A wearable camera points where your body points, and that is the whole difference between this category and every other camera we sell. A camera on a shelf has a view you choose once and it stays chosen. A camera on your chest, your wrist or your keyring has a view that changes every time you shift your weight, fold your arms or turn to look at someone. Learning to stand still and square is worth more than any specification on this page.
This guide covers twenty-four cameras from the Wearable Cameras range, $144 to $551: buttons, caps, ties, watches, lighters, car key fobs, bags and a wallet. It also sets out the two things buyers consistently get wrong, which are how long these actually run and where New Zealand law draws the line on covert recording that follows a person around.
Is this legal in New Zealand? Recording a conversation you are taking part in is lawful under section 216B of the Crimes Act 1961, so a worn camera capturing your own interactions is on solid ground. Two hard limits: filming anyone in a place where they expect privacy is an offence carrying up to three years, and since 26 May 2026 following or watching a person is a specified act under the stalking offence, carrying up to five years. Full detail below.
The one thing to know before you read on. Most of these record for between 45 minutes and 2 hours, because a 12 gram button has nowhere to put a battery. There is exactly one exception, MAS-KEY1080 at $189, which manages 9 hours. See The Runtime Problem below before you choose anything.
Contents:
Quick Picks
Eight situations. All twenty-four are in the comparison table below.
Start here: the $177 cap
VIM-CAPCAM, $177. A normal baseball cap with a 70 degree pinhole in the brim. 1080p on a 5MP sensor, video and audio, microSD to 32GB, and a 320mAh battery giving up to two hours, which is the longest runtime of anything at this price. The whole cap weighs 110g.
The brim is the best mounting point on a human being. It sits above eye level, it points exactly where you are looking, it never gets covered by a folded arm or a bag strap, and nobody has ever looked twice at someone wearing a cap. If you are buying your first wearable, buy this one and learn what the footage actually looks like before spending more.
Don't buy this one if a cap would be odd where you are going. Indoors, in an office, or anywhere formal, it is the most conspicuous thing here rather than the least.
Best for a meeting or a formal setting
VIM-TIECAM, $211. A necktie with the lens concealed in the fabric, aligned with the pattern so there is no visible pinhole. 1080p with audio, motion detection, date and time stamping, and up to 80 minutes of continuous recording.
Chest height on a standing person is the correct height for faces, and a tie holds the lens flat, centred and pointing forward, which is more than can be said for anything clipped to a shirt. For a documented meeting, a disciplinary, or a negotiation, this is the one that sits naturally in the room and frames people properly.
Don't buy this one if nobody in your workplace wears a tie. A tie in a room full of polo shirts defeats the entire purpose.
Best for recording without touching anything
VIM-BUTTONCAM3, $189. A button camera with a 2.4GHz wireless remote that works to about 4 metres, so you start and stop recording with a hand in your pocket. 1080p at a 72 degree field of view, microSD to 128GB with loop recording, a 250mAh battery giving about 90 minutes, and continuous operation when plugged into USB.
The remote is the reason to pick this over every other small wearable. Reaching down to press a button on your own chest is the single most obvious thing a person can do, and it is exactly the moment you cannot afford to look like you are doing something. Everything else here requires you to touch the device.
The simpler VIM-BUTTONCAM2 at $200 has 32GB built in and one-button operation, at 70 x 15 x 10mm and 12g, which is the smallest thing in this guide.
Best picture: the LawMate key fob
PV-RC400UW, $551. LawMate's 4K fob, with an 8MP pinhole sensor recording genuine Ultra HD, WiFi live streaming and remote control from a phone, motion-triggered alerts, audio with date and time stamps, microSD, and vibration feedback so you can confirm it is recording without looking at it.
This is the sharpest wearable we sell and the only one recording true 4K. Vibration feedback matters more than the resolution: every other camera here leaves you guessing whether you actually started it, and checking means looking at the device, which is the one thing you must not do.
Two LawMate fobs sit below it. PV-RC200HDW at $434 streams 2K live and records 1080p at 30FPS with WiFi motion alerts, 75 minutes on a 650mAh cell. PV-RC200HD2 at $433 is the offline one: a 5MP pinhole, 1080p at 30fps, one button with vibration feedback and no network at all.
