Owning a dash cam is like owning a second or third set of eyes for the road. While these devices can be a bit expensive, they’re worth their weight in gold. Not only will a dash cam provide critical footage of any accidents that may occur, but they’re also great deterrents for would-be malcontents who may want to break into your car.
Like most automotive tech, there’s no shortage of front and rear dash cams to choose from. But when there’s a lot of one thing, shopping can become quite the challenge. That’s why we’ve put together this roundup of our five favorite models.
Thinkware X1000 Dash Cam
Best front and rear dash cam for most vehicle owners
- 1440p resolution
- 3.5-inch touchscreen
- Night vision
- GPS antenna not included
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity: | USB |
| Max video resolution: | 1440p |
| Mounting type: | Adhesive |
The Thinkware X1000 Dash Cam is the front and rear dash cam that most vehicle owners would want equipped in their cars, as it’s capable of recording at 1440p resolution so details will be sharp, and it features a 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen for easy operating. The dash cam offers night vision, along with technology that reduces noise and lens flare effects for clearer footage taken during nighttime. The Thinkware X1000 Dash Cam also offers an advanced driver assistance system, but that will require you to purchase a GPS antenna.
Nextbase iQ 4K Dash Cam
Best front and rear dash cam for vehicle owners who love smart features
- Watch front and rear feeds through app
- Call for help with Witness Mode
- Get emergency assistance
- Expensive
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity: | Wireless |
| Max video resolution: | 4K |
| Mounting type: | Suction |
If you love your smart home, then why shouldn’t you enjoy similar technology inside your vehicle? With the Nextbase iQ 4K Dash Cam and the iQ app, you can receive alerts whenever there are potential threats to your parked car, and you can tap into the front and rear feeds at any time. You can activate Witness Mode to share footage with a trusted contact for when you sense danger, and you can get emergency assistance when you find yourself in an accident.
70mai Dash Cam Pro Plus A500S
Best front and rear dash cam if you want smart features for cheap
- Cheap price for smart features
- Advanced driver assistant system
- Built-in GPS
- Relatively low resolution for rear camera
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity: | USB |
| Max video resolution: | 1944p |
| Mounting type: | Adhesive |
Smart features aren’t only for the expensive front and rear dash cams because there are affordable options like the 70mai Dash Cam Pro Plus A500S. With 1944p resolution for the front camera and 1080p resolution for the back camera, you’ll record clear footage of your everyday travels, and with an advanced driver assistant system, you’ll receive alerts when there are potential safety issues around your vehicle. The dash cam also offers built-in GPS for route tracking, automatic recording when its G sensor detects a collision, and video downloads through the 70mai app.
Vantrue S1 Pro 2.7K Dual Dash Cam
Best front and rear dash cam for 4K resolution without breaking the bank
- Excellent resolution
- Easy to install
- Great companion app
- App can be complicated
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity: | Wi-Fi |
| Max video resolution: | 1944p |
| Mounting type: | Adhesive |
Front and rear coverage is the best you can do for a dash cam, and we think the Vantrue S1 Pro 2.7 Dual Dash Cam is the right tool for the job. The front cam captures a 160-degree FOV, at up to 1944p/30fps, while the rear delivers a 165-degree FOV, and gets capped at 1080p/30fps. Those are some tremendous video specs! On top of pixel-rich resolution, the S1 Pro also has a built-in Starvis 2 Sensor for optimized nighttime footage.
The S1 Pro is relatively simple to install, and the inbuilt 5GHz Wi-Fi does a nice job at keeping both cams networked. You’ll also be able to download the Vantrue app to do things like edit and share video clips, use GPS and speed tracking functions, download firmware updates, and more.
Onn. Dual Dash Cam
Best front and rear dash cam if you don’t have much to spend
- Low price for 4K resolution
- Enhanced night vision
- Locks videos in case of accident
- Wired installation for rear camera
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity: | USB |
| Max video resolution: | 1080p |
| Mounting type: | Suction |
If you’ve on a very tight budget but you want to equip your vehicle with a front and rear dash cam, the Onn. Dual Dash Cam will be your best bet. The front camera takes 1080p footage of what’s happening ahead, while the rear camera records what’s going on inside the vehicle and behind it. It has a parking lot sensor that makes it start recording when it detects impact, and a large 3-inch LCD screen shows images from both cameras.
Frequently Asked Questions
Choosing the best front and rear dash cams from all of the models that are available online isn’t an easy task, but we managed to narrow down our top picks by focusing on the needs of the vehicle owners. You’re going to have to determine your own preferences yourself before you’re able to make the decision on which of these options to buy, as well as how much you’re willing to spend. Getting a front and rear dash cam with features that you’re going to use and at a price that fits your budget is the ideal outcome.
Latest technology: You wouldn’t want to get a front and rear dash cam that’s stuck with outdated features, as that wouldn’t be an efficient use of purchasing power. While the most of the latest technology can be found in the more expensive models, even the budget-friendly dash cams should have features that make protecting your car — and more importantly, your family — much easier for you. Not all front and rear dash cams are required to have LTE connectivity, motion detection, and night vision, but it’s always nicer to have as many of these technologies as you can afford.
Ease of installation: Tinkering with your car’s electronics may be a worrisome chore for some vehicle owners, so we made sure that the front and rear dash cams that we highlighted above are easy to install. You wouldn’t need to deal with cutting wires and creating connections, as a front and rear dash cam should be a plug-and-play device as much as possible. If you need to hire an electrician to install your front and rear dash cam, that’s going to be an additional cost that you should try to avoid.
Value for money: Whether you go for a cheap front and rear dash cam or an expensive model, we want you to get excellent value for your hard-earned money. If it’s a budget dash cam, you shouldn’t be getting one that will break after just a few days, and if it’s a premium dash cam, you shouldn’t be paying extra for features that you can get from less expensive options. Determining your budget will go a loong way in helping you decide the front and rear dash cam to get, but in any case, you’re going to want to get the best option that you can afford.
This article is managed and created separately from the Digital Trends Editorial team.
