After testing 80+ dash cameras over seven years, this page is a summary of what we think are the best cameras for drivers depending on their needs. All our recommendations have many hours of hands-on testing and only chosen after thinking deeply about what matters for drivers and comparing against other choices on the market.
A Video Summary
Besides reading, you can watch a video where I cover our cheap and budget dash recommendations.
The Best Value Dash Cams for Most Drivers
The following two cameras are our top choices for most drivers on the market unless you have specific needs. They have some of the best performance and reliability on the market for their price range.
While both cameras picked are from the same company, we only chose these cameras after extensive hands-on testing which included other competitive cameras and researching many more. Viofo has , and this is not a sponsored review. We have purchased all cameras at full retail price since 2017 to reduce bias.
Viofo A119V3 and Viofo A119V2
Top Value Picks – $80 to $110USD
Resolution: 1440P – 30FPS | Wifi: No | GPS: Optional $10 Mount | Circular Polarizer: Optional $15 | Lens: Glass F1.6 | Field of View: 140° | Processor: Novatek NT96670 | Sensor: Sony IMX335 | Parking Mode: Yes – Motion, Timelapse, Low-Bitrate
Viofo A119V3
The Best Budget Dash Cam
Delivers the essentials with the best video quality under $150 I’ve seen so far.
Viofo’s new A119V3 is the first dash cam I would recommend to most drivers. Launched May 2019, it has all the features we think are essential: sharp video quality, stealthiness, ease of use and reliable build quality. The V3 has the best night quality I’ve seen and for those interested in parking mode – much better reliability.
Trusted Retailers for the A119:
Amazon is the best place right now to get the V3. The only authorized retailer on Amazon is OCD Tronic which has proved themselves to have fantastic customer service over the years.
Amazon USA – Amazon Canada
For More Information: Our A119V3 Article – YouTube A119V3 Review
Viofo A119V2
Amazing Value
Same body, older hardware. A budget friendlier option that still delivers excellent video quality and features for its price.
After two years on the market, the A119V2 is still a great camera. Just like the V3 it covers all the essentials, but it has slightly lower night video quality and a worse parking mode. If you want to save some money – say for a high endurance microSD card to improve reliability (read our guide).
While the A119 lacks WiFi, for $70 to $80 USD, it’s the most complete camera we could find at that price. It has a history of proven reliability. You’ll be happy with its performance if you’re looking to spend under $100 USD.
For More Information: Our A119 Article – YouTube A119V2 & V3 Review
Viofo A129 DUO
Front & Back Camera Upgrade – $170 USD
Resolution: 1080P + 1080P | Wifi: Yes 5ghz | GPS: Optional $10 Mount | Circular Polarizer: Optional $20 | Lens: Glass 7G f/1.6 | Field of View: 160° | Processor: Novatek NT96663 | Sensor: Sony Starvis | Parking Mode: Yes – Motion, Timelapse
Viofo A129 DUO
Two Lens Upgrade for Better Protection
The most complete dash cam under $200. Adds WiFi, rear-facing camera and better video quality.
Released in May 2018, Viofo’s A129 Duo is a significant upgrade to the A119. First, it adds a rear-facing camera which improves protection in hit and run accidents as it gives you an additional chance of capturing a license plate.
It also adds Wifi to change settings, stream and download saved videoes. The video quality is improved as it uses Sony’s Starvis sensors, which is a step up over the A119’s sensor at night.
Normally, you would be paying a premium ($300+) to get these features but Viofo knows how to design a good camera. We’ve been waiting a long time to find a good budget dual-lens camera. It’s been over a year since we reviewed the Mini 0906 (YouTube Review) and Aukey DR02D (YouTube) which had significant flaws or missing features.
You can buy the front camera separately if you want a WiFi equipped camera but don’t want the rear camera as it is harder to install. We think it’s not worth it, but you may feel differently.
See Our YouTube Review: Viofo A129 Duo
Trusted Retailers for the A129 DUO:
Amazon USA (OCD Tronic) – Amazon CAN (BlackBoxMyCar) – Amazon UK
Choose the Right Memory Card!
Picking the right microSD card greatly increases reliability and helps ensure you capture that accident or police footage. Endurance cards have better durability which matters as dash cameras put a lot of wear and tear on the memory card, eventually causing it to fail.
64GB Samsung Pro Endurance
The Best MicroSD Card for Dash Cams
Incredibly durable for better recording reliability. It’s designed for use in dash cams, improving video file retention. Backed by a 3-year warranty.
When dash cams overwrite older video files, that process permanently damages the memory card. The Pro Endurance is rated to last two times longer over our former top picks the Sandisk and Transcend High Endurance cards. We like the 64GB card over the 32GB option for its longer warranty (3 vs 2 years) and hours of 1080P videos recorded (26280 vs 12000 hours). If you need to save money get the 32GB card over a non-endurance card like the Sandisk Ultra A1.