Best on a keyring for everyday carry
VIM-CARKEY4, $189. A key fob that records 1080p with audio on one key press, stores to microSD, stamps the time and date, and runs 110 minutes on a 340mAh battery, which is the longest runtime of any fob here by a wide margin.
A set of keys is the most natural object a person can be holding. Nobody questions keys in a hand at a front door, in a car park, or across a counter, and the camera points forward at whatever you are facing. For an unplanned confrontation, keys already in your hand beat anything you would have to reach for.
If runtime matters more than anything, buy MAS-KEY1080 at $189 instead. Same key fob shape, a 1000mAh battery giving up to 9 hours continuously, 24/7 operation when plugged in, and microSD to 256GB. It is the longest-running and largest-capacity camera in this entire guide, and it is not the most expensive one.
Below those, VIM-KEY1080 at $166 gives 130 minutes with 940nm no-glow infrared to about a metre and motion detection, VIM-CARKEY5 at $144 is the cheapest camera in this guide at 90 minutes and only 4mm thick, VIM-CARKEY3 at $189 has expandable memory, and VIM-CARKEY2 at $222 adds motion-activated capture, at 60 minutes.
Best hands-free for the outdoors
VIM-BAGCAM4, $266. A crossbody messenger bag with the camera inside, worn across the body so the lens points forward at whatever is in front of you. 4K streaming live to your phone over WiFi, motion sensor, and no hands involved at all.
Holding a phone up to record changes a situation immediately and usually escalates it. A bag on your shoulder does not. For a boundary dispute, a difficult handover, or meeting a stranger to buy something, this records the interaction without becoming part of it.
VIM-BAGCAM3 at $266 is the same idea in a designer-style purse, and VIM-BAGCAM at $255 is a waist bag that streams 4K, records 1080p, and will take a power bank inside it to run far longer than anything else in this guide.
Best on the wrist
VIM-WATCH2KLUX, $300. A 4K wristwatch camera built for physical use rather than desk use, with a heavier-duty case than the other two watches here.
A wrist is the most controllable mount on a body, because you can aim it deliberately without moving anything else. It is also the most awkward, since a wrist points at the floor unless you consciously raise it. Watches suit short, deliberate captures rather than passive recording.
VIM-WATCHR7 at $222 is the practical everyday choice: 1080p with audio, automatic infrared at close range, 16GB built in plus microSD, water resistant, 43mm across and 13mm thick. VIM-WATCHR5 at $222 adds IR night vision and a voice-only recording mode.
Best for watching from somewhere else
VIM-CARKEY4K2, $333. 4K live view with recording at 1080p 60FPS, WiFi control from a phone app, a 900mAh battery giving 50 to 90 minutes, microSD to 128GB, and continuous running when plugged into USB.
60 frames per second is the specification nobody notices and it matters here more than anywhere: worn cameras move, and doubling the frame rate is what stops a fast pan turning into a smear. The USB option also turns it into a static camera when you are not carrying it.
For live viewing in a larger object, VIM-NOTEBOOK-4K at $266 is a wallet and notebook form with the lens beside the zipper, 4K live and 1080p recorded, a 2500mAh battery, and an internal power bank option to extend it.
All Twenty-Four Compared
Grouped by what you wear, then by price. Runtime is the column to read first.
