Not only will the best dash cams give you peace of mind but it could save you money as some insurers will lower your premium if you have one installed in your vehicle. Check out the best auto insurance (opens in new tab) to find one that’ll help you on this. While this is great for everyone it makes especially important sense for those that use their vehicles for work, like taxi or delivery drivers. While the best dash cams all offer high quality video there are other features that may make your ideal model stand out. From Alexa voice controls to smart car movement sensors, like lane alerts and creeping to close to the car in front thanks to built-in accelerometers. Some lock the files as they’re recorded to SD card so they can’t be deleted and others offer super hi-res 2.5K resolution and front and rear dual views. Whatever your needs you’ll find the ideal car buddy below in our list of the best dash cams you can buy right now.
1. Nextbase 422GW: Best dash cam overall
What really makes this dash cam a recommended choice is its excellent physical design and superb video quality. A dash cam has to get the main function right first before adding extra features, and the Nextbase 422GW does just this.
Read the review: Nextbase 422GW
2. Vantrue N2 Pro: Best front and rear cam
The Vantrue N2 Pro integrates front and rear-facing cameras into one unit, so you can capture the road ahead and what’s going on inside the car simultaneously. It may be a little pricey, but the rear-facing camera is a valuable bonus if you want to capture the interior of your car alongside the road ahead. However, you do have to drop the resolution of the main camera to Full HD from 2.5K to enable this, which results in a notable reduction in image quality. So whilst this is a neat dual-camera solution, if you merely want the best dash cam video quality there are better-value options without the extra camera.
Read our Vantrue N2 Pro review
3. Apeman C860: Great value all-in-one cam
The Apeman C860 bundles a rear dash camera along with excellent front camera. It may not be packed with features, but with its $100 price, the Apeman C860 is a bargain. The absence of GPS will be a particular disappointment for some. But the main camera image quality is excellent for the money, which is the primary reason you buy a dash cam in the first place. The rear camera footage is quite a bit behind, however. It’s still good for Full HD, but not in the same league as the video from the main dash cam. If you just want a great-quality dash cam with a rear camera thrown in, the Apeman C860 is well worth considering.
Read our Apeman C860 review
4. AUKEY DRS2: Great if you just want the camera
The AUKEY DRS2 only offers Full HD resolution, but there’s a second Full HD rear-facing camera, which can be removed. This can be mounted facing out of your car’s rear window and all the fixings you need for this are included. The AUKEY DRS2 isn’t quite the bargain that Apeman’s C860 is, but you can at least add a GPS if you want to. The double function of the rear-facing camera also means you have flexibility about how you use it – either for inside your car or behind. The image quality merely “does the job” rather than being a revelation. But if you’re after a bargain dash cam with an internal camera that can also be used as a rear camera, the AUKEY DRS2 is definitely worth a look.
Read our AUKEY DRS2 review
5. Boscam R1: Best mirror-mounted cam
The Boscam R1 hooks over your existing mirror to provide a much wider view, with the dash cam built in. You also get a separate rear-view camera that is actually a reversing camera. The Boscam R1 is an interesting proposition if you want to add a reversing camera alongside a dash cam to help you with parking. Considering the $110 price, you get a lot for your money. The reversing camera does take some rather involved installation but works reasonably well. The huge integrated mirror will be an improvement for most cars, too. The one downside is that the video image quality from the front camera is merely mediocre.
Read our Boscam R1 review
6. Garmin Dash Cam 66W: Best for extra safety features
The Garmin Dash Cam 66W incorporates a comprehensive range of useful safety features for drivers, and has voice control as well, alongside 2.5K video recording. The comprehensive safety features include built-in GPS provides location tracking and safety camera notifications, plus you get collision detection and lane departure. The Travelapse feature provides recreational value along with the surveillance function, and the voice control is very functional too. All of this is rolled into a tiny, discrete form that will sit unobtrusively behind your rear-view mirror. But, unfortunately, the image quality is below what we would expect for a premium dash cam from a premium brand.
Read our Garmin Dash Cam 66W review
7. Thinkware Q800 Pro: Great smartphone extras
The Thinkware Q800 Pro may not have a LCD screen, but it still includes every dash cam safety feature you could consider, plus a few you might not even have thought about before. It’s packed with features. There isn’t a safety function missing, and the bundle is generous too. Although the advanced “cloud-based” features such as GEO-Fencing are very clever, having them tied to your phone makes them less useful than they could be, because you’re unlikely to leave your phone in your car. Add in mobile data, as some satnavs have, and this would have been a real bonus. But the main downside is that image quality isn’t as good as we would expect in a dash cam this expensive. The lack of detail lets the Thinkware Q800 Pro down.
Read our Thinkware Q800 Pro review
