Rob Schultz/IDG
Theres a whole lot happening when you drive another group of eyes will help you keep safe on the market. While your co-pilot may be susceptible to dozing, a dash cam is ever aware of whats happening, keeping a higher resolution recording with timestamps and GPS coordinates. There are some what to look at whenever choosing the very best dash cam for you personally. Would you like a front, front/interior, or front/rear model? Do you want a broad viewing angle? Think about special features such as for example voice control or parking assist? We’ve reviews and recommendations of most forms of dash cams at various prices.
For a lot more home elevators what features to consider in a dash cam, scroll to your buyers guide under our best picks. You may also save time and confusion by reading our instructions on how best to use a dash cam.
1. Cobra SC 400D Best premium front/rear dash cam
Pros
- Excellent video captures, night and day, front and back
- 3-inch touchscreen display
- Voice control
- Alexa support (in the event that you care)
- 2160p (4K UHD) if you would like it
Cons
- Very costly
- Rear camera isnt removable
Our overview of the Cobra SC 400D left us smitten. Its pricey, yes, nonetheless it delivers the products with stunning images4K for leading, 1080p in the rearday or night. Moreover it has all of the trappings of reduced product: a sturdy magnetic mount with integrated GPS, a crisp 3-inch touchscreen display, and Alexa support for finding businesses and so on if you are on the highway. It is also expanded having an optional 120-degree FOV cam for the inside.
Read our full Cobra SC 400D review
2. Nextbase 622GW Best premium front/rear runner-up
Pros
- Stellar night and day captures
- Modular add-on 1080p cameras provide interior and rear coverage
- Alexa voice control and automatic emergency notifications
Ahead of our overview of the Cobra SC 400D above, the 622GW front/rear system was our hands-down favorite. And, really, it shares practically all exactly the same attributes as its rivalnice design and construction, excellent night and day captures, drive mapping, an excellent 3-inch display, emergency reaction to accidents, Alexa support, and the capability to put in a third camera for interior views. Just like the 400D, it posesses premium price. But in the finish, you cant fail with either model.
Read our full Nextbase 622GW Dash Cam review
3. Viofo A129 Pro Duo Best midrange front/rear dash cam
Pros
- Excellent 4K UHD front captures.
- Great 1080p rear captures.
- Simple to use
Cons
- Cameras dont detach from mounts
Another of the 4K-front/1080p-rear camera setups, the Viofo A129 Pro Duo was the first ever to win us to the advantages of 4K. Its been matched in those abilities by newer models, however the A129 comes at a competitive price that cant be ignored. And yes it offers integrated GPS and a nice user experience.
Read our full Viofo A129 Pro Duo review
4. Nextbase 222X Best budget front/rear dash cam
Pros
- Good front/rear-view day video
- Decent front/rear-view night captures
- 48-hour, battery-supported parking mode and after-incident capture
Cons
- Modest video quality in comparison to pricier Nextbase models
- Modular port, but no add-on modules
- No GPS
In the event that you actually want to cut costs, this Walmart-exclusive Nextbase 222X front-and-rear camera duo offers great value. The 1080p/720p video is really a compromise, but video quality continues to be good, it includes a nice magnetic mount, an obvious 2.5-inch screen, and a battery-supported parking mode.
Read our full Nextbase 222X Dash Cam review
5. Miofive 4K Best front-only dash cam
Pros
- Compact, fully integrated design
- Very reasonable for 4K with GPS
- Friendly voice notifications
- 64GB of internal storage
- Good night and day captures
Cons
- Internal storage isn’t replaceable
- macOS won’t browse the internal storage
Ahead of our overview of the Miofive 4K, we’d have tapped the Car and Driver Eye2 Pro because the best front-only dash cam with 4K, an excellent product in its right. However the Miofive costs $100 less, and will be offering integrated GPS and also great video captures, 64GB of internal storage, a concise design, friendly voice notifications, and a brilliant straightforward setup. So not merely is this well known front dash cam with 4K, its well known front cam overall.
Read our full Miofive 4K dash cam review
6. Garmin Dash Cam 57 Best front-only runner-up
Pros
- Colorful, detailed captures night and day
- Small enough to cover behind your mirror
- Super-convenient magnetic mounting
- Phone and cloud connectivity
Cons
- No rear camera option
This small but mighty front dash cam has everything: great 1440p video with a 140-degree field of view, integrated GPS and driving assistance, good phone connectivity, a straightforward and convenient magnetic mounting system, and the backing of Garmins good name.
