Our favourite rugged action cams

The GoPro Hero 12 Black is our pick for best action camera, beating tough competition from brands like DJI and Insta360. This isn’t the newest GoPro (we have yet to share our thoughts on the recently announced GoPro Hero 13 Black), but it is the best we’ve tested and a fantastic all-rounder for any adventure. 

The Hero 12 Black will no doubt look familiar to any GoPro user with its small, boxy shape and lightweight, rugged build. It’s waterproof up to 10m or 60m with GoPro’s Protective Housing case, being beat out by the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro’s 20m figure out of the box. The Hero 12 Black also includes two bright and sharp displays, though the front screen has no touch support – this is another thing we’d like to see GoPro adopt from the Osmo Action 5 Pro. 

Where the Hero 12 Black wins is image quality. The combination of GoPro’s own GP2 processor and a 1/1.9-inch CMOS sensor enables 5.3K/60p video and 27-megapixel stills. We found the video quality to be vibrant and detailed when shooting in good lighting, though the camera isn’t quite as adept when faced with low light. For this, we’d recommend the Insta360 Ace Pro 2. 

There are also plenty of new and familiar features squeezed into the Hero 12 Black. These include up to 8x slo-mo capture, HyperSmooth stabilisation with AutoBoost and Horizon Lock and support for wireless headphones such as Apple AirPods. There’s also Scheduled Capture, Hindsight and Timecode Sync support, along with an array of creative Night Effects. 

The Hero 12 Black has also received a battery boost compared to its predecessor, doubling the recording time when shooting 5.3K/60p video. 

Reviewer: Hannah Davies

Full Review: GoPro Hero 12 Black

The Insta360 X4 is a versatile action camera that makes it possible to capture 360º video and drone-like shots in 8K. 

The main draw of the X4 is 360º video. The action cam is capable of recording 8K/30p (4K reframed after editing) for more detail, or 5.7K/60p to prioritise a high frame rate and smooth results. There’s also a more standard GoPro-style single-lens mode but, unlike the GoPro Hero 12 Black which extends to 120p, this is limited to 60p. 

When it comes to features, FlowState electronic image stabilisation is superb at crafting smooth and jerk-free results, while HorizonLock ensures that videos stay level even when turned 360º. The Insta360 X series is known for its auto-stitching and selfie stick removal which remain excellent on the X4, though you can occasionally spot the seams if you look out for them. 

The design will no doubt feel familiar to Insta360 X3 users with its pocket-sized, stick shape and dual lenses bulging out of either side. The camera is waterproof up to 10m without a dive case or 50m with one and can be operated in temperatures down to -20ºC. 

On the one side, there are physical controls, including a shutter button and another button to cycle through shooting modes. Above them sits a 2.5-inch Gorilla Glass touchscreen, while the side of the camera includes a power button and a customisation Q button for flicking through presets. 

The UI is streamlined, making swiping through the settings and actions a breeze, or you can use the mobile app to access the same options remotely. The app also allows you to edit and share content on a larger screen. 

The camera’s new 5nm chip is capable of analysing and reframing videos automatically using AI, quickly creating videos that we found to be either fantastic or odd. It’s an interesting feature to play around with, but not one we would necessarily rely on. 

Finally, the battery life has been given a huge 66% boost compared to the X3, with the X4 now offering up to 135 minutes of recording time at 5.7K/30p. 

Reviewer: Sam Kieldsen

Full Review: Insta360 X4

The Insta360 One RS 1-inch 360 Edition is the best action camera for 360 filming, combining 6K resolution and near-flawless stabilisation. 

The action camera looks more like the Insta360 X3 than the One RS that came before it. Gone is the red battery pack and the horizontal design, and the buttons can now be found on the side of the camera. The 1.5-inch screen is quite small compared to that of competitors, such as the GoPro Hero 11 Black. 

The battery also has a larger capacity than the vertical one found in the Insta360 One R, meaning it annoyingly isn’t compatible with the newer camera despite the two batteries being the same size. The camera can also get quite hot, which is something to consider during longer filming sessions, such as when capturing time-lapses. 

The Insta360 One RS 360 Edition is capable of recording up to 6K footage, putting the camera in line with the GoPro Max when it comes to video quality. We found footage captured with this camera to be vibrant with greens that pop and plenty of bright blues. 

The mic boasts excellent quality too, with voices picked up clearly even on windy days. There’s also a separate mic adapter available for those looking to attach a more professional set-up. 

The Insta360 app and Insta360 Studio make editing footage less daunting, even for newbies, with features like Snap mode making it easy to change the angle and zoom level during playback. This allows you to set a route for the viewers’ perspective or choose a specific subject for the video to follow. 

Image stabilisation is also next-level, improving upon the FlowState stabilisation found on the One RS.

If you can stomach the high price of the Insta One RS 1-inch 360 Edition, you’ll struggle to find a better 360 action camera. 

Reviewer: Thomas Deehan
Full Review: Insta360 One RS 360 Edition

The DJI Osmo Action 3 is an excellent choice for underwater filming and a great action camera in its own right, bested only by the GoPro Hero 11 Black. 

