Choosing the right action camera used to be simple: Go with GoPro. That’s still good advice, in that the GoPro ranks high on our list and is our top pick for most people, but we’ve finally found a few worthy competitors.
To figure out which cameras are the best, we dove with them, climbed with them, surfed with them, and handed them to reckless 10-year-olds on bikes. We found a number of great options that will record, and survive, your future adventures.
If an action cam isn’t your speed, be sure to check out our other guides, including the Best Compact Cameras, Best Mirrorless Cameras, and Best Instant Cameras.
Updated November 2022: We’ve added the GoPro Hero 11, Insta360 X3, and DJI Osmo Action cameras, and removed the GoPro Hero 9, which is no longer widely available.
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