What a great time to be alive, technology has made life so convenient that we can convert any moment we wish into a permanent memory through video recording. Some might say that it is important that we enjoy the experience completely— put down the camera and see the world through our own eyes instead of a lens. The good news is with action cameras like GoPro you can do both!
Unfortunately, videos shot with GoPro cameras are notoriously shaky, to the point of being unviewable, which is why the brand itself and other camera accessory manufacturers came up with the gimbal, more commonly known as the GoPro stabilizer.
To help you find the perfect fit for your needs, we’ve rounded up the best of the best in these reviews of the best GoPro gimbals.
Our Top Pick
We won’t keep you in suspense—if you’re not willing to do any lengthy reading, we’ve got you. Our top pick for the best GoPro gimbal is the Feiyu G6. It’s multiple creative features, incredible battery life, and built-in OLED screen. It is the gimbal to beat. While it may be a bit pricey, it’s worth it, and you won’t feel the need to change your stabilizer anytime soon.
GoPro Stabilizer Reviews
Feiyu G6
We decided to save the best for last, what we consider as the best GoPro gimbal on the market today, the Feiyu G6. This gimbal from Feiyu has the most features available in any of the stabilizers out there, and its whopping 12-hour battery ensures that you won’t ever need to have a backup battery on those long adventure treks.
Key Features
- Built-In OLED screen
- Splash-proof design
- Trail time-lapse mode feature
- 12-hour battery life
- Mobile App compatibility
- Wifi+Bluetooth working mode
- Supports camera charging
What We Like About This Stabilizer
The Feiyu G6 gimbal has everything you could ever want from a stabilizer, with multiple creative features such as trail time-lapse, a mobile app to control the device, and a lengthy 12-hour battery time.
What We Don’t Like About This Stabilizer
All that power has to come from somewhere, and you can hear a slight hum on the motor when it operates, especially when using all of its available features at the same time. Its also quite expensive, but greatness comes at a price.
Pros
- Multiple creative features
- Incredible battery life
- Supports camera charging
- Built-in OLED screen
Cons
- Pricey
- Slight hum on the motor during operation
Feiyu tech outdid themselves with the Feiyu G6, the amazing features, the design, and the ease of use blows the competition out of the water. If you have the budget for it, this gimbal is worth its price and then some; making it a must-have for any GoPro enthusiast or professional vlogger.
Overall Rating – 5 of 5
GoPro Karma Grip
Let’s begin our list with the official stabilizer the company made for their signature action camera, the GoPro Karma Grip. The Karma stabilizer is compatible for all GoPro products, including the Karma drone, for incredibly stable aerial video recordings, and the GoPro Hero product line for steady body-mounted or handheld shots.
Key Features
- Compatible with GoPro Karma Drone, body mounts, or handheld grip
- Includes a harness for the HERO5, HERO6, and HERO7 product line
- Built-in on-the-fly camera controls
- Built-in battery powers both the GoPro and grip for 1 hour and 45 minutes
What We Like About This Stabilizer
The Karma Grip is the official GoPro Gimbal for the HERO line of action cameras and their drone, ensuring that it will be completely compatible with your GoPro camera and that you won’t have any issues with support or warranty claims if you’ll ever need to replace the stabilizer or any of its parts.
What We Don’t Like About This Stabilizer
Compared to other stabilizers in the market, the Karma Grip has fewer features, it is comparably smaller, and its battery life isn’t the best either. If you don’t power both the camera and the grip, the best you would get on a full charge would be two maybe 3 hours max.
Pros
- Great for sports and action stunts
- Allows for stable and shake-free video capture
- Portable and durable build
- Built-in controls for your camera
- Three-axis gimbal
Cons
- Not the best battery life
- It isn’t waterproof
Overall, the GoPro Karma Grip is an excellent stabilizer in terms of the quality of the videos that you can shoot with it. Unfortunately, the fact that it isn’t waterproof and it’s less than marvelous battery life knocks it down a few pegs, but it is still among the best gimbals for GoPro.
