GoPro Volta Review: A Battery Grip, Remote, and Tripod in One

Introduction

The GoPro Volta is a battery charging grip with a remote control built in. It looks like a selfie stick, but the handle hides a 4,900 mAh battery, and the body carries buttons for recording, mode switching, and battery status. After a couple of weeks of use, it is a well-made accessory with a clear purpose, though it will not replace every grip in your bag.

What Comes in the Box

The package includes the Volta grip itself, a USB-C pass-through door for the side of the camera, a thumb screw, and a GoPro charging cable, which is the same cable that ships with the camera. The pass-through door is a small but thoughtful addition: you swap it in place of the standard door so the cable plugs in cleanly, making the setup a bit more water-resistant than a loose cable flapping out of the stock door.

There are two ways to use the Volta. Wired, with the cable connected, you get full control of the camera plus charging from the battery in the grip base. Wireless, it works like a standard GoPro remote, which is handy when you want to mount the camera elsewhere and trigger it from the grip.

Battery and Charging Capabilities

The battery in the base is rated at 4,900 mAh. For context, a normal GoPro battery is about 1,720 mAh, so the handle holds roughly three batteries worth of charge. Add the battery already in the camera and you get around four hours of recording at 5.3K and 30 frames per second.

That is the headline feature. On full vlogging days it means you can stop juggling loose batteries in pockets and bags, where they get lost or soaked in the rain. The Volta also works as a power bank: the USB-C cable on the side can charge anything USB-C, like a phone, in a pinch.

Controls and Compatibility

The control set is simple but covers the basics. A large red button starts and stops recording. The mode button cycles through video, photo, and time-lapse modes just like the mode button on the camera’s side, and an LED indicator shows which mode you are in. A separate battery button displays the grip’s charge level in 20 percent increments, from zero to 100 in five chunks.

Officially, GoPro requires a firmware update on the Hero 9 and Hero 10 for full integration. The pairing process is very easy: plug the cable into the side of the camera and it usually completes on its own, with no Bluetooth steps needed. For older cameras, including the Hero 8 and earlier and the GoPro Max, the Volta pairs via Bluetooth as a standard GoPro remote.

One small detail: the grip stays in a low-power mode for 24 hours, then goes to sleep. Press any button to wake it up again.

Grip, Tripod Legs, and Everyday Handling

The body rotates in 90-degree increments so you can orient the buttons toward your thumb for selfie-style shooting, or rotate them away for a cleaner look. The joints are very sturdy and lock firmly in place; there is no chance of the camera flopping around.

At the base, two small legs fold out and, combined with the twist adjustment, let the Volta stand on a flat surface as a mini tripod. It is noticeably more stable on a table in the wind than GoPro’s Shorty or 3-Way. There is also a standard tripod screw on the bottom and a lanyard attachment.

On the side, a small tab lets you hook the Volta onto a GoPro backpack mount, and pressing a button retracts the fingers into a clean base profile. Weight is almost identical to the GoPro 3-Way, so much so that it is hard to tell them apart by hand. Compared to the Shorty, though, the Volta is considerably heavier.

Water Resistance

GoPro describes the whole unit as water resistant, suitable for rain and snow but not submersion. The main limitation is the USB-C port on the side of the camera using the pass-through door and its rubber stopper: it handles splashes and even a poured bottle of water without letting liquid in, but it would not survive being submerged. The Volta also works with the Media Mod.

Where It Fits in Your Kit

If you already own GoPro grips, the comparison matters. The Shorty is a pocketable stand whose main job is keeping hands away from the camera’s microphones, and its extended reach is practically the same as the Volta’s. The 3-Way is the versatile option for creative angles, like low shots beside a bike while cycling.

The Volta’s two main features are the remote and the battery, and the battery is the stronger argument. If you use the camera on the camera body daily, the buttons may feel redundant, since reaching the controls becomes second nature. For shooters with smaller hands, however, having accessible buttons at the handle is genuinely useful, since reaching the camera’s own controls can be a stretch.

Buying Advice

The Volta costs $90 for GoPro subscribers and $129 otherwise. That is a noticeable GoPro price premium, though it feels relatively fair given the current cost of everything, and no third-party accessory offers native remote integration like this. If you shoot vlog-style content and want four batteries worth of runtime in one water-resistant package, it is easy to recommend. If you only use your GoPro occasionally with another camera as your main shooter, the Shorty in your pocket probably remains the better daily pick.

Conclusion

The GoPro Volta is a well-built, genuinely useful accessory for vlogging-focused GoPro shooters, combining extended battery life, simple remote controls, and a stable mini-tripod stance in one grip. It is not an every-day-carry replacement for a compact Shorty, but as part of a kit, it earns its place.