For your situation, I've actually been through this exact dilemma over the years. I totally get it—the 7D Mark II is a beast for sports, but it's heavy and that wrist strain is NO JOKE after a few hours on the field. I've tried many third-party grips because I honestly couldn't justify the $200+ price for the official one either. Basically, if you're hitting that 10fps burst, you need a solid connection or the camera will just cut out. Here’s how the main budget options stack up in my experience: * Vello BG-C12 Battery Grip for Canon 7D Mark II: This is my top recommendation. It's pretty much the gold standard for third-party grips. The buttons feel tactile and clicky—not mushy at all—and it has never dropped connection during a high-speed burst for me. Plus, the rubber grip texture matches the 7DII almost perfectly.
* Pixel Vertax E16 Battery Grip for Canon 7D Mark II: I used this for about a year. It's built like a tank and actually has decent gaskets for weather sealing. It’s a bit cheaper than the Vello and the fit is super snug, which is great for sports. * Neewer Vertical Battery Grip for Canon 7D Mark II: This is the ultra-budget choice. It works, but honestly, the shutter button feels a bit "off" and the weather sealing is basically non-existent. Probably fine for indoor stuff, but maybe not for messy outdoor sports. In my experience, the Vello is the most reliable for heavy use. Just make sure your batteries are seated tight so you dont get those random disconnects mid-game. Good luck!

Seconding the recommendation above. The 10fps burst on the 7DII is seriously demanding on power delivery. Tbh, if you cant swing the OEM price, you gotta be careful because many cheap options skip the weather sealing gaskets entirely. Been thinking about this, and here are a couple of solid alternatives that actually work:
- Vello BG-C12 Battery Grip for Canon 7D Mark II - This is basically the gold standard for third-party grips. The shutter button feels tactile, and it handles the high-speed burst without those annoying connection drops.
- Meike MK-7DRII Battery Grip for Canon EOS 7D Mark II - Ive seen this one hold up well under heavy use. It feels sturdy, and while it's not "Canon level" weather-sealed, the tolerances are pretty tight. Also, make sure you use high-quality cells like the Canon LP-E6NH Lithium-Ion Battery or at least a Watson LP-E6NH Lithium-Ion Battery Pack. If the batteries cant keep up, the grip will fail first. gl!

Honestly I totally feel your pain. I spent a whole weekend shooting a track meet with my 7D Mark II last year and my wrist was absolutely wrecked by Sunday afternoon. That camera is such a brick... I love it for sports but trying to hold it vertical for hours for those portrait shots is just a bad time. I was seriously looking for a solution that wouldnt cost as much as a new lens. I ended up picking up the Meike MK-7DR II Vertical Battery Grip after a lot of digging around. Honestly its been great and I am really satisfied with the build quality for the price. The 10fps burst has stayed totally consistent and I havent had any weird power disconnects during long sequences. If you want a different brand, the Vivitar VIV-PG-7DII Deluxe Power Grip is another solid choice I checked out. A friend uses that one and the shutter button has a nice tactile click to it compared to some of the really mushy ones. Both of these have been solid workhorses and definitely save your wrist without draining the wallet.

Hmm, I've had a different experience with those super cheap brands over the years. Honestly, I've been shooting sports for like 15 years now and while the previous suggestions are okay for light use, the 7DII is a totally different animal because of that crazy 10fps burst speed. The power draw is actually pretty insane and I've seen cheap grips literally cut out mid-sequence because the internal circuitry or contacts aren't tight enough... so frustrating!! Respectfully, I'd consider another approach instead of just going for the absolute cheapest thing you can find. If you want that pro feel without the mushy buttons and want it to actually last, here's my technical breakdown of the stuff that's worked for me: * Vello BG-C12 Battery Grip for Canon 7D Mark II: This is basically the gold standard for third-party stuff. The shutter button actually has a distinct two-stage feel, unlike some others which can feel like mush tbh. I've used this one for long track meets and it never dropped the connection even at max burst. Plus, the fit and finish are fantastic.
* Used Canon BG-E16 Battery Grip: I know you said the official one is pricey, but highkey you can find these used on sites like MPB or eBay for $60-$80 now. If weather sealing is a priority, this is the ONLY one that actually has the rubber gaskets that match the 7DII body perfectly.
* Meike MK-7DRII Professional Battery Grip: If you're on a super tight budget, this one is actually better than the Neewer in my experience because the battery tray feels more solid and doesnt rattle around when youre moving fast. Anyway, I really think the Vello is your best bet if you want new, but definitely check the used market for the real deal Canon thing cuz it's just AMAZING. Good luck with the sports season lol! 👍

To add to the point above: I've been running a non-OEM setup on my 7DII for about three years now and honestly, I'm pretty satisfied with how it's held up during track season. I remember being super worried about the voltage drop during high-speed bursts since the 10fps really taxes the power delivery system. What I learned after a few rainy soccer games is that the internal pins are usually where these things fail first... mine has been solid tho. One thing I noticed is that the weather sealing on these budget units isn't quite up to the standard of the Canon EOS 7D Mark II body itself, so I usually just wrap it if it starts pouring. Just curious tho, what kind of batteries are you planning to run in it? Are you sticking with original Canon LP-E6N packs or going with third-party ones too? That makes a massive difference in whether the grip can actually maintain the current needed for those fast bursts without the mirror assembly lagging.

Facts.

Re: 'Honestly I totally feel your pain. I spent...' - man, tell me about it! My wrist was toast after a weekend at the motocross track. I actually went through a couple of those budget units and they all let me down during high-speed bursts. Eventually, I just got fed up and decided to take matters into my own hands!!

• I realized most the connection issues were just because the tolerances were slightly off on the one I got.
• I actually ended up using some thin plastic shims and a tiny bit of contact cleaner on the pins to make everything seat perfectly.
• It sounds super janky but honestly it worked better than the out-of-the-box experience ever did!
• I also rigged up a custom hand strap using some heavy-duty materials that really shifted the weight off my wrist. Seriously, dont be afraid to get a little MacGyver with it if you dont want to drop the big bucks on the official gear. It was a total game changer for me and my 7DII hasnt missed a beat since! Love that DIY life!