Ski Tips

6 Best Helmet Cameras for Skiing this Winter

We all love kicking off our ski boots at the end of the day and laughing with friends and family about the day’s fun and games on the slopes.

It’s even better if you’ve got camera footage of the day’s bold claims and hilarious wipeouts on your skiing head cam.

Recording your daily skiing adventures using a helmet camera is an awesome addition to your ski trip.

Plus, once the ski trip is over you can make an edit and relive it all time and time again.

With the best helmet cameras for skiing (and even a portable drone) you can even start producing videos like this:

If you’re in a hurry here’s our top 3 action head cameras for skiing:


6 Best Action Camera for Ski Helmet

GoPro Hero 11 – Best Overall Ski Helmet Camera

Put simply, GoPro is the gold standard in action cameras especially when it comes to skiing. They’re tough, waterproof, well made and packed with professional camera technology. Plus they don’t skip a frame in cold winter conditions. It always astounds me how awesome these headcams are for such a great price.

HERO11 Black

The Hero 11 is yet another winner from GoPro adding 5.3K 60fps video to the raft of pro filming capabilities. Beware though, if you want to shoot it 5K make sure you have a computer powerful enough to edit the beasty footage.

Your GoPro 11 comes with all the mounts and free SD card needed to fix your ski helmet and get out there recording. HyperSmooth 5.0 stabilization and Horizon Lock mean you can ski how you like while producing stable easy to watch videos of your mates epic fail or knee crunching mogul turns late in the day.

A relatively new addition to the GoPro lineup is the addition of accessories to help create your killer vlogs including lighting, microphone rigging and remote control.

Pros:

  • HypeSmooth stabilization
  • SUPER slow-mo
  • 5.3K quality
  • Comes with helmet mounts
  • Tons of accessories
  • Works flawlessly in freezing conditions
  • Trusted company
  • Used by professionals
  • Incredible prices for such awesome equipment
  • Waterproof to 60 meters

Cons

  • Nothing

DJI Osmo Action – Best Value Ski Head Camera

DJI is known for their drone cameras but for a while now they’ve also been using their expertise to produce action cameras with epic stabilization. Now the DJI Osmo comes to challenge the GoPro dominance of the market and at a better price! You can save yourself a bundle by opting for the Osmo Action while still benefiting from 4k video, dual display and RockSteady image stabilization.

What more do you need, really? High quality, stable videos.

It’s waterproof and works like a champ down to temperatures of -10℃ so it’s ideal for all but the coldest of cold ski days. Once again, it comes with adhesive mounts to stick directly onto your helmet and start shooting. Plus, you can hook it up to the dedicated app for added flexibility and remote recording including 8x slow-mo footage.

Pros:

  • 4K video
  • RockSteady image stabilization
  • Waterproof housing
  • Adhesive helmet mounts
  • Cheaper than competitors
  • Respected company

Cons:

  • Limited vlogging accessories
  • GoPro copycat
  • Some questions about waterproof when swimming
  • Only works down to -10℃

Insta360 GO 2 – Best Ski Camera for Social Media

What’s the point of skiing without Instagram?

We all love posting our ski photos on social media whether it’s an edited video from the week on Facebook, a mindblowing mountain view on Instagram or a classic bail on TikTok.

Well, when I first saw the Insta360 Go 2 I thought it had to be the best action camera for social media. It’s lightweight, nimble and can be mounted just about anywhere on your body. In fact, it’s the world’s smallest stabilized camera! You can shoot ski videos without even feeling the camera.

The biggest difference with the Insta360 is its social-media ready tech. Whenever you need it, the camera is ready to shoot 30-second and 60-second clips. Then you can auto edit your action shots, slow-mos and hyper-lapse on the go. Finally, upload straight to social media in the correct format for a phone screen.

It’s so small, it even has a case that recharges the camera when you’re not using it for epic battery life.

