GoPro has finally announced the long-awaited Hero8 Black, and among the popular action camera’s new features is a big increase in video frame rates at higher resolutions. More frames, of course, means more data, which piles even more pressure on the compact microSD card that sits inside your camera.
With cameras that shoot 4K at 60fps and 2.7K now becoming standard, what are you going to do? Buy more memory cards, of course. With bigger capacities and faster write times, there’s a vast selection of memory cards out there which are ideally suited for your GoPro.
The old guard of MicroSD cards that I looked at last year were just starting to break into new colossal capacities and I managed to look at the first of the V30 and V60 cards.
Now, these cards are commonplace, and the old C10 cards are all but obsolete. So let’s take a look at the present batch of cards that can withstand the full requirements of the latest GoPro working at maximum quality, resolution and framerate.
The best memory cards for GoPro you can buy today
Delkin Power
- 32GB – 128GB
- 300 MB/s Read
- 250 MB/s Write
- Class 10 / U3 / V90
- Lifetime Warranty
Delkin’s Power microSD cards use the latest speed class technology for data-intensive capture such as 4K and 360 video. Its V90 video speed class guarantees a write speed of at least 90MB/s, but Delkin’s Power series pushes this up to 250MB/s.
You pay for these types of data transfer rates, of course, but Delkin’s Power microSD is perhaps the best memory card for GoPro cameras on this list.
Visit Delkin’s website for more specifications.
Samsung PRO Endurance
- 32GB – 128GB
- 100 MB/s Read
- 30 MB/s Write
- Class 10
- Up to 5 Years Warranty
Built to last, Samsung’s Pro Endurance cards are water-, shock-, temperature-, X-ray- and magnet-proof. That’s pretty durable!
What’s more, with its 128GB card you can store more 43,000 hours of video content. Perfect for 4K video recording, or long time-lapse sequences.
Visit Samsung’s website for more specifications.
Sandisk Extreme Plus
- 32GB – 128GB
- 170 MB/s Read
- 90 MB/s Write
- Class 10 / U3 / V30
- 30 Year Warranty
The SanDisk Extreme Plus was made with action cameras in mind. Like the Samsung up above, the SanDisk is everything-proof and built for use in harsh conditions.
It’s transfer speeds might not be the fastest on this list of best memory cards for GoPro cameras, it’s reliable and built to last. It’s also 4K UHD-ready with UHS speed class 3 (U3) and video speed class 30 (V30) ratings.
Visit SanDisk’s website for more information.
Lexar Professional 1800x
- 64GB – 128B
- 270 MB/s Read
- 150 MB/s Write
- Class 10 / U3 / V90
- 1 Year Limited Warranty
Designed for high-speed capture of 4K and 360 video, Lexar’s Professional 1800x cards are a powerhouse. Write speeds are 150MB/s, while read speeds touch 270MB/s.
Lexar’s cards are also backwards compatible with UHS-I devices and come with an SD UHS-II adapter for high-speed file transfer.
Visit Lexar’s website for more specifications.
PNY Pro Elite
- 64GB – 512GB
- 90 MB/s Read
- 100 MB/s Write
- Class 10 / U3 / V30
- 5-year Warranty
Perhaps the best bargain on our best memory cards for GoPro list, the PNY Pro Elite 128GB card can be had for less than £30. With its V30 video speed rating it’s capable of recording 4K video, with write speeds of up to 90MB/s.
Visit PNY’s website for more specifications.
Kingston Canvas React
- 32 – 512GB
- 100 MB/s Read
- 80 MB/s Write
- Class 10 / U3 / V30
Hard-wearing and durable, Kingston’s Canvas React microSD cards are IEC/EN 60529 IPX7 certified, meaning they can withstand being submerged in water for up to 30 minutes at a depth of up to 1m.
Its Class 10 UHS-I U3 rating makes it ideal for shooting 4K video and high-speed burst sequences.
Visit Kingston’s website for more specifications.
Verbatim Pro+
- 32GB – 64GB
- 80 MB/s Read
- 90 MB/s Write
- Class 10 / U3 / V30
- Limited Lifetime Warranty
Verbatim’s Pro+ cards are designed for 4K video capture and shooting high-speed bursts of raw or JPEG stills.
Verbatin’s Pro+ memory cards are U3 rate, with write speeds of up to 80MB/s and read speeds at 90MB/s.
Visit Verbatim’s website for more specifications.
What memory card do I need for my GoPro Hero 8?
Selecting a memory card for your GoPro Hero 8 is easy. GoPro has worked hard to make its cameras as compatible as possible, and this is a huge advantage that GoPro has over other manufacturers.
Being caught without a memory card or simply running out of space is infuriating, but then finding out that while the local store sells cards, it won’t work in your camera is even more so. I look at you, Sony.
Try almost any memory card in a GoPro, and it’ll just work. I’ve tried at least 10 manufacturers’ memory cards in the GoPro Hero 8 Black, and they all seem to work with ease, no issues.
These cards are all class 10 or above, a few V30’s, and it seems that the GoPro Hero 8 Black at least has enough in reserves to buffer the footage before it’s written down.
I haven’t pushed my luck with any class of card lower than 10, but as anything lower is almost impossible to find these days, I think it’s a safe bet that pretty much any card you select will work.
However, while cards come cheap, it’s always worth spending a little more for quality such as those in our list of best memory cards for GoPro.