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A dash cam can provide some serious peace of mind on the road, whether you drive for a living or are simply looking to add a bit of security to your grocery store runs. We purchased 8 of the most popular models and took them on the road, totaling more than 200 miles of driving. We analyzed the footage and fact-checked manufacturer specs.
The Rove R2-4K Dual is the best option for most people. It has fantastic video quality, appropriately wide-angle capture, front and rear-facing cameras, and an accessible price tag. There's not really a weakness for us to point to. For a more affordable model, we like the Miofive S1. It is generally simple, reliable, and polished. We feel comfortable recommending this option for anyone who wants a good unit without risk of overpaying.
It's a wild and ever-evolving experience on the roads these days. It pays to be prepared. From convenience to maintenance, the value of reliable auto accessories can't be underestimated. From phone mounts to jump starters, you want to be outfitted with the best for your next road trip, or your next cruise across town.
Editor's Note: We updated our dash cam review on September 24, 2025. In a quickly evolving category, we revamped our selection to ensure we recommend the most current models with up-to-date tech. We added the latest versions of old favorites, as well as a few cams that are new to the game.
Front Camera: Advertised Resolution & Field of View
2160p / 150°
Rear Camera: Advertised Resolution & Field of View
1080p / 140°
Combined (Front & Rear) Advertised Field of View
290°
Combined (Front & Rear) Measured Field of View
203°
The Rove R2-4K Dual is one of the best overall dash cam units available today. The rear cam comes in at 1080p (i.e. the longtime standard marketing term 'High Definition'), which matches or exceeds many other units on the market, and the front camera is more impressive, sporting 2160p resolution (marketed as 4K, or Ultra HD), almost 4x the pixel count of 1080p. Each lens is wide-angle as well, which, combined, gives 185° of coverage, just about the best of our lineup. Long story short, the R2-4K captures an incredible amount of information, without appearing distorted. “License plates 2-3 vehicles ahead can be read just from a paused video, without zooming in. Very impressive,” says lead tester Kyle Hameister. That level of detail will be invaluable when it comes time to present evidence of a hit and run, for example.
The user experience feels smooth, and this is a unit with a ton of settings customizability, but install and setup take a bit longer than average. Our only other gripe is that the video frame rate appears fairly low; a necessary concession to help reduce the size of already large video files. The R2-4K Dual is not our highest-scoring product outright, but it is a fantastic cam, and it is competitively priced. Regarding value, Kyle says, “The Rove is what I'll be personally using in my daily driver, and what I would recommend to family. It's not cheap per se, but it's more than twice as good as units 1/2 as much.”
Front Camera: Advertised Resolution & Field of View
2160p / 140°
Rear Camera: Advertised Resolution & Field of View
UPGRADE (2160p / 115°)
Combined (Front & Rear) Advertised Field of View
140°
Combined (Front & Rear) Measured Field of View
121°
The Miofive S1 is a good value. It is roughly $80 less than the Rove and has more modest scores to match, but it has some features that we really like. GPS recording is the main one, a feature typically only available on models in the $200+ price range. Beyond that, the usability is straightforward and better than some costlier units, so we feel that it's well worth your consideration. In the words of Lead Tester Kyle, “the cheap options aren't worth the headache; they fail in strange ways and clearly don't live up to the manufacturer's claims. The Miofive is the cheapest 'good' model as far as I'm concerned.”
What does that mean for you? Well, the S1 doesn't have the best video quality we've seen, despite the 4K resolution spec. The detail isn't bad, but the colors are dull and the lighting is “flat, and perhaps a little dark. Everything seems in focus… but somehow blurry,” says Kyle. The S1 only comes with a front-facing camera, which is part of what brings the cost down (a rear cam is available as an upgrade). As it stands, the S1 lacks the wow factor, but it is one of the few options at this price that can claim this level of reliability. If you're looking for the affordable option, we recommend going no lower than the S1.
