So you’ve decided to buy a dash cam, and are wondering which one is the best?
We’ve compared the best-selling dashboard cameras of the last 18 months, and while each of them is great in its own right, we have a clear winner: Viofo’s A129 Duo, a mid-price dash cam that combines easy of use with excellent reliability, and records good quality 1080p video front and rear.
If you don’t need rear video, you can save some money and get the Viofo A119 v3 instead.
Of course, different drivers will have different needs. Some of you will prefer a simpler device that costs less, while those with bigger budgets may have more exclusive needs.
So here’s our list of the best dash cams, going into 2021:
- Rexing V1 ($50): Cheap and does the job
- Yi Smart ($60): Most reliable low-cost dash cam
- Viofo A119 v2 / v3 ($80-120): Best low-cost video
- Viofo A129 Duo ($160): Best value dual-channel, best dash cam 2020 overall
- Street Guardian SGGCX2PRO ($170): Best video quality
- Vantrue N4 ($250): Top three-channel dash cam (records front, rear, and inside of car)
- BlackVue DR750S-2CH ($350): Live-stream video over the cloud
- Thinkware U1000 ($400): State-of-the art 4K dash cam with lots of extras
The Top Dash Cams Of 2021: Quick Overview Table
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Rexing V1 | Yi Smart | A119 v3 | A129 Duo | SGGCX2PRO | Vantrue N4 | DR750S-2CH | U1000 |
| Price | $50 | $60 | $120 | $160 | $170 | $250 | $350 | $400 |
| Resolution | 1080p | 1080p | 1600p | 1080p | 1080p | 1440p | 1080p | 4K |
| - rear | - | - | - | 1080p | optional | 1080p | 1080p | 1440p |
| Video | Good | Good | Very Good | Good | Excellent | Good | Good | Good |
| Reliability | Good | Very Good | Very Good | Good | Excellent | Good | Very Good | Good |
| Wi-Fi | - | Yes | - | Yes | - | - | Yes | Yes |
| Screen | 2.7" | 2.7" | 2" | 2" | 1.5" | 2.5" | - | - |
| Parking Mode | Simple | - | Time-lapse, buffered, low bit rate | Time-lapse, buffered, low bit rate | Time-lapse | Simple, time-lapse | Time-lapse, buffered | Simple, time-lapse, buffered |
Scroll to the right to see all models.
How We Select The Best Dash Cams
At DashboardCameraReviews.com, we’ve been independently reviewing car cameras since 2013, so we have a pretty good idea what to watch out for when you decide to buy. The first and foremost quality criteria for any dash cam is reliability.
Imagine getting a shiny new dash cam that records awesome, high-resolution video — if you can’t rely on it to work continuously and without interruption whenever you’re driving, it’s not much good. You don’t want to be in a situation where you need the evidence from your dashboard camera, just to find out that it decided to take the day off!
Another important criteria is video quality. Over the years, we’ve analyzed hundreds of dash cams, in order to assess which devices record the best footage. There’s always some subjectivity when evaluating video quality, so apart from clarity and general color fidelity, we decided to base our evaluations on the readability of other cars’ license plates. While you may not actually need those very often (except in cases of road rage or a hit-and-run), it’s a good and objective way to compare the footage of many different cameras.
For dash cams, it’s harder to record good video at night than at day. To allow you to directly compare video qualities, we’re thus including a night video sample for each dash cam presented below.
More video samples are available in the full reviews.
Customer satisfaction is also high on our list. We get a lot of feedback from users telling us their experiences with all sorts of cameras. We also measure the return rates over extended periods of time (ideally, returns should be below 10%; 5% or less is excellent), and take into account each camera’s user ratings on various sales platforms such as Amazon. (Yes, these can be faked, which happens a lot especially with the cheaper cameras — however after over 5 years of reviewing dash cams, we can usually tell which reviews are dodgy, and which can be trusted.)
Another feature we value is discreetness. Many of the best cameras in 2019 are wedge-shaped, a growing trend this year that allows for clean and stealthy installation.
Other important factors include: Ease of use, good post-sales support, and any unique features the camera might have.