| Model | NZD | Worn as | Video | Runtime | Storage | Notes | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIM-CAPCAM | $177 | Baseball cap | 1080p, 5MP | About 2 hours | microSD to 32GB | 70 degree pinhole in the brim. 110g. The longest runtime at this price. | View |
| VIM-CAPCAM2 | $222 | Baseball cap | 1080p | Not stated | microSD to 32GB | Adds WiFi live streaming to a phone. One-key control, loop recording, 70 degree lens. | View |
| VIM-TIECAM | $211 | Necktie | 1080p with audio | 80 minutes | Built in | Lens concealed in the fabric pattern, no visible pinhole. Motion detection. | View |
| VIM-BUTTONCAM3 | $189 | Shirt button | 1080p, 72 degrees | 90 minutes, or continuous on USB | microSD to 128GB | 2.4GHz wireless remote to 4m. The only no-touch trigger here. | View |
| VIM-BUTTONCAM2 | $200 | Shirt button | 1080p with audio | 60 minutes | 32GB built in | 70 x 15 x 10mm and 12g. The smallest device in this guide. | View |
| VIM-LIGHTERCAM2 | $177 | Lighter, in a pocket | 1080p, 2MP | Not stated | microSD to 32GB, 8GB included | One button, USB plug and play. The only unit here that ships with a card. | View |
| VIM-LIGHTERCAM3 | $211 | Lighter, in a pocket | 1080p with audio, 90 degrees | About 45 minutes | microSD to 128GB | A real working lighter with an LED torch. WiFi live view. Shortest runtime here. | View |
| VIM-WATCHR5 | $222 | Wristwatch | 1080p | Not stated | Built in | IR night vision. Records video with sound, or voice-only notes. | View |
| VIM-WATCHR7 | $222 | Wristwatch | 1080p with audio | Not stated | 16GB built in, plus microSD | Auto IR to about 0.5m. Water resistant, 43mm across and 13mm thick. Timestamped. | View |
| VIM-WATCH2KLUX | $300 | Wristwatch | 4K | Not stated | Built in | The heavy-duty watch, built for physical activity rather than desk use. | View |
| VIM-CARKEY3 | $189 | Key fob | 1080p | Not stated | Expandable | One-key operation. The simplest fob here. | View |
| VIM-CARKEY4 | $189 | Key fob | 1080p with audio | 110 minutes | microSD | 340mAh. The longest-running fob by a clear margin. One-key start. | View |
| VIM-CARKEY2 | $222 | Key fob | 1080p with audio, 66 degrees | 60 minutes | microSD to 128GB | Motion-activated capture and loop recording. 2MP sensor. | View |
| VIM-CARKEY4K2 | $333 | Key fob | 4K live, 1080p at 60FPS recorded | 50 to 90 minutes, or continuous on USB | microSD to 128GB | 60FPS is what keeps a moving shot sharp. WiFi app control. 900mAh. | View |
| PV-RC200HD2 | $433 | Key fob, LawMate | 1080p at 30fps, 5MP | Not stated | microSD to 64GB | Taiwan built, offline. One button with vibration feedback. Webcam mode. | View |
| PV-RC200HDW | $434 | Key fob, LawMate | 2K live, 1080p at 30FPS recorded | 75 minutes | microSD to 32GB | Taiwan built. WiFi live view with motion push alerts. 650mAh. | View |
| PV-RC400UW | $551 | Key fob, LawMate | True 4K, 8MP | Not stated | microSD | The sharpest wearable here. WiFi live stream and remote control. Vibration status feedback. | View |
| VIM-CARKEY5 | $144 | Key fob | 1080p with audio, 75 degrees | 90 minutes, or while charging | microSD to 32GB | 340mAh. 70 x 4 x 18mm, the thinnest fob here. One-press control. | View |
| VIM-KEY1080 | $166 | Key fob | 1080p with audio | 130 minutes, or while charging | microSD | 940nm no-glow IR to 1m. Motion detection, loop recording. No phone or app needed. | View |
| MAS-KEY1080 | $189 | Key fob | 1080p at 30FPS with audio | Up to 9 hours, or 24/7 plugged in | microSD to 256GB | 1000mAh. By far the longest runtime and the largest storage in this guide. USB-C. | View |
| VIM-BAGCAM | $255 | Waist bag | 4K live, 1080p recorded | Extendable with a power bank inside | microSD, cloud optional | The only unit that will house a power bank, so runtime is whatever you put in it. | View |
| VIM-BAGCAM3 | $266 | Designer purse | 4K with audio | Not stated | WiFi, remote access | Works carried or left in a room. Socially invisible in most settings. | View |
| VIM-BAGCAM4 | $266 | Crossbody bag | 4K streaming | Not stated | WiFi, motion sensor | Worn across the body pointing forward. Fully hands-free. | View |
| VIM-NOTEBOOK-4K | $266 | Wallet or notebook | 4K live, 1080p recorded | 2500mAh, extendable | microSD, cloud optional | Lens sits beside the zipper. WiFi app, motion alerts, internal power bank option. | View |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Prices are NZD and were correct at the review date at the foot of this guide.
The Runtime Problem
This is the section that will save you a return, so it comes before everything else.
Look at the runtime column above. Almost every published figure sits between 45 minutes and about 2 hours: 45, 60, 75, 80, 90, 110, 130 minutes. That is the category.
