GoPro Hero 960 Review

The GoPro Hero 960 helmet cam is GoPro's least expensive option and is the lowest price mini video cam we know of. In some sense, it is old technology that has been left in the dust by other GoPro and Contour models. On the other hand, at $150 (which includes a bomber housing and a few mounts) it is one of the best deals out there and totally adequate for many people. In general, we highly recommend the GoPro HD Hero2, which is our Editors' Choice pick due to its awesome image quality, 11mp camera, LCD screen, external mic and more. But if you are short on cash, the 960 does a lot for the money. Its main price competitor is Contour Roam $200. The Roam has better image quality, a sleeker design, and can be configured using your computer. We gave the Roam our Best Buy award because it gives you so much for $200. If you don't want to spend $300 on the Hero2 and are deliberating between the Roam and Hero 960, it really comes down mounts vs. image quality. If you want better mounts and want to save a bit of money, get the 960. If your first priority is image quality, get the Roam.

One thing to keep in mind is the 960p image quality may be just fine for you. If you are mainly sharing videos on the web or email, then 960p is just great. 1080p really only pops on big monitors or TVs.

The 960 comes with enough mounts to get you started in most sports. It comes with a headband (which our testing found delivered very shaky footage at medium/high speed). It has the same camera, housing and basics that come with all the other sport packages (see below).


What’s Included:
• 1 HD HERO 960 camera
• 1 Rechargeable 1100 mAh Lithium-Ion Battery
• 1 Waterproof Quick-Release Housing (197′ / 60m)
• 1 Curved, 3M™ Adhesive Mount
• 1 Flat, 3M™ Adhesive Mount
• 1 Helmet Front Mount
• 1 Headlamp-Style Head Strap
• 1 Quick-Release Buckle
• 1 USB Cable
• 1 Component Video Cable (HDTV)
• 1 Composite Video Cable + Audio Out Cable
• Warranty: One Year


Other Versions
The Original GoPro HD comes in four other versions:
GoPro HD Hero Naked ($200): just the housing and basic mount.
HD Surf Hero ($230): one surfboard mount, one FCS mount.
HD Motosports Hero ($240): suction cup mount, many adhesive mounts.
HD Helmet Hero ($240): helmet mount, headband, vented helmet mount.

And there are the three sport packages of the GoPro HD Hero2: Outdoor, Surf, Motorsports.