Video Samples
In this article, we only have room for one video sample per dash cam. We’ve decided to include night samples here, because night footage is where you’ll see the most difference in quality. At day, most cameras perform well.
If you’d like to see more videos, like day time videos and videos of the rear camera where applicable, check out the full review of the device you’re interested in.
Our Favorite: Viofo A129 Duo – Best Dash Cam Of 2021
Price: Amazon US / CA / UK – eBay US / AU – AliExpress (affiliate links) – more countries & vendors
Resolution: 1920x1080 (front and rear)
Overall video quality: Good
Reliability: Very good
Memory capacity: 256GB (over 16 hours)
Max Operating Temp.: 65°C / 149°F
Pros: 2″ screen, Wi-Fi, capacitor, lock file button, GPS included in mount. Simple, time-lapse, and buffered parking modes. Optional additional remote lock file button. Optional CPL filter.
Cons: CPL filter costs extra
User manual (English): 26 pages, compact, well written (download)
The Viofo A129 Duo (full review) is a highly reliable dual-channel dash cam that records good-quality video. While it is one of the newest dual-channel dash cams out there, it has already become a top seller, and customer satisfaction tends to be excellent.
With a 256GB memory card, you can record over 16 hours of front and rear video. Memory cards are not included, so make sure to use high-endurance memory cards only for use in dash cams (here’s why).
Both the front and the rear cameras of the A129 Duo come in a stealthy wedge shape.
A GPS receiver is included in the mount. A CPL filter is not included, and will cost you $15 extra.
Night Video Sample
The Viofo A129 Duo’s forward video at night is of good quality. License plates are mostly readable, though sometimes washed out by our own headlights, or blurry when the viewing angle is inconvenient. Video courtesy of: LuxuryGoodsPL
The A129 has a lock file button (the round one marked in yellow), but if you’d like a button that’s easier to reach, you can get a remote lock file button ($20) that you can place on your steering wheel or wherever you find it most comortable. The remote button uses Bluetooth to connect to the camera, so it’s wireless.
This camera supports simple (impact-activated), time-lapse, and buffered parking modes. The corresponding hard-wire kit is priced at $15.
You can connect this camera to your smart phone via Wi-Fi to adjust the settings and play back video. Alternatively, you can just control the camera it using the buttons and its 2″ screen.
NOTE: If you’re a Uber or ride share driver, you’ll be pleased to know that there’s also a taxi cam version of the A129 Duo, called A129 Duo IR. The Duo IR comes with an infrared rear camera, to properly record the passenger cabin at night.
Thinkware U1000: High-End 4K Dash Cam
Price: Amazon US / CA / UK – eBay US / AU (affiliate links) – more countries & vendors
Resolution: 4K front, 1440p rear
Overall video quality: Good
Reliability: Good
Memory capacity: 128GB
Max Operating Temp.: 60°C / 140°F
Pros: Cloud connectivity, integrated GPS, Wi-Fi, capacitor, lock file button. Parking modes: Impact-triggered, time-lapse, and buffered (buffered mode needs extra radar module)
Cons: High price, no screen
User Manual: (to be updated)
Full review: Thinkware U1000 review
If you want the latest in tech and money isn’t an issue, this is the dash cam you want to go for in 2020. It comes with lots of optional features, such as radar-assisted parking mode and watching real-time video over the cloud. Video resolution is higher than that of any other dash cam, at 4K (2160p) to the front and 1440p to the rear. GPS and Wi-Fi included.
BlackVue DR750S-2CH: Watch Live Video Remotely Over The Cloud
Price: Amazon US / CA / UK – eBay US / AU (affiliate links) – more countries & vendors
Resolution: 1920x1080 (front and rear)
Overall video quality: Good
Reliability: Very Good
Memory capacity: 128GB (over 12 hours)
Max Operating Temp.: 70°C / 158°F
Pros: Integrated GPS, Wi-Fi, buffered and time-lapse parking mode, cloud connectivity, capacitor, lock file button, elegant design. Battery discharge prevention device available separately (Power Magic Pro).