Read Our Full Review: MicroSD Cards We Recommend for Dash Cameras
Our Top Premium Dash Cam Upgrades
Our premium picks are the best of what’s available in performance, features, and customer support. While you’ll spend more money versus the Viofo A129, there are a few benefits.
- Stylish: Important for many luxury vehicle owners who don’t want an industrial looking unit.
- Better Features & Performance: Cloud recording, reliable and efficient parking modes, spoken notifications
- Improved Reliability & Customer Service: In general, these companies will have better assembly and quality control. Their retailers are more knowledgeable and have better support if things go wrong.
See our YouTube video review for our latest premium dash cam picks. Please excuse us while we rewrite this section. For now, here’s a summary of our picks:
Blackvue DR900S-2CH
The Best Video Quality & Cloud Features – $480 USD
Resolution: 2160P + 1080P @ 30FPS | Wifi: Yes AC 5ghz | GPS: Yes | Circular Polarizer: Third Party – $35 | Lens: Unknown | Field of View: 162° & 139° | Processor: HiSilicon HI3559 | Sensor: Omnivision OS08A10 & Sony Starvis | Parking Mode: Yes – Motion, Timelapse
Blackvue DR900S-2CH
The Best Video Quality & Cloud Features
True 4K video captures more details during the day. Classy design and internet features enhance parking mode.
Use coupon code “CarCamCentral30” for $30 off
Blackvue’s DR900S is the first true 4K front camera and 1080P rear camera system from a major manufacturer. The 4K resolution significantly improves day sharpness; you can pick up license plates from much further away. Unfortunately, night quality about the same as other leading cameras on the market.
When connected to a WiFi hotspot (router or cellular modem) the DR900S’ cloud system can stream videos and push impact notifications to your phone. This feature is quite useful if you’re worried about vandalism or hit and runs while you’re parked.
Trusted Retailers for the Blackvue DR900S-2CH:
BlackBoxMyCar USA – BlackBoxMyCar Canada – Amazon
Thinkware F800 PRO
Best Parking Camera – $380 USD
Resolution: 1080P + 1080P @ 30FPS |Wifi: Yes | GPS: Yes | Circular Polarizer: Only On F800 D+ Model | Lens: 6G F/1.9 | Field of View: 140° & 140° | Processor: Ambarella A12A55 | Sensor: Sony Starvis | Parking Mode: Yes – Motion, Timelapse, Energy-Save
Thinkware F800 Pro
Best Parking Mode Features & Energy Efficiency
Lowest energy consumption for extended recording combined with Thinkware’s style and reputation for reliability. Has unique features like vocal impact reports and impact-only recording to improve parking mode usability.
Use coupon code “CarCamCentral30” for $30 off
Our pick for the best-parking dash cam. It’s much more energy efficient compared to Blackvue and Street Guardian, especially with its unique energy-saving impact only mode. When activated, it only records after sensing a collision with your vehicle. As well a vocal report after camera exits parking mode lets you know if your car has been hit.
Compared to the DR900S, it has worse video quality and a cloud mode that works but has fewer features including live video streaming and push notifications. You want to get the F800 Pro only for focused parking recording.
Get it from:
BlackBoxMyCar USA – BlackBoxMyCar Canada – Amazon
Street Guardian SG9663DC PRO
Best Heat Resistance, Value & Customer Support – $300
Resolution: 1080P + 1080P @ 30FPS |Wifi: Yes N | GPS: Yes | Circular Polarizer: Included | Lens: 6G F/1.9 | Field of View: 140° & 140° | Processor: Novatek NT96663 | Sensor: Sony Starvis Parking Mode: Yes – Motion, Timelapse, Energy-Save
Street Guardian SG9663DC
Premium Features with Heat-Resistance
Superior customer service, hot-weather engineering and 2-year warranty without paying a lot of money
The SG9663DC Pro brings exceptional value to the premium space. That’s not only because of the price but also the solid customer service and focus on reliability by the manufacturer. Their 2-year warranty is longest of all the premium cameras (normally 1-year) and a major reason we like this camera.
Street Guardian has always designed their cameras conservatively using technology that is proven to work under adverse conditions. Besides the camera’s high-temperature rating and excellent video quality, they included many useful accessories including a circular polarizer, extra cables, and a cable hider.
In January, the SG9663DC was upgraded to the Pro version which changed the rear sensor from Sony’s Exmor to Starvis. This improves low-light night vision. As well, cable shrouds were included to hide and improve the cleanliness of your installation.
Versus the Viofo A129 DUO
While the SG9 looks and has similar specs to the A129 DUO, the main difference is the 2-year warranty, customer support, and accessories. Understandably that’s not worth it to everyone but for many especially in harsh climates, the SG9 is a solid buy.
