Best Motorcycle Helmet Camera 2021 – Reviews and Buyers Guide

Are you one of those bikers who are eager to capture all their fun movements and adventures and the scenic beauty around them?

If yes, then a motorcycle helmet camera is a must-have accessory for you.

If you are addicted to instant photography and video filming, get ready to experience the thrilling magic of helmet cams that don’t let you miss any moment of your biking adventures.

Helmet cams are available in a wide variety in the market. They come in scores of models and styles and present many features, making the selection of one quite a task.

However, no need to be worried about it, as we are here to help you out.

Let’s have a tour of some of the best helmet cams and reviews of their features. However, you will have to wait a little; I will first provide you with a buying guide before we actually dive into the product reviews. This guide will serve as a general outline on what you should look for in a quality helmet cam.

Top 10 Motorcycle Helmet Cameras

We have picked out the top 10 motorcycle helmet cameras in the market so that you can pick the best camera that suits your needs.

YI 4K Action and Sports Camera – Best Motorcycle Helmet Camera 2021

This well-constructed camera is equipped with high-end features and provides reliability, ease of operation and versatility.

The manufacturers have incorporated the world’s top-notch technologies (i.e., the A9SE75 chip, Sony IMX377 sensor and 7 layers of high-quality glass lenses) in this sleek camera.

These innovative technologies facilitate it in capturing high-resolution images with low power consumption.

The camera generates ultra-clear and detailed 4K videos at 30 fps. The images are vibrant, and the camera performs excellently even in low light.

Battery life is quite reasonable. The camera is equipped with a lithium-ion battery, which is removable and rechargeable.

This large 1400 mAh battery manages to record 4K/30 fps videos for up to 120 minutes on a single charge.

The touchscreen is made with Gorilla Glass, which is quite durable. This 2.2” LCD provides a 640×360 resolution.

For social media enthusiasts, this product offers some valuable benefits. The camera is supported by built-in Bluetooth and super-fast 5 GHz/2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connectivity for instant sharing through the YI Action app.

The app allows you to edit and livestream videos and images on social media. Now, you can satisfy the urge to show all your adventures to your friends, regardless of their location.

This camera can also control the heat and protect itself from overheating by instantly releasing all the excess heat generated while shooting at a high resolution.

Victure AC700 – Best Helmet-Mounted Action Camera

The open road can be dangerous and unpredictable. While your initial goal when mounting your bike is to get to your destination without incident, if something goes wrong, this little gadget could save you from a mountain of legal issues whether or not you’re at fault.

The Victure AC700 delivers exceptional performance at every turn. This compact helmet camera photographs at an impressive 20MP to capture every moment while you’re out riding. The one feature we’re crazy about is the external microphone it comes with. It allows you to capture the sights and sounds of the environment around you in HD when you’re out on your motorcycle. Mute footage just won’t cut it.

The AC700 also comes with electronic image stabilization technology to ensure that any bumps, shakes, or tilting of the camera don’t translate to the footage. The camera maintains a surprising amount of stability even in the roughest of riding conditions. We were pretty impressed by the results, to say the least.

Conclusion

Campark ACT74 Action Camera – Best Cheap Motorcycle Helmet Camera

This camera is a solid performer in terms of video quality, stills, multiple functionalities and useful accessories.

All these features are available at quite an affordable price, making it a desirable item in the market. It has a lot of value to offer for the money.

The camera provides sheer ease. It is so tiny that it can easily fit in the palm of your hand, making it an extremely portable camera.

In addition to this, the settings can also be easily changed through the 2” HD screen that offers a menu that is easy to understand and navigate.

It offers an extra wide lens, which is truly a fisheye lens that lets you capture a panoramic view with every minute detail.

One important feature that makes it stand out is that the users can adjust field of view angles and select among multiple angles.

Its UHD 4K video recording capability can capture 4K/30 fps, 2.7K/30 fps, 1080p/30 fps, and 1080p/60 fps with a lifelike quality close to professional videos. It has long battery life up to 180 minutes.

