Best dash Cams of 2025: reviews of car dash cams
November 22, 2024 by carwow staff
Dash cams are one of the most popular accessories for drivers, as we all seek to protect our cars – and insurance policies – from careless drivers. A good camera will quietly capture footage as you drive, providing crucial evidence in the event of an accident, or prove liability after a parking knock.
What features do I need from a dash cam?
Any camera will be better than none, but we’d suggest you look for a dash cam which can capture the best quality footage you can afford. Almost all will be capable of recording in HD, which is 1080P, but the best can film in 4K, which will be much better for seeing details such as number plates.
Other essentials are high-quality hardware to cancel out vibrations, and software which adjusts for changing light conditions. A GPS receiver will add speed and location data to the footage, which could be useful if it’s used as evidence.
A screen on the back of the unit will be useful for checking the camera’s aim and looking through menus, but might not be considered essential if you are happy to connect though an app.
For complete protection you might consider fitting a rear camera too, and some employers or insurers will insist on another lens keeping an eye on the interior to record the driver and passengers.
When comparing dash cam prices, check to see if a memory card is included. For a high resolution camera you will want to have at least 32GB in order to cover a complete journey of two hours – more if you have a rear camera and record audio too.
Finally, think about how you will power the camera. Most will include a 12v plug, but this might not suit all cars and means the power will turn off with the ignition. If you are keen to have the protection of a parking mode, then you will need a way of ‘hardwiring’ the camera with a kit which taps into the fuse box. You might need to budget for professional fitment if you are not confident doing it yourself.
Best dash cams for cars
Garmin Mini 3 – Best for small windscreens
If you drive a car with a small windscreen, such as a roadster or even a MINI, you might find some dash cams too bulky and intrusive. The Garmin Mini 3 is the smallest dash cam we’ve ever tested, with dimensions of just 52 x 31 x 20 mm. That’s smaller than most modern car key remotes, and means you can install it behind your rear view mirror and forget it’s there until you need it.
There’s no screen, with the Garmin relying on an app for the set up functions, but the rear has a large button so you can quickly save footage after an incident, or you can resort to voice activation to try and control the camera.
Hidden in the app is some really clever tech which allows you to synchronise the footage from several cameras on the same car without needing to wire them together. This is perfect for larger vehicles such as motorhomes and vans, although you will need to tap into a power source for each device – and have deep pockets to buy them all.
The Mini 3’s footage is better than the 1080P specification would suggest too, helped by a built in polariser which works like sunglasses to reduce glare from the sun and headlamps.
It’s disappointing there’s no GPS built in, but the biggest problem for the little Garmin is the price – it costs more than rivals which are only a little larger but offer more features and much better footage quality.
Iiwey D2 Pro – Best for display screen size
The chunky looks and comparatively big size of the D2 Pro mean it might not be suitable for cars with less space on the windscreen, but the style could work quite well in a 4×4 type vehicle.
The standard GPS receiver is built into the mount, along with the wiring for the power and rear camera. This helps keep things neat as it means you won’t need cables dangling too far once you’ve tucked them into your headlining as part of the installation process.
The larger size of the camera does have advantages too. The row of physical buttons on the bottom edge makes navigating the menus easier, and the huge 3.4-inch widescreen means you can review footage without a magnifying glass, or aim the front and rear views accurately.
Those views are good quality too, with a 4K front feed and 1080P from the smaller, cylindrical-shaped back camera. If you want to watch footage on a bigger device, the D2 Pro will link to an app via a 5GHz Wi-Fi link, which makes it much faster to transfer files than the normal 2.4GHz.
You can also view and share the footage via the app, although only in 2K. If you want the full 4K files, you need to insert the SD card into a computer.
The quality at 4K is good though, especially in poor light conditions, although the lack of polarising filter does mean you get some glare from head and street lamps.
Kenwood DRV – Best for parking protection
Kenwood’s brand-new range of cameras are almost as tiny as the Garmin, yet they have a colour screen on the back of the camera which makes it easier to set up and control without having to open an app.
We also really liked the parking mode, which features a motion sensor to record when your car is approached rather than waiting until it is hit before it starts to save the footage. This could also help capture suspicious activity around your car and incidents which might not cause enough movement to set off the impact sensor.