Pros:

  • 1440p HD video
  • FlowState image stabilization
  • Waterproof to 4m
  • Small and lightweight
  • Recharging carry case
  • Slo-mo videos
  • Great for social media

Cons:

  • No 4K video
  • So small it’s easy to lose
  • Only records up 60 seconds at a time

Sony FDR X3000 – High-Quality Choice

The Sony FDR doesn’t have the sexy name of a ‘Hero’ or catchy title like Insta360.

Don’t let that fool you.

It’s still a great camera from a well-renowned electronics and photography company. I’ve owned a few Sony cameras in my amateur photography career and they’ve always been well built, user friendly and produce stunning results. The Sony HDR action head camera for skiing is no different.

Packed into the housing is everything you need for your ski videos. Enhanced SteadyShot removes the shakiness from clips while it also offers 4K video and a 2-inch screen to help you get the perfect shot.

Plus an impressive 60-meter waterproof housing provides incredible versatility allowing you to use it from the top of a mountain storm to the depths of the ocean.

It arrives with adhesive mounts to stick straight onto your ski helmet to fire off HD slo-mo shots as soon as you get onto the slopes.

Pros:

  • 4K video
  • Steadyshot image stabilization
  • Waterproof to 60 meters
  • Comes with adhesive mounts
  • Slo-mo videos
  • Adjustable zoom
  • Zeiss lens
  • Respected company

Cons:

  • Long shape a little tricky to place on ski helmet
  • Not very user friendly
  • Expensive compared to competitors

Remali Capture Pro – Best Mid-Range Head Cam

The Remali Capture Pro offers an enticing balance of value for money and features you need in an action camera.

To be honest, it’s a poor man’s GoPro.

That being said, the Capture Pro is still packed full of features at a bargain price. You’ll be able to stick it to your ski helmet and record your video all day long. Plus for your summer trips, it’s waterproof up to 40 meters.

But what about the final results? Well, you can film 4K at 60fps meaning you’ll get those HD shots that can be slowed down to half speed with no problem. There’s a 2-inch touch screen to check your footage on the go and wifi to connect to your phone. All the standard features you’ll find on the best action cams these days.

Where it starts to fall down is on things like image stabilization. The stability of footage is what makes the top range cameras stand apart. Unfortunately, you’re not going to have much stabilization on the Capture Pro which means if you’ve not got a steady hand (or head) you might end up with some jerky footage to watch back.

All in all, it is pretty good value for money but don’t expect to be cranking out those epic Red Bull style action shots.

Pros:

  • 4K video
  • Waterproof to 40 meters
  • Comes with adhesive mounts
  • Adjustable zoom
  • Great price

Cons:

  • No image stabilization
  • Not a well known company
  • No super slo-mo

Akaso EK7000 – Cheapest Helmet Cam for Snowboarding

Ok so if you’re on a super tight budget then the Akaso EK7000 is for you.

It’s by far the cheapest action camera around that still pumps out 4K video although don’t expect any slo-mo shots. At a glance, you wouldn’t know it is a budget choice.

So what features and quality do you get?

Well as I mentioned, it does film in 4K which is mighty impressive plus it comes with 2 rechargeable batteries for all-day use. You’ll also benefit from the wifi and native app to download your footage in seconds.

The waterproof case keeps it robust on the slopes while providing waterproofing down to 30 meters, so it matches up in many ways to higher-priced cameras.

That’s about it though.

Don’t expect image stabilization or a raft of other features. To be honest, it’s a point and shoot action camera without anything fancy. It does come with adhesive mounts to stick to your ski helmet.

Pros:

  • 4K video
  • Waterproof to 30 meters
  • Comes with adhesive mounts
  • Cheap price

Cons:

  • No image stabilization
  • Not a well known company
  • No super slo-mo
  • Maybe too cheap?

Education: What You Need To Know

With our top choices at the front of your mind, you’re probably thinking exactly how we chose these particular helmet cameras for skiing? What you should really be looking for when deciding which head cam is best for you? Let’s explain.

