There has never been a better moment to get one of the top dash cams for your peace of mind. Such dashboard or windscreen-mounted in-car cameras are intended to catch a clear picture of the road directly in front of you as well as to document any incidents.
Dash cameras may record all drives as well as when the car is parked, similar to a camera system, utilizing built-in sensors to recognize when an event happens. Any video it captures can subsequently be utilized as priceless proof if you are engaged in or witness an accident and incident while driving. Some other justification for placing a dash cam inside your car is the possibility of receiving cheaper insurance rates, which might assist to reduce the growing cost of driving.
These automobile security cameras have undergone endless hours of evaluation in order for us to rate them in our often maintained guide. We can thus assist you in finding the finest dash cam for particular requirements, if you’re searching for a low-cost car camera or perhaps a cutting-edge front-and-rear configuration.
Experts now believe that the Nextbase 622GW, that records reliable 4K footage while you’re on the road, seems to be the best option for the majority of drivers. However, not every person will require anything that sophisticated. The Nextbase 522GW offers excellent value for a less complicated dash cam.
Nextbase 622GW
This 622GW is only a latest flagship dash cam, not a substitute for the greater cost-effective 522GW. It has also established its position as the top dash cam available at the moment now.
Throughout our tests, it provided far superior stabilization & video quality, as well as what3words geolocation capabilities for locating damaged automobiles within a 3 meter range. When we decided to film in 4K/30p, the finished product had a nearly cinematic appearance, with incredibly sharp clarity & fantastic detail, sometimes in low lighting. This enables it much simpler to identify license plate numbers or identify obscure accident details.
To prevent glare through windscreens, a built-in polarizing filter located on the top of the cam could be adjusted. Digital image stabilization, another new feature in the dash cam industry, aids in smoothing out tremors & rattles brought on by potholes & bad road conditions.
This design, like its 522GW sister, can be operated with the voice using Alexa Skills, but somehow it needs the companion Smartphone app, something we didn’t think was the finest we’d tried. We discovered that it continued to have issue while direct connections with phones to exchange photographs & video clips, despite having dual 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz WI-Fi.
Fortunately, the 3-inch back touchscreen is bright, sharp, & very simple to use. What3words also works nicely with Nextbase’s EmergencySOS function that comes with a free year’s membership when you purchase this dash cam.
Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2
This Garmin Mini 2 is just a small dash cam which practically vanishes in behind rearview mirror of the vehicle. It has Full HD video featuring HDR, reliable voice control, a respectable smartphone app, as well as a dead-easy sticky mounting solution.
Like previous Garmin Dash Cam members of the family, the Mini 2 may be installed in a similar way. Using Garmin’s Drive mobile app, we discovered that the setup procedure only required just few minutes (IOS & Android). A dash cam is held firmly in place by coin-sized magnets that adheres to the windscreen & therefore is part of the straightforward but successful mounting mechanism. A ball-and-socket joint allows you to set the camera just at ideal angle.
Given the camera’s size, we considered the video quality to just be satisfactory. Regardless of ambient light & weather situations, it captures film in Full HD at 30 frames per second with HDR that really is crisp sufficient to see important features like license plates. The lens’ field-of-view is not really the broadest on the marketplace at 140 degrees, but it still offers an excellent perspective of the road in front of you.
There’s a button for fast preserving a segment of footage, or you could depend on the g-sensor to recognize a collision immediately. Voice commands for actions like snapping a picture or switching the audio recorder off & on work remarkably well.
The lack of a display is a result of the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2’s small size. The camera view & recordings must be accessed using the mobile application. GPS is indeed absent, which is unfortunate, but it’s possible that this is the sole significant function that’s lacking. The Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 will simply leave you with nothing if you don’t require the greatest dash cam with features like speeding camera warnings for drivers. It embodies set-and-forget technologies because it is nimble, subtly trustworthy, & simple.
