Best Dash Cams of 2023

The best car camera will be different for each individual person based on their needs.

We have put together a list of the most important features you should look for. If you scroll down further you will find a Top 10 List of what we consider to be the top dash cams in 2023.

What Features to Look For

Video Resolution

Finding a dash cam with the best video quality. At the very minimum you should be buying a dash cam that records video at 1080p. The good thing is, most dash cameras will records at least 1080p, even the cheaper budget priced ones. While 1080p is the most popular video resolution, there are dash cams that shoot in 2K and 4K. The higher resolution dash cams will usually be more expensive, so take that into consideration. Most people really won’t need a higher resolution car camera, as 1080p is a high enough resolution to capture clear video of an accident or major event, both day and night.

Image Sensor

The image sensor in a dash cam is almost just as important as the video resolution. You can have a dash cam that shoots in 1080p and uses a name brand image sensor that can record higher quality video than a 2K or even a 4K dash cam using a cheap, generic image sensor.

SONY image sensors are considered the best, while there are a few other brands which are also good, including OmniVision and Aptina.

Shape, Size and Mounting Type

There are 4 main dash cam body designs and mounting types:

• Hanging Dash Cam Mount – Usually a square shaped dash cam that hangs down from your windshield, which typically uses a suction cup mount. This is the oldest and most popular type, although it is the most visible and takes up the most amount of space on your windshield.
• Wedge Shaped Dash Cams – The “wedge” shape, which looks like a small box and will mount up and behind your rearview mirror with an adhesive sticky mount. These would be considered a “stealth” type dash cam, as they are relatively hidden, which can help deter thieves from breaking into your car and stealing it.
• Tube Shaped Dash Cams – These are similar to the wedge shaped cameras because they mount up and behind your rearview mirror and are also considered somewhat hidden. The main difference with a tube shape as opposed to a wedge shaped dash cam is that the tube shaped camera will usually not have a screen on it.
• Rear View Mirror Mounted Dash Cams – A mirror cam is a dash cam unit that is slightly bigger than your existing rear view mirror and is meant to strap to the front of it, with a camera lens sticking out the side, pointing forward. Once installed you use the dash cam itself as your mirror. These will have a large screen built into them and are sometimes sold as a dual dash cam, where the rear camera can be used as a backup assist camera.

Screen or No Screen?

More and more dash cams are coming out that don’t have a built-in screen. These require an app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone in order to change settings on the dash cam. If you want to be able to do everything on the dash cam itself, you should get one that has an LCD screen on it.

Parking Mode Features

A dash cam with parking mode options will allow you to use the dash cam to record events while your car is turned off. The 3 main parking mode features are impact detection, motion detection and buffered mode (always recording so it can have video recorded ahead of an incident).

In order to use the parking mode features on a dash cam you will need to get a “hardwire kit” that wires the dash cam into your cars fuse box so it can always have power. The other option is to use an external battery pack.

How Many Cameras?

While having a front facing camera is important, you should also consider getting a “dual dash cam” with a rear facing camera to protect you from rear-end collisions. It’s better to buy a 2-in-1 dual dash cam setup as both cameras will share the same power source and memory card.

GPS

The GPS features vary greatly from one dash cam to the next, but some of the common uses are route tracking and speed watermarking on videos.

WiFi

The main use of wifi on a dash cam is to remotely access it with your smartphone or tablet. Once connected you will be able to make dash cam setting changes and download and delete videos.

Battery or Capacitor Powered?

Dash cams are not designed to hold a charge and run on their own power like a GoPro or digital camera would. The only purpose of the battery or capacitor is to quickly save the last video file when you shut your car off and it loses power. A capacitor based dash cam is considered better since it can do better in extreme temperatures, where a battery might have issues.

Top 10 Dash Cams of 2023

#10 Garmin Dash Cam 65

Garmin has been a long time manufacturer of car navigational systems so it’s only natural that they would come out with their own line of dash cameras. The 65 or 65W dash cam model from Garmin features full 1080p HD video with a 180 degree lens angle, which is far wider than most other dash cams, offering a full view of the front of your car. The previous Garmin dash cam models like the Dash Cam 45 and the Dash Cam 55 only had a 122° lens angle, so a big improvement there with the Dash Cam 65.

Using the GPS on the Garmin dash cam it will automatically save the time and location if a crash happens by detecting the impact with it’s g-sensor. This can be helpful feature when dealing with car insurance companies after an incident on the road.

There is a forward collision warning and lane departure warning that you can use with the dash cam, but most people don’t find this feature very useful and chose not to use it.

