The Best Dash Cams (Review & Buying Guide) 2018

Looks like something James Bond would have, eh? It’s discreet, it’s powerful, and it’s got a few kinks we’ll get to in a moment. Rexing crafted this ultra high durability dashcam with discretion in mind. If you get into an auto accident and you’re recording the outrage of an altercation with another individual, you don’t exactly want them to know that you have a dashcam.

Apart from the design and sturdy chassis, you get loop recording for your older videos to be erased, with new videos put in. This one is unique in this regard—you can select five or three-and-a-half minute blocks of time to be recorded instead of a continuous loop. While you can support up to 128GB in an SD card, this model doesn’t come with any standard memory, not even a little 8GB SD card like most of the other models come with.

You do get the addition of a G-sensor, which is essentially the gravity-detecting unit that knows when you’re been in an accident. It keeps the video locked, so you’ll be protected no matter what—that video clip isn’t going anywhere. No chance of being overwritten or anything.

HD recording, thanks to Sony’s Exmor IMX323 imaging, allows you to capture stunning quality, which you definitely need when you’re dealing with various landscapes and lighting changes. We were a bit disappointed to learn that this only records in 30fps (frames per second), because it doesn’t really go with the quality of the cameras. This feature leaves something to be desired, though it will still do its job fine, and it actually allows for more video to be written to your removable storage device. Six-layer lenses and a 170 degree angle gives you crisp quality while giving you optimum recording space.

Kicking off our dash cam review in style, the cream of the crop, the king of the hill and one of the best dash cams on the market —KDLINKS brings us all the features you want in one package, all without breaking the bank. This comes in full HD 1920 x 1080p, giving you excellent details on your surroundings, and the profiles of individuals you may need on camera if you use your dashcam in an emergency situation. Excellent render.

Apart from the quality of the video capture, you get a 2.7” screen to view it on. This unit comes with an 8GB SD card that’s preformatted to work with your dashcam straight out of the package. If your package doesn’t arrive until nightfall, don’t worry—the night vision on this camera surpasses any other night vision we tested. Couple that with the dynamic range capabilities, and there’s nothing this camera can’t capture.

Ready for this? Works up to 170F, and as low as -40F. Unless you keep the doors open in the arctic or you’re trying to boil water, you’re not going to even come near these temperatures. This will last through anything. Your built-in GPS function allows you to track your movements on Google Maps; an invaluable tool for figuring out the at-fault party during an accident.

Apart from these eccentric and epic features, you get a full one-year warranty on all hardware. The only time you may need to call upon that is if your commute takes you over a bunch of bumpy roads; enough turbulence could cause the chassis to fracture. Other than that, this is the best dash cam, the one that goes up to 165 degrees of rotation, the one with a G-sensor and emergency lock button—it’s the one you need.

Excellent resolution and a three-way mounting feature await you. For any dashcam of any brand, this is the highest res you’ll be able to get at 2306 x 1296P, transforming your dashcam into 2K definition. It goes beyond the quality, however—this camera captures everything from high-speed incidents to the lettering on a newspaper dispenser 300 feet away. This thing’s got some serious power to it.

Swivel 170 degrees for your preferred view, while reaping the rewards of HDR technology—you get seriously crisp night shots, and a fully-balanced exposure for even viewing and video capture. Light and dark spots will be balanced accordingly in each frame.

You can mount this three ways, but this is where we get into a little bit of the issues with the model. Camera’s great, quality is great, but the mounting appears to be an afterthought. The first mount—the suction cup to the interior of the windshield—is beautiful, works as intended, and so on. They give you two additional sticky mounts to move this around as you please, but they don’t hold well, or for long. Couple that with the charging wire hanging from the dash into the cigarette lighter being an issue; the wire’s too heavy, so it rattles around and runs the risk of coming unplugged.

You do get GPS enablement, capturing your location when you’re on your drive, which is great for accident reconstruction should you need. You can also allow your loved ones to tap into this feature and know where you are if you’re on a long car drive. The continuous loop recording is essential—it rewrites over the old data, ensuring you constantly have a fresh stream of (roughly) four hours of footage on the included 16GB micro SD card. Warranty is for one-year on party only.

Garmin makes killer electronics, and they stepped into the car space with this excellent dashcam model. Like any Garmin product, there are a few kinks, but the high-performance and unique features are bound to impress. This is the first dashcam we’ve seen to include voice commands—tell it to start or stop recording, take a picture, or begin and end the travelapse photo capture feature. It’s all up to you.

You get a magnetic mount for this ultra small camera, giving you full discretion and a unique way to grab and go. 3.7 megapixel stills rival the quality of your phone, while the forward collision and lane departure warnings keep you stable when you’re on the road. It may be enough to help you realize you’re tired, pull over, and avoid an accident altogether.

