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1. Short List 2. Best Overall 3. Best Budget 4. Best Use 5 Pieces in Large Quantities. It is better to behave with restraint6. Optimal ease of use7. Best value for money Dual8. Best Sharing Driver 9. Best Triple Camera 10. Best for Older Cars 11. 12. How to choose a testing method
Accidents happen in a split second, and you don’t want to add to the stress if you get sued for an incident that wasn’t your fault. This is where DVRs come to the rescue. By recording your movements, you’ll have the evidence you need if the worst happens, and it could lower your insurance premiums.
No matter your budget, user requirements, or experience level, this guide has an option for you. If money is no object, the Nextbase 622GW is our top pick, and the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 is our favorite budget option. We’ve included links to the best dash cam deals below each recommendation.
Every dash cam featured in this guide has been extensively tested and meets minimum standards to deliver crystal clear video with crisp detail and a wide field of view. You can find out more about how we test dash cams, how to choose the best dash cam for you and how to get started using a dash cam at the bottom of this page, and we’ve also written a helpful installation guide. DVR.
Tim is TechRadar’s camera editor. With over 15 years in the photo-video industry, most of it spent in technical journalism, Tim has amassed in-depth technical knowledge and hands-on experience in all things camera related. He also produces video for clients such as Canon, and in his spare time consults for the Diversity Storytelling Team, a non-profit organization based in Nairobi.
You don’t have to wait until Black Friday to take advantage of great deals on dash cams – because there are great deals already. Here’s our choice. Visit our best dash cam deals page to find out more.
The Nextbase 422GW was originally $249.99, now $149.99 on Amazon. This mid-range model from one of the leading bike cam brands features a 1440p main camera, Pro night vision, a 1080p rear camera, smart parking mode and built-in Alexa voice commands. At $100 below list price, the 422GW is now a bargain.
Mioive 4K DVR: Originally $149.99, now $129 at Amazon. This 4K dash cam received top marks in our full Mioive 4K dash cam review for its easy setup, clear 4K video, internal memory, and slim profile.
It’s easy to use, has additional alerts for drivers, and the app offers additional features so you can be even more productive with its sleek design. With the price reduced by a further 25%, it now also offers better value for money.
Nextbase 222XR Front and Rear Dash Cam: Originally £149.95, now £95. This dash cam captures Full HD video of the front and rear of the car, but you’ll have to run cables inside the car. It has a parking detection feature that is activated when any impact occurs. For under £100, front and back recordings from a trusted brand are a great deal.
Nextbase 622GW Wireless was £379.99 on Amazon, now £299.95. We awarded this built-in 4K camera five stars in our Nextbase 622GW review because it offers easy setup and clear 4K video in any lighting, as well as a decent 1080p rear camera. This deal is for the dual-camera wireless version of the 622GW.
If you don’t have time to read our full list of the best dash cams, you can read the review below to quickly find the best option for your needs and budget. If you find something you like, use the link to go to our full article.
With impressive 4K video quality and a flagship feature set, the Nextbase 622GW is the best dash cam you can buy right now.
Despite its small size, the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 records Full HD and HDR at 30 frames per second, producing footage clear enough to pick out key details.
The Nexar Pro is a dual-camera solution designed for those who drive for long periods of time and is limited to 1080p.
Simple and relatively compact, the Vantrue E1 is an attractive dash cam capable of recording 2.5K video at 30fps.
The Thinkware X1000 features a large 3.5-inch touchscreen and an icon-based interface that’s easy to set up without the need for partner smartphone apps.
This dual camera system combines a 2K rear camera with a sleek front unit with proven video quality, and its rich feature set offers great value.
Designed specifically for taxi drivers, the Vantrue N2 Pro does away with many of the extra features your car may already have, including speed camera alerts and collision warnings.
Whether you need coverage for the front, rear and interior of your car, Viofo packages offer great value for money and are ideal for those traveling long distances.
Combining a dash cam, satellite navigation and an intuitive 7-inch display, the Garmin DriveCam 76 is a feature-rich tool for cars without an infotainment system.
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review so you can be confident you’re buying the best. Learn more about how we test.
Below you’ll find full articles on each of the best dash cams on our list. We test each one thoroughly, so you can rest assured that our recommendations are trustworthy.
✅ You need emergency services on call: With What3words integration, 622GW can detect your location and instantly transmit it to emergency services. ✅ YOU WANT CLEAR VIDEO CLIPS: With a quad-core processor and a six-layer f/1.3 lens, the 622GW can capture impressively detailed 4K footage.
❌ You need an uninterrupted connection: Connecting to a smartphone isn’t always easy, and during our testing we often failed to establish a Wi-Fi connection. ❌ You need built-in rearview recording: Competing rearview cameras come standard at a similar price, but the 622GW is an optional extra.
With impressive video quality and a flagship feature set, the Nextbase 622GW is the best dash cam you can buy right now. In our testing, we found 4K/30p video to be almost movie-like, with clarity and excellent detail. Low light and bad weather algorithms can also improve results in difficult conditions. By lowering the resolution to 1080p, you can shoot slow motion at 120 frames per second, making it easier to identify information such as registration numbers.
Setup is a bit fiddly, and the 3-inch touchscreen requires a noticeable swipe. We also encountered some problems connecting our smartphone to stream video clips. That said, we think the 622GW is overall a simple and easy-to-use camera. We found its interface to be intuitive and the display to be large and clear. Video is automatically saved when an event is detected, and the big red button allows you to save the moment manually.
In our review, we were impressed by how effectively the built-in polarizing filter reduces windshield glare and how effectively the digital image stabilization absorbs road vibration. Through smart three-word address integration, the 622GW can locate a vehicle in distress and send it to emergency vehicles. There are a few smaller alternatives with better voice control, but if you want a dash cam that can reliably capture crisp 4K video, our pick is the 622GW.
