Dash cams can be a useful way to prove your innocence if you have an accident. Video evidence can help settle insurance claims or disputes with other motorists, which ultimately help protect your no claims bonus/discount (NCB/NCD).
Aside from saving you money, dash cams can also help you cherish driving memories: from windy country roads to fun excursions with friends and family that you want to saver.
There are numerous types of dash cams available on the market: those that face forwards, ones that have both front- and rear-facing cameras, and others that have it all with the inclusion of an in-cabin module for total coverage.
No matter what type of dash cam you end up purchasing, you’ll need a microSD card to store all the video files. The higher the resolution, the more space you’ll require; if you run out of space, all dash cams have a loop recording functionality, where they’ll automatically overwrite the oldest file with a new recording.
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We’d recommend getting the SanDisk Extreme 128GB (or smaller capacity variants) from Amazon. This ensures compatibility and good transfer speeds, namely if you’re recording at higher resolutions such as 1440p or 4K as their file sizes are larger and more demanding over HD or Full HD recordings.
To help you make an informed purchasing decision, without having to trawl through the internet, TotallyEV has condensed a comprehensive list of dash cams for all budgets.
To provide you with free impartial advice, the links below will point toward your localised Amazon store. As Amazon Affiliates we earn commission from qualifying purchases. No company has paid to be included in our editorially-led roundup, where products are also listed in no particular order.
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1Full HD dash cam: Orskey S800
The Orskey S800 is a simple, inexpensive way of capturing footage. It records up to 1080p at 30fps with a 170° angle lens. Through its 3″ LCD display, you’ll be able to view back your footage; the buttons on the side allow you to interact with the dash cam. It also features a G-sensor, which automatically detects a collision, although, we found this feature a little hit-and-miss, as it incorrectly flagged up potholes and speed bumps as an accident. It also doesn’t perform well in low-light conditions, where its sensor suffers from a lot of background noise. Nevertheless, it’ll suffice for most consumers especially at its price point.
Buy the Orskey S800 from Amazon
2Best mini dash cam: Garmin Cam Mini
While on paper, the Garmin Cam Mini might not offer more features than the comparable Apeman C420, it’s however, leagues ahead in both video and audio recording quality. Indeed, coming in at around three times the retail price of the C420 one might expect bettered performance. The results are astonishing, especially in low-light conditions. Video quality is good, although, is limited to Full HD at 30fps. The dash cam also integrates with Garmin’s Drive app making it easy to playback and download footage straight to your smartphone.
Buy the Garmin Cam Mini from Amazon
3Best 1440p dash cam: Cobra SC 200D
If you want to up the quality from Full HD and want front- and rear-facing cameras, the Cobra SC 200 makes for an excellent all-rounder. It has a 3″ touchscreen LCD display, can record Full HD at 30fps simultaneously using its rear camera module; if you opt to solely use the front camera module, it’ll record up to 2,560 x 1,600 at 30fps. Wide dynamic range (WDR) technology combined with its sensor, allow the dash cam to capture plenty of light and detail of the road ahead. It also features GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and has Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to help with lane positioning.
Buy the Cobra SC 200D from Amazon
4Tri-channel recording: Vantrue N4
The Vantrue N4 has three camera modules, offering ultimate coverage. Indeed, the 155° front camera, 165° inner cabin module and 160° rear-facing camera record simultaneously at 1440p+1080p+1080p 30fps, respectively. If you choose to run two cameras, you’ll be able to record at up to 4K 30fps or 1440pp 30fps at the front, while simultaneously recording at 1080p 30fps inside or rear. The recording quality is very good, especially if you choose to record at Ultra HD.
Buy the Vantrue N4 from Amazon
5Best 4K dash cam: Nextbase 622GW
If money isn’t an issue and you want the very best video quality from a dash cam, you should consider the Nextbase 622GW. Arguably using one of the best sensors found within a dash cam, the 622GW records stunning video at 4K 30fps. It can also simultaneously record at 1080p 30fps when the 140° rear camera module is installed. This dash cam does it all: excellent image stabilisation, fantastic low-light performance, stereo audio recordings, GPS logging, WiFi and Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone, 120fps Full HD slow-mo and to top it off, a vivid 3″ HD IPS touchscreen display. Given all of its features, it’s unsurprisingly expensive – that’s the price you have to pay to get the utmost in quality.
