Buying a Dash Cam? All You Need to Know

The abundance of dash cameras in the market may be good for prices, but it makes your selection of the right model a thankless task. While the majority of them will cover all bases and budgets in terms of their main function, getting only the best for your money is the order of the day. Let us show you how you can achieve it with this short guide.

Check Supported Video Quality

The majority of dash cams today will give you at least an HD resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels and this is the absolute limit below which you should not venture. A sweet spot of a resolution may be Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) while going to 4K may be a bit of an overkill for the majority of drivers. An important thing to consider is that getting the raw numbers up in the case of supported resolutions is not a fool-proof way to get the crispy footage quality you are after. The best thing would be to test it for yourself while minding the minimum and best-buy values we gave above.

Consider the Ease of Use

The ease with which you mount and configure your dash cam in line with the provided instructions is also important. This is particularly relevant if you do not want to leave your dash cam in a car overnight for whatever reason.

Also, check if your dash cam comes with a sufficiently long power cord, particularly if you want to avoid having it dangle from your screen and either obstruct your view or hurt the aesthetics of your car’s interior.

What about All Those Bells and Whistles?

Yes, your final choice of a dash cam will ultimately depend on your budget and a set of expectations in terms of what you want to see for your money. Some of these features aren’t really necessary if you are after the basic functionality of every dash cam, but feel free to check them out alongside their price tag.

Parking mode can be a useful feature as it allows your camera to activate and record each instance of collision that it may detect while your vehicle is parked. If you are parking in busy parking spots, this can help you identify every hit-and-run driver.

GPS on a dash cam marks your location in case of an accident. It will usually also provide data on the speed and the route taken. More cautious drivers will welcome its functionality in case of a collision or a crash.

G-force sensors are activated during collisions and triggered by the detected force of impact. Their role is to protect the device from overwriting the footage which is made as part of a loop recording.

Wi-Fi allows you to send video from the camera directly to a device of your choice. Some models support the live viewing of video in real-time. Saving footage on your phone will usually require you to install a dash cam app.

More advanced cameras come with the support for voice and virtual assistants such as Alexa that will allow you to issue verbal commands to your device.

Conclusion

With mainstream adoption and easier and more affordable access to dashboard cameras, these devices want to conquer the market with countless models and constantly upgraded features. Beyond the bells and whistles, you should really pay attention to the video quality and camera mounting system and work your way to more advanced features such as those that support easier accident management.