Back commuting and facing price hikes from your insurance company? If so, you might be considering ways to enhance your road safety and reduce your premiums.
There’s a one-stone solution to this two-birds problem: a dash cam. Serving as a second – and objective - pair of eyes on the road, they’re an essential bit of kit when it comes to insurance disputes. Some can quite literally save your life, coming equipped with warnings for when you drift out of lane or the ability to contact emergency services if you have an accident.
Interestingly, they can also cut insurance costs. Companies such as Admiral and Axa offer a variable discount to customers who install dash cams into their vehicles, making this gadget a boon for your wallet, too.
As the industry has advanced, so has the dizzying array of technological features each dash cam brings to the table. Realistically, footage quality is the most important consideration; being able to zoom in on passing number plates or other key pieces of evidence is this gadget’s fundamental job.
Look out for dash cams with in-built GPS that records your driving speed and direction of travel, and, if you drive late at night or early in the morning, high-quality night footage is essential. The best dash cams include parking guard features to detect bumps when the vehicle is stationary, although you will need to pay extra to hardwire the device into your car’s fuse box. Finally, you might want to consider integrating a dash cam with a rear-view camera for full vehicle video coverage.
You can spend a lot of money on a dash cam, but not all are created equally. Let us shed some light on the best.
Nextbase 622 GW
- 4k video at 30fps
- 140° field of view with polarising filter
- 3” HD IPS touchscreen
- Emergency SOS feature with in-built GPS with what3words technology
- Intelligent parking mode
- Integrated Alexa, WiFi and MyNextbase Connect smartphone app
Performing leagues ahead when it comes to quality of footage and out-of-the-box ease of use, Nextbase’s top of the range dash cam was our clear favourite in testing. While the viewing angle of 140° might be smaller than the Garmin 67W, this becomes a non-issue when you see its crisp 4k videos that throw license plates and other crucial details into clear view.
You can rely on this device to never miss a trick on the road thanks to a polarising filter that reduces lens glare, and we found the camera performed well in a very British downpour, aided by its extreme weather mode. Enhanced image stabilisation also pushes it beyond the capabilities of the company’s second flagship model, the Nextbase 522 GW (but more on that below).
We found its emergency SOS response feature to set it apart from the competition. In a clever bit of tech integration, what3words and GPS are used to alert emergency services of your location without the need for a data connection, although usage of this feature does incur a monthly fee. You can also hardwire the device into your vehicle to make use of its intelligent parking mode.
For truly hands-free operation, this dash cam uses Alexa voice control to complement its stress-free touchscreen and smartphone app. Requiring two hours’ charging before first use but promising to be a doddle out of the box and compatible with a rear window camera, it’s the gadget you’ll want at your side on the road.
Garmin 67W
- 1440p HD video at 30fps
- 180° field of view
- 2” LCD screen
- In-built GPS, WiFi, driver assistance alerts, voice control and Garmin Drive smartphone app
- Parking guard (requires WiFi connection)
Pipped to the top of our rankings by the Nextbase 622GW, Garmin’s top-of-the-range model is still impressive in its own right. Small in stature, it’s easy to hide behind your rear-view mirror to avoid distraction while driving. It also punches above its pocket size with a 180° fisheye field of view keeping the full windscreen in eyeshot and then some – footage that would be indispensable in an accident at a junction.
What’s more, it’s extremely functional when the worst does happen, as you can easily source the footage: a sensor detects possible incidents and saves the video (plus 15 seconds before and after) to a separate folder on the SD card. That footage, while marginally less clear than the Nextbase 622 GW, is still excellent. 1440p high-definition video is more than enough for most users and we found it performed excellently during both night and day, and in high-contrast lighting environments.
Additional driver assistance features are an added benefit or annoyance, depending on your perspective, with lane departure warnings and speed camera alerts included (and easily silenced if required). The lack of touchscreen technology does let this device down a little, as we found it fiddly to use – although the voice command feature allows it to go fully handsfree while you’re driving.