Front Camera: Advertised Resolution & Field of View
2160p / 158°
Rear Camera: Advertised Resolution & Field of View
1080p / 160°
Combined (Front & Rear) Advertised Field of View
318°
Combined (Front & Rear) Measured Field of View
231°
The Vantrue N4 Pro Dual is top of the line in almost every metric we tested, hands down. Video quality and coverage are both through the roof: the 4k (2160p) resolution front cam, with HD (1080p) rear and cabin cameras really shine. Color and lighting correction are both great, so every little detail shows up crisp and clear. We measured a total field of view coverage of 210° between the front and rear cameras, which is also the best of our tested lineup. Bottom line: you're going to see nearly everything going on around your vehicle, and all in remarkable detail.
There's a lot to love here, but perhaps the most notable feature is the cabin camera. Our lead tester points out, “The cabin cameras on other units are a joke. The one on the Vantrue is the only one worth anything, and it's incredible.” We're happy that one manufacturer took this seriously, at least. It captures the entire interior of your vehicle, in full color and high resolution, and even switches to infrared 'night vision' after dark. For rideshare drivers, this feature alone is worth the cost of admission. On that note, the price is the big downside to the N4 Pro. However, it has the premium performance to back up the premium price tag.
Front Camera: Advertised Resolution & Field of View
1080p / 140°
Rear Camera: Advertised Resolution & Field of View
UPGRADE (multi-camera sync)
Combined (Front & Rear) Advertised Field of View
140°
Combined (Front & Rear) Measured Field of View
119°
The Garmin Mini 3 is a unique entry in our lineup. It is indeed tiny, as the name suggests, and that comes with some notable pros and cons. To start, we need to praise Garmin for making the best user experience on a dash cam we've encountered. There is no LCD screen on the unit (and only two buttons total), so setup and interfacing with the unit is done entirely through the app. Despite this, the Mini 3 connects to the app quickly and painlessly, and it automatically sets up many of the settings based on your region (i.e., language, units of measure, that sort of thing). It feels like practically everything is done for you (though we do wish it didn't require an account setup). In terms of performance, it has a fairly standard 1080p resolution, but this is a rare model that comes with a polarized lens standard, which helps improve image quality by reducing glare.
It's so small and lightweight that it's the only unit we consider worthy of the title “unobtrusive”. In the words of Lead Tester Kyle Hameister, “it's so small, and works so smoothly that this is really the only unit I could see myself forgetting existed in my car.” It just works. That said, video quality and coverage are both okay, but not great, and some of the more useful features like GPS tracking and Parking Mode are only unlocked through a subscription. Plus, it's a front cam only unit… we don't love that. However, if you don't want to add more complicated tech into your life, the Mini 3 is a perfectly simplified option.
64GB microSD included (no supported max capacity stated)
32GB microSD included (up to 128GB supported)
Sound Capture
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Mounting Method
Adhesive Pads
Suction Cup, Adheisve Pads
Adhesive Pads
Suction Cup
Adhesive Pads, Suction Cup (upgrade)
Adhesive Pads
Suction Cup (front), Adheisve Pad or Screws (rear)
Suction Cup (front), Adheisve Pad or Screws (rear)
Required Operating Temps
-4℉ ~ 140℉ / -20℃ ~ 60℃
14℉ ~ 131℉ / -10℃ ~ 55℃
-4℉ ~ 149℉ / -20℃ ~ 65℃
-4℉ ~ 158℉ / -20℃ ~ 70℃
-4℉ ~ 140℉ / -20℃ ~ 60℃
-4℉ ~ 158℉ / -20℃ ~ 70℃
-31℉ ~ 176℉ / -35℃ ~ 80℃
14℉ ~ 122℉ / -10℃ ~ 50℃
How We Tested
We took dozens of hours of footage over the course of a couple hundred miles as the starting point of our evaluation. We put them through day and night trials, install and usability tests, elaborate Field of View measurements, and more to suss out the best of the best, great value options, and more. We scored the most important metric, video quality, based on the amount of detail we could gather from the footage, judging things like readability of vehicles, license plates, and nearby pedestrians. We checked the reliability and accuracy of manufacturer claims, and noted discrepancies in feature performance. User interface, install experience, and time of setup round out our evaluations.
