The GoPro Magnetic Swivel Clip

The GoPro Magnetic Swivel Clip is among GoPro’s official accessories, and it’s compatible with almost every GoPro camera. ¹

It’s a versatile go-anywhere clip that lets you attach your camera to a whole bunch of different things. The main plates of the clip are made of metal, so they’re quite strong and rigid.

It swivels through 360 degrees laterally, which is handy if you’re just trying to tweak the shooting perspective or want to swing it around for a selfie shot.

The swivel mechanism is mounted atop a light-duty spring-clamp clip. It has flat jaws that are lined with rubberized ridges to add grip.

The bottom base plate of the clip is a magnet. So you can attach it to flat metal surfaces. It’s also long enough that it will stand freely without tipping over (within reason).

The magnet is decent, but it’s not especially strong, and I wouldn’t trust it anywhere that risks the camera flying off, like the hood of a car (for that, I’ve used these ones by MagWheels successfully many times).

What It Does

The key concept in determining what this is good for is: “within reason.” The magnet is reasonably strong; the jaws’ spring is reasonably strong; and the rotating friction is reasonably strong.

But it’s important to remember that this is essentially a light-duty mounting option. It’s a great option to have for knock-around shooting because it gives you a bunch of options for attaching your GoPro to things. But it’s not a heavy-duty option, and I wouldn’t use it skydiving or on the handlebars of a bike. Even kayaking or boating, there’s a high risk of it getting bumped loose, so you’d be best adding a tether or at least some kind of float.

The spring is quite strong, so it gives a pretty secure grip (again, within reason), but nothing like the Jaws clamp or heavier-duty clamps.

The rotating part is the clip on the top. It’s hardwired on, so it’s designed not to unscrew, either intentionally or unintentionally. It’s held in place with friction, which is again reasonably strong within reason. But with the weight of the camera on it, it can move around a little with fast, whippy movement. But then, the whole clip is not designed to be strong enough for that kind of movement anyway. I wouldn’t use this clip on the handlebars of a bike, for instance—there are much better and more secure options for that.

But for lighter duty, such as hiking or traveling or general everyday use, it offers a lot of flexibility for mounting your GoPro very quickly in unusual places.

A feature I particularly like about this one is its low profile. It hardly takes up any space in your travel kit, but more importantly, because the camera attaches directly to it, it makes it a tighter, less wobbly connection. Some of the other alternatives add a ball clip on top or an extra mechanism to do the rotation. That makes the whole thing taller and less stable. But keeping things low-profile helps with stability.

Compatibility

The Magnetic Swivel Clip uses the usual GoPro three-pronged attachment system. So it’s compatible with any GoPro or any other camera that uses that attachment system. (And exception is that it’s not compatible with the GoPro HERO10 Black Bones, a special edition designed specifically for FPV drones that mounts differently.)

If you’re using it with a different camera, you’ll need to factor in the weight of the camera–heavier cameras might not free stand and might attach less securely.

What’s in the Box?

There are three parts to it. The main part is the clip/clamp.

It also comes with a quick-release clip (and one of the good GoPro ones, not one of the cheaper, flimsier knock-off versions).

And there’s the usual GoPro locking bolt.

Alternatives to the Magnetic Swivel Clip

I haven’t come across any aftermarket alternatives that combine these particular features of a swivel clip and magnet. But there are some good alternatives for individual components.

If you’re after a magnet mount–and a much stronger one, at that–I’ve used these ones by MagWheels many times and found them to work well. But be warned: they really are strong, and you’ll need to consider the surface you’re putting it on.

If all you’re looking to do is rotate the camera, GoPro has a Ball Joint Buckle that uses the standard GoPro quick clip buckle. There are also third-party variations like this one or this one.

There are also plenty of clips available with varying degrees of strength. Here’s one simple, inexpensive option. For something much stronger (and much bulkier), the Jaws clamps work well.

Where to Find the GoPro Magnetic Swivel Clip

You can find the Magnetic Swivel Clip at GoPro.com.

If you have an active subscription to GoPro subscription, you can get a significant discount off the price.

You can also find them at Amazon.

1. It’s not compatible with the GoPro HERO10 Black Bones, a special trimmed-down edition that’s designed specifically for FPV drones and doesn’t attach the same way as most GoPros.[↩]

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