The best body cameras in 2024: wearable cameras for protection, security, and fun (2024)

The best body cam can help you stay safe, by collecting video as you work. Law enforcement and security personnel have the most obvious need for them, but anyone wanting evidence for a potential insurance claim or legal battle will find them useful too. They might not be a bad idea if you have to walk through a bad neighborhood, either. Plus, content creators can use them to collect behind-the-scenes footage, or stream their process to followers in the most immersive and personal way possible!

In other words, just like cyclists use helmet cameras, and motorists use dash cams, all sorts of people can find body cameras handy. But how do you choose the right one for your needs?

For most people, the best body camera will be compact, unobtrusive, easily attached to clothing, and have a lens with a wide angle of view. You’ll also want something that’s robust and, ideally, can be worn out in all weathers and conditions.

Other desirable features will be a long battery life (especially if you work a long shift), decent camera resolution, and large (possibly expandable) data storage capacity, so you don’t run out of juice or memory at that crucial moment. Plus if you're working in the wee small hours, you'll be looking for night vision functions such as infrared capture.

You should also think about how you want to transfer video. Some offer Wi-Fi links to phones, though you might have to pay more, while others accept a removable microSD card, and/or USB connection to your PC. Unlike most cameras, a built-in screen for composing and reviewing images is not always provided (or needed).

Most users, however, just want a wearable camera they can fix to their clothing and then forget about. So we've included a couple of candidates in this category too – including the remarkable little Insta360 Go 2, and DJI’s magnetic Action 2.

Chris George

Chris has been writing about photography professionally for nearly 40 years and has tested hundreds of different cameras. He has advised lots of parents about choosing the right cameras for their children – and has bought a fair few for his four children too! He has been the editor of What Camera, N-Photo, PhotoPlus, Video Camera, and Digital Camera magazines.

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Best body cameras in 2024

Best body camera for personal security

The Rexing P1 is a great option for bouncers and others working in the dark, thanks to its built in infrared illumination, which can light subjects as far off as 15m at night. What might seem a little silly to some – the siren and flashing lights –also offers a good panic button option in some less-than-salubrious working environments.

The 3,000mAh rechargeable battery is charged via USB and the connection weather-sealed securing an IP67 waterproof rating. There is also capacity to augment the memory with an microSD card, but despite that the casing is definitely successfully ruggedized and will survive a drop (possibly even a hammer blow).

The rear LCD displays useful info – the time left and battery remaining – plainly (if not graphically), as well as allowing in-field playback, which is handy; and with no Wi-Fi, you can’t be hacked.

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Best tough body camera

Though not the cheapest option in our roundup, this Transcend camera features a robust construction. It comes housed in a IP67-rated enclosure for outdoor use and conforms to rigorous US military drop-test standards for shock resistance (the MIL-STD 810G 516.6 transit drop test, to be exact.)

With built-in Wi-Fi, a 130° field of view and the ability to take snapshots while recording video, it ticks the necessary boxes. You also get Full HD video capture, a fixed-aperture 2.0mm lens, a built-in mic and battery life of up to 12 hours, plus useful 64GB internal memory to get you started out of the box.

If you're out at night, there are four IR LEDs for recording in low-light conditions. Operation is one-touch, although the loud activation bleep and recording light may not be ideal if what you’re looking for is a device for discrete filming.

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Best adjustable body camera

One of the biggest issues with body cameras is that the lens points in the direction your clothing chooses. This device helps provide a solution in the form of rotating lens on a simple friction mount. This also affords the ability to re-direct the camera and place discretely in different places, like the top of a fridge.

Despite its small size, the camera also manages to cram in a color screen for menus and playback, though we’d recommend viewing via USB on a computer. We also liked the physical sliding switch to start video capture. Though they’ll draw power faster, there are four IR LEDs for night use and the option of a pocket clip (included) or screw mount.

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Best body camera for simplicity

Discretion is the name of the game when it comes to this personal security device or, cough, spy cam. It’s a small and lightweight body camera option that also comes supplied with a clip, or, alternatively, can be worn about the neck, pendant-style.

Chief among its enticing features is Full HD video up to 30fps, for which you’ll want to make use of the 32GB card supplied out of the box. Alternatively, a 64GB microSD card is offered. If there’s a compromise due to its diminutiveness, it’s that battery life can’t match others here at a comparatively paltry 180 minutes from a full charge.