DJI has switched out the modular design it debuted on the Action 2 in favour of a more standard GoPro-esque action camera template. However, DJI hasn’t completely ditched the old design, keeping the magnetic clamp and using it to create a fantastic quick-release system for attaching the camera to first and third-party mounts. 

This means you can unclip the camera from mounts instead of unscrewing it as you might with a GoPro, making it much faster to change. There’s even a second mag-lock mounting point on the side of the protective case for easy filming in portrait orientations for TikTok or Instagram Reels. 

Even without the case, the Osmo Action 3 is capable of surviving drops of up to 1.5m and water as deep as 16m. This depth extends to 60m when used with the optional waterproof case. You can also replace the lens so if it does get damaged, there’s no need to replace the entire camera. 

Both the 1.4-inch front and the 2.25-inch rear screens are touch-capable, which puts DJI one step ahead of GoPro when comparing the two front displays. Physical buttons are limited to one large shutter button and a power/quick select button for cycling through modes which we found lacked a bit of travel. 

When it comes to video quality, the Osmo Action 3 is capable of capturing 4K video at 120fps, meaning there’s no 5.3K option like the one found on the GoPro Hero 11 Black. However, the FOV is wider at 155-degrees. 

We found footage to be sharp, detailed and well-exposed during the day, though the quality did fall off in trickier lighting conditions, with images and videos suffering in low-light environments. 

Image stabilisation is extremely impressive, but both the stabilisation and horizon levelling features do come with a crop. Likewise, 360-degree horizon levelling is also only supported when recording at 2.7K or lower, which is a pretty dramatic difference next to the GoPro Hero 11 Black’s 5.3K 360-degree horizon levelling support. 

Despite these caveats, the DJI Osmo Action 3 remains a rugged and very affordable action camera. 

Reviewer: Sam Kieldsen
Full Review: DJI Osmo Action 3

The Insta360 Go 3S is the smallest, most lightweight action camera on this list, at just 1 x 2.1 x 1 inches and 39.1g without its Action Pod. 

The action camera has a unique design compared to competitors from GoPro and DJI, with the camera itself being tiny and discreet with no screen until attached to the more standard-sized Action Pod with a flip-up display comparable to that on the Ace Pro 2. 

The Go 3S looks a lot like the Go 3 that came before it. However, there are some major upgrades to take note of. Firstly, the waterproofing has doubled from 16ft to 33ft, putting the Go 3S in line with the GoPro Hero 12 and GoPro Hero 13 Black in terms of water resistance, though the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro still takes the cake in this area. 

Insta360 has also upgraded the Go 3S with a 4K resolution, finally pushing beyond the 2.7K video available on the Go 3. We found that the camera performed best in the day, delivering rich colours even on overcast days, though lowlight video could be better. There’s also a new Megaview option for those who dislike the fisheye distortion created by the ultrawide mode. 

The Go 3S also includes some iOS-exclusive features, including support for Apple’s Find My tracking feature and automatic notifications that take you straight to the editing suite when the phone receives new footage. Thankfully both iOS and Android users can make use of the Quick File Transfer button, which allows you to transfer videos to the mobile app with a tap. 

Reviewer: Thomas Deehan

Full Review: Insta360 Go 3S

You may have noticed a trend with many of the cameras on this list in that they often fall short when shooting in low-light settings. This is generally inevitable due to the tiny sensors required to fit inside their smaller bodies. However, that doesn’t mean some cameras don’t put up a better fight than others. 

The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 is the best action camera we’ve tested for low-light shooting thanks to its PureVideo mode. While the 1/1.3-inch sensor does still produce a large amount of noise and some distracting artefacts when inspected up close, it does manage to deliver decently watchable footage in tricky conditions. 

Another standout feature of the Ace Pro 2 is 8K/30p video recording. However, while nice to have, it’s more of a bonus feature than anything else. Few people have devices that would allow them to enjoy 8K content and recording in 8K reduces the field of view, limits image stabilisation and lowers the framerate. It also means you can’t use Active HDR or the I-log colour profile. For this reason, we much preferred shooting in 4K which offered excellent performance with all of the above features supported and more. 

The camera itself is small, rugged and waterproof up to 12m, putting it a step ahead of the GoPro Hero 12 and GoPro Hero 13 Black, but still behind the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro in this respect. The Ace Pro 2 also includes a unique flip-up monitor also found on Insta360’s Go 3S. This allows for a more spacious touchscreen when shooting vlogs and selfies compared to the static front screens on rivalling action cameras, though it can take a bit longer to move between them. 

Finally, the battery offers around 140 minutes of 4K/30p shooting in the camera’s new Endurance Mode. There’s also good quality electronic image stabilisation via Insta360’s FlowState feature, with Standard and High levels available, with the latter ideal for sports and faster-paced activities. 

Reviewer: Sam Kieldsen 

Full Review: Insta360 Ace Pro 2