7 Best Dash Cams For Your Vehicle
Dash cams offer you peace of mind, not only when you are out driving, but even your car is parked. It offers a clear line of vision from the front and the back if you invest in dual dash cams. Keep it on your windshield or your dashboard (hence the name), it’s like the best little guardian angel sitting in your car with every ride (and so do these best night vision-enabled backup cameras). So how can you find the best dash cam in 2020? Read on to find out!
Table of Contents
- Top 7 Dashcams Reviews & Comparison
- 1 – APEMAN Dash Cam 1080P FHD DVR Car Driving Recorder
- 2 – YI Smart Dash Cam
- 3 – APEMAN Mini Dash Cam
- 4 – Rove R2-4K Dash Cam Built-In Wi-Fi GPS Car Dashboard Camera
- 5 – VAVA Dash Cam 1920x1080P Wi-Fi Car Dash Camera
- 6 – Crosstour Uber Dual Lens Dash Cam
- 7 – Crosstour Both 1080P FHD Front and Rear Dual Lens Dash Cam
- What to Look for When Buying the Best Dash Cam?
- Our Top Pick – APEMAN Dash Cam 1080P
Top 7 Dashcams Reviews & Comparison
1 – APEMAN Dash Cam 1080P FHD DVR Car Driving Recorder
Apeman is a well-respected name in dash cams. They consistently produce the best dash cams and high-quality devices. At 1080P, it’s a full HD dash cam that delivers clear and crisp image quality so that you may replay a crucial moment even at high speeds.
With a 170-degree wide-angle or super wide-angle if you will, this best dash cam gives you a wide view of the road (about three lanes) and reduces all blind spots so you’d record a video of everything.
The built-in G sensor functions as a detector to record sudden movements like collisions and shakes. Once movement is detected, your dash cam automatically records the footage of the potential accident and locks in place. By locking, we mean the automatic looping function will not overwrite it. This way, your claims will always be backed up.
You need a dash cam to deliver great video quality day or night. Super night vision is a best feature you definitely want in the best dash cam. The night vision on this dash cam has an F1.8 aperture, making pictures at night crystal clear.
The parking monitor keeps your vehicle safe in your absence. Keeping it parked on a street overnight shouldn’t add to your stress. The parking monitor will also activate the G sensor and record when anything touches your car while you’re not there. This can work with a microSD card for additional storage.
It’s also easy to use and set up, even for a first-time user. Place it on your dahsboard or windshield. You’ll also like that it has at an affordable price! Overall, one of the best dash cams in the market.
- Apeman is a reputable brand in the best camera recorder field.
- You get your best choice between two different mounts for your windshield- a suction cup and an adhesive.
- A car charger is included to easily charge the camera when your car is running.
- The 3-inch LCD screen gives clear video quality at 1080 HD.
- Superior night vision with WDR (wide dynamic range) gives you clear pictures and video in a low-light environment.
- The parking mode also monitors your car’s surroundings when parked.
- The 170-degree wide-angle field of view will guarantee you won’t miss a thing in front of you.
- The G-sensor will record any sudden collisions or any unexpected accident and locks them from the automatic looping.
- Automatic looping means no more deleting older footage manually.
- This model also supports microSD card.
- Good price
- Randomly shuts down sometimes.
- The locked recording wasn’t saved.
2 – YI Smart Dash Cam
In this day and age, if your dash cam doesn’t come with a wide-angle of at least 130 degrees, then it’s obsolete. For less than $50, you get a 165-degree wide-angle for a video without blind spots that span the equivalent of 3 lanes. This camera allows you to capture a video of all activity no matter where it comes from.
As for the night vision, you get an aperture of F1.8 the best in the industry so far. The high sensitivity image sensors and full HD recording also allow you to capture perfectly clear image quality no matter the time of day.
This smart dash cam model is also enhanced with a G-sensor that automatically saves the best critical video footage to help make your case. It will capture everything from a few seconds before and after the collision.
