Top 5 compared
The best dash cams
Every drive recorded, so there’s proof when another driver swears the light was still green.
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The top 5 at a glance
A dash cam mounts on the windshield and records the road on a loop, saving over the oldest footage as the card fills, and it locks a clip when it senses a bump. Front-only cameras are the simplest, some small enough to hide behind the mirror; front and rear sets add a camera on the back window, and four-camera kits film the cabin and sides too.
Long, cold winters are hard on them. Cameras built with a supercapacitor in place of a battery are made to cope with a car left out overnight in the cold or baking in summer sun. Every camera here needs a hardwire kit, sold separately, to keep recording while the car is parked.
What matters
- GPS, so each clip carries the speed and location.
- A night-vision sensor, for drives home in the dark.
- A memory card in the box, or budget for one.
#1ROVE R2-4K DUAL Front and Rear Dash Cam
$100–$150
Cameras for the windshield and the back window, with built-in GPS stamping speed and location on every clip, and a supercapacitor in place of a battery, which ROVE fits to cope with heat and cold alike. The maker is upfront that the front camera records at 2.5K and upscales to 4K, through Sony’s STARVIS 2 sensor for night driving.
What owners say: It turns out better than owners expected, with very clear video and a setup that’s easy to follow. The cables are shorter than some would like, and the Wi-Fi link is hit and miss.
A closer look: A trim tool comes in the kit for tucking the rear camera’s cable under the headliner and door seals, so the wire stays out of sight. Power it from the cable and USB charger in the box. ROVE’s free GPS Player shows the route and speed beside the video on a computer.
- Copes with heat and cold
- Trim tool in the box
- Computer playback shows route, speed
- Dual USB car charger
Best for: Front and rear with GPS
- Front camera (view)
- 2.5K, upscaled to 4K (150°)
- Rear camera
- 1080p
- Night vision (sensor, lens)
- Sony STARVIS 2 IMX675, F1.5
- Screen
- 3in
- Wi-Fi app
- 5.8GHz app
- GPS
- Built in
- Memory card
- 128GB included
#2REDTIGER F7N Touch 4K Front and Rear Dash Cam
$200–$300
A 3.18-inch touchscreen and voice commands take the place of small buttons, and built-in GPS stamps every clip with speed and location. The 4K front camera’s Sony STARVIS 2 sensor is made for low light. A supercapacitor in place of a battery, REDTIGER says, keeps it working in the hottest and coldest weather.
What owners say: Owners find it straightforward to set up and rate the footage as very clear. Opinions split on the Wi-Fi connection, the length of the cable and how consistently it records.
A closer look: It mounts on the windshield with a suction cup, so it can come down when the car sits in strong sun or is parked on the street overnight, and five cable clips keep the 6.5 m (21.3 ft) rear cable tidy. Time-lapse and impact parking modes need a hardwire kit, sold separately; the warranty runs for 18 months.
- Parking modes need hardwire kit
- Suction-cup windshield mount
- Copes with heat and cold
- 5 cable clips included
- 18-month warranty
Best for: No fiddling with tiny buttons
- Front camera (view)
- 4K (170°)
- Rear camera
- 1080p
- Night vision (sensor, lens)
- Sony STARVIS 2 (F-number not stated)
- Screen
- 3.18in touchscreen
- Wi-Fi app
- 5.8GHz app
- GPS
- Built in
- Memory card
- 128GB included
#3galphi Q2 4K Front Dash Cam
$50–$75
A small screenless camera that tucks behind the mirror, out of the driver’s eyeline, recording the road ahead in 4K through a 160° lens. Clips go to the phone over 5GHz Wi-Fi, and it ships with a 32GB card already in the slot.
What owners say: Setup is the easy part, owners say, and the picture is very clear. They like that it’s small enough not to block the view, and the app links up over Wi-Fi without fuss.
A closer look: With no screen, it’s set up through the app with the phone beside it: line up the view, set the time, then leave it be. The 32GB card fills quickly at 4K, so a bigger card of up to 256GB keeps more footage before loop recording overwrites it.
