Best Dash Camera Reviews for 2024

Dashcams are a must-have while driving to keep you protected on the road. For that reason, I’ve spent a ton of time testing out the very best dash cameras on the market with different features and pricepoints. What is the best dashcam and why do you need one?

Last Updated: October 2024

Why Do You Need A Dash Camera?

Dash cams provide numerous important benefits:

• Evidence in Accidents: Clearly establish fault in collisions
• Protection Against Fraud: Shield yourself from false claims
• Capture Hit-and-Runs: Record incidents while parked
• Deterrent for Vandalism: Document acts like keying
• Scenic Memories: Capture beautiful landscapes and memorable moments
• Radar Detector Saves: Share alerts from your radar detector
• Peace of Mind: Provides a constant record of your driving experiences

Your dash cam acts as a silent witness, always on, ensuring you have video evidence when it matters most.

This website contains affiliate links and I sometimes make commissions on purchases. All opinions are my own. I don’t do paid or sponsored reviews. Click here to read my affiliate disclosure.

What Makes Dash Cameras Unique?

Dash cams stand apart from action cameras like GoPros. While I regularly use GoPro’s for creating YouTube videos, specialized dash cams excel in key areas where GoPros fall short. Here’s why they’re the ideal choice for a permanent, set-it-and-forget-it solution:

• Automatic Activation: Powers on and starts recording as soon as you start your car
• Effortless Shutdown: Stops recording and turns off when you park
• Parking Mode: Optional feature to record while parked without draining your battery
• Loop Recording: Automatically overwrites old footage to ensure continuous recording
• Event Detection: Protects critical clips from being overwritten in case of an incident
• Incident Alerts: Notifies you of any disturbances to your vehicle while parked
• Multiple Angle Coverage: Records everything ahead and can include optional rear and cabin cameras
• Cloud Functionality: Advanced models can upload important footage to the cloud and allow remote monitoring via your phone, acting like a security camera

This combination of features makes dedicated dash cams an indispensable tool for drivers.

Best Dash Camera of 2024?

There’s literally thousands of different dashcams at difference price points, with different features, and different levels of video quality. Which one should you get?

Here are my top recommendations, including both budget-friendly and basic dash cams, along with higher-end models packed with advanced features.

• Viofo A119 Mini 2: Front Only Recording
• Viofo A229 Plus: Multiple Camera Angles
• Viofo A229 Pro: Best All-Around Dashcam, Top Tier 4K Video
• Thinkware U3000: 4K Video with Advanced Parking Recording
• Blackvue DR970X-2CH LTE Plus: 4K Video with Cloud Recording

---

Best Budget Front only Dashcam: Viofo A119 Mini 2

The Viofo A119 Mini 2 is the top choice for a budget-friendly front-only dash cam, thanks to its next-gen 2K Sony Starvis 2 sensor with HDR that boosts video quality and low-light performance. It delivers the best video clarity I’ve seen in its class, along with solid parking recording capability. The updated Mini 2 now offers voice control for hands-free use, while its compact size keeps it discrete on your windshield.

While there are lots of cheap dashcams out there, the A119 Mini 2 is one of the few that offers solid specs, good video quality, effective parking recording, and a well-rounded feature set.

Note that this model doesn’t include a memory card, so you’ll need to buy one separately. To enable parking recording, you can hardwire it to your vehicle battery or use a dedicated battery pack like the BlackboxMyCar Powercell 8 which is ideal for this purpose. The A119 Mini 2 is a great value, though if you’re on a tighter budget, the previous-gen A119 v3 offers solid performance at a lower price, albeit with fewer features.

Purchase the Viofo A119 Mini 2

Purchase a MicroSD Card: 256 GB, 512 GB

Hardwire cable for parking recording

Recommended parking recording battery

---

Multiple Camera Angles: Viofo A229 Plus

The Viofo A229 Plus builds on the A119 Mini 2 by adding an 2K rear camera and an optional 1080p interior camera for full 3-way coverage, capturing events in front, behind, as well as inside your vehicle. These additional angles improve protection by capturing more of what’s happening around your car, both driving or parked.

The standard 2-channel setup for front and rear recording is the most common configuration. Adding a 3rd channel with an interior cabin camera can be beneficial for rideshare drivers to record passenger interactions and for people wanting to document any break-ins or thefts while parked.

