The best dash cams for your car provide reliable, clear, and effective monitoring on all your car trips. These cameras can be useful by providing sharp, undebatable video evidence, such as in the case of police accident reports and insurance claims. Dash cams vary in resolution, viewing angles, rotation angles and night vision capability, G-sensors, and loop recording. Here’s what to look for when considering the best dash cams for your needs:
- Resolution: Most dash cameras today offer 720p or 1080p HD resolutions, although there are now 2K through 4K ultra-HD resolutions, as well.
- Viewing Angle: Most cameras fall into the 120-degree to 170-degree viewing angle range. This is the angle that the camera can see.
- Dual Cameras: Some dash cams offer front and rear cameras for total viewing and recording to keep you covered from all angles. Typically, front cameras offer better recording capabilities.
- Rotation Angle: In addition to the lens viewing angle, many cameras also allow for physical rotation. You can achieve almost any angle by adjusting the rotation and taking advantage of your camera’s viewing angle.
- G-Sensor: A G-sensor, or gravity sensor, can identify vibration, braking, and other signs of collision, at which point the sensor locks your video to protect your files against deletion.
- Loop Recording: Continuous recording, which overrides old video in favor of new, ensures that the memory card is never too full for a recording.
When looking for the best dash cam, look for night vision and recording capability, which allows the dash cam to record clear and bright video even at night; wide dynamic range (WDR), to create balanced, well-lit images; and screen size and placement, which ranges from a small 1.5 inches to around 4 inches. Some of these cameras are WiFi-enabled and have integrated apps and fun extras like selfie gestures to snap and send photos.
Our Top Picks
We picked the best dash cams for cars based on the clarity and detail of the video, the quality of the camera, and its ability to film more than one angle.
Photo: amazon.com
The Rexing V1 is a full-HD dash cam that records vivid video of the road ahead thanks to its built-in Sony IMX323 image sensor, which ensures superior detail and clarity, both during the day and at night. What’s more, it employs Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) technology to create balanced, well-lit images regardless of the outside lighting conditions. It has a 2.4-inch LCD screen with 1080p high-definition recording and a 170-degree ultra-wide viewing angle, and is WiFi-enabled so you can seamlessly save videos on your phone. While it only records what’s on the road ahead, this dash cam’s high quality makes it great for drivers who want to stay covered in the event of an accident.
Photo: amazon.com
The AUTO-VOX D6 Pro takes vivid photos and video of accidents and scenery alike. This dash cam has many of the features you might expect, such as footage locking when an accident is detected. But it’s most notable for its gesture photography feature: with the wave of a hand, this dash cam takes photos of what you see from the wheel, whether it’s nature shots or traffic updates. Pictures are taken with the camera’s high-definition lens and Panasonic CMOS Sensor, which delivers ultra-clear, share-worthy photos.
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The OldShark 1080P Full HD Dashboard Camera Car Recorder has a large 3-inch screen, a 170-degree ultra-wide viewing angle, simple plug-and-play technology, and 1080p high-def resolution. It’s notable for its G-sensor for crash detection while driving, as well as its parking guard that detects vibration while the car is parked. Footage looping allows for constant recording, and the camera’s ability to lock the footage when an accident has been detected ensures that footage cannot be deleted. For a simple-to-use dash cam, this OldShark option can fit the bill.
Photo: amazon.com
The Rexing V1P offers dual-channel recording fueled by powerful front- and rear-view cameras capable of capturing high-definition video of both ends of the road. Plus, with loop recording and a G-sensor, the camera won’t stop recording and the video is safely stored. A 170-degree ultra-wide-angle lens ensures that the camera will capture as much of the road as possible. With WiFi connectivity, you can view, save, or even share clips of recordings from your phone or wireless device.
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The Vantrue N2 Pro Dual 1080P Dash Cam offers front-view and rear-view cameras, or single-function front view up to 2.5K. While in use, it can simultaneously capture what’s happening in front of the vehicle and what’s going on in the passenger cabin. A 170-degree front-facing camera and a rotatable 140-degree rear-facing camera mean that your camera records nearly 360 degrees of video for full and total protection. A parking monitor, loop recording, high-temperature protection, and top-notch night vision round out the offerings.
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The Pruveeo C2 Dash Cam with Infrared Night Vision is a dual view camera that records video of the road and inside the passenger cabin. But it’s most notable for its infrared night vision, allowing it to record detailed and vivid video even at night. Like many other dash cams, it has loop recording, so the camera doesn’t stop working because of low memory. When an accident is detected, it locks the footage automatically so it cannot be deleted or overwritten.
Photo: amazon.com
The Rexing V1LG is a dual-channel dash cam with front-view and rear-view cameras to offer a complete picture of the traffic around a user’s car. With full-HD resolution, 264 photography compression technology, wide dynamic range (WDR) for superior night vision, and 170 degrees of viewing angle, these double dash cams pack a powerful punch of vehicle security. But this dash cam is most noteworthy for its built-in GPS, which allows users to mark the location, in addition to speed, time, and date information in recordings.
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The AUKEY Dash Cam FHD 1080P Car Camera is a powerful dash cam that has a Sony IMX 323 sensor to capture high-quality and high-definition (1080p) footage at 30 frames per second. Add in plug-and-play emergency recording and seamless loop recording, plus extreme temperature operation and good night vision, and users can have a powerful ally for insurance claims, police reports, or any other situation that might benefit from anytime, anywhere eyewitness video evidence.
Photo: amazon.com
The Corehan dash cam delivers full-HD video to capture high-quality and incredibly detailed images, even while driving fast on the highway. With an F1.8 aperture, 5-glass lens, and 170-degree ultra-wide vision, you can rely on this camera for outstanding performance, even in poor lighting conditions. This Corehan is remarkable thanks to its steel housing, which disperses heat away from internal circuits and helps the camera perform better in high temperatures.