If you’re going to run your dashboard camera in parking mode, you will need a power supply when the car’s engine is off.
The simplest option is a hard-wiring kit that has some sort of low-voltage cutoff, so the car’s battery won’t accidentally get drained by your dash cam. A hard-wiring kit is a perfectly good, and inexpensive, solution.
For a more high-end setup, and to protect your engine’s battery further, you may wish to completely separate your dash cam’s power circuit from the car’s battery. This can be achieved by installing a battery pack.
At this time, there are only a handful of battery packs to choose from. The manufacturers are: BlackVue, Thinkware, and Cellink. This article gives you a complete overview of how they compare to each other.
Contents
BlackVue B-112
BlackVue B-124E
Cellink Neo
PowerCell 8
BEST VALUE: Thinkware iVolt Mini
EDITOR’S CHOICE: BlackVue B-124X
All battery packs are compatible with each other, meaning you can run any brand of dash cam with any battery.
Battery packs that support Bluetooth come with an app that lets you monitor the battery’s charge.
NOTE: Take the “parking mode duration” advertised by manufacturers with a huge grain of salt. Battery duration varies greatly depending on the model of dash cam you have. If you know your camera’s power consumption in mA, you can calculate how long the battery will last (divide battery capacity by power consumption).
BlackVue B-112
Price: $150 — see Amazon US / CA / UK (affiliate links)
Capacity: 3000 mAh / 38.4 Wh
Size: 6.8 x 5.3 x 3.7 inches
The B-112 was the first dash cam battery pack, to be released by none other than BlackVue, who were once again ahead of the curve.
Nowadays, the B-112 looks rather clunky. Not only is it the largest battery pack available, but it also has the lowest capacity. Its low price is a plus though.
Pros:
- Low price
Cons:
- Low capacity
- Large size
- No Bluetooth
Extra Capacity: BlackVue B-124E
Price: $270 — see Amazon US / CA / UK (affiliate links)
Extra capacity: 6600mAh / 84.5 Wh
The B-124E (shown below in the photograph) is an expansion pack. It won’t work on its own, but hook it up to any of the other battery packs presented here, and it will extend their capacity by 6600 mAh.
According to the manufacturer, that’s over 56 hours, but this obviously depends on your dash cam’s energy consumption. So it may be a lot less, especially if you’re running a high-end dual channel camera.
The B-124E will work on top of the BlackVue B-112 or B-124X, but it has been reported to also work with the PowerCell 8.
You can connect as many of these as you want in series, by using the connector on the right.
Pros:
- Extends battery capacity by 6600 mAh
- Connect multiple expansions in series to extend battery life even further
Cons:
- Not designed for use on its own
Cellink Neo
Price: $330 — see Amazon US / CA (affiliate links)
Capacity: 6000 mAh / 76.8 Wh
Time to charge: 45 minutes (hard-wired)
The Cellink Neo is one of the older dash cam battery packs. According to the manufacturer, it will allow up to 45 hours of parking mode operation.
Caution — a relatively large number of users have complained that this battery will degrade / lose capacity, or outright stop working, after a number of months.
Pros:
- Supports Bluetooth
Cons:
- Low durability / reliability
PowerCell 8
Price: $400 — see Amazon US / CA (affiliate links)
Capacity: 7500 mAh / 96Wh
Time to charge: 50 min when hard-wired, 80 min when powered by cigarette lighter
Operating Temperature: -10°C – 70°C (14°F – 158°F)
The PowerCell 8 was developed by Cellink, in cooperation with the American company BlackboxMyCar. It was released in late 2021 and has a higher capacity than other battery packs. According to the manufacturer, it will allow for up to 48 hours of parking mode operation.
Pros:
- High capacity
- 5V USB 3.0 power outlet lets you charge a phone or run a Wi-Fi hot spot in your car
- Supports Bluetooth
Cons:
- High Price
- Unknown reliability
BEST VALUE: Thinkware iVolt Mini
Price: Around $210 — see Amazon US / CA (affiliate links)
Capacity: 4500 mAh / 57.6 Wh
Size: 6.51 x 5.17 x 1.45 inches
Time to charge: 45 minutes
The iVolt Mini is Thinkware’s first own battery pack. According to the manufacturer, it allows for 16 to 20 hours of parking mode operation: 20 hours for a single channel camera, and 16 hours for a dual channel device.
Pros:
- Good value for money
- Small size
Cons:
- No Bluetooth
EDITOR’S CHOICE: BlackVue B-124X
Price: Around $330 — see Amazon US / CA / UK (affiliate links)
Capacity: 6000mAh / 76.8Wh
Size: 157mm x 171mm x 39.5mm / 6.73 x 6.18 x 1.56 inches
Time to charge: 40 minutes hard-wired, 80 minutes connected to cigarette lighter socket
The B-124X is the most reliable of current battery packs. It gives you up to 20 hours of parking mode run-time for a dual channel dash cam (according to the manufacturer).
This is the only dash cam battery pack so far that comes with an overheat protection. If the temperature exceeds 80°C (176°F), the battery will shut down.
Pros:
- Excellent reliability
- Supports Bluetooth
- High temperature cut-off: approx. 80°C (176°F)
- 5V USB port can power a Wi-Fi hot spot
Cons:
- High price