With a 2.7” wide screen display, the camera may be controlled and set up with the compatible YI app. The wide buttons on the camera interface are easy to use and press.
While on the road, you’re supported by ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) that provide real-time visuals.
- With ADAS, the real-time lane departure warnings keep you safe and also detect the distance of objects.
- You get a 165-degree wide-angle field of view, the equivalent of 3 car lanes to eliminate any blind spots.
- Full HD video recording with a processor with 60 frames per second capability, you will only be met with great video quality and clear images.
- The G sensor technology automatically records any sudden emergencies.
- 8 aperture and high sensitivity image sensors provide supreme vision at night.
- Use the WiFi to connect to the app with real-time playback functions.
- Share your journey and video footage with friends and family but uploading and also sharing.
- A 2.7” wide screen display gives you a broader view and the large touch buttons are easy to locate.
- We’d always want the loop recording feature! It automatically replaces the older footage without you having to lift a finger.
- High heat could affect picture and video quality.
- The battery doesn’t seem to be able to tolerate high temperatures.
3 – APEMAN Mini Dash Cam
For those who want something more inconspicuous and compact, this Apeman mini dash cam does the trick.
For such a small and lightweight design, it offers quite impressive features and image quality with 1080P. It also has high-quality night vision.
To not miss a single thing that happens on the road for you or for others, the wide camera angle of 170-degrees captures every occurrence on the road.
What’s the point of a dash cam that misses accidents or break-ins when you’re not there? The 24/7 motion detection and parking mode will record any footage when collisions or movements are detected, providing you with all-around protection in any kind of weather.
When the G-sensor function is turned on, it automatically locks critical footage and keeps it from being replaced by newer ones.
For one who is a new user, hard-to-understand software and configuration could be such a turnoff. But this option from Apeman takes 2 minutes to set up and also has a 1-year warranty and lifetime of customer support. Now that’s what many users want!
This best dash cam model also supports a microSD card, although the memory card itself is not included. Another small model you can try is the Garmin Dash Cam Mini.
- The small and compact size still offers 1080P full HD video quality.
- It fits behind your rearview and keeps out of sight.
- Great picture during the nighttime with the best advanced image sensors.
- Cameras have a wide-angle of 170-degrees offers a full view of any occurrence on the road.
- Cameras are equipped with motion detection and parking mode for 24/7 peace of mind.
- Imagine not having to worry about manually deleting older files to make room for new ones. The loop video recording feature takes care of that for you.
- G-sensors lock the critical footage in place, immune from the loop recording.
- Easy to set up and use.
- This does work well with a microSD card.
- Affordable price
- Stops functioning rather quickly.
- The USB charger fails.
4 – Rove R2-4K Dash Cam Built-In Wi-Fi GPS Car Dashboard Camera
Some of you may be confused by the cameras’ 4K resolution. 4K is considered ultra HD and is at the moment the highest video quality on the market. 4K is the equivalent of 2160P. This means no more blurred license plates and a clearer picture of smaller objects.
The ultra low light sensors in the cameras produce clear and crisp image quality at night to ensure you don’t miss a thing.
With GPS and Wi-Fi, you may stay connected and pinpoint your exact location and record your speed in real-time. Share your best 4K videos directly by downloading it into your phone via the compatible Rove app.
Parking monitor and motion detection keep your car and you safe when the engine is turned off, using a battery for power. A 150-degree wide lens captures anything and everything in the dash cam’s line of sight.
The loop recording deletes older footage except for G sensor locked footage to make room for new ones.
Other impressive features you can use are time-lapse video and slow-motion capture. It also supports a micro SD card but you do have to buy this separately. As for the price, you do get good quality for the price of this cam.
These dash cams for all vehicles comes with a full 1-year warranty and a full refund within 30 days. Make sure to reach out to the Chicago-based customer services center if you need any help at any time.
- The ultra 4K video quality of the camera outdoes any other model with the standard full HD 1080P.