Sold Directly By Street Guardian At:
Amazon USA – Amazon Canada – Amazon UK (Sold by Niko)
The Cheap Picks
These are good options if you need to save money. We found cameras that had good functionality and customer service but unfortunately each camera has a drawback you should consider.
Anker ROAV A1 – $50
Best Build & Features – For Cooler Environments
Resolution: 1080P – 30FPS | Wifi: Yes | GPS: No | Circular Polarizer: No Lens: Glass F1.8 | Field of View: 150° | Processor: Novatek NT96658 | Sensor: Sony IMX323 | Parking Mode: Yes – Impact Only
Aukey’s A1 delivers value. It combines good video quality, useful functionality like WIFI along with a worldwide 12-month warranty. It has a great build quality as it looks great and feel sturdy.
The main downside (or upside depending on your perspective) is the A1’s use of lithium-ion batteries. While they are used for its easy, built-in parking mode, it’s less good for hot climates. Batteries can swell and damage the camera. For those users, take a look at our other cheap picks that use capacitors.
Get the Anker ROAV A1:
Amazon USA – Amazon CAN – Amazon UK
Blueskysea B1W – $50
Small & Stealthy
Resolution: 1080P – 30FPS | Wifi: Yes | GPS: No | Circular Polarizer: No Lens: Glass 6G F1.8 | Field of View: 150° | Processor: Novatek GM8135S | Sensor: Sony IMX323 | Parking Mode: Yes – Motion, Timelapse
The BlueSkySea receives a thumbs up for its compact build and reliability. It’s the only cylindrical style camera that has good video quality, capacitors for hotter environments, and decent customer service under $50.
The big downside is that connecting to the camera can be difficult for some users (turn off data first!. Unfortunately, the only way to change the settings is through your smartphone so that can be frustrating for some people.
While BlueSkySea gives an 18-month warranty, you may have to ship it overseas, although they sometimes cover shipping.
Get the BlueSkySea B1W:
Amazon USA – Amazon CAN – Amazon UK
Hi Andrew, There’s a brand new Korea brand dash cam that’s slowly getting attention here in our area. Have you heard of the “Winycam” brand and have you ever tested it? Thanks!
Interesting – just found out about it. Haven’t tested it yet but likely won’t as while they may be established in Korea, there’s much less support internationally. I’ve found that a lack of customer service is a big deal for dash cam users and it’s hard to get excited unless it has ridiculously good value which I’m not seeing atm.
-Andrew
Hey Andrew,
What do you think of Thinkware Q800 Pro? It’s the newest one from thinkware and it has 2k video capability. I was wondering if it has dual channel capability. Can you do a review about it?
I will in the future. I think it’ll help improve one of the weaker elements of the F800 Pro which was the front video quality. It has dual channel capability if you purchase the rear camera. I want to review it but it might be a while before I get a chance to get my hands on it. I think from what I’ve seen it’s a nice upgrade to the F800 Pro if you do a lot of parking mode or like the camera style but otherwise might not be worth it compared to Street Guardian/Blackvue.
-Andrew
I’m interested in getting a front back cam combo instead of getting two cams. I seen some that use an app and others with built in screens. Which dash cams would you recommend that has a live view. I would like to get one that I could use when looking in me rear whether driving or parking. .
Sorry for the late reply. Good question – Blackvue used to have the DR490L which had a large LCD sceen which could be used when backing up, it got discontinued though. I think Thinkware’s latest X700 might work well: https://www.us.thinkware.com/x700 I haven’t tested it though.
-Andrew
Is ddpai x2 pro a good choice? I saw ur review on ddpai mini 3 and u recommended it but I want a dual channel cam. Sir please reply my quarry as early as possible.
The specs look alright but they don’t have a good retail presence outside of China. If something goes wrong you’ll have to ship it back overseas to get a warranty – $$$. Not worth it in my opinion as there isn’t anything special with it otherwise.
-Andrew
I’ve archived all our older comments as we’ve completely refreshed our recommendations for 2019.
I don’t see the point of a duel cam, since the VIOFO 119 & S have been on the market I have used two, one in the front window and one on the back window, in my Durango, very easy to install and cheaper to, if there is a problem you still have one camera to place where you want. I am in Florida never had a problem with heat.
The rear camera is useful for a number of reasons:
1) Gives you another opportunity to catch a license plate in a hit and run accident especially if they hit you from behind and do a u-turn
2) Adding context to an accident or ticket if someone was tailgating or road raging causing you to alter your own driving
3) Scam prevention. If you back up and someone throws themselves into your path or you get waved backward by a driver and they run into you intentionally.
I think what William is saying is he has 2 separate cameras (one for the front and one for the back) instead of a single 2 camera (dual) setup. I’ve thought about this approach as well (2 -119 cameras – one in the front, one in the back), I see the benefits of both approaches.