The Dash Cam 65 has built-in WiFi which will allow you to connect your Android or iOS smartphone or tablet directly to the Dash Cam 65. In order to connect you need to download the free Garmin VIRB APP. Once connected you’re able to download videos directly onto your phone and share them online, to a police officer or to an insurance company. You can also make setting changes to the dash cam as well through the APP. If you don’t want to use the APP to interact with the camera, you can use the 2 inch

By saying “OK, Garmin” you can use the voice control feature to take a still picture, start and stop audio recording (good if you get pulled over), initiate the timelapse mode, or a save a video if something happens.

Garmin Dash Cam 65 Specs

#9 Roav By Anker S1 Dash Cam

Roav a company run by Anker is produces dash cams known for their exceptional build quality. The S1 model is one of their newer cams that has records 1080p HD video at 60 frames per second. While many dash cams record at 30 frames per second, 60 FPS allows you to capture twice as many frames in a second, which is good for capturing license plate numbers while in motion. With its Sony Starvis image sensor you’ll get clear and crisp video during day and night time recording.

With the Roav S1’s built-in WiFi you can use your smartphone (iOS and Android) or tablet to connect directly to the dash cam using the free Roav APP. Using this APP will allow you to remotely download video directly on to your phone and make setting changes to the camera.

The built-in GPS can track and document your travels and routes, which can be accessed through the Roav APP. You can also watermark the video files with your speed and coordinates. If you don’t want to document this info GPS can be disabled in the settings area.

Using the parking mode feature on the S1, it will sit in standby mode until there is motion detected in front of your car or if there is an impact or a major movement of the car. When an event happens it comes out of standby and starts to record video, after 30 seconds it stops recording and goes back into standby mode.

The S1 is a good all around budget dash cam that uses a higher end Sony image sensor and is usually sold for less than $100 on Amazon and other retailers.

Roav S1 Dash Cam Specs

#8 Rexing V1P Pro Dual Dash Cam

The V1P Pro is a mid-range dual channel dash cam from Rexing. The main front cam is housed in an all black, wedge shaped body that can be discretely mounted up behind your rear view mirror using the sticky adhesive pad, making it less visible to potential thieves. The front and rear cameras record in full 1080p HD video at 30 frames per second. If you turn off the rear camera and only record with the front cam, it is capable of recording 1080p at 60 frames per second, which can capture license plate numbers better when in motion. The front camera uses an OmniVision OV4689 image sensor, while the rear cam uses a Sony IMX323 sensor. Both cameras have a wide 170 degree field of view, giving you nearly 360 degrees of video coverage around your car.

With the V1P’s built-in WiFi, you are able to use the free Rexing Connect APP that’s compatible with both iPhone and Android phones and tablets. The APP is available on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. With this app you can remotely connect to the dash cam, giving you the ability to download videos directly onto your phone, as well as make basic changes to the settings.

The internal GPS module is able to watermark your videos with the current speed you are driving at as well as display your GPS coordinates. This can be useful later when doing a car insurance claim. You can easily disable this feature in the settings menu.

Overall the Rexing V1P Pro is an all around good, reliable mid-ranged dual dash cam with WiFi and GPS built into the camera.

Rexing V1P Pro Specs

#7 BlackVue DR750S-2CH Dash Cam

The DR750S is the predecessor to the DR900S Blackvue dash cam model. Although it is not their newest car camera model, we think it’s still worthy of making the top 10 list of best dash cams of 2020. No it’s not 4K, but with its dual 1080p cameras both using the Sony STARVIS image sensor, it is more than capable of capturing high quality videos, both day and night. The front and back cameras have a 139 degree lens angle, which is not extremely wide, but should be enough to fully cover the front and back of your car.

Blackvue is often cited as the dash cam brand with the best parking mode features. The DR750 has two different parking mode options. The first is the standard motion and impact mode, which is standard on many dash cams. This will sit in standby mode until there is motion in front of the camera lens or if there is a major impact detected using its internal g-sensor. The 2nd one is a time lapse mode that records 1 frame per second. So for every 1 minute of video, it covers a total of 30 real time minutes. On a 16GB card, you can get a full 27 hours of coverage. If an impact is detected during that time a full video will be recorded for a number of seconds before (using buffered parking mode) and after the event.

Blackvue has a free iPhone and Android app that offers a wide range of features. Using the DR750’s built-in WiFi you can remotely connect your smartphone directly to the dash cam. Once connected you can download videos right on to your phone or make dash cam setting changes. If you have a hotspot or internet connection setup in your car you can sync the dash cam with the Blackvue Cloud service, which allows you to see a live video view from the dash cam, track where it is going using the internal GPS and get notifications on your phone if there is a crash or break-in.