GPS-enabled and boasting excellent performance in adverse lighting situations are both fantastic features, but there are a few bugs. If you hit certain altitudes or elevated temperatures, the software would shut down. Even after the fix, a few users have reported the same issue. In total, you get good quality, great features, and a grab-and-go camera that’s going to capture it all.

Thorough folk and filmmakers alike are going to fall head over heels for this model. A contender for the best front and rear dash cam, this device allows you to record your windshield activity and your cabin, mounted perfectly to also record what goes on in the rear windshield. This is essential if you’re the victim of a rear-ender fender bender and you need some concrete evidence.

We can’t say enough good things about this camera—for one, you get 2.5K quality, while your front and rear lens sit at 170 degrees and 140 degrees, respectively. Plug it into the cigarette lighter, and you’re good to go. The odd placement of this, while convenient, means the cable dangles a little bit and has been known to be knocked out. Use with caution.

Night vision with a Sony sensor ensures you’ll be getting clear quality picture while also utilizing the four interior IR LED lights. Everything on the interior will be visible. Even in the dead of night, the excellent quality will capture license plate information clearly, thanks to light and dark balance.

Parking mode and a killer G-sensor add safety and accountability to the at-fault party, while the timelapse feature is certain to get the attention of amateur filmmakers and vloggers alike. Good for -4F up to 158F, optional GPS.

There’s a few seriously epic features about this—we were shocked at how inexpensive it was. Between the superior suction cup mount and quality built of the zinc alloy chassis, you get stability on and off the road. Flip this into night vision to continue your ventures, just know that higher res quality recordings really eat up memory. They give you a 32GB SD card included in this model, so be certain to utilize that.

170 degree angle lens allows for a wide range of recording, while the accident lock/emergency mode secures your video from being overwritten when an accident occurs. Playback is a sinch to view on the 3.0” LCD screen, and for once, we’re actually happy with the way the adapter wire hangs down.

You get an 18-month warranty, lifetime customer service, and 45 days to choose if you want it, or your money back. You get a lot of standard features with this camera, but if you’re hunting down an insurance premium reduction, going with this model is an inexpensive and simple way to go about it. One of the top picks in our dash camera reviews. 

The better the quality, the easier it is to make out license plates and your surroundings in the playback. The 2-Edge doesn’t hold anything back—parking mode, 2K quality, and a G-sensor that gets the job done. Mount this simply, and let the quality video flow in. This unit runs out of space fast on the 32GB SD card, so an upgraded storage space may be in order.

The 2-Edge is your essential witness to any auto accident or vandalism. Color CMOS image sensors are specifically designed to make license plates clear and easy to read, while the 3.0” LCD screen is scratch resistant and powered via USB cable to your adapter, though it can run just off the battery without needing a constant power supply.

If you’re not happy, you have a month to get your cash back, and an 18 month warranty for parts and hardware. Supports up to 64GB maximum, and the built-in G-sensor works like a charm to lock your videos down when you get into an accident or collision.

Budgeters, you can breathe now—this handy little model comes with a lot of the rivaled features of its more expensive counterparts and is probably one of the best dash cams for those looking for a cheap option. Enhanced G-sensor allows you to lockout your videos and keep them from being overwritten, while the 165 wide angle captures just about everything that’s going on.

The 2.7” LCD screen gives you a good look into what’s going on around you, while the dashcam app helps with everything else. While the night vision mode is there, the color balance can take a few extra seconds, giving you glares and issues with streetlights. HD video capture supports up to 64GB SD memory, although this unit doesn’t come with a standard card like we see with most. You have to buy all of your removeable memory separately.

Realtime lane departure detection and the ADAS give insight as to the at-fault party, so your dashcam can do all the work of a quality witness in just about any situation. The chassis is a bit flimsy, so once you mount is, try to leave it be. This model is more likely to get wrecked in a serious accident than others on our list, but for this price, you’ll still get insurance premium deductions (check with your insurance company first) and reap the rewards of more cash in your pocket every month. This could pay for itself in one summer.

A hare’s breath above the cost of #8 on our list, the Fliiners mini LCD dashcam gives you excellent mounting capabilities, while including all the major features that you’re looking for in a dashcam.

Night vision mode gives you a surprisingly fantastic color balance for such an inexpensive model, while the loop feature continuously overrides old data to keep you mindlessly recording with no worries to be had. The LCD screen takes some squinting to look at, but it’s all part of the low cost of this model. If you’re looking to reduce insurance premiums, this is the way to go.

You get full HD 1080p recording, however, this unit only supports up to 32GB SD memory. It doesn’t come with a standard card, so you’ll need to purchase removable memory separately. We do have to applaud their warranty information and customer support here—24-hour support via email, a year on quality-related issues, and a month to send it back for a full refund if you wish.

The features you want, the hassle-free mounting you need, and the ability to keep most of your green in your wallet. What else could you ask for?