Two-minute review
GoPro makes some of the best action cameras you can buy. The GoPro Hero 10 Black is our top pick thanks to its unmatched image and stabilization quality, and the Hero 9 Black still holds its own after over a year on the market. What also helps GoPro cameras stand out is the brand’s commitment to accessories, with the latest being the battery grip tripod hybrid – the GoPro Volta.
The Volta is a very practical addition to the GoPro Hero 9 or Hero 10 black, loaded with utility, and perfect for anyone who doesn’t need a waterproof grip. It’s comfortable to use and adds plenty of functionality to the line, turning into a tripod, extending your camera’s battery, and offering both wired and wireless remote control over your Hero. For a truly polished vlogging setup, you’ll need to buy the Volta as part of the Hero 10 Black Creator Edition, which also includes some Mods.
The fixed USB-C cable coil on the back of the Volta is awkward when unplugged, and it can be a fiddle getting the USB-C connection into the port, whether you’re using a camera standalone or as part of the Media Mod system. Once everything’s set up and connected, though, the Volta helps dispel battery anxiety and delivers a comfortable shooting experience hand-held, and a steady one when in tripod mode.
If you don’t have a Hero 10 Black already, the Creator Edition is a smart call for YouTubers or vloggers looking to create a compact film rig with external audio. The Media Mod helps capture high-quality audio, and the excellent light mod is a brilliant tool for photographers and videographers, whether used as part of the GoPro rig or standalone on a remote shoot. Read our GoPro Hero 10 Black review and find out more about how it performs.
GoPro Volta and Hero 10 Creator Edition pricing
While the Volta is a perfectly good accessory in its own right, when matched with the Hero 10 Black, Media Mod, and Light Mod, it becomes part of a powerful mini filming rig also known as the Creator Edition bundle.
You can buy the Volta standalone for $90.99 / £83.99 with a GoPro subscription, or $129.99 / $119.99 without one, though pricing gets a bit more confusing when you consider picking up the Creator Edition.
New GoPro subscribers get the best deal for the Creator Edition – $531.95 / £508.45 / AU$820.33 – not bad given how powerful the system is, especially when matched with a microphone like the DJI Mic or Rode Wireless Go II.
If you’re an existing GoPro subscriber, expect to pay $581.96 / £558.46 / AU$890.33, and for anyone who doesn’t have a membership, the Creator Edition bundle costs above the odds at $784.95 / £759.95 / AU$1204.75. Given GoPro subscriptions cost $49.99 / £49.99 / AUS $69.99 a year, picking one up is a no-brainer.
Design
A quick glance at the Volta and you can likely tell what it does. For starters, it’s a grip. The coiled, dangling USB-C cable suggests it charges up your action camera, while the buttons on its side clearly control shooting modes and content capture. At the base, there’s also a tripod thread which means it’s also mountable – and, of course, you can mount your GoPro atop it.
There are a few hidden highlights when you inspect the Volta more closely – a USB-C port underneath a flap so you can charge the Volta’s battery, and a concealed action cam mount, which needs to be released into view with the press of a spring-loaded button.
This means you can mount the Volta onto your handlebars or car bonnet without having to dismount your GoPro. Finally, the front side of the grip flaps open, turning the Volta into a tripod.
It’s also worth noting, the Volta’s main mount swivels, so you can rotate your GoPro Hero, locking it at 90-degree increments – a saving grace when fitting the cumbersome coiled USB-C cable into your camera.
Setup and usability
Connecting your action camera to your Volta is easy enough provided you’re running with the latest firmware. The Volta ships with a battery door that replaces the default door so you can plug the grip into your camera.
This downgrades waterproofing to weatherproofing, but means in addition to powering up your camera, you can control it without needing to pair it with your Volta. For wireless control, it’s a simple case of Bluetooth pairing in the camera’s menu – no need to faff with the GoPro app.
As for real-world use, the Volta’s grip is comfortable, its features are logical and for the most part, its design does a great job of eking out even more from your GoPro. It easily converts into a tripod, when the legs are locked in ‘grip mode’ it’s secure, and having the option to mount the Volta is incredibly handy.
The main area the Volta dropped the ball for us was awkwardness. We’ve already mentioned the USB-C cable. It’s a coiled dangly thing that hangs off the grip body and can’t be removed. We would have preferred a removable USB-C cable rather than a fixed one, or another more elegant solution.
The Volta is also relatively slow to charge, powering up in around two hours with a fast charger. Given some smartphones like the OnePlus Nord CE 2 with similar battery capacities power-up in just over 30 minutes, fully charging the Volta can make for frustrating waiting when in a rush.
