5 Of The Best Wearable Gimbals On The Market!

We are constantly seeing people reaching out about the best wearable gimbals on the market for a number of different sports so we have decided to publish our ultimate guide to wearable gimbals for any of our readers who are looking to add a wearable gimbal to their collection of camera accessories. They can be an excellent bit of kit to have and help you capture some smooth image stabilization with your action camera when going about your action sport of choice.

The main problem is that there are so any gimbals in the space now and many of them are low quality. Thankfully, we have settled on what we feel are the five best wearable gimbals on the market now with each of them having a solid user base as well as their own specific niches. We know that our readers have a wide range of budgets available to them so we have also spread our selection out to ensure that both professional level and entry-level gimbals are included.

We have our regular comparison table and a short overview of each of the featured gimbals directly below for any of our readers who are short on time. Then throughout the rest of the article, we go into as much detail as possible to cover each of the featured gimbals in as much detail as possible to try and explain why we have decided to feature each one and in what situations we feel that it is best for our readers.

Comparison Table

Last update on 2023-12-02 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

It should be no surprise that our primary recommendation for anyone who is looking to pick up a wearable gimbal is the Zhiyun Rider M. Since its lauch, it has pretty much dominated the market and just keeps on becoming more and more popular. It has the highest load capacity, longest battery life, as well as the highest price tag of all three featured gimbals. The Zhiyun Rider M is definatley a pricey bit of kit but if you have the budget available and want the best, it is definatley the way to go.

Coming in at a very close second is the Evo SS and this is one of the most popular wearable gimbals on the market right now as it offers some of the absolute best performance going. It comes in with the second-highest load capacity, battery life, and price tag behind the Zhiyun Rider M but if you are wanting the smoothest video footage possible, you have to pay for the tech.

Coming in at third place we have the Feiyutech WG2X and although this is a pretty solid gimbal that has some very rapid motion detection, it is a bit pricey for what you actually get in our opinion. That said, it is a very popular gimbal and many people use it and love the performance that it offers them but the price difference to upgrade to the Evo SS is not too much and the performance difference is massive.

Coming in at fourth place, we have what we feel is the best budget wearable gimbal, the Hohem XG1. Now, there are a bunch of these low price wearable gimbals on the market and most of them are a total waste of your time and money. Thankfully, Hohem came in with the XG1 and actually made a pretty solid product for its price tag. The low battery life can be a bit of a pain and if you are doing a fast-paced sport like downhill mountain biking it can struggle a little to adjust quickly sometimes but for its price, it is the best cheap wearable gimbal going in our opinion.

Finally, we have the Removu S1 and in all honesty, we were considering leaving it off the list but we know that so many people recommend it that people would be curious why we left it off our list. Now, the S1 is a very popular gimbal with a massive user base and it can provide some great image stabilization. We just feel that it is overpriced for what you actually get, especially if you are strictly looking for a wearable gimbal. For its price tag, we feel that our readers would be better off going with either the Zhiyun Rider M or Evo SS,

Zhiyun Rider M

Now, it’s no secret that Zhiyun are one of the biggest names in the gimbal market with the brand having at least one product from their gimbal range dominating each of the major gimbal stabilizer niches and the wearable gimbal market is no different. With Zhiyun being able to call upon all of the experience and knowledge that they have managed to build up over the last decade or so to ensure that their products are the best possible, many people guessed that the Zhiyun Rider M would come in at the number one spot upon its release.

As we mentioned above though, the Zhiyun Rider M is also the most expensive wearable gimbal on the market right now so you really have to be invested in your action sport of choice to justify the price tag but it is definatley worth it in our opinion. One thing that we would like to say is that at the time of writing the Zhiyun Rider M is pretty new to market and maybe a bit of a pain to source from a local photography or videography store. We would recommend checking Amazon for the current prices and availability.

Performance And Functionality

Now, as we said above, the Zhiyun Rider M has the largest load capacity of all five of the featured wearable gimbals on our list coming in with the ability to support 0.35 pounds of load capacity. Although this is not much when compared to their handheld gimbal range, when it comes to the wearable gimbal range, this is definatley a leap in the right direction in our opinion.