One camera breaks the pattern completely. MAS-KEY1080 at $189 carries a 1000mAh cell and records up to 9 hours continuously, or runs 24/7 plugged in, with storage to 256GB. That is four times the next best figure in this guide, for less than the price of most of them. If runtime is what is stopping you, buy that one and stop reading this section.
The reason for the rest is physics rather than cost cutting. A button camera is 12 grams and a lighter is the size of a lighter. There is no room for a battery, and the parts that drain one, the sensor, the encoder and any WiFi radio, do not get smaller just because the housing does. Runtime in this category is a direct function of how big the object is allowed to be, which is why a key fob, at 1000mAh, beats every button and every watch here.
Note also that the three cameras with the best runtime are all offline. Streaming over WiFi is the single biggest additional drain, so the units that stream are the ones with the shortest quoted figures.
What this means in practice
With one exception, wearable cameras are for scheduled events rather than shifts. A meeting you know is happening. A handover at a set time. A conversation you have arranged. You charge it beforehand, you start it as you walk in, and you stop it when you leave.
They are not for wearing all day in case something happens. If that is what you need, the answer is a bigger object rather than a better small one. A power bank is the obvious example: it is a normal thing to carry, it is allowed to be the size of a power bank, and it therefore holds a battery that lasts. VIM-WIFIP8 at $278 carries 10,000mAh and runs about 22 hours, which is roughly thirty times what a button camera manages, and VIM-PBANK4K at $434 takes three removable 18650 cells you can swap for fresh ones. Both are in the Hidden Cameras range.
The four ways round it
- Buy the 9 hour fob. MAS-KEY1080 at $189 is the simplest answer by a distance, and it is cheaper than half the guide.
- Run it on USB power. VIM-BUTTONCAM3, VIM-CARKEY4K2, VIM-CARKEY5 and VIM-KEY1080 all record while charging. A cable to a power bank in a pocket is not elegant, but it works.
- Buy the bag. VIM-BAGCAM at $255 has room for a power bank inside it, which makes it the only genuinely all-day option that is still worn on the body.
- Use motion activation. VIM-CARKEY2 and VIM-TIECAM record on movement rather than continuously, which stretches a battery across a longer window.
- Pick the long ones. After the 9 hour fob, VIM-KEY1080 at 130 minutes, VIM-CARKEY4 at 110 minutes and VIM-CAPCAM at about 2 hours. All are $189 or less.
- Carry a bigger object instead of wearing a smaller one. A power bank camera is still something you carry with you, it is still unremarkable, and it runs for the better part of a day. That is the real answer whenever the window you need to cover is longer than a meeting.
One more thing nobody mentions. Recording in 4K, or holding a WiFi stream, cuts these figures further. The quoted numbers assume the simplest mode. If you are streaming live from a 45 minute camera, plan on less than 45 minutes.
Mistakes That Cause Returns
- Expecting all-day recording. Covered above and worth repeating, because it is the number one reason people are disappointed. These run 45 minutes to 2 hours. Buy for an event, not for a shift.
- Wearing it at the wrong height. A camera in a trouser pocket films the floor. A camera on a wrist films the floor unless you raise it. Chest height pointing forward is the only mount that reliably captures faces, which is why the cap, the tie and the buttons exist.
- Forgetting the body moves. Folding your arms covers a button. Putting a bag strap across your chest covers a tie. Turning to face someone swings the lens off them. This is the difference between wearable and fixed cameras and it takes practice, not money.
- Reaching for the device to start it. The single most obvious action a person can take is patting their own chest. If the moment you need to start recording is also the moment you must not be seen doing it, buy VIM-BUTTONCAM3 and its pocket remote.
- Not knowing whether it is running. Most of these give you no feedback at all, so you record nothing and find out later. The two LawMate fobs with vibration feedback, PV-RC200HD2 and PV-RC400UW, are the only ones that tell you.
- Buying a disguise that does not fit the setting. A cap in a boardroom, a tie on a building site, a designer purse at a rugby club. The object has to be unremarkable for the person wearing it in the place they are going, and that is a judgement about you rather than about the camera.
- Using it to follow someone. Since 26 May 2026, watching or following a person is a specified act under New Zealand's stalking offence, carrying up to five years. Recording your own interactions is lawful. Building a picture of somebody else's movements is not, and a wearable camera is exactly the tool that legislation contemplates.