Like most cameras, the parking protection mode requires a hardwire kit to ensure permanent power, but Kenwood does well priced packages which bundle up extras like this, SD cards and cases.
Kenwood’s other unique attraction is a rear camera option which is waterproof, allowing it to be fitted on the outside of a vehicle as well as stuck in the traditional place in the rear window. This means drivers with heavily tinted glass, convertibles or supercars can get decent coverage and the lens is discreet as it measures about the same as a stock cube.
There are three DRVs to choose from, with footage quality ranging from 1080P to 4K. We tried the 4K, which did a decent job of capturing the action, although it’s a shame there is no longer an option of a polarising filter to dial down the glare from sunshine and lights.
Miofive S1– Best value
There’s no arguing with the value offered by Miofive’s S1. On the day we checked it was safely under the £100 barrier, even once we’d added on a 256GB memory card. Despite this, it has full 4K capability which means details are much clearer than low-res rivals, especially numberplates.
It’s a little larger than the Garmin and Kenwood at 7.5cm wide, but this is still compact enough to be hidden behind the rear view mirror if required.
Despite the size – and price – the Miofive has a colour screen to make the set up easier. It also has speed camera warnings and the ability to warn you when the traffic ahead has moved off. Some drivers might find this – and the synthesised voice greeting – helpful, especially on older cars without this tech built in, but we suspect most owners will switch these features off quickly to cut down on the distractions and cheesy messages.
Much more useful is the standard GPS sensor which records speed and location data. The Miofive is also unusual in offering a rear camera which can also record in 4K quality – although you’ll need to make sure you have an SD card which is capable of sucking up all the resulting data. We’d say you will need a 256GB minimum, or you risk the files being overwritten before you get to your destination.
Still, you could buy the S1 with a rear camera, hardwire kit, SD card and polarising filter for less than the cost of a camera alone from some rival brands.
Nextbase Piqo – Best for technology
The Piqo is the latest camera from the biggest name in dash cams and it is aimed at a younger audience, with an app which makes it easier to download and share footage via the app. This will make it easier to post amusing videos to social channels, as well as helping to upload evidence after an incident.
You can also link two (or more) Piqos together electronically without wires so you can have several views from the same vehicle. This will be more expensive than a traditional rear camera option and you will still need to get power to them, but it will be easier than running a wire from the back window to the windscreen.
The Piqo’s other trick is a setting called Guardian Mode, where it will keep an eye on your car if someone else is driving it, automatically saving footage if your car exceeds a set speed limit, is involved in an accident or driven aggressively. When you next connect to the camera it will alert you and allow you to download the video clips.
The Piqo can also automatically connect to your smartphone to call the emergency services after an accident, although this feature requires a subscription which currently costs £2.99 per month or £29.99 annually.
The camera itself is unusual as it is tall rather than wide and is the first Nextbase to do away with a screen. This means all the menus are controlled through the app, while the functions are accessed using voice activation.
The only real disappointment is the footage quality. The cheaper of the two models available records in 1080p, while the Piqo Pro captures in 1440p.
Redtiger F7NP – Best for swapping between cars
You might not have heard of Redtiger, but it is one of the world’s biggest dash cam companies and it claims more than a million drivers have an F7NP installed in their car.
We can see why it is popular, offering a decent specification at a decent price, especially if you manage to navigate the seemingly permanent offers and discounts from the usual online sources.
The key specifications are broadly similar to rivals’, with a 4K camera facing the front and a 1080P capturing the rear view. There’s a GPS receiver to add location and speed data too, but no additional features such as speed camera detection or driver assistance systems. But there are a couple of distinctive extras on the F7NP.
The first is a suction cup windscreen mount. This is larger and less discreet than the more common adhesive fixings but seems just as secure in use and means you can swap the F7NP between vehicles – perfect if you have a classic and an everyday car, for example.
The 3-inch screen is wider than most rivals too, which is handy for playing back the 170-degree footage from the front camera. This is an unusually wide angle, with most rivals offering between 130 and 150 degrees. While this gives better coverage at junctions, it does make the video look slightly distorted.
It would benefit from a polarising filter too, as the footage also suffers when the car is faced with direct sunlight or headlamps at night.