What some may find useful here, however, is that the device features a built-in USB port for connecting directly to a laptop or PC for transferring footage. If you want simplicity, this device delivers.

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Best body camera for fun

The Insta360 Go 2 is not a long-lasting security device for law enforcement. In fact,it's quite the opposite. It's a cute and tiny wearable camera you can clip to your clothing, snap to a magnetic pendant around your neck, prop up on our own desk in its own holder, stick to a car dash or window... and more.With this much versatility, you can get some truly distinctive point-of-view shorts.

But the Insta360 Go 2 is far from being a mere novelty device, with features such as image stabliization and horizon lock adding to its capabilities. Is it a body camera? Not in the professional security sense. But it is a 'body camera' for the rest of us that's small, clever and a whole lot of fun.

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Best budget body camera

Designed more like a clip-on torch than a camera, the Losfom Z03 might not have the deterrent effect a bouncer or police officer might need, but for others it’s a handy tool. Cyclists, especially, will be able to strap it round their helmet not only to record drivers’ transgressions, but to use the light at night for more visibility on the road. You can balance the battery charge by opting for one of three brightness options, up to 200 lumens.

Video is recorded to the included TF/microSD card (check the supplied size with the retailer as this varies). In the box are head and wrist straps.

Read more: Losfom Z03 review

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Best action cam and body camera hybrid

The DJI Action 2 is not built as a body cam but, thanks to its compact design and magnetic mount, it can serve as one in a certain scenario. If you need to capture video for a limited period and don’t want to wear more than a T-shirt or tank top, then the camera module of the Action 2 can be secured in place to a magnetic grip on a lanyard beneath the fabric; it’s much more discrete than a body belt or head mount yet gets quality first-person footage.

You can even review it on the unbelievably sharp built-in screen, or play it back on your phone thanks to its wi-fi connection. The camera’s range of attachments also makes it a great choice for cyclists (in which case the classic helmet mount may be preferable).

Read more: DJI Action 2 review

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Best head-worn camera

The Ordro EP8 and its less-well specified sibling the EP6 offer, if not a unique perspective, then a rare means of capturing it that will appeal to some. Body-worn cameras are often clipped to a chest pocket (beneath the eyes), while an action camera with head strap can be excessively distracting. Instead this camera can be charged up and worn at exactly eye height thanks to the head band. It’s not invisible, but it’ll get the ideal first-person angle for certain vloggers –driving or cycling videos for example – and the head band can be worn over glasses.

The EP8 (as well as the EP7 it replaces) has a two-axis gimbal that serves to capture reasonably stable imagery. The app allows you to align your shot live, or you can just shoot ‘blind’ with the side buttons.

The 4K video is a little aggressively sharpened by the software, but nice and crisp for editing (or one-click sharing from the app). Sadly there's no night mode for bouncers, though there is IPX5 ingress protection for action fans. The cheaper EP6 lacks the powered gimbal, but might be a useful alternative if you’re pushed for cash.

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How to choose the best body camera

• Viewing Angle, or Field of View, is important because if a camera has a relatively narrow field of view important events can be missed at the sides of the frame. The human field of view is around 114˚ not counting peripheral vision, but most body worn cameras don’t turn with your head so a wider field of view is usually better.
• Attachment. How you wear your camera is crucial, so think about what you wear (a uniform?) when you’ll be wearing the camera and where you can attach the camera. Will the weight of the camera pull your clothing and make it sway? How will that affect the video?
• Battery life, or operating time, is important. It’s also worth remembering that features like night modes with IR lighting can use power a little faster, so better not cut this too fine.
• Cellular. It’s also possible to source cameras – like the Halo Connect and Reveal K-7 –with built-in streaming, but these devices are designed for large corporate installations rather than the average user. Hopefully, some of the features will trickle down soon.
• Infrared. A night mode with built-in lighting results in a slightly spooky red glow from ‘invisible’ lights but can capture details near you with no other light. It will draw more battery, though.
• Storage. Choosing between removable memory cards –useful for quick copying to a computer –or simple built-in memory for looped recording will depend on your needs. However, it is possible to record in a loop to removable cards too. In either case, when a significant event has occurred, you need to be sure to transfer and copy it before you use the camera again in case the data is lost.

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