Read our full Garmin Dash Cam 57 review
7. iOttie Aivo View Most stealth front-only cam
Pros
- An easy task to create and use
- Excellent night and day captures
- Magnetic mount
- Minimalist styling and operation
Cons
- Requires iOttie account to create and use
For minimalist types, iOtties Aivo View includes only a small camera that magnetically mounted on a semi-permanent mount. It uses your phone because the interface and viewer. It could capture at around 1600p/30 fps, or only 720p to save lots of space on your own inserted Sdcard. In addition, it offers integrated GPS. The Aivo View does require that you setup an iOttie account.
If that doesnt sit well with you, the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 is another excellent choice for stealth operation, measuring just 1.23 x 2.1 x 1.5 inchessmall enough to stay hidden behind your sun visor. It doesnt have GPS, however.
Read our full iOttie Aivo View dash cam review
8. Garmin Dash Cam Tandem Best front/interior dash cam
Pros
- Super easy to set up and use
- Compact profile
- Excellent magnetic mount
- 360-degree front/interior view (minus obstructions)
Cons
- Expensive
- Average captures
Garmins front/interior camera is simple to install, includes a compact body that helps it avoid detection, and contains a fantastic magnetic mountall useful features that define for the common 1440p/720p video capture quality. The Tandem doesnt have a display; it nicely uses Bluetooth (instead of Wi-Fi) for connecting to your phone, where Garmins easy-to-use app enables you to configure settingsalthough the defaults are spot-on.
Read our full Garmin Dash Cam Tandem review
9. Cobra SC 201 Best budget front/interior dash cam
Pros
- Excellent video, especially through the night
- Front and interior cameras for ride-givers
- GPS with automatic setup
- Included 16GB Sdcard
Cons
- No captures without 12-volt
- Buggy software during testing
- App will not support smartphones running Android 7 or older
Dash cams are about capturing the action, and few take action much better than thefront/interior Cobra SC 201. The surface night video, especially, is unsurpassed in its capability to show details in dark surroundings also it supplies a laundry set of features including GPS and cloud uploads. The business even carries a 16GB Sdcard. Its really worth the amount of money for everything you getjust dont make an effort to utilize the cloud functionality having an older phone OS.
Read our full Cobra SC 201 Smart Dash Cam review
What things to search for in a dash cam
Well step you through what things to consider when youre searching for a dash cam, from video capabilities, recording options, power connections, and much more.
Video capabilities
- Dual-channel support: This is exactly what youll need in order to run both front and rear, or interior (cabin-view) cameras. Interior cameras are usually situated on the dash cam, but rear cameras are separate and require additional cabling.
- A decently wide field of view: Youll see cameras with less than 90-degrees field of view, but youll catch more of whats around you in the event that you choose 120 to 140 degrees. Some cameras offer 160- to 180-degree lenses. Remember that the wider the field of view, the more fish-eye distortion there’s, and much more processing is involved to pay.
- Night and day video recording (night quality is really a big variant)
- Infrared lighting is essential if you need to assure good captures ofnocturnal events in the cabin of one’s vehicle.
- HDR(high dynamic range) isnt necessary, nonetheless it does lead to more descriptive video due to better contrast. In addition, it generally indicates richer color.
- WDR (wide dynamic range) is similar to above, except it usually identifies only color rather than contrast.
- Do you want 4K UHD? Its an easy task to fall victim to the specsmanship of a higher-res image. Inside our tests, the gain at length from 4K video (2160p) may differ, however the storage investment is consistently heavy: four times the storage of 1080p, or about 1GB for each and every 3 minutes of video. For some purposes,1080p may be the more frugal everyday choice. Dont avoid 4K UHDwhich is really a feature inside our best overall picksbut browse the reviews first which means you know if the cost is justified.
Recording options
- Continuous loop recording to reduce storage requirements. Video is recorded, then immediately overwritten at a specified interval unless saved. Video is saved (protected from overwriting) automatically when an incident is detected. Most dash cams will overwrite older recordings if they go out of space.
- Cloud storage can be acquired with several dash cams. Uploading to the cloud instantly is really a nice hedge against damage and theftassuming the thief isnt smart enough to kill the dash cam immediately. Its handy for all those managing fleets of vehicles, too, as incident videos are safely stashed online.
- Self-powered recording when power fails, to enable you to make sure to capture most of an incident. This involves a battery or large super-capacitor (see below in Power connections). The camera must have a setting which allows one to specify just how long the camera runs off 12-volt before shutting down.