Overall Rating – 4.5 of 5
EVO SS 3 Axis Gimbal
When you have a company that built its reputation around making the ideal gimbal for action cameras, you get a fantastic stabilizer such as the EVO SS 3 Axis Gimbal. The EVO SS is one of two impressive gimbals that the company produced, and if you’re an enthusiast who has followed the market for a while, you’re probably familiar with its brother the EVO GP Pro, which unfortunately the company discontinued.
Key Features
- Three-axis precision gimbal
- Mountable on chest, headgear, or handheld
- Universal U-bracket makes it compatible for all action cameras
- Three modes, PAN follow, LOCK mode and FULL FOLLOW
- 1-year warranty
What We Like About This Stabilizer
The EVO SS possesses a lot of versatile features. The three modes, along with its threaded bottom, ensure that you can attach it to any monopod, tripod, helm or chest piece easily and not worry about it. It is also compatible with all GoPro products and a myriad of other action cameras as well.
What We Don’t Like About This Stabilizer
This gimbal is pretty high on our list as one of the best GoPro gimbals out there, but it’s also up there in terms of price. While its features are amazing and let you release your creative side for your vlogs, the battery life isn’t great, especially if you’re supplementing the power of your GoPro camera.
Pros
- Three-axis precision
- 4kHz architecture for smooth and cinematic video capture
- Plug-and-play and universally compatible design
- 1-year US parts and labor warranty
Cons
- Pricey
Overall the EVO SS is a reliable, three-axis stabilizer that any vlogger would be happy to have in their kit. While on the more expensive end of our list the quality of the build, the universal compatibility and the versatility of the EVO SS definitely make up for its cost.
Overall Rating – 4.5 of 5
Hohem iSteady Pro 2
If we’re going to give a title to the Hohem iSteady Pro2, we’ll award it with the most affordable and newbie-friendly gimbal on the market today. Hohem ensured that the iSteady Pro2 works immediately out of the box with no need for assembly. For its price, this gimbal blows out its competitors out of the water, literally, as it is also water-resistant.
Key Features
- Three-axis handheld gimbal
- Compatible with DJI OSMO, GoPro Hero series, Yi Cam, and many more
- Two-way charging with a 12-hour battery life
- Can be charged using a portable power source such as a power bank
- Features its own Hohem Gimbal App
- Obstruction free display
- “Inception Mode” 600-degree camera pan
What We Like About This Stabilizer
The iSteady Pro 2 is fantastic for its budget point, with multiple features that you can’t find in gimbals twice its price, it gives you the most bang for your buck. The amazing battery life and the ability to charge it using an external power source ensures that you can always whip it out and keep it running throughout long adventure treks.
What We Don’t Like About This Stabilizer
Creativity-wise it’s pretty basic, as there are gimbals that offer more in terms of operation modes and options at this price, regardless simplicity is its strong point.
Pros
- No need for assembly
- Compatible with most action cameras
- Long battery life and chargeable with a power bank
- Has its own app
- Simple and intuitive controls
- Cheap
Cons
- Pretty basic as far as gimbal features go
If you’re looking for a reliable starter gimbal that gives you the best bang for your buck, then the Hohem iSteady Pro should be at the top of your list. This gimbal is simple, easy to use, and reliable, everything you need from a starter stabilizer.
Overall Rating – 4.5 of 5
IKAN Fly X3 Plus
If you’re looking for a relatively cheap handheld GoPro stabilizer, then the IKAN Fly X3 Plus might be an excellent option for you. At right around $100, the Fly X3 Plus allows for steady handheld shots and video capture for smartphones and GoPro systems up to 200 grams. If you have a larger phone or a “phablet,” it comes with a counterweight for that as well.
Key Features
- Easy to assemble and use within minutes out of the box
- Three-axis gimbal with active stabilization
- Gesture control system
- Compatible with smartphones and action cameras up to 200 grams
- Includes three cradles (two phone cradles and a GoPro session mount)
- Detachable battery
What We Like About This Stabilizer
Relatively cheap and reliable, the IKAN Fly X3 Plus is a great purchase for any videographer looking for a stable handheld solution without having to read through a thick user manual. Easy to set-up and operate, you could call the Fly X3 Plus as a great beginner gimbal.