How to Choose
1. What are you already wearing or carrying?
Start here and most of the range eliminates itself. If you wear a cap, buy the cap. If you wear a tie to work, buy the tie. If you carry keys in your hand, buy a fob. If you carry a bag, buy the bag.
The failure mode is buying an object you would never normally have. Something new appearing on a person is more noticeable than any lens, because the people around you already know what you usually carry.
2. How long does it need to run?
Under an hour covers most single meetings, and everything here manages it. One to two hours: VIM-CARKEY4 at 110 minutes or VIM-CAPCAM at about 2 hours. Longer than that means USB power, a bag with a power bank, or an overt body camera instead.
3. Do you need to see it live?
Most people do not, and live streaming costs battery you cannot spare. If you do, the WiFi units are VIM-CAPCAM2, VIM-LIGHTERCAM3, VIM-CARKEY4K2, the three bags, VIM-NOTEBOOK-4K, PV-RC200HDW and PV-RC400UW.
If you would rather nothing was on a network at all, the offline units are the two buttons, VIM-LIGHTERCAM2, the three watches, the six cheaper fobs, PV-RC200HD2, VIM-CAPCAM and VIM-TIECAM.
4. How will you start it?
One button you can reach naturally covers most situations, and a fob already in your hand is the easiest of all. If you cannot be seen touching it, the remote on VIM-BUTTONCAM3 is the answer. If you need to know it worked, buy a LawMate with vibration feedback.
How to Actually Wear One
None of this is on a spec sheet, and all of it matters more than the specification does.
Chest height, pointing forward
Between roughly 1.1m and 1.5m off the ground is where a lens sees faces. On a standing adult that is the sternum, which is why buttons and ties work and why a pocket does not. A cap brim sits higher but points where you look, which compensates.
Square up to the person
People naturally stand at an angle to each other, which puts a chest-mounted lens off to one side. If you are recording an interaction, turn your torso to face them rather than just your head. It feels slightly confrontational and it is the difference between footage of a face and footage of an ear.
Watch what you put across your chest
A bag strap, a hi-vis vest, a lanyard, a folded arm, a clipboard held against the body. Any of these will block a button or a tie camera completely and you will not notice at the time. Before you walk in, do the thing you normally do with your hands and check the lens is still clear.
Practise once before it matters
Record five minutes of an ordinary conversation and watch it back. Almost everyone discovers the same two things: the camera is aimed lower than they thought, and their own voice is far louder than the other person's because the microphone is on their body. Both are fixable once you know, and neither is discoverable in the moment that counts.
Audio is usually the evidence
In most disputes the words matter more than the picture. Wind across a lens on a chest ruins audio quickly, so indoors is far better than outdoors, and standing still is far better than walking. If audio is the point, consider a dedicated voice recorder instead: they are smaller, cheaper and run for tens of hours rather than tens of minutes.
Start it early
None of these has a pre-record buffer, unlike the body cameras. There is no way to capture what happened before you pressed the button. If you expect a difficult conversation, start recording before you enter the room, not when things turn.
Get the footage off the same day
Most of these loop-record, which means the file you care about gets overwritten in due course. Copy it to a computer, keep the original unedited, and note the date, time and who was present while you still remember.
Key Specs Explained
Live resolution and recorded resolution differ
Several units here stream at a higher resolution than they record. VIM-CARKEY4K2, VIM-BAGCAM and VIM-NOTEBOOK-4K all advertise 4K live view while recording 1080p, and PV-RC200HDW streams 2K and records 1080p. If the file is what matters, read the recording figure. Only PV-RC400UW records true 4K.
Frame rate, which matters more here than elsewhere
A worn camera is always moving. At 30fps a quick turn smears; at 60fps it stays readable. VIM-CARKEY4K2 is the only unit here recording at 60FPS, and on a body that is worth more than a resolution step.
Field of view
66 to 90 degrees across this range, which is narrow compared with fixed cameras. Narrow is partly deliberate, because a pinhole has to be small, but it means aiming matters. At 70 degrees and 2 metres you cover about 2.8 metres of width, which is one person comfortably and two at a push.
Storage, and the 32GB ceiling
Card limits run from 32GB to 256GB, and several of the smallest units cap at 32GB. At 1080p that is roughly 8 hours, which given the battery figures is almost never the constraint. The exception is MAS-KEY1080, which takes 256GB precisely because it can record for 9 hours and run continuously on mains. VIM-LIGHTERCAM2 is the only one that ships with a card, 8GB in the box.
