Front and rear dashboard cameras are also called dual-channel or dual-lens dash cams, or simply just dual dash cams. These are dash cams that have one camera recording out the windscreen, and one camera out of the rear window.
We’ve reviewed most of the major front and rear dash cams on the market today, and found enormous differences in quality and what each camera can do. In this article, we’ll present you the best dual-lens dash cams we found as of December 2020.
So let’s jump right in! For an idea of what to expect for which price, this table should give you a quick overview:
Overview Table: Best Dual & Triple Dash Cams
 |  |  |  |  |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | CR900 | A129 Duo | Vantrue N4 | U1000 | DR750S |
| Good Entry-Level Cam Below $100 | Best Value For Money | Triple Video Channels | Radar-Assisted Parking Mode | Best Cloud Features | |
| Price | → eBay | → Amazon | → Amazon | → Amazon | → Amazon |
| Front Video | 1080p | 1080p | 1440p | 4K | 1080p |
| Rear Video | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 1440p | 1080p |
| Cabin Video | - | - | 1080p | - | - |
| Cloud View | - | - | - | Yes | Yes |
| Parking Mode | - | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Scroll right to see all models. Links to vendors are sponsored links and help to support this site.
New In 2020: 3-Channel Dash Cams
An exciting new development in 2020 is the appearance of the first 3-channel dash cams. Invaluable for Uber, Lyft, and ride-share drivers, 3-way dash cams can record the passenger cabin, in addition to the road ahead of and behind your car. So far, the Vantrue N4 is the triple-lens dash cam that looks most promising, so we’ve included it here.
Features That All Cameras Shown Here Have In Common
First of all, all cameras featured here are able to record at 1080p resolution (1920×1080) or higher, both to the front and to the rear. This should be considered the minimum standard in 2020. Cameras that record at lower resolutions, even if it’s only for the rear camera, just don’t capture enough detail.
All dash cameras featured here have loop recording, auto on/off, and a time and date stamp on video. They all support GPS, however this is not always included: Some of them require you to get the GPS antenna as an optional add-on.
If GPS is enabled, you will have the option to have a speed stamp in the video feed. This can be either in mph or km/h.
All the cameras listed here have a G-sensor that detects impacts and protects the relevant video files from becoming overwritten, as well as a “lock file button” to let you manually mark video files for safekeeping.
Also, all dash cameras have a built-in microphone and speaker.
Now let’s have a more detailed look at each of the cameras, one by one:
1. Thinkware U1000: High-End Dual Dash Cam With Cloud
Price: Amazon US / CA / UK – eBay US / AU – more countries & vendors (ad)
Resolution: 4K front, 1440p rear
Overall video quality: Good
Reliability: Good
Memory capacity: 128GB (over 6 hours)
Features: Live view over cloud, alerts over cloud, integrated GPS, Wi-Fi, cloud connectivity, capacitor, lock file button. Parking modes: Impact-triggered, time-lapse, and buffered (buffered mode needs extra radar module)
Full Review: Thinkware U1000 Review
The Thinkware U1000 is a solution for you high-tech enthusiasts out there, for whom money isn’t much of an issue. This is a highly modular camera with many optional extras, and if you get all the extra modules plus a large high-endurance memory card, it’s easy to spend well over $500 on this device.
The U1000 comes with cloud connectivity, meaning you can check the video feed from your car from anywhere with your phone. If an incident is detected by the camera’s G-sensor, it will send a notification to your phone. The camera needs to be connected to the internet for the cloud features to work, so you’ll need a wireless access point in your car (not included).
Video quality of the front camera is great at 4K resolution, especially during the day time. The rear camera’s video is fair only, so we’re rating the overall video quality of the U1000 as “good” on average.
The U1000 has advanced parking mode features. In the basic version, you can choose between impact-triggered and time-lapse parking modes. Buffered parking mode is available also, but only if you get an extra radar module that detects movement of nearby cars. The radar module costs around $100 extra.
The radar module saves energy when running the Thinkware U1000 in buffered parking mode. So far, this is the first and only dash cam to integrate radar technology.
Other features of the U1000 include integrated GPS, Wi-Fi, and a lock file button. It is powered by a capacitor instead of an internal battery, which improves heat resistance.
2. BlackVue DR750S-2CH: Reliable Front And Rear Dash Cam With Cloud
Price: Amazon CA / UK – eBay US / AU – more countries & vendors (ad)
Resolution: 1920×1080 (front and rear)
Overall video quality: Good
Reliability: Very Good
Memory capacity: 128GB (over 12 hours)
Features: Live view over cloud, alerts over cloud, integrated GPS, Wi-Fi, capacitor, lock file button, buffered and time-lapse parking modes. Battery discharge prevention device available separately (Power Magic Pro).
Full Review: BlackVue DR750S-2CH Review
BlackVue’s dash cams have always been a best seller on this site. Their DR750S-2CH is a classic that’s been around for several years already, and is still one of the most popular high-end front and rear dash cams out there.
Like the U1000, it supports cloud connectivity, allowing you to live-stream the camera’s footage to your phone or computer. If an incident is detected, it will send a notification to your phone. You’ll need a wireless access point in your car for cloud connectivity to work. (UPDATE: An access point is not needed for the newer DR750X and DR900X models.)
