light situations, either. But it remains the best waterproof, 360-degree action camera around.

Read our in-depth GoPro Max review

The best modular action camera

What the Insta360 Go 3 lacks in video and stabilization quality, it makes up for in versatility. The core unit can attach magnetically to all sorts of surfaces, something we found super useful during our review. It also ships with a host of modular accessories, including a similarly magnetic Action Pod which adds a flip-out touchscreen to the setup.

That display makes the Go 3 more intuitive to use than the Go 2, especially when framing up vlogs. Even with a few connectivity glitches, we found it responsive to use as a wireless viewfinder, and less clunky than doing the same with a smartphone. We do wish the Action Pod was waterproof like the Go 3 itself, though.

There’s no escaping that the Go 3’s 2.7K resolution can’t compete with the similarly priced GoPro Hero 11 Black, but videos in testing still had decent contrast and competitive dynamic range. We also found its FreeFrame feature a lot of fun, offering the flexibility to reframe stills and video after the fact. If you want a tiny but sturdy action camera with unique magnetic functionality, there’s nothing quite like the Go 3.

Read our in-depth Insta360 Go 3 review

The best action camera for vlogging

While it's not technically an action camera, the DJI Pocket 2 is well worth considering if you're a solo traveling filmmaker or vlogger. Its built-in three-axis gimbal isn't just useful for stabilizing footage: when combined with the Pocket 2's face-tracking, we found in our review that it enables the camera to automatically follow you left and right as you walk around in front of it.

Unlike the original Osmo Pocket, the Pocket 2 has a larger 1/1.7-inch sensor that can shoot 64MP stills and 4K/60p video at 100Mbps. Your options for capturing high-quality audio are also much-improved, thanks to the inclusion of four microphones and an optional Creator Combo that includes an external wireless mic. And while the Pocket 2 isn't waterproof itself, you can buy a waterproof case that keeps it protected to depths of up to 60m.

The Pocket 2 isn't as rugged or tough out of the box as a GoPro, but in testing, we found it a simpler and more versatile vlogging option if you're happy to keep it safely tucked away between shots.

Read our in-depth DJI Pocket 2 review

The best tough action camera

Rugged enough to record any adventure, the Olympus Tough TG-6 is a premium compact in hardcore housing. Waterproof to 15m, freeze-proof to minus 10°C, crushproof to 100kg, and shockproof against drops from 2.1m: this is an action-ready camera that thrives in conditions that would kill lesser rivals

Though it’s weightier than most action cams, its durability doesn’t require any extra casing. While it felt solid in the hand in testing, we found in our review that the TG-6 still fits comfortably in a pocket. That’s partly thanks to its internally stacked 25-100mm equivalent lens, which offers useful zoom versatility without protruding from the body.

The 1/2.3-inch sensor is relatively small, but it can still capture reasonable raw stills and 4K footage at up to 30fps. We did find that overexposure is a risk in bright conditions, but colours generally prove rich, with sensor-shift stabilization doing something to combat vibrations. In its high-speed setting, the TG-6 can also shoot 1080p video at 120fps, but only for 20 seconds. 

Read our in-depth Olympus Tough TG-6 review

The best value GoPro

It's no longer top of the GoPro range, but the Hero 10 Black remains an excellent choice if you want a good value GoPro that still has the skills to capture smooth, sharp 4K footage. In testing, we found its ability to capture 4K/120p video genuinely impressive, while it's far more responsive touchscreen makes it a better choice than the GoPro Hero 9 Black.

In our review, we found it more versatile and fun to use than its predecessor. With GoPro's effective HyperSmooth stabilization available across most shooting modes, it's an ideal tool for recording 4K adventures and handheld vlogs alike. Thanks to its waterproof build, it's also more durable than your smartphone.

The newer GoPro Hero 11 Black offers greater editing flexibility, while cameras like the DJI Osmo Action 3 probably represent better value overall. But if you want a GoPro action camera for less than flagship money, we think the Hero 10 Black is a great choice.

Read our in-depth GoPro Hero 10 Black review

How to choose the best action camera for you

How we test action cameras

Action cameras are among the toughest cameras around, so we properly put them through their paces to make sure they live up to their rugged billing – and can shoot excellent video and stills, too.

We take each one through a range of real-world tests including cycling, swimming and, if possible, an experience like an adventure course. These not only give us a good idea of each model's ability to withstand the elements, but how easy they are to operate in difficult conditions.

When it comes to footage, we record in a variety of resolutions and frame-rates to help gauge each action camera's strengths, and review these clips on a calibrated monitor. We look at default color reproduction and noise levels in shadows and highlights, and look out for any common image quality issues including clipping, softness, barrel distortion and over-zealous processing.   

We go through a similar process to analyze each camera's image stabilization, which is crucial to maintaining image quality during movement, and look at the quality of any special shooting modes too, including slo-mo and timelapses.

For battery life tests, we continuously record at different resolutions and frame-rates. We note down both how long the action cams lasts and when it has to shut down due to overheating. Lastly, we evaluate how user-friendly each camera is, by testing both their touchscreen interfaces and companion apps.

Tim is the Cameras editor at TechRadar. He has enjoyed more than 15 years in the photo video industry with most of those in the world of tech journalism. During his time as Deputy Technical Editor with Amateur Photographer, as a freelancer and consequently editor at Tech Radar, Tim has developed a deeply technical knowledge and practical experience with cameras, educating others through news, reviews and features. He’s also worked in video production for Studio 44 with clients including Canon, and volunteers his spare time to consult a non-profit, diverse stories team based in Nairobi. Tim is curious, a keen creative, avid footballer and runner, and moderate flat white drinker who has lived in Kenya and believes we have much to enjoy and learn from each other.