Freesound Forums
Best windjammer for handheld recorder?
Started September 12th, 2025 · 22 replies · Latest reply by kevp888 6 days, 12 hours ago
I’ve been looking for a better windjammer for my Zoom H5 recorder, since the Zoom WSU-1 windjammer included with it can only block out wind speeds under 6 km/h (1 on the Beaufort scale and lower) without a lee. Very restricting since I live by the coast.
I’ve heard that the Rycote Mini can block out Beaufort 2 winds, which is more reasonable and what I’m thinking of getting if I can’t find a better solution. A blimp is of course better, but it doesn’t seem compatible with my handheld recorder for now.
However, I came across a post by Philip Goddard (quite useful even though the comparison is 10 years old) (https://www.broad-horizon-nature.co.uk/windshield-comparison.htm#how_effective_Deadkitten), which said that the original version of the Røde Dead Kitten could handle 3-4 Beaufort winds without much of an impression. This seems like a perfect fit since it still allows for some pleasant wind and much more flexibility in where to record.
Nowadays it apparently isn’t made, but is there a modern windjammer that is equivalent to these abilities, or one that is better than the Rycote Mini?
Hi,
Looks like it's complicated to put a handy recorder in a blimp, it would be cool if someone had an accessory to mount a tripod thread handy recorder inside a blimp.
Budget permitting, you could buy some small condenser microphones and Rode WS8 windshields, I find them quite effective. It is a level up investment though...
Up sides is you can play with different mic setups, a upgraded noise-floor, I trust the WS8.
You could eventually get blimp too and use a single pen mic in one for those really windy days. And if you upgrade mics or recorder, your windshield investment will still hold.
Otherwise, I don't know what's on the market for handyrecorders or the H5, id trust the rycote the most as a off the shelf product but I expect id want more.
You could to DIY an extreme wind cover. My idea is to have a bucket around/behind the microphone, and probably a front cloth to shield it all.
I know these aren't clean responses but I hope they help in some way until someone with the appropriate knowledge can shine in 
Pro brand windjammer
https://www.thomann.nl/rycote_mini_wind_screen_for_zoom_h5.htm
Yes it does seem that the Rycote Mini is the best option for now.
If I get another microphone with a decent stereo set in the future up I'll look for one that works with a blimp.
On the topic of DIY, I have noticed that even the hood on my hoodie can block wind decently, and I've also seen that people sowing their own windjammers can get good results, but for now I'm just looking to purchasing one.
Hi vhio !
Honnestly, you don’t have many to expect with lots of these mini windjammers I’m afraid, especially if you’re recording in a coastal area.
Rycote products are renown for their quality.
Gutmann products are quite nice too, as well as bubblebee windkillers for handheild recorders.
However, this will probably not be night and day compared with the zoom windjammer, because the main point is to create a ‘windfree’ area as big as possible in front of the capsules of your recorder, which is hard to achieve with those small windshields.
If you can, try to avoid the wind as much a possible, protecting your recorder with your body, or with a wall/tree/cliff.
Also, I’ve read somewhere that a famous French sound recordist named Yann Paranthoen often used an umbrella to shield his microphones from the wind, which might be a good tip in some circumstances.
Hope it could help !
Wishing you all the best !
Kevin
Thanks for the recommendations Kevp888.
After looking at some reviews and comparisons of the brands you’ve mentioned I’ve decided to buy the Bubblebee Windkiller SE as I think it can block out Beaufort 3 winds. It costs a little bit more than the Rycote but I’ll post an update here when I’ve been able to test it for myself.
As for the umbrella trick it does sound interesting and flexible enough, I’ll try it sometime.
the umbrella picture
https://www.discogs.com/artist/1339442-Yann-Parantho%C3%ABn
vhio wrote:
Thanks for the recommendations Kevp888.After looking at some reviews and comparisons of the brands you’ve mentioned I’ve decided to buy the Bubblebee Windkiller SE as I think it can block out Beaufort 3 winds. It costs a little bit more than the Rycote but I’ll post an update here when I’ve been able to test it for myself.
As for the umbrella trick it does sound interesting and flexible enough, I’ll try it sometime.
It has been a while since I last posted here I admit.
I received the Bubblebee Windkiller a couple weeks after my previous post, and decided to do some tests in different environments to compare it with the previous ZOOM WSU-1 windjammer.
On my first impressions I was disappointed to find that the Windkiller did not dissipate wind better than the ZOOM. The only difference being the sound of the wind - the Windkiller creating a sound similar to blowing wind through a tube, quite low pitch, and the ZOOM creating a more traditional wind sound. This made me lose interest in recording for a while, though upon further reflection I doubt my first findings.
There are two reasons for this:
1. I don’t actually have a proper way to measure wind speeds, such as with an anemometer. I have been relying on my weather app to tell me the wind speeds for each hour, which is a general average for that area and does not factor in all the environmental factors such as trees, height, buildings etc.
2. I only have one recorder, so during the 5 minutes it takes from beginning my first test recording to the next, the wind speeds have probably changed somewhat.
Making a proper wind test was not as easy as I thought it would be.
While I can’t determine it for certain, my belief is now by further practice in the field that the Windkiller is just as good if not better than the ZOOM WSU-1. I have also improved on finding which areas best protect from the wind, and which ones don’t, meaning that the windjammer doesn’t need to do as much of the work.