What We Don’t Like About This Stabilizer
While it has a counterweight included in the package, it’s not sufficient even when working with cameras that are a little over the 200-gram weight the manufacturer mentions. You might have to purchase a separate counterweight if you plan on using a camera or GoPro heavier than 200 grams.
Pros
- Easy to assemble and use
- Intuitive design
- Gesture control system and active stabilization
- Includes cradles for compatibility with different cameras
Cons
- Can be difficult to balance using the counterweight provided
Overall, the high-quality materials that went into the construction of the Fly X3 Plus ensure that it will be a part of your photography/videography kit for a long time. While it may need an additional counterweight to use with heavier cameras, for its price, it’s reliable enough to make our list.
Overall Rating – 3.5 of 5
DOBOT Riglet
Our next entry in the running for the title of best gimbal for GoPro comes from a robotic arm manufacturer from China, DOBOT. Knowing that they specialize in robotics tells you how much research and science DOBOT involved in the design and manufacturing of the DOBOT Riglet.
Key Features
- Three-axis gimbal compatible with all smartphones and action cameras
- Powered by three internationally patented precision motors
- Impressive auto-tracking feature
- Allows live streaming
- Features include motion time-lapse, slow motion, panorama, filters, etc.
- Supports real-time charging
- 24-hour battery life
What We Like About This Stabilizer
What makes the Riglet unique is the auto-track feature which allows the gimbal to automatically follow the chosen subject and keep it in the frame for a perfectly consistent shot. The advanced algorithm used in this technology is for artificial intelligence—that is why it works as intended regardless of how much the subject moves around.
What We Don’t Like About This Stabilizer
We could have dubbed the DOBOT Riglet the best gimbal for GoPro, but unfortunately, the app is difficult to use and constantly crashes, an update of its firmware would push it above the competition, but for its price and with a barely working app, that’s a big no-no for us.
Pros
- Compatible with all action cameras and smartphones
- Auto-tracking feature is amazing
- Allows you to Livestream
- Incredible battery life
- A lot of built-in features
Cons
- The phone app barely works
We recommend the Riglet, despite its barely working phone app! The DOBOT Riglet is impressive on its own, and even without using the app, it stands on its own as a fantastic gimbal with all of its features and precision tracking.
Overall Rating – 4.5 of 5
Zhiyun Smooth 4
Our next entry comes from another industry-leading company dedicated to professional stabilization systems, Zhiyun Tech. Dubbed by the company as a gimbal born for the mobile filmmaker, the Zhiyun Smooth 4, includes many features that are not found in other gimbals on the market and provides users absolute creative freedom in the way they make their videos.
Key Features
- Focus pull and zoom capability
- Features multiple time-lapse modes, such as freestyle, motion lapse, hyper-lapse, slow-motion and so on
- Features two-way charging of phone and gimbal
- 12-hour battery life
- Features an improved motor to the Smooth series
- Compatible with all phones and cameras
- Allows for accessories and larger phones
What We Like About This Stabilizer
The focus pull and zoom capability of the Smooth 4 are what places it above the competition. The ability to zoom in and out at such high precision is something that handheld GoPro users have been looking for, but no other company could pull off properly.
What We Don’t Like About This Stabilizer
The one problem we have with the Zhiyun Smooth 4 is that it is not compatible with action cameras, at least without an adapter. Regardless if you’re able to get an adapted for this gimbal, it will be worth it to get those smooth precision video capture from your action camera.
Pros
- Focus pull and zoom feature
- Multiple time-lapse and creative modes
- Great battery life
- Two-way charging
- Competitively priced
Cons
- You need to purchase an adapter to use it with GoPro Action Cameras
- You may need to purchase additional counterweights if you use lenses
Overall the Zhiyun Smooth 4 is a great purchase for anyone looking to let their creative side loose without breaking the bank. Competitively priced a little over $100, this gimbal includes many creative features that you might not even find in gimbals twice its price, so it is worth your consideration.
