Spare batteries are among the first accessories I buy for all my GoPros. And now that the HERO 4 models are getting old, there’s a good chance that your old batteries are fading and need replacement. So here’s a rundown of the options for the GoPro HERO 4 Silver and HERO 4 Black.
GoPro Deals
The GoPro HERO12 is now out!
GoPro action cameras do a lot of things well. Battery life is not one of them. Even under ideal circumstances, using video modes that use the least power, the best you can hope for is under two hours for a fully charged battery in the GoPro HERO 4. In real-world use, you’re more likely to get something closer to around one hour. If you leave the wifi on, you’ll get less. If you use the LCD screen, you’ll get a lot less.
Even adding an extended battery might bring you up to around three hours, but it also means adding weight and bulk.
And with only one battery, you’ll find yourself waiting for it to charge when you could be out shooting. With a charger that can charge multiple batteries at once, you’ll be able to just rotate them out of the charger as needed.
If you have spare batteries from earlier models, you’re out of luck if you’re expecting them to work in the GoPro HERO 4. The new models use a new kind of battery. It’s a rechargeable lithium-ion battery rated at 1160mAH, 3.8V, 4.4Wh. Both the GoPro HERO 4 Black and the GoPro HERO 4 Silver use the same battery.
Here’s a roundup of some options for spare batteries and battery chargers for the GoPro HERO4 Silver and Black editions. GoPro makes their own. But there are also third-party options made by other manufacturers that are much less expensive, and some have extra features included. I’ve used both Smatree and Wasabi Power batteries and chargers for my GoPros for a long time and have found them to be very good. In my experience, their battery cells perform just as well as the official GoPro-branded ones in day-to-day use.
Official GoPro HERO 4 Batteries & Chargers
GoPro offers some GoPro-branded batteries and chargers. They’re officially supported by GoPro, and if you’re at all concerned about compatibility issues, these are the safest bet.
You can find them at B&H Photo and Amazon.
- 1160mAh lithium ion battery: High quality rechargeable battery for your HERO4 BLACK or HERO4 SILVER...
- Extra or Replacement Battery: Use it as a spare or replacement battery for your GoPro to stay charged on...
Another option that GoPro offers in their official line is a dual battery charger that also comes with a spare battery. It can charge two batteries at once, and having the external charger gives you much more flexibility rather than always having to charge the battery in the camera.
The official GoPro HERO 4 charger can charge two batteries at once. Please note that despite the official marketing photos you might see, the charger kit comes with only one spare battery and a USB cable. It does not include a USB wall charger or a DC car charger–both are sold separately–but you can use pretty much any of the dozens of other USB wall chargers you already have lying around from other devices.
You can find them at Amazon and B&H Photo.
- Simultaneous charging: The only GoPro battery charger that lets you charge two GoPro batteries at the...
- Standard USB compatibility: Can be powered with most standard USB chargers, the GoPro wall or auto...
Smatree Batteries & Chargers for the GoPro HERO 4 Cameras
Smatree is one of the leading third-party brands offering high-quality GoPro batteries and chargers. They have several configurations available.
There’s one that consists of just two batteries that offers excellent value if you don’t need the cradle dock. The batteries use Japanese cells, have the same power ratings as the official GoPro ones and, in my experience in using them for some time now, have been functionally indistinguishable from the ones with official GoPro branding.
Smatree also offers a 3-slot charger kit for charging by USB. It includes two batteries, a 3-slot cradle so you can charge three batteries at once, and a USB cable. It does not include a wall outlet, but if you already have a standard 2.1 USB wall outlet or DC charger, you can use that. Or you can use a regular USB slot on your computer (although that often results in slower charging).
You can find them at Amazon.
- [NOT fit for hero 5]With high-tech Japanese cells, rechargeable Li-ion batteries with 1290 mAh for longer...
- Rapid 3Channel Charger allows charging 3pcs batteries for camera at once for time-saving.