BlackVue DR750S-2CH

#6 VAVA Dual Dash Cam

The VAVA dash cam has somewhat of a unique design when compared to other dashboard cameras. It has a cone shaped windshield mount that attaches to a black hockey puck looking camera that can rotate 360 degrees on the mount, which could be handy if you wanted to rotate it towards your side window if you were pulled over and talking to the police.

VAVA first got their start on the crowdfunding website KickStarter a few years back and received a good number of backers for their dash cam. While there are many dash cam concepts on crowdfunding websites, few make it past the initial stages in order to ship out to backers, let alone make it to selling full time on Amazon.

The Dual Dash Cam from VAVA records dual 1080p HD at 30 frames per second. The main front camera has a 155 degree lens angle, while the rear cam has 126° viewing angle. The front camera uses a Sony IMX307 image sensor, while the back camera uses a Sony IMX323 sensor. Sony sensors are known for their good night vision and clear day time video quality.

Using the VAVA built-in WiFi you can remotely connect to the camera with your smartphone or tablet. To do this you need to download the free VAVA Dash Cam APP on the Google Play Store or the Apple APP Store. Once you have the APP connected to the VAVA Dash Cam you can remotely stream video, download video clips to share and make setting changes to the camera.

Vava Dash Cam Video Sample

With the parking mode feature activated the camera is able to sit on standby and start recording if a major impact is detected. VAVA claims that with the internal 320mah battery it can be triggered 30-40 times and record 15 second video clips. We would recommend either using a hardwire kit or getting an external dash cam battery if you plan on using parking mode, and not fully rely on the built-in battery.

VAVA Dual Dash Cam Specs

#5 Vantrue N2 Pro Uber Dash Cam

In 2019 and into 2020 we saw a major increase in 2 in 1 dash cams that had a front facing camera as well as an interior facing camera. These often went by the name of rideshare dash cams, or Uber dash cams. With the increasing popularity of APP’s like Uber and Lyft, dash cam manufactures were scrambling to create their own Taxi Cams. The Vantrue N2 Pro was one of the first higher end dual dash cams to hit the market.

The front cam on the N2 Pro records in 1080p HD using a Omnivision OV4689 image sensor. It has a wide lens angle of 170° to capture the entire front area of your car. What many people are concerned with on this dash cam is how the interior camera performs. Using a Sony IMX323 image sensor and 4 IR (infrared) lights and recording at 1080p HD, the interior camera is able to capture high quality video both day and night. With it’s 140° lens angle, the inside camera can view the entire width of the interior of your car.

When you’re away from your vehicle, the Vantrue N2 Pro has a parking mode feature which uses motion and impact detection to activate recording 24/7. To use the parking mode feature you will need to purchase a separate hardwire kit (around $15) to power the dash cam off the car battery, or get an external dash cam battery.

Vantrue N2 Pro Video Sample

GPS is possibly with the N2 Pro, however, to get this feature you will need to get the separate GPS module from Vantrue if you want to watermark videos with speed and coordinates along with using the Vantrue software to view the cars location on a map while watching the video.

Vantrue N2 Pro Specs

#4 STREET GUARDIAN SG9663DCPRO

This 2 channel dash cam from Street Guardian features dual 1080p HD video cameras to cover the front and back of your car. Both cameras use the Sony Exmor R image sensors which are known for their higher quality night vision clarity and crisp daytime video, especially when compared with the cheaper generic image sensors used in low-end dash cams. Street Guardian is known for manufacturing higher end dash cams and focus more on quality over quantity. The SG9663DCPRO is an all black wedge shaped car cam that uses an adhesive pad and can be mounted up behind your rear view mirror, making it less visible and more stealthy than some of the other dash cams that hang down and use bright colors.

With its WiFi feature you are able to use your smartphone or tablet to remotely connect to the SG9663DCPRO dash cam. This can be done by downloading the free Street Guardian Dashcam Viewer APP on either the Google Play store or the Apple APP Store. Once you have your phone or tablet connected to the camera, you can view a live video feed of the dash cam, download videos directly on to your phone or make dash cam setting changes. If you don’t want to use their APP or your phone to interact with the dash cam, you can use the 2 inch LCD screen on the back to see videos and make setting changes.

Street Guardian Dash Cam Video Sample

With the included GPS module you can log route info as well as watermark your video files with your speed and coordinates. The GPS feature can be disabled within the settings menu.

Parking mode comes standard with Street Guardian dash cams. It has all the features you would expect, like motion detection and impact detection using the internal g-sensor, which will start recording when an event is noticed. A hardwire kit or external dash cam battery is required to use the parking mode feature.