Overall Rating – 4.5 of 5
REMOVU S1
When a company dedicates itself to creating accessories for imaging devices, specifically the GoPro, better, then you know you’re looking at the right place. REMOVU consists of a team of engineers and technologists that felt like GoPro gimbal technology needed to evolve and their take on it is the REMOVU S1.
Key Features
- Compatible with all GoPro HERO action cameras
- Rain-proof design
- Three-axis stabilizing gimbal
- Can be held, mounted, or worn
- Includes a wireless joystick remote control
What We Like About This Stabilizer
We love the versatility of the REMOVU S1 and how it improves upon the Karma Grip. It’s an attempt to provide a better alternative to the gimbal than GoPro themselves made for their action camera. The three operation choices and multiple GoPro modes give the Karma Grip a run for its money.
What We Don’t Like About This Stabilizer
If judged as it is, a five to six-hour battery life isn’t bad, but when you’re comparing it with the best gimbals in the industry it is middle of the pack at best, and its cost is pretty high when compared to other gimbals on our list packed with more features.
Pros
- Rain-proof design
- A great alternative to the Karma Grip
- Three operation choices
- Wireless joystick remote control
Cons
- Middle of the pack battery life
- Relatively expensive
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but what do you call it when you improve upon the original design and blow it out of the water? Well that’s what the REMOVU S1 is to the Karma Grip, definitely a great improvement to the GoPro official accessory.
Overall Rating – 4 of 5
Zhiyun Rider-M
Our next entry again comes from Zhiyun with their improved version of, what we consider as an already formidable gimbal, the Z1-Evolution. The Zhiyun Rider-M is a wearable gimbal that brings all of the Z1-Evolution’s features with significant improvements.
Key Features
- Advanced brushless servo motors
- Three operation modes (pan following, lock mode, and tilt following mode)
- Advanced Honeycomb core for reduced noise and improved balance and compensation
- ¼ screw for universal cameras and accessory compatibility
What We Like About This Stabilizer
The upgraded servo motors pushed the Rider-M ahead of its competitors, for a wearable gimbal, a 640-degree pan angle, 320-degree tilt, and 270-degree roll is incredible. The one-second angle lock is intuitive, and you can easily turn the camera into a certain position, and it will immediately auto-lock to allow you to get a perfect shot.
What We Don’t Like About This Stabilizer
The battery life is subpar compared to other gimbals on this list, with a maximum time of 5.5 hours, you’d best bring an extra battery with you if you plan on using this gimbal for extended outings.
Pros
- Quiet motor
- 1-second auto-lock feature
- App compatibility
- Incredible range of angles for a wearable gimbal
Cons
- Low battery life
If you’re looking for a powerful wearable gimbal that doesn’t give you that irritating motor hum, then the Zhiyun Rider-M is a pick worth serious consideration.
Overall Rating – 4 of 5
Lanparte LA3D Gimbal
Our next gimbal comes from Lanparte, in the form the LA3D gimbal. We included it on this list due to its fantastic design and ease of use. While it is more expensive than other gimbals with similar features, the quality of the build and the professional footage you can take on it while on-the-go makes it worth its price.
Key Features
- High-quality and durable aluminum build
- Can be handheld or mounted
- Uses two types of batteries 18350 (4 hours) and 16650 (8 hours)
- Compatible with GoPro HERO series and other action cameras
- Supports GoPro charging while filming
What We Like About This Stabilizer
The great design and durable build make this rugged gimbal a good choice if you like to take your action stunts to the extreme level. It also has multiple modes including an upside-down one that still provides full-tilt ranges on semi-follow and locked mode.
What We Don’t Like About This Stabilizer
It isn’t waterproof, which we’ve come to expect from higher-end gimbals, and when using something technical like a gimbal we expect an easy-to-read user manual and native English support, both of which the Lanparte doesn’t provide.