With the latest flagship GoPro action camera coming in at around the 0.25-pound mark, the Zhiyun Rider M has around 0.1 pounds of load capacity free for any other accessories that you may want to mount on it. Now, most people will probably opt for a protective case for their GoPro but you may still have the payload available for some other accessories.

When it comes to battery life, Zhiyun has smashed it out the park with the Zhiyun Rider M offering you around five and a half hours of battery life with each full charge of the gimbal. This should be plenty for you to ensure that you have all the juice you need to capture your adventures while you are out and about doing your extreme sports.

The video above offers a great example of exactly what the Zhiyun Rider M is able to provide for you when it comes to image stabilization. You can see how level the action camera is for the duration of the ride and the distortion in the video is actually down to the action camera, not the gimbal. If you were to use the latest GoPro then you can imagine the level of image quality that you would be able to capture when coupled with the Zhiyun Rider Ms image stabilization.

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User Interface And Control System

Although the Zhiyun Rider M has a premium price tag when it comes to wearable gimbals, Zhiyun has ensured that the gimbal is as easy to use and set up as possible. This ensures that anyone be it someone brand new to using a gimbal or an old hand who has used gimbals for many years will be able to quickly and easily get to grips with the Rider M.

The Bluetooth based Zhiyun smartphone app also syncs directly to the Zhiyun Rider M and offers you some additional controls. Thankfully, Zhiyun has also been updating their app over the last few months to improve its usability and ease of use too. The app offers you a quick and easy way to tweak the performance of your gimbal at the press of the button to allow you to tweak its performance to your needs no matter what you are getting up to.

Build Quality And Design

When it comes to design, in our opinion, Zhiyun has done a great job of knocking out a sleek and professional-looking gimbal that is also functional and easy to use. When it comes to the building quality of the gimbal, the Zhiyun Rider M is light, tough, and small. This makes it easy to transport as well as easy to wear during your extreme sport of choice and you will rarely know you have it mounted during use.

Now, the Zhiyun Rider M is NOT waterproof! We know that an early review of it on YouTube did accidentally say it was waterproof but it is not and Zhiyun does not claim that it is. Keep this in mind when you are out and about and ensure that you take any necessary precautions required if you are in wet weather.

FAQs

Question – What size is the mounting thread on the Zhiyun Rider M?

Answer – The gimbal uses a standard quarter-inch mounting thread.

Question – Does the Zhiyun Rider M use brushless gimbal motors?

Answer – Yes, and they have been designed from the ground up to ensure you get optimal performance while they also require minimal power.

Our Verdict

In our opinion, if you have the budget available, the Zhiyun Rider M is without a doubt the best wearable gimbal on the market right now. We have no doubt that it will make a great addition to your action camera accessories and help ensure that you are able to capture the best image quality possible while you are out and about doing your action sports.

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Evo SS

Next up, we have the Evo SS and although their handheld gimbals leave a fair bit to be desired, their wearable gimbal range is excellent. The Evo SS is one of the best out there by far and it is a little bit more budget-friendly than the Zhiyun Rider M too while being able to offer you a similar level of performance.

Although the Evo SS has been out a while now, it just keeps on going from strength to strength within the community as more and more people see what it can do and decide to pick it up and add it to their action camera accessory collection. In this time, it has also managed to earn one of the best reputations within the community that just keeps growing as more people pick it up.

Performance And Functionality

When it comes to performance, the Evo SS offers a very close level of image stabilization to what the Zhiyun Rider M is able to provide for you. The Evo gimbal can also support a 0.31-pound maximum load capacity that is the second-largest wearable gimbal load capacity available at the time of writing. This can easily support the weight of the latest GoPro action cameras while having plenty of spare payload weight free.

When it comes to battery life, the Evo SS can go for around five hours with each charge and it can be recharged extremely quickly too ensuring that you have minimal downtime. We would imagine that five hours of battery life on your wearable gimbal would be plenty for most of our readers and at the time of writing, it is the second-longest you can get with the Zhiyun Rider M having around half an hour more.