- Incident recording set off by impact (G) sensors, or when in parking mode (see below), by motion detection.
- MicroSD card storage. Pricier dash cams bundle a storage card. Some include larger cards, plus some budget models come without. You can find often bundles available with the card. Some cameras choose hard-wired internal storage, just like the Miofive 4K.
Power connections
Something a lot of people dont consider before they buy is that dash cams hook up to an electrical source in your vehicle with a physical cable. That cable can often be tucked taken care of, but much more likely than not youll have loose cable hanging somewhere. It is possible to sometimes fix this with an extended or shorter cable (or perhaps a professional installation). Keep that at heart as you take into account your power options:
- Auxiliary 12-volt power (adequate): Most vendors have stuck with powering their dash cams via the auxiliary 12-volt power socket (also referred to as the cigarette lighter) and USB cables. It could result in an unsightly cable run, and the energy disappears once you turn off the automobile, but its universal and easy.
- Hard-wired 12-volt power (better): Most vendors offer kits that connect the dash cam right to a continuing 12-volt source in your wiring harness behind the dash. This allows always-on power, nonetheless it isnt particularly an easy task to install.
- OBD-II 12-volt power (better): Outliers just like the Owl and PureCam utilize the OBD-II connector for constant 12-volt power. OBD-II-to-USB power cables are actually available separately (instead of hardwiring kits that draw constant 12-volt power from the wiring harness).I would recommend one with a USB Type-A port, that will accommodate any dash cam. The majority of people that have captive cables Ive seen are mini-USB. The only real downside is really a long cable run, because the OBD-II port is generally alongside the drivers left knee, underneath the dash.
- Rearview 12-volt power (better): Another option that has a super-short cable run is powering your dash cam making use of your auto-dimming rearview mirror. You will find adapters because of this at Dongar Technologies. If your vehicle qualifies, that is by far your very best option.
- Battery (or super-capacitor) power: Many dash cams include super-capacitors, which permit the dash cam to use for a short period after losing regular powersuch as throughout a collision. They dont record for lengthy though, and sometimes never.A battery offers you a better potential for recording a whole incident, even though 12-volt power is lost. If run time is enough, it also enables you to record for some time with the automobile switched off.
Other handy features
- Phone connectivity isn’t essential, but could make offloading video and configuring the dash cam easier. Weve noticed just lately (12/15/2020) that phone apps are needs to require later versions of Android. If youre rocking anything over the age of 8, keep that at heart.
- GPS: This feature may be the tipping point if you are using your captured video to solve a dispute. Watermarking the video is common, however when embedded in to the video, GPS info can be immensely ideal for mapping your travels. GPS may also automatically set enough time in better cameras.
- Parking monitoring: This may mean a couple of things. Running the dash cam continuously in low frame-rate mode to save lots of card space and battery, or running in standby mode and awakening when motion or g-forces are detected. Weve reviewed cameras which have a battery large enough to monitor the automobile with the 12-volt switched off for a number of days, but most cameras need a constant 12-volt source.
How exactly we test dash cams
Few folks are aswell situated geographically when i am to check dash cams. Within two blocks you can find major four- and six-lane thoroughfares, numerous bike lanes, joggers, dog walkers, oblivious ear-budded pedestrians, and a significant bus nexus serving both public and private coaches. The opportunities for near-accidents are endless.
For each and every dash cam, I mount it in my own car, judging the ease and capability of doing this.Tip:Many dash cams depend on adhesive for mounting to your windshield. Hot conditions makes it hard to eliminate the film that protects the adhesive. Take away the film in an awesome environment, or stick it in the fridge for one to three minutes before installing it.
I put each dash cam through several days and nights worth of driving,recording video and judging the image quality. All of the dash cams Ive reviewed within the last year or two take good daytime video. However, night video is frequently suffering from murky shadows and headlight flare. Having said that, quality is improving rapidly with the introduction of new sensors. Have a close consider the night shots in each review.
I try all of the features: Buttons, display controls, apps.Apart from rear-view support and GPS, probably the most salient differences between your products will be the interface controls and further features, like the lane departure and collision warnings that you will get with some models. I try themand I turn them off. Used, they often tell me Im changing lanes, in heavy traffic, or have just been take off. I understand that. Additionally, the collision warnings generally come too late to accomplish not distract you at the wrong time.
Remember that the thing I cant relate with you may be the longevity of any dash cam, as my testing occurs over a comparatively short timeframe. Please check reading user reviews on various sites and focus on the warranty.