You also get multi-functional accessories that enable the camera to be mounted on a bike, bicycle, chest, wrist, etc.

It also comes with a Wi-Fi remote control, which allows you to control the camera through your smartphone in real time.

You can also share videos and photos instantly on social media platforms. It is compatible with both iOS and Android.

Last but not the least, the camera is waterproof up to 98 feet (30 m). This feature has made it immensely popular among water sports lovers as well as bikers who love to face tough weathers.

AKASO EK7000 4K Sports Action Camera – Highly Affordable Motorcycle Helmet Cam

This camera is great for professionals. It offers top-of-the-line features yet is highly affordable.

With incredible photos, professional video quality, waterproof casing and great connectivity, the camera compares well with pricier models.

Let’s check out what this multi-functional action camera has to offer.

The AKASO EK7000 can capture up to 12 MP photos with 4608×2592 resolution and astonishing clarity.

Its UHD 4K videos capture clear and lifelike videos on account of its high resolution and high frame rates of 4K and 25 fps or 2.7K and 30 fps.

You can also easily share your videos and images with friends and family via Twitter, Facebook, email and other platforms thanks to the built-in Wi-Fi allowing users to connect to your devices (such as laptop, tablet and smartphone).

Furthermore, with the Wi-Fi, you can control the camera from a distance of 15 meters.

You also get a 2.4 GHz wireless remote and a Velcro wrist strap that enables you to tie it around your wrist. Equipped with two buttons, the remote is quite easy to operate. One button is for starting and stopping videos, while the other is for taking photos.

It comes with two 1050 mAh lithium-ion batteries and a dual dock charger. With each battery, you can record for up to 90 minutes. You can also record in wet weather as the camera is waterproof.

Crosstour Action Camera – Best for Wide Angle Capture

The Crosstour Action camera is undoubtedly one of the best wide-angle capture motorcycle helmet cameras we’ve encountered so far. It offers a much wider field of vision thanks to its 170-degree wide-angle lens.

We also like just how versatile it is. When you’re not using it for your biking excursions, it doubles up as a webcam allowing you to repurpose it for a wide range of online activities. Whether you want to chat with your family over Skype or Zoom or simply want to use it for your online meetings, the Crosstour can do it all.

We especially like the fact that you can connect it to the BH10 DV app in your Android or iOS device through Wi-Fi and conveniently record videos, as well as capture, view, download, and delete media files.

When you’re not using it for riding, you can take it with you the next time you go scuba diving to capture the breathtaking views of the vibrant marine life that exists beneath the water surface. You can also take it with you when you go swimming or surfing. It is 100% waterproof up to 98 feet deep.

APEMAN A87 Action Camera – Best Lightweight Motorcycle Helmet Camera

As a general rule of thumb, a motorcycle helmet camera needs to be so compact and lightweight that you shouldn’t feel like you have anything mounted on your head. The APEMAN A87 fits the bill as far as lightweight camera units are concerned.

This model supports 4K/60fps frames to capture footage faster without any risk of blurring whatsoever. You can even use it to take high-definition photos and take advantage of its powerful 8x zoom feature for up-close still images.

The A87 camera works in two principal modes: automatic or professional. Some of the available preset modes in automatic capture include time-lapse, slow motion, continuous loop, and lots more. If you already have a bit of background in photography, you can customize the device’s settings while using it in professional mode. It all depends on the scene you want to capture.

If you intend to use the camera only for recording footage while you’re out riding, set it to any one of the automatic presets and hit the record button. It’s fairly easy to use.

GoPro Hero 7 – Best Waterproof  Helmet Camera with Touch Screen

Its high-end features make this camera stand out among its competitors. Described as a “camera for the social age,” the product offers Super Photo and brilliant live streaming, which make it a robust choice. The Hero 7 is a vast improvement over the previous versions.

HERO7  shoots stunning 4K at 60 frames per second video and 12 mega pixel photos that are very crisp.

