Vantrue E1 Pro Review – Tiny Cloud-Capable 1CH Dash Cam

Vantrue E1 Pro dash cam with CPL

Vantrue E1 Pro Specs

– Max. resolution: 3840×2160 @ 30fps
– Released: 2025
– Price: Amazon US / CAAliExpressmore countries & vendors (ad)
– Aperture: f/1.8
– 1.54″ screen
– GPS
– High Dynamic Range (HDR)
– Wi-Fi (2.4 and 5 GHz)
– Size: 50mm x 44mm x44 mm (1.97″ x 1.73″ x 1.73″)
– Weight: 95g (3.3oz)
– Starvis 2 IMX678 sensor
– Angle of view: 158° diagonal
– Operating temperature: from -20°C to 70°C (-4°F to 158°F)
– Storage temperature: from -25°C to 70°C (-13°F to 158°F)
– Video format: MP4
– Supports up to 1TB MicroSD cards (66 hours)
– Time and date stamp on video
– Loop recording, auto on/off, G-Sensor
– Parking modes: Buffered, Collision, Low Bit Rate, Time-Lapse
– Lock file button
– CPL filter included
– Player software for Windows / Mac
– Apps for Android / iOS
– Internal capacitor instead of battery
– Internal microphone and speaker
– Adhesive or suction mount
– Optional LTE module for cloud connectivity
– Voice control

Vantrue E1 Pro Review

The E1 Pro is a tiny, approximately cube-shaped dash cam with 3 buttons and a 1.5″ screen on the back. It comes with a CPL filter out of the box and supports true 4K resolution (3840×2160 pixels) at 30 frames per second (fps).

It will take memory cards up to 1TB (Terabyte) in size, which is more than any other dash cam we’ve reviewed so far. Most recent dash cams only support up to 512GB. A 1TB SD card can hold up to 66 hours of 4K video at the highest quality.

Design And Usability

As mentioned above, the Vantrue E1 Pro is very small, and thus quite discreet. It’s almost cube shaped, being a bit deeper than it is high and wide. Its exact measurements are 1.97″ x 1.73″ x 1.73″.

The downside of its small size is that the screen on the rear is tiny and crammed with icons. Also, the E1 Pro can be somewhat fiddly to operate via the three small buttons.

In most cases, it’s easier to adjust any settings over Wi-Fi, via the app. Or use voice commands when you’re driving.

You can connect your smart phone either with 2.4GHz or 5GHz Wi-Fi. If you’re going for the LTE module, you also have the option of changing the camera’s settings remotely. This can be useful in parking mode for example.

Video Quality And Samples

Our video scores go from 0 (poor) to 5 (excellent). For an explanation of video scores check the annotations below the comparison tables.

Day Time Video Sample


Video quality at day is good to very good (3.5/5). You may have to pause the video to read some cars’ license plates, but when you do, they are crystal clear.

Night Time Video Samples

The E1 Pro comes with a proprietary technology by Vantrue that is meant to make licenes plates easier to read. This technology is called PlatePix.

Here’s some night footage with PlatePix turned off:

And here is some with PlatePix on:

In both cases, night video quality is fair (2.0/5). You’ll be able to read some license plates by pausing the video, but not all of them. Arguably, they are easier to read with Platepix on, so it does help.

So summing it up, video quality is good to very good during the day, and fair at night.

More Hot Features

The Vantrue E1 Pro is the first dash cam that we’ve come across that supports memory cards up to 1 TB (Terabyte) in size. Which is amazing, because with a full TB you can record a whopping 66 hours of 4K video at 30 fps before the loop recording kicks in and starts overwriting older files.

Remote Control

Like all Vantrue dash cams, the E1 Pro will work with Vantrue’s remote control button. This makes it easier to save video and perform various other functions while keeping your hands on the wheel.

Voice Commands

The camera understands spoken commands such as “Take Photo” or “Lock Video” are also supported, so if you prefer those you might not need the extra button.

Parking Mode

Like all dash cams, the E1 Pro needs a hard-wiring kit or battery pack to be able to run in parking mode. A hard-wiring kit for the E1 Pro costs about $20 extra. Battery packs are more expensive (here’s an overview).

The following parking modes are supported:

  • Buffered: Records 15s before to 30s after an event
  • Low bit rate: 1080p 15fps (recommended) or 720p 15fps
  • Collision Detection: Wakes up and records a clip when it detects motion
  • Low Frame Rate (Time-Lapse): Can be set to record at various frame rates such as 1fps

Cloud Connectivity

The E1 Pro is compatible with Vantrue’s LTE module (available separately). Together with a SIM card and data plan, this will allow you to connect the dash cam to the manufacturer’s cloud. You can then view live footage remotely, in the app.

Other cloud functions include vehicle tracking, geo-fencing, cloud storage, and event notifications to your phone.

User Manual

The English language user manual is about 40 pages long, well written, and easy to understand.

Conclusion

The Vantrue E1 Pro is a great, stealthy little 1-channel dash cam with decent video quality. It comes with a CPL filter included, and supports cloud, buffered parking mode, and up to 1 Terabyte (66 hours) of storage — this should be more than enough for most users.

Its only drawbacks are the fiddly buttons and the rather cluttered screen, but this is obviously due to the camera’s small size. (At least it has a screen, unlike most of the even smaller dash cams.)

Pros:

  • First dash cam to support 1TB SD cards
  • Small and discreet
  • CPL included
  • Cloud connectivity
  • 4 parking modes, including buffered

Cons:

  • Small buttons can be fiddly to use
  • Tiny, cluttered screen

Where To Buy

The Vantrue E1 Pro is available for sale from the following vendors:

Amazon US / CA / DE / FR / ES / IT

AliExpress

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