As for the umbrella trick, it unfortunately had little to no effect on blocking the wind when I tried it.
My plan is to use the Windkiller as my main windjammer, and recently I have been using it to make a bunch of recordings in New Zealand, with varying levels of wind. I will be uploading these gradually in the following days.
Hi, you can experiment with a desktop fan.
It should give you an idea with a repeatable setup.
Don't hesitate to record and share your findings!
I also invite you to check out this recording of mine https://freesound.org/people/Sadiquecat/sounds/773670/
Zoom h5 too in harsh wind conditions with my setup in description.
Can give you an idea of expectations of what's possible and results for 30km/h wind with 80km/h gusts.
Il note, some noises can be hard to reproduce in recording, like river recordings never sound natural to me. I wonder how much the ear filters and contextual awareness filters in/out a timbre that a mic / recording struggles to reproduce. With a river its quite clear this "white noise" aspect of them in rec. I wonder to what extent general wind noise does this too; outside of the microphone system just ambience "white noise". Anyhow even with the best of wind shields, it still gets in the way vs an idle day 🫠
Hi vhio and friends !
Thank you very much for sharing your impression with us !
Really sorry that the Bubblebee isn’t better than the WSU-1...
As I mentioned, the main issue with these small windjammer is that you cannot get enough wind free area in front of the mic capsules, and it seems that the Windkiller SE is no exception, unfortunately.
If you own a desktop fan, I think Sadiquecat’s idea would be interesting to try. Personally, I also use this method to compares windjammers, and even if it isn’t really like outdoor wind and gusts, It would give you a clearer idea about the effectiveness of your 2 windscreens.
Concerning the umbrella trick, I didn’t use it myself, as I usually don’t carry any umbrella. I thought it would be effective, but it seems I was wrong, unfortunately too...
Anyway, very curious to hear the recording you made in New Zealand ! 
Wishing you all the best !
Kevin
Right, a fan, I forgot about that.
Anyways here’s that comparison using a desktop fan:
https://freesound.org/people/vhio/sounds/841636/
It does seem that the Bubblebee can dissipate wind somewhat more effectively from this test, though I do experience more “clicks” with the bubblebee. Maybe it's just from the adjustment string hitting the box, though it does appear often in my recordings and is a bit of a mystery to me.
I have also previously checked the spectrogram of a white noise recording with both wind protectors, and the frequency response is about the same for both, so I’m not sure how I could improve such river and wind recordings.
Great ! This is exactly my routine test !
And indeed, the Bubblebee seems more effective than the WSU-1, with lot less low rumbling noise (about 6dB difference, according to my measurements). This is not night and day, but still appreciable in some circumstances !
However, these clicks with the Bubblebee are quite annoying... During the test, did you place the string on the right of your recorder ? If yes, I think you guessed right, the string or the clamping ring is probably hitting the case of the recorder.
Anyway, thank you for sharing this very interesting comparison, which would probably make me think about buying a Windkiller SE for my H5Studio one day.
Cheers !
Kevin
It could be many factors to why the string could be causing disturbances, though not the positioning in this particular case. In the field I most often stretch it firmly to my tripod, still, other disturbances such as drops falling on the microphone, knocks on the ground nearby or by long grass strands hitting the tripod can cause similar clicks. It is a sensitive microphone.
How it compares to the Rycote and Gutmann I’m still not sure, but happy to be of help in this particular case. 
Yes, you’re right, this kind of disturbance might happen for many reasons.
Honestly, me too, I can’t guess exactly how the Windkiller SE and the WSU-1 would compare with the equivalent products from Rycote and Gutmann. However, I own some other windscreens for my previous recorders made by these 2 brands, and they don’t have any adjustable string on them.
In fact, my Gutmann products use rubber band, and my Rycote products use rubber band and/or foam to fit the recorders).
Hope it could help !
Wishing you all the best !
Kevin
Against extreme wind, a blimp is probably king.
I'm unsure how to fit a H5 or other tripod thread handyrecorder/mic ?
My blimp has comes with two shotgun mic "clip" (to be held on two sides). Surly an adapter to fit a regular "tripod thread" or the bigger "mic stand thread" onto the Blimp's inner rail ought to exist ?
Asking because I'm kind of interested in fitting in a Zoom H1e inside for a stereo setup ^^
Hello everyone,
I've been following your discussion about a good windshield for the microphone for a while now.
Perhaps my tips will be useful.
First of all, the distance between the microphone and the windshield is important. The further away the windshield is from the microphone, the better it blocks the wind. A zeppelin would work well, but it is awkward to use and expensive.
Now for a reasonable alternative:
An easy tip is to first look for a pop filter specifically designed for your recorder microphones. The larger the better, for example 10 cm in diameter.
Around that, buy or make a long-haired windjammer that fits around the pop filter, not too loosely, and you have effectively created your distance.
Thats how I started with my first DIY windshield
Good luck
Hi Kevin
I don't think the NT5s could fit in a XY or stereo layout other than a small A-B setup.
That said with the NT5's, I'm very happy with the WS8 windshields by rode. Although they don't allow for a XY setup and I can only stay in a ORTF or A-B kind of thing.
Cheers!
- 1
- 2