We used four key rating metrics to score these dash cams:
Video Quality (40% of overall score weighting)
Video Coverage & Function (30% of overall score)
Ease of Use (20% of overall score)
Ease of Installation (10% of overall score)
See our full How We Test article for more in-depth information on our testing processes.
Why You Should Trust Us
This review is brought to you by a talented and knowledgeable team that has tested and reviewed more than 200 smart and video capture devices over the years.
Lead Tester and Review Editor Kyle Hameister started tinkering with tech in his childhood, and the passion has since transformed into a degree and career in Industrial Design. Thumbing through sample books, knocking out a revision change for a drawing set, and, sometimes literally, running around on product installs is day-to-day life. Evaluating products for TechGearLab, and gear for sister site OutdoorGearLab is a satisfying, nerdy outlet benefiting from his product expertise. Kyle builds upon the experience of Senior Review Editor Becca Glades, who has a background in robotics, software engineering, and medicine.
Analysis and Test Results
Dash cams have a surprisingly wide array of performance scores, and manufacturers employ different approaches to solving problems. There are certainly relatively universal standards and practices we see through the industry, but size, functionality, mounting methods, and hardware choices can vary… a lot. We designed our tests to identify and focus on those differences.
All dash cams have wide angle lenses, but distortion is only an issue with some units (not here, shown with the excellent Viofo A229 Plus 2CH).
Credit: Kyle Hameister
Worse Value
Better Value
What's the Best Value?
Dash Cams are definitely one of those product categories where you get what you pay for. Our performance scores ended up pretty closely tracking unit cost. The best units know what they have and charge accordingly, and we just don't often see redeemable qualities in units under $100. We can't in good conscience recommend the budget units.
Both the SuvCon 1080p and Miden X5 4K 3 Channel 360 look great on paper: They're both very affordable, advertise great resolutions with the widest Field of View angles in our lineup, and are some of the only units to include not only front & back, but cabin cameras too. During testing, however, video quality (and resolution specifically) proved to be very sub-par, and the viewing angles of all cameras were up to 63% lower than advertised! That alone is disappointing, but combined with poor scores in nearly all other metrics, it paints a grim picture.
Tough to make out much of anything useful from footage from the Suvcon 1080p
Therefore, our Best Buy winner is the moderately priced Miofive S1. It's double that of the cheap models, but also 1/2 that of the top-end performers. It has its fair share of shortcomings (including a front camera only being the first…), but for the most part, it delivers on the manufacturer's claims, video quality is decent, and it's quite easy to set up and use. Our Editor's Choice winner, the Rove R2-4K Dual deserves a mention here as well: it's still a reasonably pricey camera, but it's a top performer across the board that we feel is worth every penny.
Are Dash Cams Legal?
Dash cams are legal in the United States at the federal level, and there are currently no state laws outright prohibiting them. But many states do have laws restricting where they can be mounted, for driver safety. Many states don't allow for windshield mounts at all (some units can be flipped and are conducive for a dash mount, others you'll need to find a suitable 3rd party mount), while other states restrict a windshield mount to where it's hidden from the driver behind the rear view mirror. Be sure to research your state's specific laws before purchase.
Dash cams come in a variety of styles and sizes.
Credit: Kyle Hameister
Video Quality
Dash cameras are essentially wide-angle digital cameras with some modern features built in. Resolutions range between 1080p (commonly marketed as 'full HD') and 2160p (marketed these days as '4K'), which on the megapixel side would be equivalent to the average digital camera from 2005. That doesn't tell the whole story, of course, as major advancements in hardware and especially software processing have been made since then. But ultimately, the resolution compromise has to be made to avoid astronomically large file sizes from the always-on video capture they perform.
To comparatively score all units, we drive a standard route with each one, day and night. Results are heavily dictated by how well we can make out lettering on license plates and street signs, vehicle details like model and color, and pedestrian details like gender and clothing. Lighting and color correction, excessive glare, and low frame rates can also make or break a product in this category.
