A few months ago, GoPro launched their newest action camera line dubbed the Hero 4 and with this new model came a redesigned rechargeable battery. This change upset some consumers who have already invested in spare batteries for earlier GoPro models that are now useless in regards to the newest model. Buying an extra GoPro branded battery will set you back just under $20 per battery which doesn't sound like a lot of money although you can save a few bucks by choosing reputable aftermarket brand.
Since I recently purchased a GoPro Hero 4 and went through the spare battery buying process myself, I figured I'd round up a short list of third party battery brands that I would recommend to purchase based off of consumer reviews and my own personal experience. My hope is that I can save you some money and future troubles that may arise from choosing a non-reputable brand.
Wasabi – $25 (2 Batteries + Charger)
While you may have never heard of this brand, Wasabi has been involved in the camera accessories market for quite some time specifically in regards to their affordable aftermarket battery. Since I've purchased Wasabi Batteries for my Canon 5D Mark III and Panasonic GH4 with nothing but a positive experience, I knew their GoPro batteries would not disappoint. For a price of just under $25, you get two spare batteries with an 1160 mAh capacity (same as GoPro branded) as well as a spare charger that can charge both batteries at once.
Watson – $19 (2 Batteries)
Watson is another popular third-party camera battery manufacturer that are sold through B&H Photo. For one dollar less than the price of a single GoPro branded battery, you can get yourself two identical 1160 mAh spares. Going with this route, you don't get a battery charger like with the Wasabi above however you can just charge it internally as you would with the GoPro battery included with each Hero 4 models.
Smatree – $20 (2 Batteries + Charger)
At $20, the Smatree batteries offer the best value for the dollar as you get two batteries plus a charger for the reasonable price. Another advantage of the Smatree batteries is that they provide 160 mAh or roughly 11% more battery capacity more than the stock GoPro battery. The included charger has room for three charging slots so you are able to charge three batteries simultaneously from one outlet. I have personally never used any Smatree batteries in the past although the Amazon reviews seem promising racking up a 4.7 out of 5 star rating after 214 reviews.
This concludes my recommendations for reputable third party GoPro battery brands. I hope you have found these suggestions helpful and understand these third party options are meant as an alternative to GoPro branded batteries to save a few bucks. However, you surely can't go wrong with purchasing genuine GoPro batteries should you have the budget to support a few spares at $20 a pop.
Have a positive experience with another third party battery brand that isn't listed here? Feel free to share them in the comments below!