The best part is Hero 7 will stun you with super slow motion video 1080p at 240fps , you can slow down by up to 8x to reproduce funny, interesting or epic moments in all their glory.

It comes with HyperSmooth Video Stabilization, and the performance proves the name right. Enabled by the capabilities of GoPro’s GP1 processor, its electronic image stabilization helps the camera preempt the rider’s swings and diversions and keeps the images and videos safe from jerks and bumps.

Yet another update which is worth mentioning is live streaming. The system now enables users to share videos live on Facebook, which is a huge deal.

The interface has also been made much simpler than the Hero 6. The little help bubbles on the screen tell the user everything they need to know, thus eliminating the need of a paper manual.

Another great feature is TimeWarp. It stabilizes time-lapse videos and creates buttery smooth results. It is now able to generate time-lapses that show mundane parts of an adventurous trip in bursts. You can increase the speed by up to 30 times for sharing your longer activities.

Now, let’s come to Super Photo. This feature uses a whole new method of layering/processing photos. Unlike previous versions where details were smoothened out in processing, the Hero 7 optimizes your shots automatically and provides sharper images with precise detailing and superb clarity.

GoPro HD Helmet Hero – Best GoPro for Motorcycle Helmet

This high-performance camera by GoPro, the leading camera manufacturer in the world, is one of the most popular helmet cameras right now.

It has gained this acclaim on account of its superb build quality, high-tech specs and crisp image and video quality.

It allows you to record videos in three different resolutions of 1080p, 960p and 720p. The three filming modes enable users to capture the most suitable angle.

The 60 fps option in 720p generates a highly smooth playback in slow motion.

The manufacturers have also made a hefty investment in improving the sound quality.

They have been successful in creating a super-clear sound without any unwanted noise.

The audio engineering ensures that the howl of the wind will not creep in your videos.

You also get a wide-angle lens. The distinctive fish-ye camera comes with the widest angle of 170 degrees that gives spectacular coverage, showing more of the scene being filmed.

The camera is also equipped with semi-indestructible polycarbonate housing, which protects it from unforeseen tumbles or cracks. It is also waterproof up to 8 feet.

YI 4K Plus Action and Sports Camera – Helmet Cam with Live Stream, Voice Control and Raw Image

This is one of the best action cameras today and the first to offer 4K/60 fps, which is twice the frame rate of its competitors.

It is a noteworthy upgrade from the YI 4K and uses the newest Ambarella H2 SoC.

Its main selling point is consuming extremely low power yet delivering high-quality 4K videos.

The system is strengthened by electronic image stabilization, which helps you forget about bumps and knocks.

No matter how unsteady the bike is, EIS will keep your footage stable and clear.

The unit is also incredibly lightweight (weighs only 93 grams), so you won’t even feel whether it’s mounted.

It is also very easy to use thanks to its simplified user interface and high-speed processor.

You can change settings or switch shooting modes with great ease.

There are also many advanced image quality settings which are meant for professionals, but even using them is as simple as using a smartphone.

The 2.2” touchscreen, coated in Gorilla Glass, provides a fast control, preview and playback experience.

There are plenty of high-end-features packed in this action camera that add tons of value.

From livestreaming to voice control and built-in Bluetooth/Wi-Fi to RAW image capture, there are many features that make the YI 4K+ excel among all its competitors.

Sena Prism Tube 4.0 Action Camera PT10-01 – Best Helmet Camera with Mic

This compact and lightweight camera (weighing only 75 grams) is a complete package.

It captures outstanding videos at 1080p/30 fps. It just takes a single touch of a button to start capturing HD videos or pictures.

Mounting it is also an easy task, so it can be mounted and removed from any type of helmet very quickly and easily.

Furthermore, the videos produced by this low-profile camera is crystal-clear and nicely exposed. The colors are also vibrant and well-balanced.

It provides a 125-degree field of view. While that is not as wide as some other options on this list, it is not too narrow either and will be sure to capture what matters.