Judge for yourself: The R2-4K showing 2160p resolution, the A229 Plus 2CH at 1440p, and the Mini 3 at 1080p.
Our top performers, the Vantrue N4 Pro Dual and Rove R2-4K Dual, both have top-of-the-line 2160p resolution specs. Resolution is critical to pulling a useful level of detail from a zoomed-in screenshot, but more than that goes into determining overall video quality. For example, the Viofo A229 Plus 2CH competes for our top score in the metric, despite having a lower 1440p resolution. The colors are so distinct, and edges so crisp, that details can be discerned much further away than some other units with 'better' resolution like the Miofive S1.
A selection of night footage shots: The N4 Pro, the S1, and the Suvcon 1080p.
As you might expect, video quality scores of night footage drop pretty consistently across our lineup. Glare and diffraction spikes (AKA, the 'starburst effect') around streetlights and headlights seem to be particularly bad on most units — perhaps something to do with the wide-angle lenses. It's so bad for the SuvCon 1080p and Miden X5 4K 3 Channel 360, that footage is barely usable if there is any oncoming traffic or even in well-lit areas at night.
The Garmin Mini 3 is a notable exception here. It scored average in this metric; license plates and street signs were only readable at close distances in daylight, but it's one of the few models that does as well or better at night. Halos and flares around lights were not nearly as bad as other units, due in no small part to the built-in polarized lens, which dramatically improved readability.
Miden claims this is the same 2160p resolution on the X5 4K shared with our top-of-the-line models. We don't think so!
Credit: Kyle Hameister
Video Coverage & Function
Of course, the utility of a dash cam system goes beyond pure video quality. Wide-angle lenses are fundamental to their purpose; the larger the FoV (field of view), the more of your environment will be captured. We measure the FoV angle of each camera ourselves, compare it to the manufacturer-advertised specs, and compare it to each other. We also judge sound capture quality, examine any specialty features called out, and assess both how reliable the units work and how accurate the manufacturer claims and specs are.
Most makers prefer field-of-view angles between 140° and 170°. This compromise, in theory, gives a lot of coverage without compressing individual details beyond recognition. A high-resolution image with a wider FoV may give as much detail from a heavily zoomed-in screenshot as a lower-resolution, narrower FoV image.
The Rove R2-4K Dual advertises a 150° field of view for the front camera, but we only measured 109°.
Credit: Kyle Hameister
All systems have at least a front-facing camera, and most have a rear-facing camera as well. We gave higher scores to units with front and rear cameras, since they cover more real estate, but consider if your needs require rear footage at all (if not, the Garmin Mini 3 is a great option). A few units also have a cabin camera. Our top performer, the Vantrue, records fantastic cabin video, wide angle, and in full color, while the only other units with cabin cams — the cheap Miden and SuvCon — were so narrow and grainy that we think they're barely better than nothing at all.
Advertised vs. Measured Field of View
Our internal tests and measurements of FoV angles show that manufacturers across the board overstate this spec. There are several things at play here, including the fact that wide-angle lenses do tend to distort perceived FoV, but also that marketing a high theoretical max viewing angle looks good on paper, even if it's never achieved in practice.
Our most 'accurate' models here are both front-cam only, the Miofive S1 and Garmin Mini 3, which measured about 15% lower than the manufacturer claims. Not bad. On the other end, the SuvCon and Miden were both more than 50% lower than advertised. This, along with clearly overstated resolution claims, reveals a pattern of dishonesty for both units despite their attractive price points.
The Miofive S1 had our most accurate FoV measurement, measured at 120°, compared with the manufacturer claim.
Credit: Kyle Hameister
Our top-scoring models are familiar: the Rove R2-4K, Viofo A229, and Vantrue N4 Pro. All were about 30% off from their claimed FoV specs. However, all three provide around 200° of combined view coverage with front and back cameras together, which is still fantastic. Honestly, we feel that's close to the functional limit of what's practical. These models are already so wide-angle that they're capturing the columns on either side of your windshield as it is; any more, and 'fish eye' distortion becomes excessive and details become diluted.
