Insta360 X3 Waterproof 360° Action Camera Review: The Pocket-Sized Film Crew You’ve Been Waiting For

We’ve all been there. You’re carving down a mountain trail on your bike, executing a perfect turn, or your friend is landing a kickflip right beside you. You point your camera, hit record, and hope for the best. Later, you get home, excited to relive the moment, only to find you aimed too high, too low, or missed the most crucial part of the action entirely. It’s a moment of pure deflation. For years, capturing dynamic action meant a constant, nagging worry: “Am I pointing the camera in the right place?” This limitation forces you to choose between experiencing the moment and documenting it, often doing a mediocre job of both. The result is shaky footage, poorly framed shots, and a collection of missed opportunities. What if you could just hit record, immerse yourself in the action, and worry about the framing later? That’s the revolutionary promise of 360-degree capture, a promise the Insta360 X3 Waterproof 360° Action Camera aims to deliver on.

What to Consider Before Buying an Action Camera

An Action Camera is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for capturing life’s most dynamic moments in a way that smartphones and traditional cameras simply can’t. They are designed to be mounted on helmets, handlebars, chests, and selfie sticks, providing a first-person perspective that drops viewers directly into the action. Their main benefits lie in their ruggedness, portability, and advanced features like waterproofing and image stabilization, which are essential for recording smooth, clear footage during high-intensity activities like skiing, motorbiking, surfing, or hiking. Without one, you’re left with either fragile, bulky equipment or shaky, unusable footage from a device not built for the job.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing the challenge of capturing immersive, high-quality video in unpredictable environments. This includes adventure sports enthusiasts, travel vloggers, motorcyclists, and even families wanting to create more engaging vacation videos. It’s for the creator who values the freedom to “shoot first, point later.” However, it might not be the best fit for those who primarily shoot in controlled, static environments, like a studio, or for professional cinematographers who require manual lens controls and cinematic depth of field. For them, a DSLR or mirrorless camera would be a more suitable, albeit less durable, alternative.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Image Quality & Resolution: Don’t just look at the ‘K’ number. Consider the sensor size, as a larger sensor (like the 1/2-inch sensors in the X3) captures more light, leading to better detail and low-light performance. For 360 cameras, 5.7K is a great standard as the pixels are spread across a full sphere; anything less can look soft after reframing.
• Stabilisation Performance: This is arguably the most important feature of an action camera. Look for advanced electronic image stabilization (EIS) systems, often with proprietary names like FlowState or HyperSmooth. The goal is gimbal-like smoothness without the gimbal. Features like 360 Horizon Lock, which keeps the horizon level no matter how you tilt the camera, are game-changers.
• Durability & Waterproofing: An action camera must be able to take a beating. Consider the build materials and whether it is natively waterproof or requires a separate case. Native waterproofing is far more convenient for quick dunks or unexpected rain, but a dive case will be necessary for deeper underwater adventures.
• Ease of Use & Software Ecosystem: A great camera is useless if it’s a pain to operate. Look for intuitive controls, a responsive touchscreen, and, crucially, a powerful and user-friendly mobile and desktop app. The software is where you’ll reframe, edit, and export your footage, and AI-powered features can save hours of editing time, turning a complex process into a few simple taps. The right software transforms raw footage into a compelling story.

Considering these factors will ensure you choose a camera that not only captures great images but also fits seamlessly into your creative workflow. The Insta360 X3 Waterproof 360° Action Camera excels in many of these areas, but it’s essential to understand the landscape before making a decision.

While the Insta360 X3 Waterproof 360° Action Camera is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions: A Solid Build and a Screen That Changes Everything

Unboxing the Insta360 X3 Waterproof 360° Action Camera, the first thing we noticed was its purposeful, robust design. It feels dense and solid in the hand, with a grippy, textured finish along the sides that inspires confidence. It’s a significant evolution from its predecessor, the ONE X2. The most striking upgrade is the massive 2.29-inch tempered glass touchscreen. This isn’t just a minor improvement; it fundamentally changes how you interact with the camera, making menus easy to navigate and playback a breeze without needing to connect to your phone every time. The buttons are larger and more tactile, and the addition of vibration feedback for confirming commands is a thoughtful touch, especially when you can’t see the screen. In the box, you get the essentials: the camera, a battery, a charging cable, a protective pouch, and a lens cloth. It’s a lean package, but it’s all you need to get started. Compared to traditional action cams, its candy-bar form factor is unique but feels natural to hold, ready to capture everything around you. The initial feel and premium construction immediately suggest this is a serious tool for creators.

