Gear up to capture your adventure with the best motorcycle helmet cameras

Modern digital action cameras such as GoPros can be great tools for bikers, especially when used as motorcycle helmet cameras.

But there’s so many different types of action camera available, and at a dizzying range of prices, that it’s not easy to know what you should go for. There are different sizes, weights and attachment systems available which should be considered if you’re contemplating fixing to your helmet, chest or bike.

Picture quality can vary widely, too – you should always go for something with a resolution of at least 1080p, with 4K currently the gold-standard. Battery life is also an issue, and considering how most bikers ride, at least 60 minutes should be desirable while storage limits, durability, accessories, easy functionality, and quality ratings are all important, too.

So what’s out there? What can you get for your money and what’s included? Here’s our pick of some of the best-rated, most compact and portable motorcycle helmet cameras for you to consider.

The Best Motorcycle Helmet Cameras

Should I mount a motorcycle camera to my helmet?

By mounting a camera on your helmet or bike, you can not only record dramatic footage of your rides, which you might want to share on social media or simply keep for yourself, but it’s also useful both to record possible incidents, in the same way as a dash cam, and to analyse and potentially improve your riding.

Where is the best place to mount a camera to my motorcycle helmet?

There’s only so many places you can put a camera on your helmet to get a good view of your ride. It’s mostly up to preference which you go for, but many riders prefer chin mounting their cameras on full-face helmets.

Mounted on the chin, the camera is in a centred position, so it stays evenly weighted, and is less exposed to wind noise, vibrations, and other interference. It also gives you the most realistic looking point of view, and you have total control over what you want to film – if you can see it with your eyes, the camera probably caught it too.

Mounting to the forehead works almost as well on open face helmets though.

Are helmet cameras safe?

On the whole, yes. A 2021 study from BBC Safety showed that action cameras don’t negatively affect your helmet’s natural ability to absorb an impact, and in some cases can even help to diffuse more impact energy.

The main danger of helmet cameras is if they aren’t mounted properly and fall off at high speed, so always check before you ride.

How do you fit a camera to a motorcycle helmet?

Adhesive mounts are the most popular way to mount a camera to your helmet. You need to make sure you clean the area you want to mount to first, but otherwise installation isn’t too hard.

Just apply the mount with firm pressure, and wait for the adhesive to cure. The adhesive bond can weaken over time, so it’s worth checking it every once in a while to make sure it won’t fall off.

Some kits use straps to attach to a helmet, which makes them easily removable. They are more rare though, and may not fit your helmet perfectly. They can be a bit fiddly to attach, and risk not being secure enough if you’re not careful.

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About the author: After qualifying as a mechanical engineer, Jim Blackstock began working on magazines in the early 1990s. He remains passionate about product testing to ensure readers know what products offer good value and why. He relishes torrential rain to see if riding kit keeps water out and an hour or two to tinker on a project bike in his workshop.

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