Ring RSDC3000 – Best no-nonsense package
While rivals offer all sorts of gimmicks, the Ring RSDC3000 has all the features you’d want from a dash cam and nothing more. This makes it easy to use and decent value, especially if you opt for a bundled package which throws in an SD card and rear camera too.
The RSDC3000 is among the smaller dash cams available, with dimensions of 76 x 34 x 45mm meaning it takes up no more room on your windscreen than the average business card. On the rear is a 2-inch screen to make navigating menus, formatting the memory card and aiming the camera easy. It will also connect to Ring’s dedicated app via a wi-fi link for viewing and downloading footage when needed.
There is only one option for the resolution – 1296P – which might seem disappointing on paper, but the footage is remarkably sharp in all light conditions. It records GPS location and speed data too.
There are a few disappointments, however. The maximum SD card the RSDC3000 can cope with is just 64GB, which may not be enough for some longer journeys. The mount only pivots up and down, so you need to be certain before you stick it to the windscreen. Finally, there is no option to hardwire the Ring, so you’ll have to put up with a trailing wire and survive without any parking protection.
Road Angel Halo Start – Best for warranty and installation
In the dash cam market, Road Angel is second only to the mighty Nextbase, and the new Halo Start is expected to be its biggest seller. It’s small in size though, with the cylinder-shaped camera being compact enough to be hidden in your hand. The mounting is short too, meaning the whole set up won’t take up too much room and is ideal for shallow windscreens, such as on a sportscar.
The size means there is no room for a screen, so all the set-up has to be done via the Road Angel app. This is easy to use though, and lets you select, edit and download clips, and export them to social media directly from the app.
This – and a long three-year warranty – all sounds pretty good, and we think the £49.99 national installation service is good value. The company also throws in a 32GB SD memory car as part of the Halo Start package.
But there are plenty of disappointments. The biggest is the capture quality, which at 1080P is the bare minimum we would recommend. It means you might struggle to make out crucial details in the footage. We would also expect a GPS receiver at this price level to record speed and location data – these will always be helpful if you need the footage for evidence after an incident.
Thinkware Q200 – Best for hardwiring
Unless you swap cars often, we’d always recommend getting your camera hardwired into the fuse box so that you get a neater look, and more importantly the protection of coverage when you are parked. The Thinkware Q200 is the only camera we’ve come across where there is a hardwire kit in the box, along with a more traditional 12v plug.
The Q200 camera itself is about the same size as a small chocolate bar and has a finish which blends in well with most modern car interiors. However, the windscreen mount is bigger than seems necessary for such a small device, and it gives the set up a clumsy look.
There’s no GPS receiver built into the Thinkware either and paying to add it as an extra means there is another plastic blob to stick to the windscreen and another wire too. This does bring some benefits above the normal speed and location data though, adding Q200 gains speed camera warnings and some ADAS functions too, such as land departure warnings.
The package also includes a 32GB memory card, which – unusually – will never need formatting. Most other dash cams require a quick reflash once every couple of weeks.
But the footage from the Road Angel is limited to 1440P. While this is a step up from the 1080P minimum, it’s way below the 4K offered by rivals, most of which are cheaper than the Thinkware too.
Viofo A229 Pro – Best for multicamera views
There is a bewildering array of Viofo products, offering a combination of resolutions, screens and camera views. The models which make the most sense to us are those aimed at professional drivers who might need to record an interior view for insurance purposes. This will show what they were doing at the time of an accident and will keep an eye on passengers in case of misbehaviour.
In the case of the A229 Pro, it means you can have a total of three views, with the front and rear of the car also covered.
The wedge-shaped main camera view records in top-quality 4K at the front and the rear in 2K (1440P), while the interior captures in 1080P, which is fine as you are unlikely to need detail at such close range. All this camera data is hungry for storage though, so it’s important to get an SD card which can handle it. The Viofo will accept up to 512GB.
The Viofo deals well with all the data coming in too, with clearly marked files and detailed footage being captured from all the camera views. A polarising lens for the front is a worthwhile extra and included in some of the package deals.
Because you’ll be busy as a professional driver, you’ll not want to take your eyes off the road to save footage or take a snapshot, so the Viofo has voice activation for these functions.
It’s not the most stylish or compact camera, especially when the interior lens is added too, but it does its job reliably.
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