- Use the built-in Wi-Fi to stay connected via the Rove app and share your videos with friends and family across devices.
- Download and upload your videos via the camera’s Wi-Fi.
- The G sensor activates when motion is detected, and locks the video footage in place – safe from the loop recording.
- A great 150-degree wide-angle view eliminates any blind spots.
- You may choose your cameras’ video resolution starting from HD 720P at 60 frames per second up to 4K Ultra HD 2160P at 24 frames per second.
- GPS is an advantage. GPS tracks your whereabouts and records speed and location in real-time.
- The super night vision of the camera captures everything, even in a dark environment.
- Features a parking monitor that protects your car at all times and works on an internal battery for power
- It’s interactive! The voice guidance system talks to you and helps you with navigation. Not many devices have this.
- Affordable price and good after-sales services.
- Supports a memory card
- There have been claims that the video quality of the cameras is not really 4K.
- Night vision quality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
- The Wi-Fi can be slow.
- Memory card not included
5 – VAVA Dash Cam 1920x1080P Wi-Fi Car Dash Camera
As an Amazon’s Choice product is a great option that can capture quality images that spans up to 5 car lanes!
The 60fps recording offers footage with crystal clear details, especially license plates, which are critical to your case.
The ultra night vision with built-in Sony sensors delivers clear and crisp images and doesn’t compromise on video quality.
The GPS tracks your movements, route and speed to keep a record. With the Wi-Fi you can share your footage live on social media or transfer images directly to the police and/or insurance companies.
Equipped with loop recording, G-sensor and parking monitor, All the 1 or 2-minute segmented videos are immune to deletion. Capture everything that happens to your car in your absence.
The small model and design of these car dash cams are discreet, functioning as a hidden witness to any accidents.
The swivel mount allows for a 360-degree range to capture anything happening in or outside of the car.
The included snapshot button that sits nicely on our steering wheel is easily accessible to capture any shots that may occur suddenly.
- In the package, you get the dash cam, the camera car mount, a charger and micro USB cable. The best part is the snapshot button of the cam.
- The swivel mount is convenient when wanting to capture anything happening inside or outside the cabin. Place the dash cam on the dashboard or windshield.
- Full HD picture at 1080P and 60fps delivers better, crystal clear picture.
- Features built-in Sony sensors that have F2.0 aperture to give flawless footage
- With built-in GPS, you can keep track of your driving speed, location and route upon starting your engine.
- Using Wi-Fi, you can connect to app and easily upload, download, live stream and send crucial footage online.
- Even when your car is parked you are under the protection of the dash cam with parking monitor that captures and locks critical footage.
- The easily accessible snapshot button can capture sudden pictures or 20 seconds of footage when an unexpected event occurs.
- Affordable price
- The dash cam has a difficult time connecting to the app.
- The software is difficult to use.
- The WiFi is spotty.
6 – Crosstour Uber Dual Lens Dash Cam
This is what we call a dual dash cam, meaning it monitors what happens in front of your vehicle as well as inside or behind. For this front and rear dash cam, it’s best for Uber drivers, taxi drivers, Lyft drivers or those who wish to monitor their kids. You get a full HD (1080P) front lens and an inside lens that functions at HD 720P.
The built-in GPS module keeps a record of your driving by tracking the speed, location and route.
The parking monitor turns on automatically and records about 30 seconds worth of video once movement or contact is detected. Functioning on a built-in battery for power, the camera turns off again once the important footage is captured. This footage will not be overwritten by the automatic loop recording function and serves as vital evidence.
A front and rear dash cam is worth half its value if the night vision isn’t up to par. The F1.8 aperture front lens with 4 infrared LED lights and WDR (wide dynamic range) delivers better performance and images at any time of the day.
With your product you get a 12-month warranty and a full 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Know your driving patterns and keep track of your car if you’re not the driver by using the built-in GPS in the camera.