Nextbase 522 GW
- 1440p HD video at 30fps
- 140° field of view with polarising filter
- 3” HD IPS touchscreen
- Emergency SOS feature with in-built GPS
- Intelligent parking mode
- Integrated Alexa, WiFi and MyNextbase Connect smartphone app
The younger sister to Nextbase’s flagship dash cam, the 522 GW contains pretty much the same tech specification, just on a smaller price tag. As with the 622 GW, we found the touchscreen fuss-free for viewing recorded videos or flicking between settings. The Alexa voice control – which works like smart speaker – also makes this far more than just a dash cam, helping you find the nearest parking or playing your favourite album. Get the MyNextbase Connect smartphone app for easy downloading and sharing of footage from your phone.
Like the Garmin 622 GW, the field of view is a solid 140° and we were impressed by its very crisp 1440p video footage, although we did notice it became a little grainy in poor weather and overcast conditions.
Squeezing in practically all of the cornerstone features of its bigger brother - Emergency SOS response, parking mode and rear camera integration – it’s an impressive device at a price we think is a steal.
Garmin Mini 2
- 1080p HD video at 30fps
- 140° field of view
- No screen
- WiFi, voice control and Garmin Drive smartphone app
- Parking guard (requires WiFi connection)
Offering just marginally lower-resolution video than the Garmin 67W, this tiny dash cam delivers at an outstandingly low price. Recording in 1080p HD video and with a 140° field of view, the quality of the footage isn’t comparable with more expensive models but was some of the best we saw at this resolution.
About the same size as your key fob, the Garmin Mini 2 is the perfect size to mount behind your rear-view mirror and forget about, particularly as it’s barely noticeable for passers-by and unlikely to attract unwanted attention. It can run via USB connection but for the parking mode to work, you’ll want to hardwire it and install a larger SD card; luckily, it supports up to 512 GB.
With only two buttons on the whole device and no screen, this device is easy-peasy to operate. Just plug it in, download the Garmin app to amend settings and drive off. Simple but highly effective, this no-frills dash cam is our budget choice.
Kenwood DRV-A601W
- 4k video at 30fps
- 130° field of view with polarising filter
- 3” LCD screen
- In-built GPS and WiFi
- Smart parking mode
- KENWOOD Dash Cam smartphone app
Offering 4k, high-definition footage at 30fps, a detachable polarizing filter to reduce windscreen glare and a 130° viewing angle, this dash cam is hot on the Nextbase 622 GW’s heels.
While its High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology worked brilliantly in low contrast lighting conditions, it doesn’t quite cut the mustard when it comes to low-lighting and night recording. That said, image stabilisation is good.
Its full-colour LCD touchscreen is practical, while in-built GPS, a smartphone app and parking mode are handy additional features. This model comes with a 64GB memory card in the box – an item that will set you back at least £20 by itself. However, bigger is much better, so we recommend fitting a 256 GB SD memory card in this device if you do a lot of driving as the memory tends to fill up extremely quickly.
Marginally cheaper than the Nextbase 622 GW, this dash cam is a more affordable option if spending an extra £30 is out of budget.
Thinkware T700
- 1080p HD video at 30fps
- 140° field of view
- No screen
- Emergency SOS feature with in-built GPS and SOS messaging
- LTE connection
- In-built GPS, WiFi and driver assistance features
- Thinkware Connected LTE smartphone app
If 4k isn’t a key consideration, but you want the other bells and whistles that come with high-end dash cams, the Thinkware T700 is for you. While it doesn’t get points for looks, it’s distraction-free, as the entire screenless unit contains just five buttons.
To view footage, download the smartphone app or slot the SD card into your computer. Don’t expect to be blown away by the quality, however; at 1080p full HD resolution from a 140° angle of view, it’s more than adequate for number plate recognition, but is let down by its lack of 4k.
What does separate it from the rest is its LTE connection, which uses a Vodafone sim card (with a data connection priced at £3 per month) to provide everything from emergency contact messaging and real-time notifications to a remote live view tool, whereby you can see your parked car from the app.
