Not a week goes by without someone asking us, “Is GoPro worth buying?”

We bought our first GoPro nearly a decade ago for one reason – to capture adventures our phones couldn’t. Today, smartphone cameras are better than ever. Our honest reply? When the adventure begins, there’s still one camera that’s always handy in our backpack: our GoPro.

Compact, rugged, and built for action, it’s travelled with us from swimming alongside whale sharks in Tanzania to road-tripping across the Canadian Rockies. It’s the best camera for travel when our hands are wet, the weather turns, or we simply don’t want to risk our phone.

So, is a GoPro still worth buying in 2026?

After nearly a decade of travelling with one, here’s our honest answer:

❤️ Why We Love Our GoPro

After more than 10 years of travelling with a GoPro, it’s still the one camera we never leave behind. Here’s why.

• It’s built for adventure. Whether we’re kayaking in British Columbia or snorkelling with whale sharks in Tanzania, we never have to worry about rain, sand, or water.
• It captures moments our phones can’t. From hands-free POV shots on scenic hikes to underwater footage and winding road trips, the GoPro lets us relive our adventures exactly as they happened.
• It’s small but incredibly powerful. It fits in a jacket pocket, turns on in seconds, and is always ready for those unexpected wildlife sightings or spontaneous swims.
• The stabilization is amazing. Even when we’re walking, paddling, or driving rough backroads, the footage comes out smooth enough for Instagram Reels and travel videos.
• It encourages us to say yes to more adventures. Some of our favourite memories, from jumping into glacial pools in McLeodganj to learning to kitesurf in Sri Lanka, were captured because we had our GoPro with us.

Beyond being the best action camera for travel, we love what it allows us to bring home: not just photos and videos, but the feeling of being there.

💰 Is It Worth It?

A GoPro is worth every penny if you love experiences that are hard to capture with a traditional camera.

Who should buy a GoPro?

A GoPro isn’t for everyone. But if your idea of travel involves movement rather than standing behind a viewpoint, it’s probably one of the best cameras you can own. Take it for water sports in Canada or biking through the lanes of Mexico or snorkelling with turtles in Sri Lanka. We’d recommend one if you:

• Love hiking
• Go kayaking, canoeing or paddleboarding
• Enjoy snorkelling or scuba diving
• Ski or snowboard
• Love road trips
• Create Instagram Reels or YouTube videos
• Travel with kids
• Want hands-free POV footage
• Spend lots of time near water

If your travels mostly revolve around museums, city breaks, shopping and restaurants, your phone will probably do just fine. Unless you like to capture life from a wide-angle lens, turning every moment into an adventure.

Who should skip it?

If your travels mostly revolve around city breaks, restaurants, shopping or museums, your smartphone will probably be enough. GoPros aren’t designed to replace your phone; they’re designed to capture adventures your phone can’t.

Should you buy the latest model?

If you’re buying your first GoPro, we’d recommend purchasing the newest model that comfortably fits your budget. You’ll benefit from better stabilization, improved battery life and enhanced low-light performance.

If you already own a recent GoPro, upgrading every year probably isn’t necessary.

Is it worth paying full price?

Is a GoPro Worth Buying at full price? If you can wait, Black Friday and seasonal sales often offer excellent discounts. But if you’ve got a big trip coming up, we’d happily pay full price again. If we lost ours tomorrow, we’d buy another one immediately.

Our GoPro Experience

Our GoPro Story: Our journey with GoPro started back in 2017. Well… technically, twice. We bought our first GoPro Hero5 Black 1 year after moving to Tanzania. Less than a month later, we somehow managed to lose it. Painful.

We debated whether we should buy another one because it wasn’t exactly cheap, but we knew we’d regret not having one. So we bit the bullet and bought another Hero5 Black. That decision turned out to be one of the best travel purchases we’ve ever made.

First Impressions: We originally bought our GoPro for snorkeling and beach trips, but what surprised us most was how quickly it became our go-to travel camera. It was small, rugged, easy to use, and gave us the confidence to capture moments we would’ve hesitated to film with a phone or DSLR.