Smatree also offers a whole shebang kit. For just a little more than the bundle above, this one also includes two batteries, a 3-slot cradle, a USB cable, an AC wall charger adapter, and a DC (car) charger adapter.
You can find them at Amazon.
- With high-tech Japanese cells, rechargeable Li-ion batteries with 1290 mAh for longer battery life, equal...
- Rapid 3-Channel Charger allows charging 3pcs batteries for Hero4 at once for time-saving
Wasabi Power Batteries & Chargers for GoPro HERO 4
Wasabi Power is another of the aftermarket battery brands that I’ve had good experiences with, and I’ve been using their batteries for GoPros for several years.
They offer a range of configurations. The best value is in their kits, which are very similar to those by Smatree. I’ve used both Wasabi Power and Smatree GoPro batteries for a while now and found them to perform just as well as the official GoPro-branded ones.
They offer a range of different configurations of batteries and chargers–such as two batteries and a charger, or another with a car charger or three batteries.
You can find the Wasabi Power batteries for the GoPro HERO4 at B&H Photo and Amazon.
- Premium Grade A cells for longer battery life with no memory effect
- Compatible with the HERO4 Black and HERO4 Silver cameras
They also offer a bundle that includes some international power plugs. It might be of particular interest if you’re planning overseas travel and want to maximize your options on where and when you can charge your batteries. In addition to a 2-slot cradle, two batteries, a USB cable, and a DC (car) charger adapter, the AC wall adapter includes a switching power supply with four worldwide AC adapter plugs. Those four won’t cover every country in the world, but it will get you going in many of the common places.
Watson Mini Duo Charger
Watson is one of the Gradus brands that is owned by B&H Photo. I’ve used several of their batteries and chargers over the years and found them to work well. This one is available as just a charger or in a bundle with two spare batteries.
You can find it at B&H Photo.
Extended Batteries for the GoPro HERO4 Silver and Black
Both the HERO 4 Silver and Black can use a specially designed extended battery. They plug into the back of the camera and roughly double the battery life you’ll get out of the camera, give or take. They also add some weight and protrude out the back, so if you’re using a housing you’ll want to use an extended back door (which is sometimes included, but can also be purchased separately).
These extended batteries will work with both the HERO 4 Black and Silver, but there’s a caveat on the Silver. Because they clip onto the back of the camera, the batteries will completely cover the Silver’s back screen.
GoPro Battery BacPac
GoPro makes an official, GoPro-branded battery that give extended battery life and works on the HERO4 Silver and Black that’s called the GoPro Battery BacPac. As usual, GoPro’s MSRP is a little higher than some of the aftermarket versions, but if you’re at all worried about compatibility issues, this is the safest bet.
You can find them at Amazon and B&H Photo.
- Seamlessly attaches to the back of your GoPro to extend battery life
- Features 15 percent more battery life than the previous model
Wasabi Extended Battery for GoPro HERO4
In addition to their replacements for the standard battery for the GoPro HERO 4 Silver and Black, Wasabi Power also make their own version of an extended battery that clips on the back of the camera just like GoPro’s Battery BacPac.
You can buy a version that’s just the battery itself or another that’s bundled with extended backdoors. You can find them at Amazon and
Available at Amazon and B&H Photo.
- Replaces the Battery BacPac; Seamlessly attaches to the back of your camera to extend battery life
- Rated at 3.8V and 1260mAh for extended battery life; Premium Japanese cells for longer battery life with...
Brunton All Day 2.0 Extended Battery for GoPro HERO 4
Since I originally posted this, these Brunton batteries have become extremely hard to find. That obviously makes them a much less viable option. But I’ll keep this here just in case someone manages to find one.
The Brunton All Day 2.0 is designed to work with most of the current range of GoPro HERO4 and HERO cameras. It replaces the back door of the standard housing is rated to be waterproof down to 131 feet (40 meters).