Video quality is very good for the front camera, and good for the rear camera.
Apps are available for iPhones and Androids that allow you to control to the camera with your phone. This camera doesn’t have a screen, but it does come with a voice menu for basic functions.
A buffered parking mode is supported, but needs a Power Magic Pro to work. This is basically BlackVue’s trademarked hard-wiring kit — it monitors your car’s battery voltage in order to not deplete it. Some vendors include a Power Magic Pro with the camera, other’s don’t. When ordered separately, it typically costs around $30.
In buffered parking mode, the dash cam will keep recording continuously while the car is parked, but without saving the footage on the memory card. Only when an event is detected will the footage be saved in a special folder. Upon your return to the car, the camera will announce that events have been detected so you will know that there are videos for you to review.
Time-lapse parking mode is also supported.
A word of caution: The DR750S has to been known to suffer from overheating in some cases, so keep this in mind if you live in a hot climate.
3. Vantrue N4: Most Popular 3-Channel Dash Cam
Price: Amazon US / CA / UK – AliExpress – eBay US / AU – more countries & vendors (ad)
Resolution: 2560×1440 front, 1920×1080 rear+interior
Overall video quality: Fair
Reliability: Good
Memory capacity: 256GB (over 18 hours)
Extras: 2.5″ screen, capacitor, lock file button. Parking modes: Simple, time-lapse. Optional GPS mount.
Full Review: Vantrue N4 Review
If you want to record your car’s interior as well as the road ahead and behind, the Vantrue N4 is your best bet. It is one of the first three-channel dash cams, and by far the most successful to date.
This camera records 1440p to the front, and 1080p to the rear. The third (interior) channel records the passenger cabin, also at 1080p. The interior camera is equipped with 4 infrared LEDs, to illuminate the passenger cabin at night when it is dark. You can switch the LEDs on and off manually, or set them to toggle automatically according to lighting conditions (recommended).
Video quality is very good for the interior camera, good for the front camera, and fair for the rear camera. At night especially, it is often hard to read other cars’ license plates. You can always see what’s going on inside your car’s passenger cabin though.
The Vantrue N4 doesn’t have too many extras: Wi-Fi isn’t supported, but the device is simple enough to operate using the built-in 2.5″ screen and menu. A special mount that includes a GPS receiver is available as an optional accessory.
The N4 does come with a capacitor to improve heat resistance, and a lock file button is also included.
4. Viofo A129 Duo: Best Value Dual-Channel Dash Cam
Price: Amazon US / CA / UK – eBay US / AU – more countries & vendors (ad)
Resolution: 1920×1080 (front and rear)
Overall video quality: Good
Reliability: Very Good
Memory capacity: 256GB (over 16 hours)
Extras: 2″ screen, Wi-Fi, capacitor, lock file button, GPS in mount. Parking modes: Time-lapse, buffered, and low bit-rate. Optional additional remote lock file button. Optional CPL filter.
Full Review: Viofo A129 Duo Review
Over the last couple of years, Viofo have become the top brand in the mid-price sector. They build very reliable dash cams for a competitive price.
The Viofo A129 Duo is our pick for the best value-for-money front and rear dash cam. At around $170, it records good quality video front and rear. If you get a maximum capacity memory card of 256GB size, you can record up to 16 hours of front and rear video (before the loop recording kicks in and the oldest files are overwritten).
With its wedge shape and black casing, the A129 is also quite stealthy. A GPS receiver is built into the camera’s mount. If you get the corresponding hard-wiring kit, the A129 Duo supports time-lapse, low bit-rate, and buffered parking modes.
A CPL filter is available for the forward facing camera only. The camera has a lock file button (the round one with the yellow triangle on it), but if you find this inconvenient to reach while driving, Viofo also offer a remote lock file button that works via Bluetooth.
You can place the remote button anywhere you like, near your steering wheel for example, so you don’t have to reach all the way over to the camera if something happens on the road that you’d like to keep video of.
5. Crosstour CR900: Best Low-Cost Front And Rear Dash Cam
Price: eBay US / AU – more countries & vendors (ad)
Resolution: 1920×1080 (front and rear)
Overall video quality: Fair
Reliability: Good
Memory capacity: 32GB
Extras: 3″ screen, lock file button, front lens can swivel up and down as well as left and right (few dash cams have this feature). Optional external GPS.
Full Review: Crosstour CR900 Review
The Crosstour CR900 is our recommendation for those who can’t (or don’t want to) spend more than $100 on a front and rear dash cam. This is the cheapest dual dash cam we’ve reviewed so far. For the price, it does a decent job, even though it does have its limitations.
Video quality is fair overall. At day, you should be able to read other car’s license plates, however at night this can become difficult.
A great plus of the Crosstour CR900 is its stealthy wedge shape. Unlike some other low-cost dash cams that stand out like a sore thumb on your windshield, the Crosstour CR900 blends into the cars interior just like the other dash cams featured in this article.
This camera comes with a 3″ screen, and is fairly intuitive to set up and use. A lock file button is included.
The lens can be swiveled both up and down, as well as left and right. This is a feature that few other dash cams share.
An external GPS module is also available, but it isn’t included in the price.