- Dual dash cam lets you monitor what’s going on in and outside of your car.
- The G-sensor emergency recording will bear witness to whatever happens to your car in your absence.
- 8 aperture delivers top of the line images at any time of the day.
- WDR (wide dynamic range) technology.
- Parking monitor with motion detection can be activated to record when the engine is turned off. It uses battery for power.
- The loop recording function automatically erases and replaces older footage.
- 170-degree wide-angle views provide a line of vision that is unsurpassed.
- The Sony image sensors of the cameras are unaffected by dim lighting or dull weather.
- Perhaps the best part is the wide working temperature. Temperatures as low as -20 degrees and as high as 60 degrees will not affect the use of this dash cam.
- The screen flickers and the camera turns on and off while driving.
- The charging port may be defective.
7 – Crosstour Both 1080P FHD Front and Rear Dual Lens Dash Cam
Another dual dash cam option with high ratings on Amazon, this camera option from Crosstour provides imaging from the front and rear. What’s impressive about this dual-lens camera is they are both 1080P (full HD) with 170-degree angles for front and back.
Using GPS, you can track your movements as well as the longitude and latitude and route.
With the F1.8 aperture and Novatek chip, which provides superior imaging that surpasses all other models on the market. Both front and rear cameras are equipped with such technology to provide crystal clear imaging.
Although it supports a micro SD memory card, the loop recording will still replace older footage once the storage is full. To keep this front happening you can download and back up files to your computer before then.
G-sensor triggered footage will be saved from being overwritten and deleted so rest assured anything critical to your case will remain intact.
It comes with a 1-year warranty and the after-sales team will be at your service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week if you need any help. Overall, you get good quality for the price.
- Both front and rear camera lenses offer a wide-angle view of 170-degrees so you’d clearly see the front or back of the vehicle.
- This top camera is small and inconspicuous, can be placed on the dashboard or windshield.
- The F1.8 aperture of the cam delivers a clear picture at any time of the day.
- Loop recording saves you time and space, but doesn’t interfere with G-sensor locked footage.
- The motion detection will record videos and keep your car safe in your absence.
- Get a clear 1080P view of what’s going on in front of and behind your vehicle.
- The 3-inch LCD screen is like a mini TV displaying high-resolution imaging and is easy to use.
- It comes with a 1-year warranty and excellent after-sales services.
- Night vision has never been so clear with the Novatek chip.
- Supports an SD card
- Affordable price
- The motion detection does not stay activated.
- Breaks easily, sometimes even before use.
What to Look for When Buying the Best Dash Cam?
Buying a dash cam is to protect you and your car as well as offer peace of mind in your absence. Many consumers have spent a lot of dough investing in dash cams hoping it will support them when mishaps happen, but that wasn’t the case. To make sure your dash cam does the job right, you need to properly install your dashcam and search for a few necessary features.
Resolution
This points to how clear the picture is. As a rule of thumb, we’d suggest nothing less than 1080P. If you end up selecting a dual dash, then it’s very possible one lens will have a lower resolution (maybe HD 720P). You can find good cams with a clear picture for both front and rear camera lenses, and if you do, you should probably think about plunking down money right away. The clearer the resolution, the more details you can see. You can also opt for 2K or 4K imaging.
Wide-Angle Lens
This directly impacts your field of view. With a wide view of the road, (we’d suggest 150-degrees or higher) the driver will be able to see well at a given moment. However, if the field of view is too wide, it could impact the resolution. A 150-degree angle lens should provide a range of view that spans 3 car lanes. That should be sufficient in catching any oncoming force.
Night Vision
You need a dash camera that is able to record footage reliably. Since it’s more than likely you’ll be driving at sundown and well into the evening, this one is important since many accidents occur in low light environments. You need a good webcam that’s able to capture video if anything does happen. Features like image sensors and an aperture of at least F1.8 will ensure a clear picture.
