The 6 Best Action Cameras

If you're planning on shooting action videos, a dedicated action camera can be an invaluable piece of equipment. These tiny, rugged, and often water-resistant models are designed to mount to a wide variety of equipment, from chest and helmet rigs to sports cars and watercraft. A high-quality action camera offers superior stabilization performance, a wide range of frame rates to record everything from simple slice-of-life videos to smooth slow-motion clips, and is rugged enough to keep up with your adventures, wherever they may take you.

We've bought and tested over 75 cameras, and below, you'll find our recommendations for which action camera to buy, depending on your needs and budget. Here, you'll mostly find portable action cameras designed specifically for POV footage from within the action. But if you're looking for a camera to shoot sports and fast action from afar, look at our recommendations for the best sport video cameras. You can also check out our picks for the best GoPro alternatives for more action cam options or the best cameras for YouTube if you want a camera more suited to vlogging or content creation.