Accidents can happen quickly, and you don’t want to make the situation worse by getting in trouble for something that wasn’t your fault. That’s where a dash cam can help. It records what happens while you’re driving, so if something bad happens, you’ll have proof that it wasn’t your fault. Plus, it might even make your insurance cost less.
No matter how much money you have to spend, what you need, or how much you know about this stuff, there’s a good choice for you in this guide. If you have a lot of money to spend, we recommend the Nextbase 622GW. But if you’re on a budget, the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 is a great choice.
The Best Dash Cam
- Vantrue N4
- Viofo A229 Pro
- Cobra SC 400D
- Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 (best value)
- Miofive S1 (best under $100)
Vantrue N4
The Vantrue N4 is an excellent deal, with a dashcam, cabin-facing camera, and rearview camera. It mounts to the windshield via a suction mount, and its cameras may be adjusted for best coverage.
Cameras: Front, Cabin, Rear
Resolution (front, cabin, rear): 1440p, 1440p, 1080p
Field of View (front, cabin, rear): 155, 165, 160 degrees (diagonal)
Crash Detection Video Protection: Yes
The Vantrue N4 is an excellent deal, with a dashcam, cabin-facing camera, and rearview camera. It mounts to the windshield via a suction mount, and its cameras may be adjusted for best coverage. When all three cameras are in action, the front dash cam records at 2560 by 2160 pixels but reduces to 2560 by 1440. The interior and rear cameras feature 1920 x 1080 resolutions. The cameras have large fields of view with little distortion, and the cabin camera has infrared lighting for low-light circumstances.
The N4’s integrated screen includes a picture-in-picture mode that displays feeds from all three cameras at the same time, as well as settings and recording modes. It has low-frame-rate and low-bit-rate recording settings, however we discovered they can drain the car battery. The device also has collision and motion detection, which automatically saves pertinent footage. A 128 GB micro SD card can store around 6.7 hours of film.
We chose the Vantrue N4 as our Best Overall dash cam mostly for its value. It’s a formidable contender at a low price, with three cameras and a plethora of capabilities, and it finished only marginally below our top pick in image quality. Video quality was excellent in all lighting conditions, with a wide dynamic range and minimal noise reduction.
Viofo A229 Pro
The Viofo A229 Pro captures clear, detailed 4K video during the day and, more importantly, at night. Though no dash cam is flawless, the A229 Pro provides the best possibility of reading another car’s license plate in a wide range of conditions.
Cameras: Front, Rear
Resolution (front, rear): 4k, 2k
Field of View (front, rear): 140, 160 degrees
Cobra SC 400D
In terms of pure visual performance, the Cobra SC 400D was the finest dash cam we examined due to its 4K resolution. We agreed that its video footage also looked the finest.
Cameras: Front, Rear
Resolution (front, rear): 4k, 2k
Field of View (front, rear): 140, 160 degrees
We found the touchscreen to be simple and responsive, and the Cobra uses its own DriveSmarter app to deliver police alerts and other driving information. If we had one little complaint, it would be that the mount only rotates forward and backward, not side to side. However, the lens’s wide angle makes this unnecessary. The Cobra attaches to the windshield using a huge sticky pad for the mount and a powerful magnet for the camera itself.
Of course, the quality and sheer number of functions add up in price, but if you’re serious about getting a dash cam, we recommend this one.
Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2
The Garmin Mini 2 is small enough to fit behind your car’s rearview mirror. Despite its small, it captures Full HD at 30fps with HDR. In our testing, it provided footage crisp enough to pick out essential features like as registration plates, regardless of ambient light and weather conditions.
Cameras: Front
Resolution (only front): 1080p
Field of View (front): 140degrees
In our tests, we also found that installation was quick and uncomplicated. The plastic arm takes up little windscreen area, and the ball-and-socket joint allows for easy repositioning.
The interface is similarly simple: while there is no display, shortcut buttons allow you to save clips and deactivate the microphone with a single touch. We discovered that the Garmin Drive smartphone app (for iOS and Android) allows you to simply adjust settings, examine recordings, and verify the camera’s perspective.
While voice controls and a g-sensor for collision detection are available, we believe GPS is the only significant missing functionality. Unless you require the ultimate dash cam with driver aid features, the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 will leave you wanting very little. Set-and-forget technology is defined as being simple, subtle, and trustworthy.
Miofive S1
The Miofive S1 is a low-cost dash cam with features and performance that exceed expectations. Despite its inexpensive price, this dash cam meets all of our specifications, including 4K resolution, excellent low-light performance, GPS tracking, a supercapacitor, and 24-hour parked-car monitoring.
Cameras: Front
Resolution (only front): 2160p
Field of View (front): 140degrees
However, it does not have the ability to install an interior or rear-facing camera, so you cannot record what is going on inside the vehicle or behind you.
However, for people on a budget, this is an excellent camera.