Although the video above has a few different types of video footage in it, there is a fair amount of clips that show you exactly what you are able to expect out of the Evo SS if you do decide to pick it up and use it as your go-to wearable gimbal of choice. You can see in the clips of the mountain biker with the wearable gimbal clips, the Evo SS effortlessly stabilizes the action camera to provide the user with the best image quality possible.

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User Interface And Control System

The control interface that Evo has gone with on the SS is actually very similar to the one on the Zhiyun Rider M that we covered above. It has been designed to be as easy to use as possible so anyone new to using a wearable gimbal will be able to use it without issue while also having the advanced controls that a more experienced user will want in their gimbal too.

Build Quality And Design

The design of the Evo SS is smart while also ensuring that the actual gimbal is as functional as possible. It has been designed to ensure that all moving parts on the gimbal are able to move independently of each other without friction building up as this helps to prevent any overheating issues occurring during use too.

The build quality of the SS really is excellent in our opinion and Evo really did manage to set the bar with this gimbal stabilizer and show the rest of the wearable gimbal market what they had to offer to be competitive. Again, the gimbal is very lightweight, small, and tough so it can take a few bumps during use without having any issues. Although the SS is water-resistant, it is not fully IP67 or IP68 waterproof so it can work fine in light rain but do not fully submerge it in water.

FAQs

Question – Can the Evo SS be mounted to a tripod?

Answer – Yes, it has the regular quarter-inch mounting thread so will mount directly to any tripods that use the standard mounting screw.

Question – Does the Evo SS come with a compatible selfie stick?

Answer – Yes it does but you are also able to mount it to the majority of regular selfie sticks too that use the standard quarter-inch mounting thread.

Question – Does the Evo SS have any wireless remote control functionality?

Answer – Yes, there is both official Evo remotes and third-party remote controls that can work with the gimbal.

Our Verdict

The Evo SS really is a great bit of kit and in our opinion, it is a very close second to the Zhiyun Rider M. It offers you some excellent performance for a cheaper price point than the Zhiyun gimbal and offers all the professional level features you would want. There are also a bunch of independent reviews of the Evo SS from third-party owners who have decided to share their experiences that you can read if you wish.

In our opinion, the Evo SS definatley has what it takes to help you up the image quality that you are able to record while you are out and about and it will make a great addition to your camera accessoris.

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Feiyutech WG2X

Next up we have the Feiyutech WG2X that is another very popular wearable gimbal for action sports that essentially serves as the intermediate or middle price point level gimbal in our list. Although Feiyutech are having some problems with their AK range, both their G series and WG range of gimbals are as excellent as ever.

The original Feiyutech WG2 held a really good reputation within the community but Feiyutech discontinued it when they released the Feiyutech WG2X that built upon the weaknesses of the WG2 with the WG2X being a better all-round gimbal stabilizer. At the time of writing, the WG2X has not been available for very long but it is slowly building itself a well deserved reputation within the community that is likely to continue to grow for years to come.

Performance And Functionality

The Feiyutech WG2X is able to support a maximum load capacity of 0.29 pounds meaning that it can support the heaviest GoPro action cameras on the market right now but if they get much heavier than the GoPro Hero 7 Black then the gimbal may struggle. That said, the WG2X does a solid job when it comes to the level of image stabilization that it is able to provide you.

The main let down of the WG2X in our opinion is its maximum battery life that comes in at around two and a half hours. For the price you are paying, we would expect at least an additional hour when it comes to battery life per full charge of the gimbal. This is the main reason that we feel the gimbal is overpriced.

The video above was recorded using a GoPro action camera mounted to the Feiyutech WG2X and does a solid job of showing the image quality that you are able to expect out of it. As you can see, for its price point, the image stabilization that the gimbal can provide you is great, we just wish that it has more battery life or a lower price tag.

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User Interface And Control System

The control interface for the WG2X is very easy to use and we are confident that you will be able to quickly and easily pick it up and get to grips with this middle price point wearable gimbal. Feiyutech has tweaked the navigation menu on it to make it much easier to locate key settings and adjust them as required too.