✅ You need a hidden dash cam: The compact size means the Mini 2 virtually disappears behind the rearview mirror without impairing forward visibility. ✅ YOU’LL LOVE EASY SETUP: Garmin keeps the Mini 2 simple, making it a reliable tool. It installs easily and runs reliably in the background.
❌ You want a model with lots of features: Prioritizing simplicity means the Mini 2 doesn’t offer options like speed camera alerts or What3words integration. ❌ You need 4K video clips: Mini 2 is limited to 1080p Full HD resolution. You’ll have to spend more on a premium model to get higher resolution videos.
The Garmin Mini 2 is a dash cam small enough to hide behind your car’s rearview mirror. Despite its larger size, it can record in Full HD via HDR at 30 frames per second, producing footage that is clear enough to identify key details such as license plates, regardless of ambient lighting and weather conditions.
We found installation to be quick and easy. The compact plastic lever takes up little space on the windshield, and the ball joint makes it easy to move. Given the Mini 2′s small size, we think most users will want to keep the Mini 2 in place forever.
This interface is also available. There’s no display, but shortcut buttons let you save clips and mute the microphone with one click. The Garmin Drive smartphone app (available for iOS and Android) makes it easy to change advanced settings, view recordings, and check camera images. This also helps simplify the initial setup.
While functionality is limited to voice control and a G-sensor that can detect collisions, we think GPS is the only real omission. If you don’t need the best dash cam with driver assistance features, the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 will leave you with very few requirements. Simplicity, thinness and reliability – this is the definition of “set it and forget it” technology.
✅ YOU WANT FULL COVERAGE: Nexar Pro records video inside and outside right out of the box, making it a complete dash cam for any car. ✅ You value cloud video backup: Unlimited free storage space gives you the peace of mind to safely back up all your video clips to the cloud.
❌ You need hands-free installation: Installing the Nexar Pro isn’t too difficult, but you’ll have to hide a lot of wires if you don’t want cables dragging around the cabin. ❌ You need a simple solution: Nexar apps. There are a lot of useful tools here, but if you just need a basic camera to record the road, you’ll find a better solution elsewhere.
Nexar Pro is a dual camera solution designed for those who drive for long periods of time and can record video both inside and outside the vehicle. We found the setup, which consists of two separate camera units connected by a cable, to be quite neat, even if it takes up quite a bit of screen real estate.
The Nexar app is the backbone of the dual-camera experience, allowing you to fine-tune settings, create incident reports, and upload recorded clips to the cloud (Nexar includes cloud storage for free). Other useful tools include burglary alerts if someone is trying to break into your car and GPS data logging.
This dash cam doesn’t support 4K recording, but we found its 1080p video to be quite usable. The external camera performs well even in difficult shooting conditions, from heavy rain to bright sunshine. There are cheaper dash cams on the market with fewer features, but if your vehicle’s safety is critical to your daily life, the protection and overall value of the Pro is hard to beat.
✅You need affordable GPS: The E1 has built-in GPS that provides useful speed and location data, making it great value for money. ✅ Your car is already equipped with driver assistance systems: Instead of going to extra effort to equip the E1 with driver assistance systems, Vantrue instead focused on build and video quality.
❌ The dash cam cannot be installed at the center: Because it cannot be adjusted sideways, E1 needs to be installed in the middle of the windshield, otherwise the lens will not be aligned. ❌ A polarizing filter is expected as standard: some dash cams are equipped with polarizing lenses to reduce reflections from the hood, but for the E1 this is an optional accessory.
Simple and relatively compact, the Vantrue E1 is an attractive dash cam capable of recording 2.5K video at 30fps. It can also record Full HD video at a smoother 60fps, enhancing detail while driving. Our review results showed image clarity day and night, accurate color reproduction, and acceptable noise levels in low light. Our testing also found that the optional polarizing filter was effective in reducing reflections on the instrument panel.
The E1′s magnetic mount works well, but the lack of side adjustment limits its use if you can’t mount it in the middle. If you can, you’ll find that its 160-degree viewing angle gives you a wide view ahead. When installed, the small 1.54-inch screen provides a preview, but the smartphone app is a more useful way to customize settings.
You don’t have driver assistance systems like other dash cams, so it’s up to you or your car to detect speed cameras and potential collisions. However, you still get Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity, and we like that Vantrue focuses on video quality rather than unnecessary extras.
✅ You need a full-fledged dash cam: It doesn’t have GPS, but the Thinkware X1000 is a comprehensive two-camera package with some limitations. ✅ YOU WANT A STANDALONE SOLUTION: With its user-friendly touchscreen interface, X1000 eliminates the need for an additional app.
❌ You need GPS coverage. The Thinkware X1000 supports GPS functionality, but only through a separately sold module. ❌ You don’t need to wire your camera: You can use a plug-in adapter for the X1000, but a wired connection is the best option, although it may require a professional to install.
Powerful and easy to use, the Thinkware X1000 comes complete with everything you need for both front and rear recording. Our testing shows there’s a lot to like about the X1000. Its main feature is ease of use: it features a large 3.5-inch touchscreen and an icon-based interface that is easy to customize without relying on partner smartphone apps.
Setting up the X1000 requires the use of several sticky pads, and we think the user manual could have been more detailed and helpful with setup. You’ll also need to plug it in to unlock the full range of features, including parking monitoring, while GPS and radar detection are optional extras. However, once in place, the device seems well put together.
Shooting settings can be adjusted using the touchscreen, but we found it performed well out of the box: Results from both cameras were impressive, delivering plenty of sharp detail and good dynamic range performance even in dim and dark conditions. If you’re looking for a convenient and reliable dash cam, look no further than the X1000.
Post time: Nov-16-2023