New to April 2022, the GoPro Volta gives you more control, more setup options and longer battery life all in one handy package. At RRP, it's priced at GBP £119.99 / USD $129.99 / AUD $199.95.
The brand considers it a mount rather than a Mod (although it's far more than just a mount, as you'll see), and it's compatible with today's best GoPros – i.e. the GoPro HERO 10 Black and GoPro HERO 9 Black. If you really want to supercharge your cam, you can also buy it as part of the Creator Edition Bundle, which includes the H10, GoPro Light Mod, and GoPro Media Mod. Even on its own, this little accessory punches well above its diminutive weight, though. Read on for my full GoPro Volta review.
GoPro Volta Mod review: design and build
At first glance, the GoPro Volta looks like many other GoPro grips, but there’s a lot more going on here, to put it mildly. Stashed inside the Volta is a 4900mAh battery and USB-C cable, which can triple the battery life of your GoPro HERO 10 Black. That alone is pretty helpful, but there’s more; the handle splits into a tripod configuration, excellent for static shots or vlogs, and the mounting fingers rotate and tilt the camera to give you the best chance of that elusive shot.
On the top of the handle, handy for one’s thumb, sits a ‘mode/power’ button, a Red record/shutter button, and two Bluetooth and Battery buttons, respectively.
In addition, the Volta can link to your GoPro HERO 10 Black via Bluetooth, from up to 98 ft (30m) away, acting as a wireless control, allowing you to change modes and start-stop recording. Finally, there’s a lanyard hole and lanyard supplied, as well as a ¼-20 mount built into the base. It’ll charge other USB-C devices with its 5V/2.4A (12W max) output, too.
GoPro Volta Mod Review: performance and usability
Charge time on the GoPro Volta is surprisingly lengthy, coming in at two-and-a-half hours, but in return you get just over four hours of 5.3K recording... provided the GoPro doesn’t overheat in the process. That’s a considerable boost, and very useful indeed for pro or semi-pro use.
The built-in buttons allow hands-free use, whether you’re using the cable or Bluetooth, which is a nice touch; as GoPro suggests, it’s well worth pairing the Bluetooth well before you need it, leading to a more seamless experience. A handy row of five white LEDs give you a clear indicator of the level of charge, and when plugged in it’ll automatically start to charge the GoPro battery, just like an external battery pack.
In operation, you simply squeeze the battery button on the grip, which wakes Volta, then hit the mode/power button, which wakes the GoPro. The Mode button cycles through the camera mode settings, as you’d expect, and the big shutter button does what it says on the tin. The grip is well-sized and comfortable for getting a good hold on it, but of course doesn’t extend, unlike other grips.
Testing the Volta with the GoPro Media Mod, the combination certainly improves slickness and the extra battery is much-needed on longer excursions. The only niggle is the tightly-coiled USB-C cable, which can be tricky to position out of the way, often obstructing the screen, and reaching full extension to charge the Light mod when attached to the top shoe. It does reach, but only just, although a longer cable would obviously get in the way of other activities.
If you don’t want to spring for the Media Mod, then the Volta comes with a USB pass through door that can be swapped for the original GoPro one. However, both the pass-through door and the Media Mod are not waterproof, something to consider.
GoPro Volta Mod Review: verdict
The GoPro Volta Mod is arguably the king of GoPro grips, delivering a vast range of benefits in a slick and sleek package. It’s not all show either, there are some genuine, tactical benefits here that are well worth considering for any GoPro aficionado. The extended battery life is well worth the price alone, and the remote function is slick and ready when you need it, while the grip controls are a must-have for vloggers of all stripes.