Most units can capture sound, the utility of which is situationally dependent. You'll be driving with windows up most of the time, but capturing a conversation during a traffic stop can be a lifesaver in court, for example. The RedTiger 4K F7NP has great sound capture, and though it had decent scores otherwise, it scored low in this metric overall since it also appears to embellish its FoV and resolution claims.
Sound capture is hit or miss with units we've tested. We think it's pretty good here with the RedTiger 4K F7NP.
Credit: Kyle Hameister
Industry standard is to capture video in a revolving 'loop' manner, meaning recordings between 1 and 3 minutes are continually saved, then overwritten automatically when the memory card is full. This is really nice because it means that management of your dash cam is relatively hands-off once it's set up. The industry standard is to also equip all units with a 'g-shock' sensor, which automatically saves videos to a protected folder that won't be overwritten in the event of a crash.
In theory, this is a great feature, ensuring that the most important videos aren't discarded accidentally before you can get around to recovering them. Except for one major hiccup: these shock sensors tend to be accidentally triggered. Often. From a modest knock while taking out a sun shade, to hitting a speed bump a little too enthusiastically. If the sensors are triggered frequently enough, available memory for standard loop recording dwindles so far that you'll be forced to manually delete all your false alarm 'crash' recordings and/or reformat the memory card every month or two. Your dash cam will effectively be useless until you do. You can certainly dial down the sensitivity of the shock sensor, but regardless, this is an annoying but unavoidable reality of dash camera ownership.
Manually 'activating' the crash detection sensor, seen here with the Vantrue N4 Pro Dual.
Credit: Kyle Hameister
A few other notable features come standard on most models these days: things like HDR capture, driver alerts, and parking modes. Most are gimmicky, but a few like the infrared cabin camera on the Vantrue N4 Pro Dual are really neat. On the other hand, driver alerts (prominently featured in Garmin units) cover things like lane departure and takeoff gaps at stoplights. Best case, we found them to be largely ineffective. Worst case, they're intrusive, distracting, and annoying.
The most useful, non-universal feature we found was GPS tracking. All the pricier units, including the RedTiger 4K F7NP but also the more affordable Miofive S1, have dedicated GPS systems, mostly built into the mounts. Call it a privacy concern if you like, but having that pinpoint location detail can stop a he-said-she-said situation in its tracks.
Most dash cams also offer some form of 'parking mode' for additional security, which can be very nice. It'll kick on with motion, and can document a vandal or reveal the origin story of that mysterious new dent in your door. But be careful, all of them should require a separately purchased 'continuous power kit' (available as official upgrades in many cases) to be connected to your fuse box to monitor voltage and shut off when it drains too much. Otherwise, you're all but guaranteed to return to a dead battery…
We love the infrared mode with the cabin cam of the N4 Pro!
Credit: Kyle Hameister
Ease of Use
Our tests for this metric were designed to judge UX/UI (user experience and interface) of our models. This naturally covers navigation of the menus on the physical unit and through the app, with a focus on recovering footage.
All units come with a companion app (except for the economical SuvCon 1080p), but a couple of units unfortunately require an app to set up and use. Those units are the Viofo A229 Plus 2CH and Garmin Mini 3. The Mini 3 makes sense at least: it has two buttons in total and no screen, so the physical interface is extremely limited. Plus, they designed their app well, and we don't mind using it. As far as the Viofo goes, the need to use the app to access basic settings is perplexing. In fact, the whole user experience feels unnecessarily complex; not intuitive at all. The rest of the units can be set up and navigated without the app at all, if you prefer.
Our top scorers here are again the Vantrue and Rove. The whole experience with both units is polished, thoughtful, simple, and understandable, while still offering a ton of customizability. Setup was a cinch; the process held your hand from start to finish with clear prompts supplemented by excellent manuals.