Feedback: vibration and indicator lights
The most underrated specification in the category. Recording something you needed and getting nothing because the camera never started is the most common single failure. Vibration feedback on PV-RC200HD2 and PV-RC400UW confirms it silently. Everything else asks you to trust it.
Infrared on a wearable
VIM-WATCHR5 and VIM-WATCHR7 carry it, and the ranges are very short: about half a metre on the WATCHR7. That is close-range document or object capture, not room coverage. Do not expect a wearable to see across a dark car park.
Motion activation
Sensible on a camera left in a bag on a table. Less sensible on a moving person, where everything is motion and the camera simply records continuously anyway. Use it when the device is stationary, not while you are walking.
No pre-record, anywhere in this range
Worth stating plainly. There is no buffer on any wearable here, so nothing before the button press is captured. Start early.
Choose by Situation
A meeting you expect to be disputed
Formal setting, seated, under an hour, and the words matter more than the pictures. VIM-TIECAM at $211 if a tie is normal for you, or VIM-BUTTONCAM2 at $200 if it is not. Sit square to the table, start before you go in, and remember that recording a conversation you are part of is lawful here.
A confrontation you cannot predict
Doorstep disputes, boundary arguments, an aggressive customer. You need something already in your hand or already on your body. VIM-CARKEY4 at $189 for keys you are holding anyway, or VIM-BAGCAM4 at $266 for hands-free. Holding up a phone escalates a situation; a bag does not.
Buying or selling something from a stranger
Meeting someone from an online listing, usually in a car park, usually with cash involved. VIM-BAGCAM4 at $266 worn across the body, or a fob in your hand. Meet in daylight in a public place regardless of what you are wearing.
Field investigation and process serving
Documentation is the job and the footage will be examined. PV-RC400UW at $551 for true 4K and vibration confirmation, or PV-RC200HD2 at $433 for the offline version. Private investigators in New Zealand are licensed under the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010, and a camera confers no authority of any kind.
Outdoor and physical work
Movement, weather, hands occupied. VIM-CAPCAM at $177 because the brim points where you look and stays clear of straps and vests, or VIM-WATCH2KLUX at $300 for the heavy-duty case. If the window is longer than two hours, carry a power bank camera rather than trying to stretch a worn one.
All-day carry
On a keyring, MAS-KEY1080 at $189 for 9 hours, which covers a working day on its own. Worn on the body, VIM-BAGCAM at $255 because it takes a power bank inside. Carried rather than worn, buy a power bank camera such as VIM-WIFIP8 at $278 for about 22 hours. Everything else here needs a USB cable to a battery in your pocket, or a plan that fits inside two hours.
You want the smallest possible thing
VIM-BUTTONCAM2 at $200 70 x 15 x 10mm and 12 grams. Understand the trade: 60 minutes of runtime, no feedback, and a lens that a folded arm covers completely.
FAQs
Are wearable cameras legal in New Zealand?
Owning one is lawful, and recording a conversation you are taking part in is lawful under section 216B of the Crimes Act 1961. The limits are filming people where they expect privacy, and using a camera to follow or monitor a particular person, which engages the stalking offence in force since 26 May 2026.
Can I record a conversation without telling the other person?
If you are part of that conversation, generally yes. New Zealand is a one-party consent country for audio. Recording a conversation you are not part of, such as leaving a device running in a room you have left, carries up to two years.
How long do these record for?
Most run between 45 minutes and about 2 hours, which is a physical limit rather than a price one. One exception: MAS-KEY1080 at $189 does up to 9 hours on a 1000mAh cell, or runs continuously plugged in. Several others record while charging, and the waist bag takes a power bank inside it.
Can I use one at work?
Carefully. Recording your own conversations is lawful, but covertly recording colleagues can breach your employment agreement and the good faith duty in the Employment Relations Act 2000 even where it breaks no criminal law. If you are recording because of a workplace dispute, take advice first.
Can I record in a shop, a bar or a gym?
These are private property open to the public, and the occupier can set conditions of entry including no filming. Recording anyway is not usually a crime but can be trespass once you are asked to stop and do not. Changing rooms, bathrooms and pool changing areas are absolutely off limits and engage the intimate visual recording offence.