While there are many different 2CH and 3CH dashcams on the market, the A229 Plus offers my favorite combination of video quality and core features.

Purchase the Viofo A229 Plus 2CH Front/Rear

Purchase the Viofo A229 Plus 3CH Front/Interior/Rear

Purchase a MicroSD Card: 256 GB, 512 GB

Purchase the Viofo hardwire cable

Recommended parking recording battery

---

Best 4K Dashcam: Viofo A229 Pro

For top notch video quality, you can step up to the Viofo A229 Pro. It’s basically the same as the A229 Plus, except the front camera now captures at 4K for even greater detail capture. This is an excellent all-around dashcam and is my go-to pick when people ask “What’s the best dashcam?”

The Viofo A229 Pro is what I run in both of my vehicles as my primary dashcam and it’s the video quality benchmark that I compare other dashcams to.

Viofo’s newer A329 model now adds 4K recording at 60fps, external SSD compatibility, and faster WiFi transfers. However, for most users, these upgrades aren’t essential, making the A229 Pro the better value given its balanced quality and feature set at a lower price.

Purchase the Viofo A229 Pro 2CH Front/Rear

Purchase the Viofo A229 Pro 3CH Front/Interior/Rear

Purchase a MicroSD Card: 256 GB, 512 GB

Purchase the Viofo hardwire cable

Recommended parking recording battery

---

Best for Long Term Parking: Thinkware U3000

For a 4K dashcam with more advanced parking mode features, the Thinkware U3000 is an excellent choice. It records in 4K up front with a Starvis 2 sensor, boosting low-light performance, and captures 2K video in the rear, providing high-quality footage in both directions. This model includes integrated GPS and WiFi, plus cloud support for remote alerts, enabling you to stay updated on incidents even when away.

Its standout parking feature is the energy saving mode, combined with the use of front and rear radar transmitters, which can detect nearby people and vehicles while keeping power usage low. This allows for extended parking recording periods—up to 40 days with a dashcam battery pack. The radar-based detection intelligently activates recording only when needed, conserving energy and reducing unnecessary clips. In the event of a hit-and-run or impact, it automatically saves the entire event sequence, preserving footage both before and after impact.

Video quality-wise, the dashcam lacks HDR which makes it more challenging to capture reflective license plates at night. While the U3000 offers cloud features for additional security, they function best while driving or when using non-energy-saving parking modes, so the primary advantage of this model remains its 4K/2K video and efficient parking functionality. Installation is straightforward with the OBD-II adapter, but pairing it with the Thinkware iVolt Xtra battery pack provides an independent power source, further extending parking mode capabilities.

Purchase the Thinkware U3000 1 CH Front

Purchase the Thinkware U3000 2CH Front/Rear

Purchase the Thinkware U3000 2CH Front/Rear bundle with the iVolt Xtra Battery

Purchase an inexpensive MicroSD Card: 128 GB, 256 GB

---

Best 4K Cloud Dashcam: Blackvue DR970X-2CH LTE Plus

The Blackvue DR970X-2CH LTE Plus is my top choice for cloud-based dashcams. Known for their cloud connectivity, Blackvue’s models provide features like real-time notifications to your phone, cloud uploads of crucial videos, and live streaming from anywhere—effectively turning your dashcam into a remotely accessible security camera.

The DR970X-2CH LTE Plus records in 4K with a Starvis 2 sensor up front and a 1080p rear sensor. Its unique integrated LTE antenna eliminates the need for an external WiFi hotspot, allowing a direct cloud connection with a SIM card.

I run a pair of smaller non-LTE DR970X-2CH Plus for a comprehensive 4-channel setup, incorporating the external CM100G LTE module for improved connectivity. While the video quality may not match Viofo’s offerings, the convenience and peace of mind provided by its cloud features are invaluable, especially for monitoring incidents like break-ins or hit-and-runs while I’m away from the car. If you’re seeking a straightforward front/rear setup with robust cloud features, I recommend the DR970X-2CH LTE Plus.

Purchase the Blackvue DR970X-2CH LTE Plus

Buy a MicroSD Card: 256 GB, 512 GB

Purchase the Blackvue B-130X dedicated battery pack