Deep Dive: Performance Under Pressure

A spec sheet can only tell you so much. To truly understand a camera, you have to push it to its limits. We took the Insta360 X3 Waterproof 360° Action Camera on motorcycle rides through winding roads, hikes in challenging light, and even mounted it for some aerial shots. We wanted to see if the reality of its performance matched the hype. In short: for its intended purpose, it’s a revolutionary device, but it’s not without its compromises.

The Unmatched Freedom of 360° Capture and Reframing

This is the core magic of the Insta360 X3 Waterproof 360° Action Camera. The ability to capture a full 5.7K spherical video completely changes your mindset as a creator. Gone is the anxiety of framing. We mounted the camera to a motorcycle’s handlebars, hit the record button, and just rode. We didn’t have to think about aiming it. Later, in the Insta360 app, the entire world we rode through was at our fingertips. We could create a wide-angle shot of the road ahead, then seamlessly pan to a reaction shot of the rider, zoom in on a landmark to the side, and then pull out to a mind-bending “tiny planet” effect, all from the same clip. As one user aptly put it, “For the most part you don’t have to constantly worry about aiming the camera. You can just go and then pick out the parts you want later.” This is not an exaggeration; it feels like having a personal camera crew with you at all times. The stitching between the two lenses is generally very good, becoming nearly invisible with the “invisible selfie stick” which the camera’s software automatically erases from the shot. This feature alone is a stunning party trick that produces drone-like third-person shots that simply aren’t possible with a traditional camera. This creative flexibility is the number one reason to choose this camera over any single-lens competitor.

Image Quality: Brilliant Days and Challenging Nights

The dual 1/2-inch sensors are a notable step up, delivering crisp, detailed 5.7K video and massive 72MP photos in good daylight. Colours are vibrant, and the detail holds up well even after reframing. We found the new Active HDR mode to be a mixed bag, which echoes the feedback from some users. In high-contrast scenes, like filming under a forest canopy on a bright day, it does an admirable job of pulling detail from the shadows and taming blown-out highlights. However, as one user noted, it can sometimes oversaturate the image, giving it an “unnatural and cartoonish” look. We found that for most situations, the standard video profile provided a more natural and pleasing image that was easier to grade later. Where the camera struggles, and this is a common limitation for action cameras, is in low light. The image becomes noticeably noisy and soft as the sun goes down. A user’s comment that their “old iPhone X actually takes better photos and videos in the dark” is a valid criticism. This isn’t the camera for capturing crisp nighttime cityscapes. It’s an adventure camera built for the day, and in that context, its image quality is impressive and versatile. For those who understand this limitation, the daytime results are more than satisfactory for vlogging, action sports, and travel content.

FlowState Stabilisation: Impossibly Smooth Footage

If 360° capture is the X3’s brain, then FlowState Stabilisation is its heart. To put it simply, the stabilisation on this camera is absolutely phenomenal. We recorded footage while running, riding a motorcycle on a bumpy road, and even just walking, and the video came out looking like it was shot on a high-end gimbal. It’s buttery smooth. The real star of the show, however, is the 360 Horizon Lock. With this enabled, the camera can be turned, tilted, and even flipped completely upside down, and the horizon will remain perfectly level. This is a game-changer for mounting the camera in creative places where it might not be perfectly upright. The combination of FlowState and Horizon Lock removes virtually all unwanted shake and vibration, leaving you with clean, professional-looking footage every time. For anyone filming action, particularly motorsports enthusiasts who praise its “imagen perfecta y no tiembla” (perfect image that doesn’t shake), this feature alone is worth the price of admission. It simply works, requiring no setup and no tweaking, allowing you to focus on the action, confident that the footage will be stable.

Usability, App Integration, and Technical Hurdles

The large touchscreen makes the Insta360 X3 Waterproof 360° Action Camera far easier to use in the field than previous models. However, the true power is unlocked through the Insta360 mobile app. The app’s AI-powered editing suite is a standout feature. It can automatically analyse your footage and suggest edits, track subjects with a single tap (Deep Track 2.0), and offer a huge library of creative effects in the “Shot Lab.” As one user exclaimed, “Es increíble la facilidad con la que los videos se editan” (The ease with which the videos are edited is incredible!). That said, the experience isn’t flawless. We did encounter some of the issues mentioned by users, such as the camera running hot, especially when shooting 5.7K Active HDR for prolonged periods. We also confirm that the mobile app, while powerful, can be resource-intensive, leading to slow performance on older phones. A few users reported critical hardware failures, connectivity issues, and problems with SD cards. This highlights the absolute necessity of using a high-speed, high-quality V30 microSD card from a reputable brand, as the camera is very demanding on its storage medium. While our test unit performed reliably, the volume of user reports suggests that quality control could be an area for improvement, making it wise to purchase from a retailer with a solid return policy.