Nextbase 522GW
Although the Nextbase 622GW flagship is among the most technologically sophisticated dash cams available, the 522GW continues to be the finest dash cam overall. It excels at the essentials & offers a ton of extra features while doing so with a clear 1440p resolution & wide-angle lens.
There is the chance of utilizing the built-in Alexa capabilities, plus we discovered its 3 inch touchscreen just on rear to be snappy. Its Dash Cam Skill, that allows you to tell Alexa to “start recording,” “stop recording,” “protect a recording,” as well as “send to my phone,” may require a little more polish. However, you can now ask Alexa to play music, answer calls, as well as listen to audiobooks via linked devices.
It is fortunate that perhaps the remaining UX is so straightforward because this whole thing is bit of a gimmick &, to be realistic, we didn’t utilize it very much. Videos may be swiftly & easily transmitted to a smartphone or tablet through Bluetooth & Wi-Fi, as well as if you become unresponsive after an accident, an innovative Emergency SOS system would notify the emergency responders of your position as well as other information.
Garmin Dash Cam 67W
With a few more linked functions, the 67W improves on Garmin’s already excellent 66W and offers a highly alluring package. The 67W, which really is roughly the size of just a matchbox, represents one of the tiniest dash cameras we’ve seemed to have the pleasure of reviewing. In reality, this is only surpassed by Garmin’s Mini, which is so tiny it resembles something that comes from a Christmas cracker.
Inside its little box is a high-end sensor that can record clear 1440p video & improve it in challenging lighting circumstances using the HDR (High Dynamic Range) feature. In the tests, it seemed fantastic, as well as the extra pixels allowed for punching into video material just on computer to identify licence plates or notice little details that may serve as crucial evidence.
The 67W improves on its predecessors through adding interconnected capabilities, well as the ability to instantly upload all stored movies to Garmin’s cloud whenever the camera finds a reliable Wi-Fi network. It is also straightforward to set up &, simple for using, & comes with a very simple mobile application.
Remember that Garmin will cost you for a storing plan, plus that you need to hardwire the camera directly in your car’s primary power supply if you wish to take full use of its linked capabilities, for instance the opportunity to remotely check in on a car parked from any part of the globe.
Using mobile hotspot that also needs continual power, or parking close to a sympathetic router are the only ways to ensure the camera is linked to a Wi-Fi network. You observe how it easily devolves into a substantial financial black hole.
Whatever the case, if all you need is high-quality video that is automatically captured by a device that can fit in your shirt pocket, go no further.
Nexar Pro
The Nexar Pro is a dual-camera system designed for individuals who devote a lot of time driving that can capture video both inside & outside of the car. We thought the arrangement, which was made up of 2 different camera units linked by a wire, was very cool despite the fact that took up a lot of screen space.
The Nexar app is essential for using twin cameras since it allows you to adjust settings, create reports of incidents, & upload recorded video on the cloud. Other helpful options include GPS data tracking and break-in warnings that let you know if anybody tries to mess with the automobile.
Although this dash cam only records in 1080p, we considered its 1080p footage to be more than enough. The outside camera performs admirably even under challenging shooting conditions, from pouring rain to direct sunlight. The Pro is difficult to match in terms of safety and all-around value if the protection of your automobile is important to your everyday life. There are less expensive dash cameras available with fewer functions to play with.
Viofo A129 Pro Duo
Since Viofo is really not the most well-known brand inside the dash cam industry, we didn’t stick it against you if you haven’t heard of it, but their 4K resolution Pro Duo model offers excellent value for your money.
Although the frontal camera is somewhat larger than the majority of its competitors on our list, it has a built-in GPS module that several other manufacturers only provide as an extra. Although its plastic body has a simple appearance & feel, it conceals some very advanced technology that belies the general sturdy construction.
It uses super capacitors instead of a conventional rechargeable system, which means that its source of power is robust & capable of withstanding a wide variety of temperatures without degrading efficiency. Additionally, you have the choice of recording 4K (3840 x 2160p) video, which we discovered to be remarkable and produced footage with just a ton of information. Additionally, a Wide Dynamic Range setting is available for vivid colors in any weather.