Pros
- High-quality and rugged build
- Two operation modes
- Decent battery life
- Compatible with GoPro HERO cameras
Cons
- It isn’t waterproof
- Relatively expensive
- Instruction manual and after-sales support needs work
The Lanparte LA3D is a great GoPro Gimbal—it isn’t the best at anything, but it does just enough of everything to be part of our best gimbal for GoPro list. If you’re looking for a reliable and easy to use gimbal then the LA3D may be the right choice for you.
Overall Rating – 4 of 5
Redfox 3 Axis Gimbal
Our next entry comes from another Chinese company that specializes in gimbal and stabilizer system research, development and manufacturing, Shenzhen Redfox Intelligent Technology. Easy to set-up and even easier to use, this lightweight gimbal is worth your consideration.
Key Features
- Lightweight aluminum three-axis gimbal
- Compatible with GoPro HERO 3, 3+, GoPro 4 and similar cameras
- Powerful motor and drive algorithm for a great balance
- Immediate precision balance upon start-up and quick power down
- 02 degrees accuracy even in unstable conditions
- 12-hour battery life
What We Like About This Stabilizer
The amount of detail and technology built-in to the RedFox 3 is impressive, the simplicity of set-up and use distracts you from the fact that the technology that powers the gimbal is advanced. The fact that the gimbal power balances even when it doesn’t have a load on it, and that it balances incredibly well on start-up, is nothing short of amazing.
What We Don’t Like About This Stabilizer
One of the pervasive issues with manufacturers from China is their firmware updates and lack of native English support, which is a big bummer, especially when you get an update that breaks the app. If you’re going with the Redfox 3, we suggest getting the app but don’t update it, as it works well enough on its own.
Pros
- Lightweight and durable aluminum design
- Easy to use and set-up
- Great power balance
- Long battery life
Cons
- The firmware update is a problem
- No native English support
- Battery can’t be swapped out
Overall, the Redfox 3 is an incredible gimbal as long as you don’t update its firmware which breaks a lot of its functionality. We haven’t heard if the manufacturer made any updates to fix this, but if you do decide to go with this stabilizer, we suggest that you do not update its firmware.
Overall Rating – 2.5 of 5
About GoPro
One of the biggest criticisms given by the Baby Boomer generation of the Millennial and Generation Z is the amount of screen time that we use. How the current generation is glued to their screens, whether it’s the computer, phone screen, or camera. We live the majority of our lives looking at screens instead of experiencing the world. As millennials, we consider this criticism as unfair as technology, and the modern world requires the use of heavy screen time for work and play. At the same time, we admit that it does have merit to it, as there is an amazing world out there that one needs to explore and experience outside of the screen and lucky for us, companies like GoPro exist.
GoPro’s mission is simple, to develop technology such as cameras, drones, apps, and accessories to free people up and help them celebrate the moment while inspiring others to do the same. GoPro wants to ensure that you can capture each moment on your action camera, share it with others, and help them experience each moment through your eyes, to share the excitement of various sports, whether it’s surfing, skiing, motorsports, skydiving or any other extreme hobby. To the company it’s not about bragging about your hobby, it’s about sharing the experience and helping others get stoked, pique their curiosity and help them experience the different excitements the world has to offer.
Nick Woodman, the founder of GoPro, sought to solve the dilemma of how to film himself and his friends as they enjoyed their favorite sports. Woodman, who dabbled in motorsport, and is an avid surfer and skier, decided to tackle this issue using a wrist strap made from discarded wet suits, plastic straps, and a 35mm camera. While we don’t see torn up and discarded wet suits as part of our GoPro HERO kits today, this was how his innovative mind gave birth to the company.
Today, GoPro is now an international phenomenon selling over 26 million action cameras in over 100 countries around the world. The company continues to innovate the way we see the world, pushing the boundaries of creativity, exciting everyone around the world with videos shared or live streamed from their devices. GoPro is now a household name to the point that they’ve joined Xerox, and Kleenex as an eponymous brand.