Street Guardian SG9663DCPRO Specs

#3 A129 Duo Pro 4K Dash Cam

The A129 Duo Pro is manufactured by VIOFO, a company who has become popular in the dash cam world over the last few years for their budget priced stealthy HD video car cameras. Like their other camera models, the A129 Duo Pro features an all black design, with a wedge shaped case that uses an adhesive pad to mount right up behind your rear view mirror and out of site. The main front camera records real 4K video using its 8MP Sony IMX317 image sensor and has a field of view of 130 degrees. The small rear camera that’s meant to mount on your rear window shoots 1080p HD video and has a Sony IMX 291 image sensor and a 140 degree lens angle. Using a Sony image sensor on both the front and rear camera will ensure crisp day video and good night vision quality.

With its built-in WiFi you can use the free VIOFO dash cam APP to remotely connect your smartphone to the dash cam and make dash cam setting changes and download videos on to your phone. You can also make setting changes directly on the dash cam using the 2 inch LCD display on the back.

A129 Duo Dash Cam Video Sample

Using the Buffered Parking Mode feature you are able to capture video 15 seconds before an event happens, like motion or impact detection. If you had your car parked in a parking lot and someone hit it, the dash cam will show 15 seconds leading up to that moment and 30 seconds after. If you plan on using the parking mode features you will want to get a hardwire kit or use an external dash cam battery.

The mount on the A129 Duo Pro has a GPS module built into it. This will allow you to watermark your videos with your current speed and coordinates (this can be disabled if you don’t want that).

A129 Duo Pro Specs

#2 THINKWARE U1000 4K Dash Cam

The U1000 from THINKWARE is one of our top picks for 4K dash cameras in 2020. This high end dash cam comes with all the features you want in a car cam like real 4K video, Sony images sensors, good parking mode options, smart phone app and cloud services.

“Real” 4K video means the camera has an 8MP+ image sensor and records in actual 4K, not just upsizing the video file after it is shot to 4K. The main front cam of the U1000 uses a Sony Exmor R STARVIS 8.42MP image sensor paired with an Ambarella processor. The rear cam that comes with their dual dash cam package uses a 5.14MP Sony STARVIS image sensor and records 2K HD video.

With it’s built-in WiFi you’re able to connect to the free THINKWARE APP with your iPhone or Android smartphone, giving you the ability to remotely view live video, download videos and make dash cam setting changes. If you have a hotspot setup in your car you can link the U1000 to it and use the THINKWARE CLOUD service to track your cars location with its built in GPS antenna as well as get push notifications on your phone if there is a crash or incident.

THINKWARE U1000 Video Sample

THINKWARES U1000 parking mode feature integrates the APP and cloud to the dash cam which enables you to remotely monitor your car 24/7. You can set it up to notify you on your phone if motion is detected in front of your car or if there is a major impact, like a hit in run in a parking lot. In order to use the parking mode features you need to get a hardwire kit to pull power from your cars battery, or use an external dash cam battery.

THINKWARE U1000 Specs

#1 Blackvue DR900S-2CH 4K Dash Cam

For our number one pick for the best dash cam of 2020, we have decided to go with Blackvue’s DR900S dash cam. It is one of only a handful of real 4K dash cams currently for sale. Most “4K” car cameras you see on Amazon are actually not real 4K, they shoot video at a lower quality and upscale it after to look like a 4K file. The DR900S uses an 8-Megapixel CMOS Sensor that allows it to capture real 4K video, while other dash cams only use a 2 or 4 megapixel image sensor, which would record in 2K. Using a 256GB microSD card you are able to record over 14 hours of 4K video. When the memory card gets full it will loop back to the oldest videos files and start recording over those. The “2CH” in DR900S-2CH is for 2 channel, meaning it is a dual dash cam. The rear camera uses a 2MP Sony STARVIS image sensor and shoots video at 1080p.

BlackVue DR900S Video Sample

Blackvue is known for their high end dash cams that come with some of the best parking mode features. The DR900S is able to do all the regular parking mode stuff like motion and impact detection, but what sets it apart from many other dash cams is its integration with the Blackvue Cloud and Blackvue APP which uses the dash cams built-in WiFi. When the dash cam is synced with a hotspot or wireless internet connection you are able to remotely get notifications on your phone when an event happens. Using what’s called “buffered parking mode”, it will capture the moments leading up to an impact when parked, not just after it happens. If you car is stolen you can also track its location using the built-in GPS.

Blackvue DR900S Specs

For more reviews, visit our Dash Cam Reviews page.