You can read my detailed hands-on review of the Brunton All Day 2.0 here.
DigiPower Re-Fuel 6-Hour Action Pack Battery for GoPro HERO4
This is a product that was released after I originally wrote this post, and I haven’t personally tried it. But now that the Brunton All Day 2.0 is basically impossible to find, this option is interesting and unique enough that I think it’s worth including here.
It’s the DigiPower Re-Fuel 6-Hour Action Pack Battery. Like the other extended batteries, it clips onto the back, but like the Brunton, it replaces the whole back–you don’t need a separate extended back door as you do with GoPro’s own BacPac battery. It’s rated to be waterproof down to 131 feet (40 meters), and the manufacturer claims it will provide up to 6 hours of continuous recording.
And if 6 hours isn’t enough, they also make larger versions that apparently provide up to 12 and 24 hours of continuous recording.
The version for the HERO4 is very hard to find now, but you can find versions for the HERO5, HERO6, and HERO7.
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Images and product information from Amazon PA-API were last updated on 2023-09-27 at 13:06. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon Site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
New Model: GoPro HERO12 Black
Released in September 2023, the HERO12 Black is GoPro's newest model.
- 5.3K60 / 4K120 / 2.7K240 Video
- 27MP Photos
- Waterproof to 33ft/10m
- HyperSmooth 6.0 Stabilization
- Shoot 5.3K60 & 4K120 video at up to 120Mbps bitrate
- HDR video up to 5.3K30
- Horizon Lock keeps level even during movement
- Take 27MP photos (5568 x 4872 pixels)
- 1/1.9" CMOS sensor
- Waterproof to 33ft / 10m, so you can take it swimming, paddling, surfing, or snorkeling without a separate housing
- Built-in mount point
- HyperSmooth 6.0 In-camera Video Stabilization creates smooth video without a gimbal
- Shoot up to 8x slow motion
I have a goPro4 black and I bought a Smatree extended battery model SMAPAC-401H 3.8v 2500mAh 9.5w on eBay. For some reason, the camera does not recognize the battery. The screen shows as no charge even thougj the battery is fully charged. I tried leaving the stock battery in the camera but to no success.
Is there a setting that I have to change to.let the camera know that I am using an external battery? Are the specs correct for the GoPro4?
There’s no switch or setting–the camera should detect an external battery automatically. I’m not familiar with that specific model of battery so I’m only guessing, but it’s possible that GoPro’s firmware is blocking the use of a non-GoPro battery. About a year ago GoPro did that for third-party internal batteries; it’s conceivable that they might have done that for accessories that plug into the back port. But that’s just speculation on my part and I don’t have that battery on hand to try.
I have the GoPro 4 Hero Silver. Last year I began using two GoPro extended batteries and they were great. This year the camera does not recognize them and shuts down when the internal battery runs out of power. Not impressed.
Are they GoPro-branded ones? GoPro did roll out some firmware updates quite a while ago that nixed some batteries made by third-party manufacturers, although I didn’t test at the time to see whether the HERO4 Silver was affected by that. If they’re GoPro-branded ones, it would be worth getting in touch with GoPro support directly.
Hello
what do you think about this capacity of this battery, will it hold longer.?
Thank you for all the info here.
also the price is vey good, don’t know of the quality.
$!7.99 for 4 batteries , link below.
4x 3.7V 1600mAh bateria Gopro Hero 4 camera battery hero4 with case+ 3 way USB Charger for Gopro HERO4 HERO 4 camera accessories
price is $17.71
Great article and awesome list.
How about powerextra Upgraded 2 Pack Batteries and Dual USB Charger.
It only sells $14.99 at amazon and With built-in high temperature resistant feature.
Link： https://www.amazon.com/Powerextra-Temperature-Resistant-Replacement-Batteries/dp/B01HAXDI5S
I’ve been testing it and it’s been working just fine for me without any issues.
Can i use same wall charger to charge batteries in double gopro bat charger that i use to charge my samsung note 5 phone?