Although the Feiyutech smartphone app definatley has its issues, they are slowly pushing updates out to make the app more useful. It does have some limited functionality with the Feiyutech WG2X and we hope to see this expanded upon in the future.

Build Quality And Design

We absolutely love the design of the Feiyutech WG2X and personally feel that it is without a doubt the best-looking gimbal in our article. As you can see in the image above, the WG2X does look very stylish and has a professional level finish to it too. Just like the other wearable gimbals that we have featured, the WG2X is small and as lightweight as possible so you can strap it on and go about your sport of choice without issue.

Although the WG2X does have a tough feel to it, we don’t think that it would be able to stand up to much punishment during use without breaking so we would definatley recommend you are extra careful when using theWG2X.

FAQs

Question – What size mounting thread does the Feiyutech WG2X use?

Answer – It uses the standard quarter-inch mounting thread and will mount to any tripod or harness that uses the standard mounting screw.

Question – Is the Feiyutech WG2X waterproof?

Answer – No, although it is listed as splashproof, we would not recommend you risk anything other than using it in light rain.

Question – Can I mount my smartphone to this wearable gimbal?

Answer – No, and although we know that there are some third-party accessories on the market that claim to allow you to safely do this, we would not recommend that you try it.

Our Verdict

The Feiyutech WG2X is a solid little gimbal that offers some excellent performance but we just wish it was a little cheaper. That said, there are still a large number of people who choose to use it as their goto wearable gimbal of choice with many of them posting their own review of how the gimbal has performed for them.

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Hohem XG1

Next up we have what we would class as the best budget wearable gimbal on the market right now, the Hohem XG1 that has a surprising level of performance considering its price point in the market. Hohem are quickly establishing themselves as the go-to brand for budget-friendly, high-performance gimbals across the board and they are rapidly building a loyal and dedicated fan base of customers who seem to love their products.

Since its release onto the market, it has earned itself a solid reputation within the community that is steadily growing as time goes by. One thing that we would like to point out is that this is an entry-level wearable gimbal and it has the 0.26 Pound maximum load capacity on the Hohem XG1 means that it is not able to support the current flagship GoPro Hero Black action camera due to it being too heavy for the gimbal. If you do want the best image quality possible and plan to use the flagship action camera models then either of the three wearable gimbals covered above would be better options.

Due to this, we would always recommend that you double-check that the weight of your action camera is under the 0.26-pound mark, ideally under the 0.22-pound mark for ideal performance.

Performance And Functionality

As we mentioned, the Hohem XG1 does have the lowest maximum load capacity of all of the featured gimbals in our article coming in at 0.26 Pounds. That said though, it also has the lowest price tag of all the gimbals too and for a budget wearable gimbal, it does offer some excellent performance in all fairness to it. It is just a bit of a challenge making sure you have an action camera that is able to mount to it and have the gimbal support it.

When it comes to battery life, the Hohem XG1 can support up to two hours of continuous use without having to be recharged. Again, this is the lowest maximum battery life out of all the featured gimbals but again, it is also our budget wearable gimbal recommendation so you have to keep that in mind.

Although it’s cheap, the video above shows exactly what the Hohem XG1 is able to provide for you when it comes to its image stabilization. As you can see, the gimbal performs surprisingly well for its price tag and does a great job of keeping the action camera stable to allow it to record the best possible image quality.

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User Interface And Control System

The control interface on the Hohem XG1 is very straight forward and it is very easy to mount and balance your action cam as required to minimize the downtime you have when getting your kit ready. Being an entry-level action camera, the Hohem XG1 is very easy to use and is very similar to the setup that the Zhiyun Rider M covered first in our article uses.

Anyone who is looking to purchase their very first wearable gimbal will easily be able to get to grips with the system that the Hohem XG1 uses without running into any major issues. That said, for the more advanced user, gimbal customization is limited and you are unable to customize some key settings on the gimbal like you can with the Zhiyun Rider M and the Evo SS making the Hohem XG1 a poor choice for any advanced user who wants to get the best out of their gimbal and has the time to customise its settings.

