How do we rate the Best Dash cams?

Dash cams are an incredible invention that has helped in solving a lot of issues on the road. These cameras are literally an extra safety measure that has helped motorists make solid claims or avoid fraudulent claims against other motorists on the road. Previously, dashboard cameras were all about recording what is going on on the road. However, modern cameras are now designed to offer more than that with some of them coming with sophisticated tech that detects lane barriers, the car in front, and even traffic lights and other signals. These cameras are then engineered to trigger some signal whenever these sensors detect something that the drivers need to be aware of. Now, we have to admit that this tech does not work as perfectly as it sounds. Actually, when testing numerous dash cams before coming up with this review, the sensors from a big majority of the cameras failed to work correctly in real life. Therefore, you don’t need to let sophisticated features lead you into buying an expensive dash cam which might not even work the way it is supposed to.

With that said, it is crucial to focus on what really matters, and that’s getting a reliable dashboard camera that will capture all the events going on in the road. And you know what; dashboard cams are not just good in getting you out of some traffic, but they may also help you go viral with some rib cracking recording.

Dashboard Cam Buying Guide

What are some of the factors that you must look for when looking for the best dashcam in today’s complex tech market? Some of the primary factors that you need to consider here include:

Resolution

A big majority of the dash cams in the market come with 1080p resolution. You Can also get some cameras with 720P resolution, but unfortunately, the quality of video of such cameras is usually very poor, and it gets worse when you are driving in bad weather conditions. Some of the recent dash cams are also coming with a 4K resolution, which is superb because the image quality is usually very stunning. Here is the issue though 4k footages are normally massive in size, and hence you are going to need a lot of storage, and this can get expensive. It’s therefore reasonable and wise to settle for a 1080p dash cam especially if you are not engaged in any professional filming.

Form Factor

What’s the ideal shape and size of the best dashcam? Most people prefer dashboard cameras that are small in size and easy to disguise. This is why most dashboard cameras are designed to be mounted just behind the rear view mirror. This allows the cameras to keep recording without attracting too much attention both in and outside the car.

Going for a compact dashcam that’s easy to hide means that you are trading off an LCD screen. Instead of viewing the footage through an LCD as is the case with the other bulkier cams, you’ll have to view the footages to your phone through Wi-Fi. This means that dash cams without a display involve some rather intensive setting up to get them running. The good news is that there are lots of tutorials online and vivid guides to help you out with this. The advantage of dash cams that are Wi-Fi enabled is that viewing and downloading footage is very easy once they’re set up.

GPS

GPS is a crucial factor in dashboard cameras. This feature helps in recording the speed and location of your car. As you can guess, with this vital information, you can easily overturn a case against you in the shortest time possible and get on with your life.

Mounting option

Some Dashboard cameras are designed to be mounted using adhesive mounts while others take advantage of suctions. If you are installing the dashboard in your car and you have no plans of moving the camera frequently, you are better off going for the adhesive mounts. This will secure the camera onto your windshield firmly, thus making sure that the images you are getting are also of high quality. Meanwhile, dashboard cameras utilizing suction mounts are very helpful when you want to record footage on a leased car or in case you know that you’ll be moving your camera frequently.

Other features include:

• Voice control
• Parking mode i.e., the ability of the dashcam to keep recording even when the car is stationary
• Night vision
• G-sensor
• Memory partitioning
• Micro SD slot

3 Best Dash cams

1.Garmin Dash Cam 55

The Garmin Dash Cam 55 comes with everything you’d ever need in a dash cam today. This camera may seem small, and all but it is packed with lots of features to ensure that as a driver, you are getting all the advantages you need from a dashcam without it taking too much of your space to become a distraction.

The camera records videos in 1440p making sure that you can make out all the finer details you need when making a claim. The wide-angle lens will also give you all the advantage you need since it captures the entire road ahead of you. It comes with a 2-inch display that makes setting up and viewing footages super easy. The Garmin Dash Cam 55 is also fitted with GPS that provides accurate details on location and time.

The first generation of dashboard cameras was fine in recording but viewing and sharing the footages was a nightmare. The Garmini 55 shows just how far dashboard cameras have come especially in sharing of clips. With the inbuilt Wi-Fi, all you’ll need is to download the VIRB app (which is free btw) and just like that; you can sync the cam with all compatible devices such as smartphones tablets and even laptops.

The Garmin 55 also comes with a G-sensor that’s keen on detecting incidents such as accidents when they happen. When the sensor is triggered, the dash cam will immediately save the last, current, and next recording. 

Other Features

• Lane departure warning
• Forward collision warning
• Voice control
• The compact and inconspicuous design

2.WheelWitness HD Pro Dash Cam with GPS

The WheelWitness HD Pro Dashboard Camera is not just an excellent safety measure, but it is also designed to be a superb traveling accessory. For all the lovers of road trips, this dash cam will catch all your priceless moments in HD. The camera’s 2304 x 1296P resolution delivers crisp images that are worth a spot in your Instagram timeline.

This professional dash cam from WheelWitness features a 170-degree view to capture everything that’s going on in front of your car. The A7LA50 processor is also powerful enough to keep the camera recording quality videos consistently.

Another reason to love the WheelWitness HD Pro camera is the 3-inch colored LCD. You can view the footage recorded and navigate through the various settings of the dash cam from this display. Four physical buttons are included to aid with navigation and customization of the camera.

No longer do you have to incur losses simply because your dash cam could not endure bad weather or record images in poorly lit areas. The WheelWitness HD Pro comes with WDR technology that will deliver crystal clear images even through the rain or sunshine and regardless of whether it’s in the morning or late in the evening.

One major issue with WheelWitness HD Pro is that it automatically turns off when the ignition is turned off. This means that in case someone crashes your car in the parking lot while you are in the mall, then you’ll have no evidence or footage of what happened.

Other Features

• GPS enabled
• G-sensor
• Loop recording
• Easy to install
• Wide angle lens
• Control exposure value

3.Uber Dual Lens Dash Cam Crosstour

The Uber Dual Lens Dash Cam comes with an inbuilt GPS that records more than just the basic data we are used to. For instance, this dash cam will keep records of speed, longitude, latitude, and driving track to make sure that the exact location of your vehicle is pinpointed in case of any problem.

Another reason to love this camera is its dual lenses, which will capture both the front and the inside of the car. This makes sure that none of your memorable moments go undocumented. This particular feature also makes the dash cam ideal for uber and other cab drivers. Commercial vehicles can also take advantage of the two lenses to make sure that all incidents inside and outside the vehicle are recorded without having to invest in two different sets of cameras.

The Uber Dual Lens Dash Cam also has a parking mode. This makes sure that you get continuous protection even when your car is not running. This mode is perfectly engineered to remain effective without draining your car’s battery thanks to the sensor that automatically switches the camera on and off.

The dashboard camera can work in temperatures as low as -20 and as high as 60°C. This means that you can rely on the camera to keep a record of all your events through the hottest of summers to the coldest of winters without any faults at all.

You will also get some night vision through this camera courtesy of the WDR technology and the extremely sensitive Sony IMX 323 image sensors.

Other Features

• G-sensor
• Ultra-wide viewing angle (170-degree)
• Supports 32GB TF card
• Loop recording
• Gravity sensors
• Motion detection
• Time-lapse recording
• F1.8 front lens
• 1080P FHD front lens and the 720P inside the lens