Most units have an LCD screen with a few physical buttons, but navigating the Miofive S1's menu interface is particularly nice, for one simple reason: Each button is labeled, on the screen, for each page you click into. This may seem like a no-brainer, but confusing menus with vague button labels was commonplace through most of our lineup, unfortunately.
Moving through the menus of each dash cam device is a very different experience.
Credit: Kyle Hameister
As important as our experience and interface is with these products, reviewing, saving, and sharing footage is kinda the whole point of owning a dash cam in the first place. Recovering footage is generally a two-prong approach.
The Garmin Mini 3's interface (of the physical unit) is as minimalist as it comes. You'll need to adjust settings through the app.
Credit: Kyle Hameister
First, all units save data on microSD memory cards. Simpler, faster, and more portable than other media types like hard drives, it's such a perfect option for units like this that they've been universally adopted in the industry. So, the easiest way to recover videos from any of these dash cams is to simply pop out the SD card from the unit, pop it into your computer, and download whatever you want. Or, if you don't have an SD card slot on your computer, removing the whole dash cam and plugging it in with a short cable (often included) works just as well.
A selection of app screenshots.
The other method is to download videos to your phone via the app. This way is generally much slower and more confusing in our opinion, since there are several steps that vary from unit to unit. Plus, it is not always obvious where they save to in your phone's memory. A Bluetooth connection's bandwidth is far too low for transferring large files like a 2-3 minute video, so dash cams are built with Wi-Fi modules. The units will prompt you to set up a temporary Wi-Fi network to connect to your phone, and from there, you can save what you need. This process can be fairly easy (thank you Garmin Mini 3!), but is infuriatingly inconsistent on other units (looking at you, Miden X5…)
Sharing video files (for example, with your insurance company) is another challenge unrelated to either approach; video files are inherently large. Too large to attach to an email, generally. There are a few ways to share large files over the internet, but in most cases, copying what you need to a thumb drive and physically delivering it is often the easiest method.
Ease of Installation
Installation of your dash cam is distinct from interfacing with it during use. We look at how each unit is mounted, where they're placed, and how the wires are run and hidden in your vehicle. Install time is an important factor here, as is how straightforward the process is.
Far and away, our winner in this metric is the Garmin Mini 3. It's tiny, it has no rear camera, and it has a limited number of features and settings to deal with (plus it automatically detects your region and sets the clock, language, and units like miles vs. kilometers to match). The unit has a short stem that is securely mounted to your windshield with a tiny, 1/2" adhesive foam circle. Peel and stick. It has a single power cable to run to your nearest cigarette lighter plug. Altogether, it took us 5 minutes. As mentioned, you do need the app to set it up from there, but thankfully, the Garmin app is fast and painless to connect to, and there are just a few settings to process. Before you know it, you're done and on your way.
The RedTiger 4K F7NP is worth noting here, too. We found the wires to be ever-so-slightly thinner than other units, making them easier to stuff and stash in your car's trim (with a handily included plastic tool). The suction cup mount has a strong vacuum pulled from an easy lever, which includes the GPS chip. Setup is short but effective, with really only the most necessary settings prompted.
Running and hiding wires through the trim is standard practice.
Credit: Kyle Hameister
We record install time for the front camera, rear camera, and initial software setup through the physical unit. You'll be spending most of your time here running and hiding cables, but it shouldn't require more than 10-15 minutes for any one wire. It may seem counterintuitive at first, but most vehicles have gaps and reveals around the header, over windows, and down columns, and hiding the wires in this way is industry consensus. Most units will come with installation tools and example illustrations in the manual to help you decide how and where to run the cables in your specific vehicle.
Dash cams are generally mounted to your windshield in one of two ways: with a suction cup or a foam adhesive pad. Suction cups generally have a more powerful hold, so they've been the favorite choice of manufacturers for a long time, especially for the heavier units. But in our experience, under a hot sun, that black rubber always seems to inevitably melt and fail, leaving a gummy mess on the glass and your dash cam on the floor.