Which one is best for evidence?
The one that was actually running. Beyond that, pick something with vibration feedback so you know it started, position it at chest height, keep the original file unedited and note the date, time and who was present. Improperly obtained material can be excluded under the Evidence Act 2006.
Do any of these have pre-record?
No. None of them buffer footage from before you press the button, so nothing that happened before you started it exists. Start recording before you walk in, not once things turn.
Will people notice?
They notice new objects and unusual behaviour, not lenses. A cap you always wear draws nothing. A cap you have never worn before, or the act of patting your own chest mid-conversation, draws attention immediately.
Responsible Use in New Zealand
This is the highest-risk category in this shop, and it is worth being direct about why. A body camera is visible, which deters trouble and signals what it is doing. These are covert and they move with a person, so you get none of that protection and considerably more legal exposure. The same law applies nationwide with no regional variation.
Audio is the part that works in your favour. Under section 216B of the Crimes Act 1961, recording a private conversation you are taking part in is lawful and you do not have to tell anyone. Recording one you are not a party to carries up to two years, and disclosing such a recording is a separate offence. Leaving a wearable running in a room you then walk out of moves you from the first category into the second.
Video has a hard limit that nothing overrides. Sections 216G to 216N of the Crimes Act 1961 make it an offence to make a visual recording of a person where they reasonably expect privacy, including bathrooms, changing rooms and bedrooms, and of a person's intimate areas anywhere. Up to three years, with possessing and publishing as separate offences. No wearable belongs in a gym changing room, a pool complex or a public toilet, and there is no purpose that makes it acceptable.
Following or monitoring a person. The Crimes Legislation (Stalking and Harassment) Amendment came into force on 26 May 2026. Watching, loitering near, following and recording a person are specified acts, and a pattern of them carries up to five years. Recording your own interactions with someone is lawful. Using a wearable camera to build a picture of where a particular person goes, especially a partner, former partner or family member, is precisely the conduct this legislation targets, and buying the device from us does not change that.
Private property open to the public. Shops, bars, gyms, malls and stadiums are private property, and the occupier can make no-filming a condition of entry. Continuing after being asked to stop can make you a trespasser under the Trespass Act 1980.
Employment. Recording your own meetings is generally lawful, but covert recording of colleagues or managers can still breach your employment agreement and the good faith duty in section 4 of the Employment Relations Act 2000. Recordings made this way are sometimes admitted in a personal grievance and sometimes counted against the person who made them. Take advice before you rely on one.
Recording as an organisation. If a business asks staff to wear these, the Privacy Act 2020 applies in full: a lawful purpose, collection that is not unreasonably intrusive, people generally being aware it is happening, secure storage and a retention limit. Covert collection by an organisation is very hard to justify, and openly telling people they are being recorded is both easier to defend and more effective, because a recording that is known about changes behaviour before an incident starts.
Publishing. Do not post footage of identifiable people online. Even a lawfully made recording can engage the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 once published. Recordings go to the police, a lawyer, an employer or a tribunal.
Using a recording later. Keep the original unedited, note the date, time, location and who was present, and copy it off the device before loop recording overwrites it. Improperly obtained evidence can be excluded under section 30 of the Evidence Act 2006, so how a recording was made matters as much as what it shows.
This guide is general product information for New Zealand customers and is not legal advice. If a recording is likely to be used in a dispute, an employment matter or a court proceeding, get advice specific to your situation.
Related Guides
Cameras that move with a person are this guide. These cover the rest.
- Body Cameras is a separate category for a separate job: overt, uniformed equipment for law enforcement and licensed security patrol work, not covert recording.
- Camera Glasses for eyewear, which points exactly where you look and needs no aiming at all.
- Pen Cameras for the pocket and the meeting table, in the one object nobody questions in an office.
- Hidden Cameras for cameras that stay in a room instead of travelling with you.
- Voice Recorders if the words are what matter. Smaller, cheaper, and they run for tens of hours rather than tens of minutes.
Shop Wearable Cameras
The shortest path is two questions. What do you already wear or carry, and does it need to run longer than two hours. The first picks the object, the second decides whether a wearable is the right product at all.
Twenty-four cameras, $144 to $551 and the whole range is above.
Browse all Wearable Cameras, or compare with the overt Body Cameras and the wider Spy Cameras range.
Last reviewed August 2026.