Cons: High price, no screen
User manual (English): 102 pages, very detailed and well written (download)
A long-time best seller, the BlackVue DR750S-2CH is an elegant, reliable high-end dash cam that comes with all the bells and whistles. Most notably, it allows you to watch live video from your car from anywhere on your phone or computer, using BlackVue’s cloud service.
You’ll need a portable Wi-Fi hotspot in your car to connect the camera to the BlackVue cloud. The hotspot is not included (available separately on Amazon).
This camera comes with plenty of extra features such as GPS, Wi-Fi, and buffered parking mode, to name but a few. Also, it comes in various flavors: There’s a single-channel version (front camera only), an infrared version for use as a taxi/uber cam, and a Truck version with a waterproof rear camera. If you’re interested, check out our full review of the BlackVue DR750S to find out more.
Night Video Sample
Forward video at night is good considering this is a rather dark road. However the license plates of nearby cars are unreadable. Video courtesy of Sergey Narijny
Street Guardian SGGCX2PRO: Best Video Quality
Price: Amazon US / CA – eBay US / AU (affiliate links) – more countries & vendors
Resolution: 1920x1080 @60fps (30 fps with rear cam)
Overall video quality: Excellent
Reliability: Excellent
Memory capacity: 512GB (over 63 hours)
Max Operating Temp.: 70°C / 158°F
Pros: Best video quality, CPL filter & external GPS antenna included, fits vertical windows, great customer support, capacitor, 1.5″ screen. Optional rear camera, optional time-lapse parking mode
Cons: No Wi-Fi
User manual (English): 29 pages, compact but well written (download)
Street Guardian’s SGGCX2PRO (full review) is the single-channel dash cam with the best video quality currently, hands down. It can be upgraded to dual-channel by adding a rear camera (valued around $100). So if you’re looking for a high-end dual channel camera but can’t afford one right now, you can get the main unit now and order the rear camera at a later time, when your finances will allow it.
The hinge of the lens has been redesigned so you can now swing it a full 90 degrees up and down. This makes the SGGCX2PRO one of the few wedge-shaped dash cams that you can actually install on vertical windows, like in a bus or a truck.
Night Video Sample
The SGGCX2PRO’s night time video is of very good quality. As you can see, the footage is sharp, with all details clearly visible. Video courtesy of autodvr.by
When you order this camera, you will find an impressive amount of accessories in the package, including an external GPS antenna, a CPL filter, tools for mounting and removing the camera, and more. With other dash cams, GPS and a CPL will often cost you extra.
The SGGCX2PRO can record in time-lapse parking mode if you power it with Street Guardian’s hard-wiring kit SGDCHW (not included). The kit will cost you around $30 extra.
Finally, as we mentioned before, Street Guardian offer excellent customer support, and have been getting the highest user ratings of all dash cam vendors over several years now.
Vantrue N4: Top 3-Channel Dash Cam
Price (v3): Amazon US / CA / UK – eBay US / AU – AliExpress (affiliate links) – more countries & vendors
Resolution: 1440p front, 1080p rear + interior
Overall video quality: Fair
Reliability: Good
Memory capacity: 256GB (over 18 hours)
Max Operating Temp.: 65°C / 149°F
Pros: 2.5″ screen, capacitor, lock file button. Parking modes: Simple, time-lapse. Optional GPS mount.
Cons: Relatively mediocre video quality for the price, GPS costs extra
User manual (English): TBA
Full Review: Vantrue N4 Review
The Vantrue N4 is the first 3-way dash cam by a major manufacturer that we consider fairly reliable. It records not only to the front and rear, but also the inside of your car. At night, the interior view is assisted by infrared lights so you don’t have to have your cabin lights on to see what is going on inside the car.
Ideal for Uber drivers or anyone who transports people on a regular basis.
Viofo A119 v2 / v3: Best Value
Price (v3): Amazon US / CA / UK – eBay US / AU – AliExpress (affiliate links) – more countries & vendors
Resolution: 2560x1600
Overall video quality: Very good
Reliability: Very good
Memory capacity: 256GB (over 18 hours)
Max Operating Temp.: 65°C / 149°F
Pros: 2″ screen, optional GPS in mount, optional CPL filter, very good video quality for the price, capacitor. Buffered, time-lapse, and low bit-rate parking modes.