Loop Recording
This feature is one that allows dash cams to automatically overwrite older footage with newer more relevant ones. Dash cams that don’t have this feature require you to manually go in and select and delete the footage, which could take lots of time. What’s worse, if you forget to do this no new footage will be recorded. This may be detrimental in the occurrence of an accident because you’ll end up with no proof.
G-Sensors/Parking Mode
These are standard features when you search for a good dash camera. G-sensors automatically activate when motion is detected. It could be a simple shake or the force of a collision. This will prompt the camera to record on average 20 seconds of video that will be locked and safe from the loop recording feature.
WiFi
Many people like to use WiFi features because it allows syncing the camera to your phone via the compatible app. The app allows you to upload, share and send crucial footage to family members, the police and the insurance company. WiFi in dash cams also allows for real-time streaming so you can share your journey with loved ones.
GPS
This one is not absolutely essential, but with GPS, you’ll be able to monitor your speed, location and route as well. GPS benefits parents who want to monitor their kids or for vehicle companies like taxi organizations.
Storage
Video footage can take up a lot of space, especially one of high resolution. Most dash cams have a little bit of storage built-in, but to save a significant amount of video, you need to invest in a micro SD card as well.
Display
The camera display and features are for personal preference. It’s better having a dash camera model with an LCD display and easy to read buttons. This makes the experience much smoother and being able to see the real-time footage allows you to easily tweak and review it. A larger display also makes it easier to review the video, but it also takes up a lot of dashboard space.
Battery
While most dash cams operate when your engine is turned on, operating on your car’s power, some have a built-in battery. The built-in battery won’t have a lot of juice for power, and it’s only there to record when the G-sensor/parking mode is activated.
Mount
Where are you planning to place your new device? The mount is important when it comes to location, but the windshield and dashboard are the standard spots. There are two main options for mounts: suction or adhesive. Adhesive mounts could be extremely strong, which makes it difficult to move the dash cam in the future. Suction cup mounts could be less secure, but it gives you more options. If you plan to attach the dash cam to your windshield, then a suction mount would be better. If you want it on your dashboard, the adhesive mount should do.
Temperature Resistance
Not a lot of dash cam manufacturers mention this one. A lot of batteries and mounts malfunction in extreme cold or heat. We have seen reports claiming that cams batteries have exploded or the adhesive on the mounts has melted or froze. Most good dash cams are manufactured to withstand temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius and as high as 60. Temperature resistance is especially important for dual dash cams and ones that have one camera located externally. You don’t want it to malfunction in harsher weather.
Conclusion
So what do we leave you with? A wealth of reviews and information to help you decide, that’s what! We doubt that you need any convincing that dashcams are worth it. Search through our list of features to look for and slowly eliminate certain ones or put them in order of priority for your personal needs. Once you have a clear picture, you can scour the Internet or make a decision based on our suggestions above. If you are still confused, let us give you a few pointers. The resolution, night vision, a wide-angle, G-sensor/parking mode are things we will not forgo. Hopefully, there is enough storage or at least the camera should work with a micro SD card.
For specific dashcam needs, check out our suggestions for the best uber dashcams and best truckers’ dashcams.
Our Top Pick – APEMAN Dash Cam 1080P
In this day and age, if a dash cam doesn’t come with full HD (1080p) then its pretty much useless. The 3-inch large LCD screen will display a clear picture even at high speeds.
With a 170-degree wide-angle view, you are able to capture more while in motion and eliminate blind spots.
The G-sensor and night vision features keep your vehicle safe at all times of the day. The footage is automatically recorded upon impact that is protected from the loop recording feature.
It’s easy to use and easy to set up, everyone and anyone can figure it out. Need something with both front and rear camera coverage? Check more options here.
William Johnson is the owner and founder of RatedRadarDetector.org. He writes about car accessories, with his passion stemming from a deep enthusiasm for all things automotive. His website, RRD, focuses on in-depth reviews of car accessories to help people find the best and latest products in the market.
