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Best Dash Cam 2024 Buying Guide

The best dash camera for you and your car, van, truck, motorbike, etc, depends on the features you want the dash cam to deliver. Read on to find out about the different features that are available and what to consider when buying a BlackVue, Garmin, Mio or a Snooper dash cam.

Screen on the dash cam

The first thing to decide when buying a new dash camera is whether it features a screen or not. Why buy a dash cam with a screen? A dash cam with a screen enables instant playback of the footage captured. A screen can also warn you of approaching speed cameras and even alert you when you straying outside of your lane on the road. Why buy a dash camera without a screen? You may want a smaller more discreet installation. Not having a screen dramatically reduces the size of the dashboard camera. In addition some dash cams feature WiFi technology allowing you to download and view playback on a compatible smartphone.

The smallest screens are found on the Garmin Dash Cam range. Each model, including the Garmin Dash Cam 67W and Garmin Dash Cam 47 features a 2-inch screen. The latest Garmin Dash Cam X range feature a a screen size of 2.4-inch. Garmin dash cams in the X range include the Garmin Dash Cam X310 and Garmin Dash Cam X110. The Mio MiVue 846 and MiVue 866 both feature a 2.7-inch screen. Some dash cams including the BlackVue DR750 2CH LTE and Mio MiVue J60 don't include a screen however you can download video to a compatible smartphone or to a compatible computer.

Size of the dash cam

As mentioned above, dash cameras without a screen are very small in comparison to their counterparts that feature a screen.

If you want a discreet installation we recommend the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3, Mio MiVue J85, Mio MiVue J60, Mio MiVue C380 or BlackVue (such as BlackVue DR750X 1CH,or BlackVue DR590X 1CH).

Front and rear cameras

ActiveGPS.co.uk retails BlackVue, Garmin, Mio and Snooper dashboard cameras. All dash cams feature front or forward facing recording, additionally some dash cam models also include a rear facing camera in the box. If you would like a front and rear dash camera we recommend you consider the BlackVue DR970X 2CH, BlackVue DR750 2CH LTE, Mio MiVue 955WD and Mio MiVue C595WD.

Dash cam viewing angle

Viewing angle refers to the width of the view being recorded. The best viewing angle is 180° on the Garmin Dash Cam 67W. All of the BlackVue dash cams offer a 139° and the Mio Mivue dash cams feature a 140° recording angle on the latest Mio MiVue 955W, Mio MiVue 935W and Mio MiVue C590.

Speed camera locations and GPS technology

Many dash cams that feature a screen include a speed camera database so you will also be alerted to speed camera locations along your journey. Furthermore the vast majority of dashboard cameras include GPS technology to record your GPS location and speed at any recorded incident. Snooper have their own database of speed camera locations which is very comprehensive and features on the Snooper SC5900 DVR MY-SPEED XL Plus (pictured right). Garmin use the Cyclops database for speed camera locations in their dash cams (see the Garmin Dash Cam 57 or Garmin dash cam 67W. Mio MiVue dash cams include a free lifetime speed camera database and also speed limit database.

Parking mode

The majority of dash cams include a parking mode. The parking mode feature uses motion detection to begin recording and some offer a means to power the dash cam without draining the car battery (Mio Smart Power Box III sold separately for Mio MiVue dash cams). Other dash cams rely on a built-in battery to power whilst in parking mode. All BlackVue and Garmin dashboard cameras include parking mode. Most Mio MiVue dash cams include parking mode.

Photo mode

Most dash cams include photo mode for taking photos using the internal battery for power. Please check the device features to ensure this feature is included.

Further information and comparison

To compare the latest dash camera range available to buy from ActiveGPS please see the dash cam comparison table. The dash camera comparison table features a selection of 10 dash cameras from the various manufacturers including; Garmin and Snooper. If you would like to compare all dash cams from a particular dash cam manufacturer, e.g. BlackVue, please click on the relevant link below:

‣BlackVue Dash Cam Comparison Table
‣Garmin Dash Cam Comparison Table
‣Mio Dash Cam Comparison Table
‣Snooper Dash Cam Comparison Table

Dash Camera useful links:

‣Dash Cam range
‣Comparison table
‣FAQ's

This page was last updated on: 19th December 2024