Mounting methods vary from unit to unit. The Viofo A229 Plus 2CH attaches to your windshield with a fairly large adhesive pad, and an electrostatic film to help hold.
Credit: Kyle Hameister
Some makers have started to push adhesive pad mounts (which tend to be white or light gray) that attach to a clear electrostatic film placed on the glass first. This gives a very strong hold that seems to hold up to temperature swings much better, and is cleaner to replace when the time comes. Even so, the machines themselves will fail under extreme temps, and most units recommend a max operating temperature of well under what a sealed car sitting in the direct summer sun can hit — anywhere between 131℉ and 176℉. On the low end, most units aren't recommended for operation under -4℉, which isn't uncommon at all in much of the world.
How to Choose the Best Dash Cam
There are a few key factors to consider when it comes time to choose which dash cam is right for you.
What Coverage Do You Need?
All dash cam systems come with a front-facing camera, at least. Do you also need a rear camera? Or a cabin-facing camera (i.e. do you need to see inside your vehicle too)?
For some drivers, a front-cam-only system may be sufficient. These systems can still offer hard video proof of many accidents, protection against insurance fraud from other drivers, and evidence to challenge a traffic ticket in court. Plus, they are simpler to install, don't require as much memory, and can be more affordable.
Cabin cam footage is legitimately useful with the N4 Pro -- full color, wide angle, good resolution.
Credit: Kyle Hameister
For most drivers, a system with a rear camera is a smart choice. Your front camera won't capture the license plate of a hit-and-run driver who rear-ended you, for example; many traffic accidents that aren't your fault happen from behind. Cabin cameras are great for rideshare drivers who may want to capture evidence of a nightmare rider, but also for a parent to keep an eye on their 16-year-old with a shiny new license in hand.
The rear camera on the Rove R2-4K Dual.
Credit: Kyle Hameister
What Kind of Detail Do You Need?
Choosing a dash camera with top-tier video quality can be the difference between capturing a clear photo of a license plate four or five cars ahead, or not. Was that bicyclist who clipped your side mirror wearing a black or a gray helmet? What number did that speed limit sign show? Was that street you passed Forest View Drive, or Forest Vista Road? An especially wide-angle video will 'see' more of the road, sure, but the distortion and low pixel count near the edges of the frame may make details just as much of a mystery as low-resolution capture.
For some drivers, saving money and getting a lower-quality dash cam would be fine; they just want some amount of protection, and capturing the big-picture details will be enough. Some video is infinitely better than no video if you're in a he-said, she-said situation. For other drivers, more concrete proof will give better peace of mind.
The Viofo A229 Plus 2CH comes with a bunch of accessories and little convenience improvements.
Credit: Kyle Hameister
What Features and Upgrades Should You Consider?
Capturing stunning detail of street signs and landmarks is great, but with GPS coordinates overlaid in real-time on your video, there's no question about where an event occurred. Many units, some more affordable than the top-priced options, have GPS these days — it gets our vote for the most useful, non-standard feature in dash cams today.
Glare and reflections will muddy the video of an event in ways that can't be anticipated, something that a polarizing lens upgrade can help fix. Some units can capture additional footage while a vehicle is parked and off, too. Do you do a lot of night driving? Look for a unit that has an infrared mode that turns on after dark. Some models even let you talk to them. We didn't find this feature to work particularly well most of the time, but hey, maybe it's your thing.
GPS tracking -- with real-time coordinates overlaid on video -- is a huge utility improvement. Seen here on the Rove R2-4K Dual.
Credit: Kyle Hameister
Conclusion
Though we certainly wouldn't call dash cams a necessity for all drivers, they're a dirt-cheap supplemental insurance policy, all things considered. The added protection against uninsured motorists, vandals, and dishonest drivers should be enough for anyone braving the roads to consider a dash cam of their own. And for professional drivers like truckers or rideshare drivers, they should be considered a required tool of the trade. With plenty of variety and frequent sales, finding a good option for you shouldn't be a challenge.
