A car accident is bad enough. Being blamed for it when it’s not your fault makes things a lot worse. Then a good dashcam can be your electronic eyewitness to what really happened. A dash cam continuously records what it sees and rolls new videos over the oldest footage. If it detects a crash, that section of video will be automatically locked so your evidence isn’t overwritten. A dashcam can also come in handy for capturing a memorable street scene that could be your next viral video. And the best models can help you in other handy ways too.
A simple dash cam mounted on the windshield records the area in front of your car. But you can also get a system that records both the front and rear, or one that also records the interior of a vehicle (handy for rental car drivers).
Nextbase 622GW: Best overall
Garmin Dash Cam 57: Best Runner-Up
Rexing V1 4K : Best for those on a tighter budget
Viofo A129 Pro Duo : Best for front and back recording
Vantrue N2S Dual : Best for capturing the interior of a vehicle
Nextbase 622GW
The Nextbase 622GW is like the Swiss army knife of dash cams, with a range of features that set it apart from the crowd. It’s got the basics well covered, with super-sharp 4K video, a large touchscreen display, and a handy powered magnetic mount. It also includes image stabilization for smoother videos, GPS tracking, wireless connectivity for a smartphone app, Amazon Alexa and What3Words integration, and even an Emergency SOS mode that can automatically summon help to the car’s location after an accident. You can also connect one of the three rear camera modules to expand your view.
Garmin Dash cam 57
The new Garmin 57 is a superb dashcam with crisp 1440p resolution, super convenient voice control, compact size, easy-to-use magnetic mount, GPS, Wi-Fi and the ability to hold a whopping 512GB SD card. But what also sets it apart is its ability to see the camera’s view in real-time and save video to Garmin’s cloud service, ensuring valuable footage isn’t lost through theft or a corrupted SD card.
Rexing V1 ChK
The Rexing V1 4K is one of the best value 4K dashcams we’ve seen from a reputable brand. It features a wide 170-degree field of view, a 2.4-inch display, and Wi-Fi connectivity for pairing with a smartphone app. The V1 can hold up to a 256GB SD card and is powered by a supercapacitor, giving it a wider operating temperature range than most models: -20 to 176 degrees F.
Viofo A129 Pro Duo Dash Cam
This dual-channel dash cam records in crisp 4K resolution on the front and 1080P on the rear. Its buttons are easy to reach and it offers you a 2-inch display, supercapacitor power supply, GPS tracking and dual-band WiFi for connecting to a smartphone app. You can even add a Bluetooth remote control, making it easy to quickly lock a section of video. If you’re looking to save some cash with a 1440P model then we recommend the similar Viofo A129 Plus Duo.
Vantrue N2S Dual Dash cam
If you want to record what’s going on inside and in front of your vehicle, the Vantrue N2S is an easy choice. It records in both cameras in sharp 1440p resolution, or the front camera can be used alone in super-sharp 4K resolution. The N2S also includes GPS tracking, a supercapacitor power supply and infrared lights for the rear camera, allowing it to record in total darkness. If you also want to capture the rear view, we recommend the three-channel Vantrue N4.