The dash cam is also packed full of road safety features, including lane departure and forward collision warnings. The SOS button, which sends out your location to an emergency contact number in the event of an accident, is a little too close to the power button for our liking and could be trigged with an accidental slip of the finger, but is an excellent feature to have.
If you’re keen for a dash cam without any fiddly menu screens, but that still provides decent enough footage and the safety net of an emergency contact feature, this dash cam will do the trick.
BlackVue DR900X-1CH
- 4k video at 30fps
- 162° field of view
- No screen
- LTE connection
- In-built GPS, WiFi
- Intelligent parking mode
- BlackVue smartphone app
Sitting at the very top end of the price range for dash cams, the BlackVue DR900X-1CH promises a lot. What sets this model apart from the competition is its BlackVue Cloud service, which allows you to livestream video from your car and gives you notifications if an impact is detected using the G-sensor parking mode. You do need a car-embedded internet connection and monthly subscription, but it’s perfect if you’re concerned about damage when parked up.
The 4k video recording at 30fps and with its 162° wide-angle lens is fantastic, particularly during the day when this camera excels. However, glare and camera noise can be a bit of an issue at night time.
Lacking the emergency features of the Thinkware T700, but outperforming it on video footage, this is the best choice if you want all the bells and whistles of cloud connectivity.
Mio MiVue C330
- 1080p HD video at 30fps
- 130° field of view
- 2” LCD touch screen
- In-built GPS and driver assistance features
Despite its diminutive price point, the Mio MiVue C330 packs an impressive array of features. One of the most useful is the 3-axis G sensor that detects sudden movements when you’re driving, automatically storing the footage and preventing it from being overwritten – something that’s invaluable in an accident.
While the image quality certainly doesn’t compete with more expensive alternatives, we found it surprisingly effective in low-light conditions, thanks to its 1080 HD footage. That said, the 130° angle of view does feel small when compared with the wider lenses of competitor models.
A fun feature for this device is that you can overlay the GPS on Google Maps for a moving map of your route. It also comes with a handy speed limit alert and speed camera features to keep you at the limit and ticket-free, although on testing we didn’t find these alerts loud enough.
For those looking to not spend too much but still get adequate footage, the Mio Mivue C330 is the perfect choice.
NEXTBASE 122
- 720p HD video at 30fps
- 120° field of view
- 2” LED touchscreen
- Intelligent parking mode
At the bottom end of the price spectrum, the Nextbase 122 is an impressive sub-£100 dash cam for those seeking basic features combined with footage that’ll serve its purpose in an accident or insurance claim.
We were impressed by the clarity of its 720p HD recording, which is decent, if not up to the quality of more expensive models from this brand due to the lack of image stabilisation. The 120° field of view is also a little on the narrow side. However, it’s more than functional in clear weather, if patchy in low-light or high-contrast conditions.
Intelligent parking mode that relies on an internal battery, rather than needing to be hardwired, and an easy-to-use, high-definition touchscreen are also included in this version, although GPS, rear window camera tethering and other more complicated features are not. That said, for a plug-and-go dash cam for new drivers, you can’t get much better than this.
DDPAI Mola N3
- 1600p HD video
- 140° field of view
- No screen
- In-built GPS and WiFi
- Smartphone app
For a discreet dash cam with decent footage, the DDPAI Mola N3 is a dependable choice. Its 1600p HD footage recorded using a 140° field of view is good, albeit adds a blueish tinge in high contrast conditions – something that doesn’t impede your ability to check numberplates. The quality of the night footage is also surprisingly good, and much better than you would expect at this price.
Without a screen, this dash cam requires you to download its app to make any settings changes and view footage, which is easy enough despite it lacking the slick design of competitor brands. It also has inbuilt GPS and WiFi.
Verdict
Dash cams pack a dazzling number of features into increasingly tiny devices. For a balance between affordability, quality of footage and bells and whistles that won’t overwhelm, the Nextbase 622 GW leads the pack. Alternatively, the Mio MiVue C330 offers decent video resolution, GPS and faff-free ease of use at a remarkable price.