What Other Users Are Saying

Looking at a wider pool of user experiences, a clear picture emerges. The vast majority of positive feedback, especially from the motorcycle community, is glowing. Users describe it as “super satisfait” (very satisfied) with its “très bonne qualité d’image” (very good image quality) and ease of use. Many, like one who bought a second one, love the creative freedom it provides. One reviewer stated it “really gets you to expand your mind on photography.” This sentiment perfectly captures the X3’s core appeal.

However, the negative feedback points to a consistent set of concerns. Several users reported the device overheating, particularly during long recording sessions in high-resolution modes. The most common and significant complaint revolves around technical glitches and hardware failures. We saw reports of screens becoming unreadable, cameras failing after a single charge cycle, and persistent connection issues with the mobile app. “Mine seems to have a storage issue,” said one disappointed user, while another received a unit that would only film out of one lens. These reports, though representing a minority of buyers, are significant and suggest that while the Insta360 X3 Waterproof 360° Action Camera is a brilliant concept, the execution can sometimes fall short, leading to frustrating experiences for an unlucky few.

How Does the Insta360 X3 Compare to the Alternatives?

The Insta360 X3 Waterproof 360° Action Camera occupies a unique space, but it’s not the only option for capturing your adventures. Here’s how it stacks up against some popular alternatives.

1. WOLFANG GA420 Dual Screen 4K Action Camera

The WOLFANG GA420 represents the budget-friendly, traditional action camera. Its primary selling point is value; it offers 4K recording, dual screens (a feature popularised by DJI), and a massive accessory kit right out of the box for a fraction of the X3’s price. However, it’s a fundamentally different tool. It lacks 360° capture, so you’re back to the “point and shoot” method. While its EIS is decent for the price, it cannot compete with the surreal smoothness of FlowState and Horizon Lock. This camera is an excellent choice for someone starting out, on a strict budget, or who simply wants a rugged, waterproof camera for straightforward, wide-angle shots without the creative complexity of reframing.

2. WOLFANG GA200 4K Action Camera

Similar to its sibling, the WOLFANG GA200 is another strong contender in the budget action camera market. It focuses on providing core features like 4K video, waterproofing up to 40 meters (with its included case), and dual screens at an extremely competitive price point. It’s a workhorse camera designed for snorkeling, biking, and general vlogging. When compared to the Insta360 X3, the difference in creative potential is vast. The GA200 captures one perspective, whereas the X3 captures all of them. Users who prefer a simple, linear workflow and don’t want to spend time editing and reframing footage might actually prefer the GA200’s simplicity. It’s for the documentarian, while the X3 is for the storyteller.

3. Insta360 Ace Pro Action Camera

The Insta360 Ace Pro is the X3’s single-lens cousin, co-engineered with Leica. This is the camera to consider if you prioritise raw image quality over 360° flexibility. With its massive 1/1.3″ sensor and Leica lens, the Ace Pro delivers superior low-light performance, greater dynamic range, and sharper 4K video than the X3’s single-lens mode. It’s a direct competitor to the best from GoPro and DJI. It also boasts a large flip-up screen, making it ideal for vlogging. The choice between the X3 and the Ace Pro comes down to your primary use case. If you want the absolute best image quality from a single point of view, choose the Ace Pro. If you want unparalleled creative freedom, invisible selfie stick shots, and the ability to reframe after the fact, the X3 is the clear winner.

Our Final Verdict: A Creative Powerhouse with Caveats

After extensive testing, the Insta360 X3 Waterproof 360° Action Camera has proven itself to be more than just a camera; it’s a creative revolution in a pocket-sized package. The freedom to capture everything and frame your story later is genuinely transformative, especially for solo creators, vloggers, and action sports enthusiasts. Its FlowState stabilization is nothing short of magical, producing impossibly smooth shots, while the AI-powered app makes complex editing accessible to everyone. It is, without a doubt, the most fun and versatile action camera we have ever used.

However, it’s not a perfect device. The compromises in low-light performance are real, and the reports of overheating and hardware issues, while not affecting our unit, are too frequent to ignore. This is a camera for those who will take advantage of its unique 360° capabilities. If you only plan to shoot standard wide-angle video, other cameras like the Insta360 Ace Pro offer better image quality. But if you are captivated by the idea of drone-like shots without a drone, of never missing the action again, and of unlocking a new dimension of creativity, then the Insta360 X3 is not just a good choice; it’s the best choice. It empowers you to create shots you simply couldn’t get any other way, and for that reason, it earns our strong recommendation. You can check the current price and see more user experiences right here.