After a Few Trips: What started as an underwater camera soon came hiking, road trips, wildlife safaris, and kayaking adventures. From swimming with whale sharks in Tanzania to filming our Cross-Canada RV journey, we found ourselves reaching for the GoPro whenever the adventure began.

After Almost 10 Years: Cameras and smartphones have evolved, but our GoPro has remained a constant in our backpack. It’s one of the few pieces of travel gear we’ve used on almost every trip, and if we lost it tomorrow, we’d buy another one without hesitation.

After a Few Trips

We originally bought it for underwater adventures. Then we started using it for hikes. Then road trips. Then wildlife encounters. Then Instagram Reels. Without really noticing, it became part of our standard packing list.

After Almost 10 Years

We’ve upgraded our gear over the years, but the reasons we fell in love with GoPro haven’t changed. It’s tiny, incredibly durable, waterproof, and somehow manages to be in places where no other camera comfortably can, turning every moment into an adventure.

Some gadgets feel exciting for a few months before collecting dust on a shelf. Our GoPro has travelled to more countries than most people. That probably says everything.

❤️ Why We Love It

• Compact enough to fit in a jacket pocket
• Truly waterproof without needing bulky housing
• Incredible video stabilization
• Perfect for POV footage
• Durable enough for rough travel
• Easy to mount almost anywhere
• Makes creating travel content effortless

What the GoPro lacks

No piece of gear is perfect. Here are the downsides we’ve experienced.

• Battery life can disappear quickly, especially in cold weather.
• Low-light performance still isn’t as good as modern smartphones.
• Accessories can become expensive.
• You’ll almost certainly want extra batteries and memory cards.

None of these are deal-breakers for us, but they’re worth knowing before you buy.

Real Travel Test

Adventure	Performance
Road Trips	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hiking	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Camping	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Snorkeling & Water Sports	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rain	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Flights	⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Everyday City Use	⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

If there’s one thing we’ve learned after years of travelling with a GoPro, it’s that it shines when you’re moving. Whether it’s clipped to a backpack while hiking, mounted inside an RV, floating beside you in the ocean, or strapped to a kayak, it’s built for experiences, not just sightseeing.

GoPro vs iPhone vs DJI Osmo Action vs Insta360: Which One Should You Buy?

Honestly? Your smartphone has probably replaced your DSLR—but it hasn’t replaced your GoPro.

Modern phones capture incredible photos and videos, especially in good lighting. But they’re not designed to be mounted on a kayak, strapped to your backpack, dropped into a lake, or taken snorkelling with whale sharks. That’s where an action camera truly shines.

If you’re deciding between a GoPro, your smartphone, DJI Osmo Action, or Insta360 Ace Pro, here’s how they compare based on nearly a decade of real-world adventures, from Tanzania and Sri Lanka to the Canadian Rockies and our Cross-Canada RV road trip.

Feature	GoPro	Smartphone	DJI Osmo Action	Insta360 Ace Pro
Waterproof for real adventures	✅ Up to 10m without housing	⚠️ Mostly water-resistant	✅ Up to 18m without housing	⚠️ Water-resistant (housing recommended for deeper dives)
Hands-free mounting	✅ Excellent	❌ Needs to stay in your hand	✅ Excellent	✅ Excellent
Ultra-wide immersive footage	✅ Outstanding	⚠️ More limited field of view	✅ Excellent	✅ Excellent
Built for action	✅ Designed for it	❌ Built for everyday use	✅ Designed for it	✅ Designed for it
Drop & adventure durability	✅ Extremely rugged	❌ More fragile	✅ Extremely rugged	✅ Rugged
Low-light performance	⭐⭐⭐☆☆	⭐⭐⭐⭐☆	⭐⭐⭐☆☆	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Video stabilization	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ HyperSmooth	⭐⭐⭐⭐☆	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ RockSteady	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ FlowState
Best For	Adventure travel, hiking, road trips & water sports	Everyday photos & casual videos	Outdoor sports & action	Creators who want the best image quality

Our take: If you’re already carrying an iPhone, you don’t need a GoPro for everyday travel photos. Your iPhone is better for portraits, food, city walks, and low-light photography.