Don’t worry if it does not cover the entire scene, as it will ensure not to miss any important detail.

The camera can also rotate up to 360 degrees to provide wider angles for shooting videos.

Surprisingly, it comes with a microphone as well as a speaker, which let the user record background sounds and do live voiceovers.

To make the voice recording clearer, the camera is equipped with a noise reduction mechanism that eliminates all ambient noise interference.

Buyers Guide –  Things to Know Before Buying Motorcycle Helmet Camera

Whenever you buy a product, you look for certain aspects which you cannot afford to miss. The same goes for a helmet camera. Before heading to the market, you need to determine the features you can’t live without and the features you want but can compromise on.

Comparing different helmet cameras is a difficult task because they involve a lot of parameters. One has to weigh many factors, starting from design and durability to technology and connectivity. Furthermore, when it comes to price, the range is too vast. From very low-cost cameras to very expensive items, a great variety is available, which is why you need to make a prudent cost-benefit analysis of the cameras available in the market.

The purpose of getting the product also plays a critical role in selecting the appropriate product. If you are a novice just desiring to gain some knowhow of how a helmet camera functions and its basics, I will recommend you go for an inexpensive item with a moderate resolution that you can experiment with. For professional requirements, however, one needs a product with high-end features. The more you dive into the nitty-gritty, the more it will impact your pocket.

Resolution and Frame Rate

The quality of footage is determined by the resolution and frame rate of the helmet camera. These features are the most important in any camera as a camera should be all about providing crisp images and quality videos. As a general rule, the higher the resolution, the better and more detailed the footage.

Presently, 4K is the highest resolution available in action cameras and is considered as ultra-high definition (UHD). 4K cameras are pricier but provide amazing clarity in videos. 1080p and 720p are also high-definition resolutions, though not as clear as 4K. 1080p is now the standard and is sufficient enough to cater to most camera users.

When it comes to frame rates, you should know that higher frame rates provide smoother videos and are good for slow motion, but such videos consume more storage space. The standard frame rate is 30 fps, which produces a smooth result yet doesn’t take up a lot of space.

One fact which must be kept in mind is that in low-light conditions, higher frame rates perform much slower. Hence, if you are thinking of capturing many nighttime adventures, you should choose accordingly.

Performance

At the end of the day, quality matters the most. No matter how budget-conscious you are, you will never want to compromise on quality because everybody needs value for their money. When we talk of quality, we mean the overall performance of the camera, which includes high-definition image, wide-angle footage, crisp videos, compatibility with high speed and jerks, multiple functionalities and better fps (frames per second).

Coming to resolution, 4K (UHD) is now standard, but models with this feature are a bit pricier. You can still find some very good options in HD which provide quality results and are affordable.

The other aspect related to the performance of a helmet-mounted camera is its versatility. The camera should satisfy all your outdoor filming needs. It should perform well during even the roughest adventures. You will find models that work fine in rain as well as in extremely rough terrains. There are cameras that have variable resistance capacities, so the type of resistance you need will depend on what kind of adventures you usually indulge in.

Furthermore, there are certain models that come with a rotating capability, thus providing more versatility to users.

Construction

The build quality of the helmet camera is a very important factor when making a final decision to purchase. Since the biker might have to shoot videos and take photos in the roughest terrains and in tough weather, the camera must be sturdy enough to withstand the harsh conditions.

The shape and size also matter because these cameras need to be mounted on helmets. You should be looking for something compact and portable. The camera should be able to be easily fastened to the helmet without exerting undue pressure on your head or neck. It must also remain in place while you are riding at a high speed or passing through a rough terrain where jerks and bumps are likely to shake the bike.

Thus, a prudent buyer must check a camera for its robustness and durability.

Field of View (FOV)

Field of view refers to the total viewable area captured through the lens at a specific point of time. Just because your camera is compact and is mounted on a helmet does not mean that it should be devoid of an immersive recording experience that is possible if it has a fisheye lens.