- Tucks behind the mirror
- Set up from the phone
- Records over old footage
- Locks footage after a jolt
- Trim tool and cable clips
Best for: Simple and out of sight
- Front camera (view)
- 4K (160°)
- Rear camera
- None (front only)
- Night vision (sensor, lens)
- GC CMOS sensor, F1.5
- Screen
- None
- Wi-Fi app
- 5GHz app
- GPS
- No
- Memory card
- 32GB included
#4IIWEY N5 4-Channel 360° Dash Cam
$100–$150
Four cameras between them film the road ahead, the road behind and both sides of the cabin, so a parking-lot scrape or a dispute with a passenger is on record. Rideshare and delivery drivers are the obvious fit.
What owners say: The 360° coverage is the draw: owners like seeing all around the car in clear, detailed footage, and find it simple to fit and run. Getting it to connect over Wi-Fi is the mixed point.
Heads up: It has to run from the cigarette-lighter charger in the box; a plain USB or USB-C cable won’t power it.
A closer look: There’s no GPS, so clips carry no speed or location. The Wi-Fi switches itself off after two minutes without the app, to keep the camera from overheating, so press and hold the ◀ button to turn it back on before connecting a phone. IIWEY rates its supercapacitor for −18°C to 75°C.
- Side cameras film the cabin
- Copes with −18°C to 75°C
- Wi-Fi sleeps after 2 minutes
Best for: Rideshare and side scrapes
- Front camera (view)
- 1080p, or 2.5K mode (170°)
- Rear camera
- 1080p, plus left and right
- Night vision (sensor, lens)
- F1.8 (sensor not named); infrared inside
- Screen
- 3in
- Wi-Fi app
- 5GHz app
- GPS
- No
- Memory card
- 128GB included
#570mai A410 2.5K Front and Rear Dash Cam
$75–$100
A no-fuss way to get both cameras and GPS: the front records at 2.5K (1440p) through a bright F1.55 lens, the rear at 1080p, and a 2-inch screen on the back helps line up the view when it goes on. Clips download to the phone through the 70mai app, with speed and route from the built-in GPS.
What owners say: Everything needed to fit it is in the box, owners say, and setting it up through the app is easy; the video is crisp. The connection, recording, adhesive mount and cable length all draw mixed reports.
A closer look: No memory card comes in the box: it takes microSD cards from 32 to 256GB, and a bigger one holds more of both cameras’ footage before loop recording writes over the oldest clips. The parking guard, which records after a bump while the car is parked, needs 70mai’s UP03 hardwire kit, sold separately.
- Parking guard needs hardwire kit
- Locks footage after a jolt
- Trim tool in the box
- 18-month warranty
Best for: Easy setup from the phone app
- Front camera (view)
- 2.5K, 1440p (125°)
- Rear camera
- 1080p
- Night vision (sensor, lens)
- F1.55 with HDR (sensor not named)
- Screen
- 2in
- Wi-Fi app
- App
- GPS
- Built in
- Memory card
- Not included (to 256GB)
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1ROVE R2-4K DUAL | #2REDTIGER F7N Touch | #3galphi Q2 | #4IIWEY N5 | #570mai A410 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best budget | Best for rideshare | ||
| Picked Rating | 8.6 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Price | $100–$150 | $200–$300 | $50–$75 | $100–$150 | $75–$100 |
| Front camera (view) | 2.5K, upscaled to 4K (150°) | 4K (170°) | 4K (160°) | 1080p, or 2.5K mode (170°) | 2.5K, 1440p (125°) |
| Rear camera | 1080p | 1080p | None (front only) | 1080p, plus left and right | 1080p |
| Night vision (sensor, lens) | Sony STARVIS 2 IMX675, F1.5 | Sony STARVIS 2 (F-number not stated) | GC CMOS sensor, F1.5 | F1.8 (sensor not named); infrared inside | F1.55 with HDR (sensor not named) |
| Screen | 3in | 3.18in touchscreen | None | 3in | 2in |
| Wi-Fi app | 5.8GHz app | 5.8GHz app | 5GHz app | 5GHz app | App |
| GPS | Built in | Built in | No | No | Built in |
| Memory card | 128GB included | 128GB included | 32GB included | 128GB included | Not included (to 256GB) |
| Best for | Front and rear with GPS | No fiddling with tiny buttons | Simple and out of sight | Rideshare and side scrapes | Easy setup from the phone app |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
Photos are illustrative, some computer-generated. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How we pick · How this works.
