Sometimes called action cameras, helmet cameras or adventure cameras, bike cameras are small and incredibly designed cameras that can capture HD footage without weighing you down or being ungainly.
Sharing our two wheel exploits with family and friends has become a global phenomenon with the rise of data recording Strava and other GPS tracking cycling apps, with bike cameras providing a more exciting way for sharing our best rides, or ride edits with fellow cyclists.
There is however another dimension to owning a bike camera, to capture evidence for when a bike ride goes wrong. Much like a car dash-cam, these cameras will allow you concrete evidence should you find yourself in a situation where you need it.
In the UK there is even a dedicated website, Nextbase, that can help you summit action camera footage directly to the police, drastically reducing the process time and complications.
Whatever your reasons for purchasing a bike camera, be it a helmet, bars or seat post rear-view camera, you can be assured there’s a perfect one for you.
We’ve included lots of helpful hints and tips, which you’ll find after the main product reviews. However, your considerations are likely to be focussed on image quality, battery life, storage capabilities and, given that it’s going to be fixed to your bike or helmet, durability.
Image quality will largely be dictated by the cost of the camera, but you’ll also want to consider image stabilization and frame rates (FPS). When it comes to battery life you’ll need to think about how long you’ll be shooting for – most batteries will last a couple of hours.
You’ll probably want to try and match data storage to the resolution you’re shooting in – if you’ve opted for high-resolution camera for the best picture quality you’ll need more data storage. Finally, look for a camera that can take some punishment. Some will be waterproof but you can also consider the addition of a waterproof case.
We go into more detail on how we test at the bottom of this page, but all of the cameras featured here have been tested for resolution, image stabilisation, battery life and storage as well ensuring they’ve been used across a variety of weather conditions.
Let’s delve into our handpicked best front and rear view cameras which we think are the best you can buy right now.
Our pick of the best bike and helmet cameras
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