A fisheye lens usually has wide angles. There are three different fields of view: wide (160-170 degrees), medium (140 degrees) and narrow (about 90 degrees). For instance, if your camera has a 170-degree angle, it will enable you to shoot almost anything in your surroundings. There are certain helmet cameras that allow you to customize your field of view. These high-end action cameras use very complicated algorithms for setting different viewing angles.

Most mountain biking and sky diving enthusiasts are great fans of a wide FOV. Though a wide FOV creates an immersive video, there is a drawback associated with it; it has a distortion (called fisheye effect), which slightly bends the image around the corner.

Image Stabilization

Since a motorcycle helmet camera is often used to capture extremely tough sports or thrilling adventures on the bike, you are likely to face uneven terrains. These terrains often result in bumps and jerks and as a result, the videos captured can be shaky. Hence, it is imperative for all bikers to consider having image stabilization in the camera they intend to purchase.

Many cameras come with built-in gyroscopes and accelerometers, which provide optimum image and video stabilization. Modern technology has enabled cameras to have EIS (electronic image stabilization) that takes care of all jerky movements and provide a buttery smooth video. Blurring is eliminated by this anti-shaking video stabilization feature, so be sure it is included in the camera you buy.

Battery Life

Battery life is very important to consider for all action camera users. It can be quite annoying if your battery runs out of juice while you are in the middle of shooting some amazing moments. There are models with battery life as low as 30 minutes, making them a nuisance that has to be recharged every now and then.

Always make sure that batteries are removable and chargeable. The batteries are quite often made of lithium-ion, which can cause problems in extreme cold or hot weathers, so it is advisable to have a model which comes with spare batteries. This ensures that your video filming and photo capturing task may continue without disruption.

I will suggest that you do some research about battery life and quality through customer reviews, who will reveal first-hand information on the subject.

Storage Capacity

This is also a very important factor to consider. It can be quite frustrating to receive a warning about a full memory, especially when you are on a ride. Most cameras don’t have too much built-in memory, which cannot cope with the requirements of long rides, especially if the biker is camping or on a vacation. You must check if the camera offers an external SD card slot, which can help you increase storage space to meet your needs.

You also need to consider what kind of SD card you are getting for optimum performance. We recommend a class 10 SD card be purchased for quickly saving videos. As a general rule, the higher the class of a card, the faster it saves the data.

Mounting System

A good helmet camera needs to be mounted on the helmet in such a way that it stays there. Certain cameras can be mounted almost anywhere on a bike like the handlebar, clamp, seat or even the rider’s chest.

You should also check what kind of accessories you are getting with the camera to help with mounting. A universal mounting system allows the camera to be mounted at any location.

Connectivity

This is a major area of concern, especially for young motorcyclists who can’t live without being hooked to the global network. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options can be vital for some. They provide you two great benefits: you can control your camera from a distance through your smartphone and the files can be accessed remotely so that you can manage them, share with others or have a live transmission on social media platforms.

Bluetooth connectivity also increases the opportunity to use your camera with all Bluetooth-enabled devices like laptops, tablets and smartphones.

GPS

GPS automatically geo-tags your videos and photos to help you keep track of locations after you come back from a ride. This can be desirable for those who travel a lot and want to easily keep track of the location.

Wrap-Up

The trend of using motorcycle helmet cameras is increasing as more and more bikers want to capture the scenic beauty they witness or the interesting events and moments they come across during a ride. Another important reason for the rise in the use of a helmet camera is the need to document accidents, which can provide safety from subsequent blames.

The market is filled with a variety of motorcycle helmet cameras with many different features. Some are at the lower end of the price spectrum, while others are quite expensive. From simple video-only options to highly professional models with innovative technologies, there is a model available for every type of user.

The prospective buyer must do some research and go through reviews to select the right product for themselves. We have tried to make the task easier for you and hopefully, you would have found your ideal choice by now!