But if we were buying our first action camera today, we’d still choose a GoPro. For when the adventure begins – whether we’re swimming, hiking, kayaking, paddling, or road-tripping – it’s the best. It’s smaller, tougher, waterproof, and built for the kind of travel we love.

That’s why we never choose one over the other. We travel with both because they do very different jobs.

Tips Before Buying

❤️ Worth the Upgrade? If you already own a Hero 11 or 12, we’d probably skip upgrading.

The One Tip We Wish We’d Known Earlier

For years, we never bothered reading the instruction manual. Apparently, after taking your GoPro into the ocean or a swimming pool, you’re supposed to rinse it thoroughly with fresh water.

We… didn’t.

Thankfully, ours survived years of saltwater, sand and questionable treatment. Would we recommend taking that chance? Definitely not. A quick rinse after every swim takes less than a minute and will help your camera last much longer.

Learn from our mistakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a GoPro still worth buying in 2026?

Yes. If you enjoy hiking, road trips, water sports or creating travel content, we think it’s still one of the best travel cameras you can own.

Can beginners use a GoPro?

Absolutely. The latest models are incredibly easy to use, and the automatic settings produce excellent results straight out of the camera.

Is a GoPro really waterproof?

Yes. Most current GoPros are waterproof without additional housing, making them perfect for snorkeling, kayaking and rainy adventures. In fact, this is where it shines. We’ve taken ours underwater in:

• the warm Indian Ocean off Tanzania
• the beaches of Sri Lanka
• the Arabian Gulf in Dubai
• icy mountain streams near McLeod Ganj
• hot springs in Himachal Pradesh
• crystal-clear lakes across British Columbia and Alberta

It has never let us down. As self-proclaimed water babies, every beach holiday somehow turns into a snorkelling holiday. And GoPro has quietly documented almost all of it. Some of our favourite travel memories simply wouldn’t ex

How long does the battery last?

Expect around 60–90 minutes of continuous filming, depending on your settings and weather conditions. We always travel with at least two spare batteries.

Which accessories do you actually need?

When we first bought our GoPro, we couldn’t justify buying all the official accessories. Instead, we picked up an affordable accessory kit online. These are our favourites:

• Floating hand grip for snorkelling
• Selfie stick
• Head strap
• Magnetic clip
• Extra batteries
• Dual battery charger
• 256GB SanDisk Extreme memory card

Everything else is optional.

Can I replace my phone with a GoPro?

Not really. Your phone is still better for everyday photos and low-light situations. A GoPro complements your phone rather than replacing it.

Final Thoughts

So, should you buy it? Let me tell you a story… Every time, we think back to a morning off the coast of Mafia Island in Tanzania. We’d never snorkelled before, and within seconds of jumping into the water, a whale shark appeared beneath us.
I forgot I was underwater – the sight just took my breath away. Literally. I ended up taking in mouthfuls of water through my nose, but in that moment I found my spirit animal. We swam alongside the largest fish in the world – the toothless grin and the little fishies under their fins, the stripes and the feeling of meeting the ultimate travellers (it is said they go around the world every year).  Now imagine if we had our GoPro with us!

Years later, we don’t remember which settings we used or whether we filmed in 1080p or 4K. We remember the splash as we jumped into the Pacific for the first time, and we can relive it because we had our GoPro with us.

That’s what makes a GoPro worth it. Not because it has the latest features. Because it helps us relive the adventures that matter most. And that’s probably the biggest compliment we can give any piece of travel gear.

Where to Buy

Buy from the Official GoPro Store (Affiliate Link)

Buy on Amazon (Affiliate Link)

Recommended Accessories

• Extra Battery
• Dual Battery Charger
• SanDisk Extreme microSD Card
• Floaty Grip
• Extension Pole / Selfie Stick

Related Guides

• Our Favourite GoPro Accessories for Travel
• What’s in Our Travel Bag? Travel Gear We Actually Use
• The Best Travel Cameras for Every Budget