Cons: GPS and CPL filter cost extra
User manual (English): 18 pages, compact, explains the basics well (download)
The A119 v3 (full review) is the latest model in Viofo’s extremely successful A119 series. It records excellent video quality for its price range. It’s available for less than $100 in its most basic configuration (without any extras) on AliExpress (see link above). If you prefer to order on Amazon, prices start around $120.
We haven’t found any dash cam that records better video for this price. Video quality is very good at day, and good at night (as you can see in the sample below).
A distinct feature of the A119 v3 that the previous A119 models didn’t have, is its support for parking mode. In fact, three different types of parking mode are supported: Buffered, time-lapse, and low bit-rate. Low bit-rate reduces image quality, but saves space on the memory card. Time-lapse is useful if you’d like to watch a quick resume of anything that happened while you were parked. Buffered parking mode is best though: The camera will be recording permanently, but only save the footage to the card if an impact is detected byt the G-sensor.
If you don’t need parking mode, you can save some money and go for the older A119 v2.
Night Video Sample
The Viofo A119 v3 records good video at night. All details are clearly visible, as well as most license plates of other cars. Video courtesy of: Jeremy Wong
Like the previous A119 cameras, the v3 is available with 2 different mounts. The mount is a thin plate that sticks directly to your windshield. One mount contains a GPS antenna, the other mount doesn’t. The GPS mount is a bit thicker than the non-GPS one, and costs about $10-$20 more.
A CPL filter for this device is available separately, and will set you back about $15.
The hard-wiring kit (necessary for parking mode to work) for the A119v3 costs about $10 extra.
Yi Smart: Most Reliable Low-Cost Dash Cam
Price: Amazon US – eBay US / AU – AliExpress (affiliate links) – more countries & vendors
Resolution: 1920x1080
Overall video quality: Good
Reliability: Very Good
Memory capacity: 64GB (over 7 hours)
Max Operating Temp.: 60°C / 140°F
Pros: 2.7″ screen, low price, simple menu structure, Wi-Fi
Cons: Form factor, color, internal battery
User manual (English): 18 pages, more of a quick start guide (download)
While the Yi Smart (full review) may not sport the most attractive design, it’s the most reliable dash cam below $60 or so. It used to be called just “Yi Dash Cam”, but recently got renamed to Yi Smart to differentiate it from the other car cameras made by Yi Technologies.
The Yi Smart is admittedly a somewhat clunky device, that records good video nonetheless. It has a 2.7″ screen and its menu structure is simple, making it super easy to set up and use even though the user manual is rather basic.
The Yi Smart even supports Wi-Fi, so you can operate it through your smart phone if you feel so inclined. A downside is that it comes with an internal battery instead of a capacitor, making it more susceptible to heat failure.
Night Video Sample
The Yi Smart’s night video quality is fair. You can see what’s going on around you, but other cars’ license plates are only readable in favorable lighting conditions. Video courtesy of Taeng9389
Rexing V1: Cheap But Does The Job
Price: Amazon US / CA / UK – eBay US / AU (affiliate links) – more countries & vendors
Resolution: 1920x1080
Overall video quality: Good
Reliability: Good
Memory capacity: 256GB (over 42 hours)
Max Operating Temp.: 60°C / 140°F
Pros: 2.7″ screen, low price, lock file button, simple parking mode, optional external GPS
Cons: Internal battery, no Wi-Fi
User manual (English): 47 pages, with a large troubleshooting section (download)
The Rexing V1 Basic (full review) is a stealthy low-cost dash cam that even supports a simple parking mode. It doesn’t have Wi-Fi, but it’s easy enough to set up and use with its 2.7″ screen and menu system. You probably won’t need to consult the comprehensive user manual unless you experience some kind of issue, in which case the troubleshooting section will come in handy.
This camera has been around for a number of years, and has proven itself to be more reliable than most other dash cams at this price. Video quality is good at day, and fair during the night.
Night Video Sample
The Rexing V1 records fair video quality at night. Visibility is good on a well-lit parking lot, less good on a dark road. Readability of nearby license plates is hit-and-miss, depending on the lighting conditions. Video courtesy of Sunny’s Gadget Reviews