While you drive, there’s a lot happening, so a second pair of eyes can help you stay safe. A dash cam provides this extra vigilance and helps give you peace of mind while out on the road. The best dash cams monitor in high-res video what’s happening while you’re behind the wheel, with timestamps and GPS coordinates. They can even record while your car is parked, helping you keep tabs on your car while you’re away.
When choosing the best dash cam for your needs you should first consider if you want a front, front/interior, or front/rear model. Additionally, you’ll want to decide on how wide a viewing angle you’ll need. Then there are special features to take into account, such as voice control or parking assist. Since there are a number of reasons to use a dash cam, we understand that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all model. With that in mind, we’ve curated a list of the best dash cams of all types with various features and prices below.
For even more information on what to look for when buying a dash cam, scroll to our buyer’s guide under our best picks. And after you’ve bought a dash cam, save yourself some time and frustration by reading our guide on how to install a dash cam.
PROMOTION
70mai A810 | Ultra HD 4K Dual Camera
Extreme Clarity at each side. Extreme Security by your side. 70mai Ultra HD 4K A810 boosts day and night vision to the next level with Sony’s best in class STARVIS 2 IMX 678 image sensor and 70mai’s self-developed HDR algorithm
Updated July 24, 2024 to include our recent review of the Thinkware Arc, which has exceptional daytime captures from both its front and rear cameras, and a nice-quality touch display for easy operation. Unfortunately, it’s not the best for nighttime use. For strong day and night captures, see our review of the 70mai A510.
Pros
Cons
If you really want to save money, this Walmart-exclusive Nextbase 222X front-and-rear camera duo offers great value. The 1080p/720p video is a compromise, but video quality is still good, it has a nice magnetic mount, a clear 2.5-inch screen, and a battery-supported parking mode.
Pros
Cons
The market today is now saturated with 4K-front/1080p-rear camera setups, but the 70mai 4K A810 stands out from the rest. It’s absolutely loaded with great features such as onboard GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth for phone connectivity. The 3-inch IPS display provides a colorful and crisp image and it can be powered either via USB Type-A or Type-C cables. It also gives you advanced features like lane-departure and forward-collision warnings.
All of that plus the A810 captures crystal-clear 4K images with the front camera and 1080p with the rear camera. Most other competitors don’t offer nearly the same features or image quality for the price either. For these reasons, the 70mai 4K A810 is an absolute midrange bargain among dual-channel dash cams.
Pros
Cons
Our review of the Cobra SC 400D left us smitten. It’s pricey, yes, but it delivers the goods with stunning images—4K for the front, 1080p in the rear—day or night. In addition to that it has all the trappings of a premium product: a sturdy magnetic mount with integrated GPS, a crisp 3-inch touchscreen display, and Alexa support for finding businesses and the like when you are on the road. It can also be expanded with an optional 120-degree FOV cam for the interior.
Pros
Cons
Prior to our review of the Cobra SC 400D above, the 622GW front/rear system was our hands-down favorite. And, really, it shares virtually all the same attributes as its rival—nice design and build quality, excellent day and night captures, drive mapping, a wonderful 3-inch display, emergency response to accidents, Alexa support, and the ability to add a third camera for interior views. Like the 400D, it carries a premium price tag. But in the end, you can’t go wrong with either model.
Pros
Cons
A dash cam is all about monitoring and recording your surroundings, and for that it’s hard to beat a 3-channel system. Combining front view, interior view, and rear view, a 3-channel dash cam makes sure nothing is missed. The Viofo A229 Plus is our pick for best 3-channel system due to strong 1440p front and rear captures, 1080p interior captures, and a whole host of great additional features.
Not only do the front and rear view cameras offer solid resolutions, but the interior cam is discreet and all are easy to install. The Viofo A229 Plus also comes with an onboard mic for recording audio or receiving voice commands — an extremely convenient feature while driving. The A229 comes with GPS tagging, motion detection, and a parking mode as well. Needless to say, it’s chock-full of amenities and features. A 3-channel dash cam might not be for everyone, but if you need one, the Viofo A229 should be at the top of your list.
Pros
Cons
The Vantrue N5 offers the most complete coverage of any dash cam system we’ve ever seen. It comes with 4-channels including a front, rear, and dual cabin cameras (one in the front facing aft and another in the rear facing forwards). All of these cameras allow you to see not only what is happening outside your vehicle, but also within it, and they even catch some blind spots that front/rearview cameras might miss.
The N5 offers much more than just thorough coverage. It comes with watermarked GPS on board and excellent capture quality—the front cameras is capable of 1440p with superb night captures as well. You can also control the system via voice control and it offers great connectivity features as well. Overall, there is no other dash cam on the market that does a better job of capturing events in and around your car.
Pros
Cons
Prior to our review of the Miofive 4K, we would have tapped the Car and Driver Eye2 Pro as the best front-only dash cam with 4K, a fine product in its own right. But the Miofive costs $100 less, and offers integrated GPS as well as great video captures, 64GB of internal storage, a compact design, friendly voice notifications, and a super straightforward setup. So not only is this our favorite front dash cam with 4K, it’s our favorite front cam overall.
Pros
Cons
This small but mighty front dash cam has it all: great 1440p video with a 140-degree field of view, integrated GPS and driving assistance, good phone connectivity, an easy and convenient magnetic mounting system, and the backing of Garmin’s good name.