The best GoPro accessories for 2023

When it comes to shooting action, the camera is important, but GoPro accessories can make a huge difference in the excitement level of your footage. 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 accessories for GoPro will help realize those images you have in your head.

Lights, mounts, GoPro lens filters, and other GoPro 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

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 for extreme athletes: Chesty Performance Chest Mount

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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 for shooting in the dark: GoPro Light Mod

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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 for rough trails: GoPro Karma Grip

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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 for underwater adventurers: PolarPro DiveMaster Filter Kit

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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. These should be part of your GoPro accessory kit if you’re doing any underwater shooting.

Best SD Card for GoPro: SanDisk 128GB Memory Card 

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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.  If you’re looking for more storage options, check out our list of the best SD cards for GoPros.

Best tripod: Joby GorillaPod Action

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Why it made the cut: This flexible tripod can grab onto just about any object, which makes it super versatile, even for carrying. 

Key features:

• Three flexible legs
• Standard tripod socket
• Rubberized coating
• 0.42 pounds

Pros:

• Includes GoPro mount in the box
• Extremely versatile
• Sturdy legs
• Heavy enough to also support larger cameras

Cons:

• Could be taller

Joby’s flexible GorillaPods have articulating legs that wrap around just about any object and hold a camera steady in practically any position. This model is aimed specifically at action cameras users. It comes with a GoPro mount in the box. If you want to switch over to a larger camera, it uses a standard tripod screw for attachment. 

The integrated ball head offers tons of positioning options. It can rotate and tilt until you get the perfect point of view. Despite its versatility, the whole package only weighs 0.42 pounds, so it’s easy to chuck in a pack and take out into the world. 

Best helmet mount: Sametop Adhesive Helmet Mounts

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Why it made the cut: These simple mounts peel off easily and provide a solid connection to the helmet.

Key features:

• Curved and flat versions to fit various surfaces
• Pack includes six
• 3M adhesive

Pros:

• Choice between flat and curved mounts fits easily to any helmet
• Won’t leave residue when removed
• Cheap

Cons:

• Packs include flat and curved so you might not use them all

These adhesive pads mimic those that come with the GoPro in the first place. Each pack of six includes three flat-bottomed mounts and three curved-bottom mounts. The flat ones stick to pretty much anything, while the curved mounts are specifically designed to fit onto the top or side of a helmet. They rely on 3M adhesive to stay in place, so they won’t budge, even if they hit an errant tree branch. Once you do remove them, they won’t leave a residue on your helmet. There are more elaborate ways to mount a GoPro to a helmet, but sometimes simpler is better.

Best backpack mount: Stuntman Pack Mount

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Why it made the cut: This burly backpack mount won’t come loose or flop around on your hiking or running adventures. 

Key features:

• Velcro straps
• Fits backpack straps up to 2.5 inches wide
• Rotating mount

Pros:

• Attaches firmly with a pair of straps in case one comes loose
• Offers lots of camera angle possibilities
• Sturdy back provides a solid base
• Elevated camera position provides a unique perspective

Cons:

• Bulky

If you want to document a hike or another activity that won’t allow you to wear the camera on your chest, then a backpack mount may be what you’re looking for. This device clamps around a backpack’s shoulder strap. It can accommodate straps up to 2.5 inches wide. Once the mount is in place, a pair of burly Velcro straps wrap around to keep everything secure. 

The camera mount itself rotates up and down so you can tweak the exact position of the camera. In its highest position, the camera sits slightly above where other backpack straps tend to hold it, which makes for a more eye-level experience in the video.

Best for scuba: GoPro Handler

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Why it made the cut: This floating grip will drag your GoPro camera to the top of the water if you drop it when out swimming, diving, or boating. 

Key features:

• 7.5 inches long
• 5.9 ounce weight
• Quick release mount

Pros:

• Floating feature helps keep cameras off the bottom of the sea
• Non-slip grip is easy to hold onto, even when wet
• Small and light 
• Lanyard keeps it attached to your body if you drop it

Cons:

• Wish the whole thing was orange for even more visibility

GoPros survive just fine in the water, but they’re not very useful if you can’t find them. This simple grip has a quick release mount on the top and a lanyard on the bottom. Attach the camera and wrap the lanyard around your wrist and you’re ready to go diving without worrying about losing an expensive camera. The whole handle floats, even with a camera attached, so dropping a GoPro in the water won’t result in hours spent searching around on the bottom with the shells and people’s lost AirPods. 

Best for travel: Surewo Surface waterproof case

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Why it made the cut: This waterproof case provides protection for the camera as well as a secure place for all its accessories.

Key features:

• Enough storage for one camera, three batteries, a grip, and mounts
• Water resistant PF construction
• Zipper closure
• Weighs 11.7 ounces

Pros:

• Sturdy construction
• Pre-cut foam insert
• Holds a useful amount without extra bulk
• Compact

Cons:

• It’s only water-resistant, not waterproof

GoPros are tough, but keeping them clanging around in a bag can cause a lot of unnecessary wear and tear. This padded case contains a pre-cut foam insert with slots for a camera, three batteries, a grip, and some mounts. Not only does it protect all of those pieces, but it keeps them nicely organized, which can be a real boon when you’re out shooting. The case weighs in at less than a pound and will keep moisture out, even in damp conditions.

What to consider when shopping for the best 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 accessories, 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. These GoPro attachments grip 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. 

FAQs

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. If you don’t already own one, check out our list of the best GoPros overall. But no matter which camera you buy, 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?