Video Quality

Once you finish your day and check back on your footage the quality of what you’ve been filming is paramount. There’s nothing worse than thinking you’ve got an epic shot only to find the quality makes it unwatchable. The majority of action cameras now have 4K footage which means they film in super high quality. Beware, though I usually only film in 1080p HD (slightly lower resolution but still awesome) as you need a fast computer and big memory card to film in 4K. But picking a 4K camera will keep you in great stead for the future.

Image Stabilization

Image stabilization is what everyone is chasing these days, and the best cameras have AMAZING image stabilization. Put simply, a camera with great stabilization like the GoPro means your videos will be rock solid no matter how jerky your skiing, biking, swimming or hand movements.

Check this video to see the importance:

Battery Life

Battery life is the killer problem for a lot of cameras when it comes to skiing. Many can’t hack the cold weather. I’ve seen many head cams give up in minutes as the minus temperatures drain the power almost instantly making your tech a pretty expensive brick to carry around.

Make sure you choose something with a strong battery life and even add some extra batteries to keep charged and replace on the move.

Audio Quality

Audio quality is becoming a bigger selling point for many products. It’s particularly handy to catch any witty banter on chairlifts, yelps of excitement or the thud of a funny wipeout. If those things are on your list, then you’ll benefit from the higher quality cameras that pack a decent microphone or even allow for accessories to aid the sound quality.

Weight

The weight of an action camera is all important, especially for head mounts. I can’t count the times a heavy camera has wobbled my helmet too much or even made me unbalanced when skiing aggressively. All of the picks above are lightweight and nimble so you won’t have any issues but if you are looking elsewhere ensure you pick something lightweight e.g. less than 200 grams.

Camera Shape

Along with the weight, be careful of the shape of the camera you choose. Remember that if it’s mounted on your head you don’t want something sticking out at a funny angle. Look for a small and compact shape that’s not going to get in the way. A particular issue is the safety bar on a chairlift. I’ve been caught out by this. With a big camera sticking out the top of your head the safety bar can hook onto it as it comes over your head. There’s a number of issues with this including a painful ‘face in lap’ position and damage to the camera (and damaged ego).

Water Proofing

One often neglected consideration for skiers is waterproofing. Out and about on the ski slopes, your head cam is going to get covered with snow, ice and water even on sunny days. Make sure you pick something with decent water resistance that will hold up in a snowstorm. Plus, deep water waterproofing means you can also jump into the swimming pool or sea on your summer trips.

User Friendly

Small action cameras have often been criticized for being complex to use or hard to change settings. This is down to tiny screens, minimal buttons and bulky ski gloves. I guess the more features the trickier it becomes to set up your camera. Big advancements have been made in this area. If you’re using a head camera, voice control is a handy feature to control your camera. Plus, look for cameras with good touch screens and well placed buttons.


Best Brands For Skiing Action Cameras

There’s a lot of competition out there for action cameras. Knowing what brands are true specialists helps you pick the most trustworthy options. Here are some stand out companies to choose from:

GoPro: GoPro is heralded for its action cameras. It’s the only thing the company makes along with outstanding accessories. To be honest, they lead the way in packing professional tech into small cameras from a darn good price.

DJI: DJI is known for being a drone company but with that expertise comes the know-how to produce lightweight cameras with awesome stabilization.

Sony: Sony is Sony. We all know the name and in the last decade, they’ve become a leading camera manufacturer which includes their HD video camera range.

Insta360: A newer brand on the block making mini social media cameras to capture life on the move. Not just for action sports but for everyday TikTokers looking for quick viral clips.


Final Word

With all of this information, you’ll now have a better idea of what to look for in a helmet camera for your next ski trip. Personally, we think the best cameras for head cams are the GoPro range. The Hero 9 is the best thing out there and can’t be beaten.

If it’s a little too much for you in terms of features and price then don’t worry, look at some able replacements in the DJI Osmo Action or the Sony FDR. For those wanting to get started at a cheaper price range then check carefully for something half decent like a Remali Capture Pro. Finally, if social media is your thing then don’t miss Insta360 GO 2 for an innovative product.