If you’ve noticed from our reviews, there’s only one official accessory from GoPro, the GoPro Karma Grip. All the other products come from other stabilizer and gimbal manufacturers who have built their companies by creating accessories for the GoPro.
Warranty Information
As a company based on spreading inspiration to people around the world, they have a pretty impressive money-back guarantee on all products purchased from their GoPro Webstore. If you are not 100% satisfied with any of their products within 30 days of delivery. You can send your order back and return it for a complete refund with no questions asked. Note that GoPro does not cover any delivery costs in the refund, though. There are also products not subject to the money-back guarantee made by GoPro, for a complete list of these products, please see their warranty information page.
If any of your GoPro products and accessories are damaged upon arrival or have a manufacturer defect found within one year of delivery, then GoPro will honor the warranty, and you need only to send it back to them. They’re so great about it that at their discretion they might even pay for the shipping costs as part of their compensation for the defective product.
Before sending your product back though, GoPro requires their clients to reach out to customer support through their support page for troubleshooting. If they are not successful in fixing your issues and determine that GoPro’s warranty covers your product issues, then you will receive a return merchandise authorization number and will be asked to send the package back.
FAQs about GoPro
Is GoPro going out of business?
While this may be a blunt question to ask, it is a valid one. GoPro has yet to show a positive annual profit since 2015, and operating at a loss for four years doesn’t exactly bode well for the action camera and accessory manufacturing giant. The losses were at a point that the CEO and founder Nicholas Woodman accepted a pay cut to the tune of 99.99% or simply a $1 salary to keep the boat from sinking.
This news does not bode well for all the GoPro accessory manufacturers out there considering that they primarily build their gimbals around the popular action camera. While gimbals remain compatible with phones and other action cameras, the void that GoPro would leave behind might be destructive for the entire industry.
The good news is, GoPro is recovering, and they have minimized their losses in the first quarter of the year, while they are in the red at a loss of $24 million that is only a third of their losses from the same quarter last year. The key to their recovery is completely dropping out of the drone business, finally admitting that the niche is far too competitive for GoPro to remain in it.
What happens to the Karma Drone now?
GoPro has officially stopped the production of the Karma drone and won’t be making anymore, but those in the shelves won’t be recalled and will remain for sale until they run out. The good news is, you won’t be stuck with an expensive piece of décor nor will you need to purchase a DJI Mavic for your drone needs. The company will continue to support the Karma Drone and its accessories, but they did not indicate up to how long they will do this.
Phew! GoPro sounds like its safe, so which one should I get?
We discussed the best GoPro gimbals in our list, but we didn’t go into which GoPro action camera you should get for yourself. Well, to be honest, we’d think that since you’re on this list, you probably already own one, but if you haven’t already you should set your sights on the GoPro HERO7 Black.
While the company as a whole was in danger due to their dalliance with aerial photography and drones, making us all worry of its future, GoPro has somewhat alleviated our fears with the release of the HERO7 Black. It’s always good to go back to your roots, and with this action camera, you’ll need a high-end gimbal to improve its already amazing features.
Setting a new bar for stabilization, the GoPro HERO7 Black provides HyperSmooth Video with its rugged and waterproof design allowing you to take it anywhere you see fit, even under up to 33ft of water. The HERO7 redefines hands-free. If you’re busy swimming or paddling or dropping from the sky, say one of the 16 commands, and it will run on its own!
If you’ve only been using your phone so far or an old model of the HERO series, we recommend the HERO7 Black to take your action recording experience to the next level!
Final Thoughts
So, that was our comprehensive review of the best GoPro stabilizers on the market today, along with news about the company. If you’re scared that GoPro is going out of business, maybe thinking you should start running to its competitors for your action camera needs, don’t be, as the release of the new HERO8 ensures that manufacturers will continue to shape their gimbals around the GoPro product line.
We hope our list helped you find the best gimbal for your needs and budget. If it didn’t, at the very least, it helped you understand the different features that make or break a gimbal.
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