Build Quality And Design

The design of the Hohem XG1 is essentially a rip off of the design of the Evo SS and it gets the job done without there being any friction hot spots that can lead to overheating during use. The build quality of the Hohem XG1 is actually pretty good for an entry-level wearable gimbal and although it is a little heavy, it is tough enough to take a few knocks during use without breaking.

FAQs

Question – Can you mount the Hohem XG1 to a vest or head strap?

Answer – Yes, the XG1 uses a standard mount so you can mount it to anything that has the regular mount connector.

Question – Is the Hohem XG1 waterproof?

Answer – No, and it is not listed as water-resistant either so use caution when using it in rain.

Our Verdict

You get what you pay for and for an entry-level, budget wearable gimbal, the Hohem XG1 is actually a solid option and probably the best entry-level wearable gimbal on the market at the time of writing. If you are on a tight budget or if you just want a basic gimbal then the Hohem XG1 is a great option but it is nowhere near the levels of the Zhiyun Rider M or the Evo SS.

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Removu S1

The final wearable gimbal that we will be featuring in our article is the Removu S1 and like we said back at the start of the article, we were actually considering not featuring this gimbal as we feel it is massively overrated for what you pay. We know that it has gone with the hybrid approach of being both a handheld and wearable gimbal in one and you can quickly switch between the two but we feel it has ended up being a jack of all trades, master of none.

Even after its latest price reduction, we feel that the Removu S1 is still hugely overpriced and is not worth adding to your collection of camera accessories and we would not recommend it to our readers. The only reason that we are including it in our article is due to the fact that we always see the S1 recommended when people ask for advice on wearable gimbals so we want to put our counterpoint across that you should be avoiding it.

That said, it is a pretty popular gimbal stabilizer on the market and has a pretty solid reputation within the community although the growth of its user base does seem to be stagnating. In our opinion though, for th price the S1 currently sells for, you are much better off going with either the Zhiyun Rider M or the Evo SS as they perform much better.

Performance And Functionality

When it comes to load capacity, the S1 can support up to 0.3 Pounds of payload weight meaning that it can easily support all of the latest GoPro action cameras without issue. Additionally, even with the heaviest GoPro currently available at the time of writing, there is a fair bit of payload spare. In our experience, it is always better to try and only use around eighty percent of the available load capacity of a gimbal to help you get optimal performance so this fits our usual percentage breakdown.

The three-hour maximum battery life of the Removu S1 is its biggest let down in our opinion and for the price that it retails for, we would expect at least four and a half hours per full charge of the gimbals batteries. Still, a three-hour maximum battery life is probably enough for most of our readers depending on what you are doing although for the price, why not go with the Evo SS for the better performance and much better battery life.

The video above showcases exactly what you are able to expect from the Removu S1 if you do choose to use it as your go-to gimbal of choice. As you can see, when it comes to image stabilization, it does exactly what it says on the tin and performs very well, we just wish that the gimbal was cheaper or had a better battery life.

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User Interface And Control System

As the Removu S1 is a hybrid between a handheld gimbal and a wearable gimbal it can be a little confusing to get used to at first although once you get the hang of it, you are able to quickly and easily switch between handheld mode and wearable mode. Other than that, it’s a pretty straight forward bit of kit when using it as a wearable gimbal.

Build Quality And Design

Although back when the Removu S1 was initially released it had a decent build quality, by the standards of the more recent gimbals at this price point in the market, it definatley falls behind. Although it is tough, it is also heavy too and a little bulky. This is just another reason that we feel that the Removu S1 is overpriced and not worth its price tag.

FAQs

Question – Does the Removu S1 let you mount an action camera with a protective case on it?

Answer – No, not even the specialist protective cases that have been designed for use with a wearable gimbal.

Question – What mounting thread does the Removu S1 use?

Answer – It has the standard quarter-inch mounting thread.

Question – Is the Removu S1 waterproof?

Answer – No although it is listed as being splashproof and can be used in rain, it is not fully waterproof.

Our Verdict

We hope that we have managed to get our point across for the Removu S1 and how we feel it is overpriced and not worth the money. If you have this budget available then go with the Evo SS and you will be much better off. If you can stretch your budget a little more then go with the Zhiyun Rider M instead as it is better than the Removu S1 too.

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