Hi David – I live in Australia and just tried to purchase from Amazon and they don’t deliver batteries overseas – bummer.
Would you know where else you can purchase the two brands you have mentioned?
I suspect you’ll run into the same problem with a lot of major retailers. It’s due to the restrictions that airlines and other shippers place on transporting lithium batteries. I haven’t looked for them in JB HiFi, but it’s possible they have them or some other equivalent. They do seem to offer a third-party version on their website store, although it’s not any cheaper than their GoPro-branded version.
I just bought the GP Silver 4 with extra wasabi batteries. I’m traveling from the US to Irekand. How do I charge my batteries due to the voltage change.
The charger actually uses the USB standard, so you can plug the charging cradle into standard USB AC adapters. So long as you use a standard switching power supply (it’ll say something like “Input: 100-240V”) you’re fine. So you can use the supplied AC adapter with a standard travel adapter to change the plug or you can pick up a standard British USB adapter when you get there.
I just bought a GoPro Hero4 Silver and was researching about batteries and found this. THANK YOU so much. I didn’t realise I needed to get a second mortgage to get spare parts lol until reading this.
David your information is very informative and reassuring.
Everyone else – great questions :)
My son just bought the gopro hero 4 silver. Loves it but when he turns it off the battery drains fast. He has turned off the wifi and everything else like many sites have suggested but it still wont stay charged. Any suggestiions?
As you guessed, it shouldn’t be doing that, and it sounds like you’ve ruled out the usual suspects (mainly wifi). I had one that did that too a while back. In my case I replaced the battery with a new one and it worked normally, although I can’t guarantee that that will fix it for you. If it persists in doing it after trying a new battery, it’s probably worth exploring approaching wherever you bought it from for a replacement for the camera itself.
Thanks will try the replacement battery
Hi, I have a go pro hero 4 silver and thinking of getting spare batteries. I am not sure if to get Wasabi or Smatree. I read the comment from Amazon and see that the size of Wasabi battery is slightly bigger than the original go pro battery. Will it affect the go pro camera? I am not sure which one shall I get?
hi i have the smatree “shebang” kit as mentioned for my gopro 4 silver and all i have is praise for it, i dont know about the wasabi products but from my experience they are almost identical in power.
another useful point is that you can charge all your batteries at once, one in the camera and both smatree batteries in the charger and the extra gopro battery as there is an extra channel in the charger (
a little point to note for some strange reason the smatree batteries are slightly squarer than the gopro batteries although i dont think this will make any major relevance.
I have go pro hero 4, which spared battery shall I buy? Wasabi Or Smatree? I check the Amazon review and noticed the wasabi battery is a little bit larger than the original battery, do you know if this will affect the usage? Thanks
I use both and haven’t noticed any functional difference between them. While the Wasabi technically has a slightly higher mAh rating it doesn’t translate into much difference in real-world usage.
Hi David – I have the wasabi extended battery on Amazon. At first, the extended battery worked great with the base housing and showed 2 battery bars on the front display–one for the base and one for the battery pack. Now, when I attach the wasabi extended battery, the gopro doesn’t turn on. However, when I remove the battery pac, the gopro works. Do you know if there’s a setting or anything that would trigger connectivity issues for the battery pack not to work with the gopro? Thanks!
Hey David, Thanks very much for all the teaching info about this Gopro world, I feel I learned here more than in the Go pro’s page.
Glad it’s useful. Stay tuned–I have a bunch of GoPro-related posts planned over the next month or so.
Have you upgraded the camera’s firmware between when you first used the extended battery and now?
Thank you for such a detailed and amazing resource for a goPro newbie!! I am researching battery life and found this to be very helpful. One question, the Smatree batteries are 1290mha (whatever that is) and the gopro and wasabi batteries are 1160mha. Is 1290 ok, better, worse? Thanks!!!