Nevertheless, you can just record in 4K at 30 frames per second, which really isn’t ideal if you need to slow down video. But, full HD (1080p) is the sole resolution that can be used for dual recordings (front & back cameras), as well as this is output at 60 frames per second for far better results.
The installation was fairly simple in our tests, and Viofo provides a mobile application for fast evaluating & storing footage. Sadly, installing two cameras necessitates removing interior trim & skillfully concealing lengthy wiring. To get it properly might be a frustrating and unpleasant procedure, but it is worthwhile to prevent a tangled mess of electrical lines.
If you drive a lot of kilometers & just want complete camera footage that just doesn’t cost more money, this bundle is definitely worth examining because it includes night mode, a parking function, motion sensors, emergency warning recording, Tracking devices, and dual-channel 1080p for this kind of price.
Garmin Dash Cam Tandem
It’s convenient for taxi drivers as well as other people who wish to maintain a close eye over their guests to have Garmin’s first dual-lens dash cam, that enables you to observe what is happening both within & outdoor of the car even while you’re driving. This Dash Cam Tandem is incredibly small in size, has a magnetic attachment that clips in, & is simple to install behind the rearview mirror & take down when it’s not being used.
There are 2 USB cable lengths included, as well as a cigarette lighter USB socket featuring 2 ports for recharging 2 devices at once. Nevertheless, you must ensure that the dash cam properly fitted so it is continuously recording if you intend to utilize it for incident recordings, for example if your car is banged in the parking lot as you are shopping.
The Garmin Drive app for iOS & Android is essential for controlling the camera since it allows you to check video & audio recordings from the drives even without removing the microSD card from of the camera. In total, we thought the image quality was superb, particularly from the front-facing camera. And even if the back camera had some difficulty in the low – light conditions, passengers can still be observed quite well in black & white. Additionally, picture-in-picture viewing lets you see video from both the front- and rear-facing cameras at the same time.
A time stamp, the vehicle’s speed, as well as its position are all presented with the film, which is rather helpful. Additionally, voice control is included, allowing for hands-free operation with commands such “OK Garmin, take a photo” or “OK Garmin, save video.” Updates for safety cam alerts will also shortly be available on the app.
The app’s lack of intuitiveness & failure to instantly establish a Wi-Fi connection during the process of analyzing footage during the drives was the sole minor issue we encountered. Aside from just that, this can be an expensive yet great choice for individuals who wish to monitor their automobile inside & out.
Kenwood DRV-A601W
Without a lot of the bothersome extra functions that so many contemporary units try to entice potential customers with, including such lane-keeping assistance warnings as well as speed restriction alerts, the Kenwood DRV-A601W does all you ask of that as well & does it effectively..
With the inclusion of a retractable polarizing filter and integrated HDR technology, it is attainable to capture very clean & clear photos, even now in poor lighting or terrible weather conditions. We considered the 4K footage to just be seamless.
Despite this, the DRV-A601W is pricey. Competitors with comparable price tags provide comparable video quality along with cutting-edge capabilities, such as the Emergency SOS geo-location service available on the Nextbase 622GW.
Kenwood also promotes its rear-view camera, that captures rear-end crashes & similar events in great HD clarity, in addition to its hard-wiring kit, that enables the camera to take a specific quantity of electricity while the engine is off without depleting the battery of car. This creates new options for parking monitoring as well as circumvents contemporary engine-stop/start technology, which frequently results inside the power being shut off to cameras & the termination of recording.
A device like the Viofo A139, for example, offers a completely fine three-camera array for roughly the same cost as the Kenwood’s front-facing camera. Nevertheless, adding these additions may get pricey. Of course, it can’t match in terms of video quality, yet there are alternatives if you need comprehensive coverage on a tight budget.