They output the same strength of power at the same rate, but the larger mAh rating should mean that it stores more power and can last a little longer. In practice, it’s not usually as precise as the numbers suggest because there are several factors that interfere. But in theory a 1290mAh battery should last a little longer than an 1160mAh one.
recently there is other 3rd party battery products for gopro hero4
do you know is this battery is good or bad?
i scared something bad will happen when i connect this battery to my gopro..
the battery brand is ATT batteries
this is the picture of the products : https://www.static-src.com/wcsstore/Indraprastha/images/catalog/full/kamerakamera_att-battery-pack-and-charger-for-gopro-hero-4_full01.jpg
hope you can help me with this battery review
Thank you
Sorry, but I’m not familiar with that brand and haven’t tried them.
Thank you very much for the info, very helpful. Quick question, is the charging cradle for the wasabi compatible with go pro batteries?
Yes. I regularly use GoPro-branded batteries in mine and haven’t had any issues.
Just ordered a GoPro 4 Black and accessories, including a Wasabi 2-slot charger & batteries. what is the expected recharge time for a fully depleted battery?
1.5 to 2 hours.
My question is in regards to the GoPro wall charger. Is it included as pictured above ? I dont see it pictured when I go to Amazon. It is not listed as being included in contents. I think it is anouther $35.00 or so
It doesn’t come with the wall charger. It comes with one battery and a USB cable. I’ve updated the image above.
Wasabi Power has an extended battery for the Hero4:
Amazon = http://www.amazon.com/Wasabi-Power-Extended-Battery-BacPac/dp/B00TP0TAJS
Blue Nook = http://www.bluenook.com/s?defaultSearchTextValue=Search&searchKeywords=BTR-ABPAK401&Action=submit
I tried Smatree batteries and found three sets ordered from Amazon had one dead battery in the pack of two. Since then I’ve been using Wasabi without any problems. Just waiting for Brunton to hurry up and make an extended battery for the Hero 4
“Waiting for Brunton to hurry up and make an extended battery for the Hero 4” Me to.
Hi question. Is it ok to leave the battery inside your gopro even when you’re not using it for a long period of time? Let’s say for several weeks or months. Or better remove it and store separately? Haven’t seen any article about it. Thanks!
I’ve never run into a problem doing that, and still have batteries in several of my older model GoPros that have now been sitting unused for a few years. So far as I know–but have not confirmed–these kinds of lithium rechargeable batteries don’t have the same kind of leakage issues as old-fashioned alkaline batteries.
Great info, across the board. This is definitely helping me configure my new GoPro! Question on the Smatree and Wasabi chargers: I have a friend who owns an older GoPro (3 I think) and he uses the Wasabi batteries/charger, but mentioned to me that the Wasabi chargers won’t charge the actual GoPro battery, and that one he always had to plug in to a computer via GoPro at the end of a shooting day. Just curious if this is an issue with the GoPro 4 batteries as well for Wasabi and/or Smatree?
I’ve not run into that problem, and I tried it just now to make sure. I’ve had no problem using GoPro, Wasabi, and Smatree batteries and chargers interchangeably.
I use the Smatree battery and 3-slot charger kit for my gopro 4. Easy to use and good quality
Hey, thanks for the reviews! I’ve been looking for battery replacements for our new Hero4 Black and this review was reassuring when looking at aftermarket batteries. Any chance you’ve found third-party bacpac batteries for the Hero4?
I haven’t looked very recently, but I did see one come on the market briefly a few weeks back but then was pulled for some reason.
Hi…first time visitor and I just wanted to say, in general, thanks! Your review of the GoPro Hero4 Black vs Silver was very helpful to me and now the battery information has also been helpful. BTW, in the section about Wasabi batteries above you start with “Smatree is one of the leading third-party brands…”, but I think you meant to say Wasabi? In any case, great information here. -Jon
Oops–good catch. Thanks–fixed!
Thanks so much for that – saved me a lot of time searching :)