Give yourself peace of mind by installing a front and rear dash cam in your car. Compared to dash cams that only have a front-facing camera, a front and rear dash cam will also record everything that happens behind your vehicle, which will be helpful in determining who’s at fault when there’s a rear-end collision. With front and rear dash cams coming in various models and made by different brands, it’s going to be hard to choose what to equip your car with, so to help with your decision, we’ve listed the best front and rear dash cams below.
The best front and rear dash cams in 2024
- Buy the
if you want the best overall front and rear dash cam. - Buy the
if you want a front and rear dash cam that’s loaded with smart features. - Buy the
if you want a front and rear dash cam with smart features for an affordable price. - Buy the
if you want a front and rear dash cam with 4K resolution for cheap. - Buy the
if you want a front and rear dash cam on a very tight budget.
Thinkware X1000 Dash Cam
Best front and rear dash cam for most vehicle owners
| Pros | Cons |
| 1440p resolution | GPS antenna not included |
| 3.5-inch touchscreen | |
| Night vision |
The Thinkware X1000 Dash Cam is the front and rear dash cam that most vehicle owners would want equipped in their cars, as it’s capable of recording at 1440p resolution so details will be sharp, and it features a 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen for easy operating. The dash cam offers night vision, along with technology that reduces noise and lens flare effects for clearer footage taken during nighttime. The Thinkware X1000 Dash Cam also offers an advanced driver assistance system, but that will require you to purchase a GPS antenna.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity | USB |
| Max video resolution | 1440p |
| Mounting type | Adhesive |
Nextbase iQ 4K Dash Cam
Best front and rear dash cam for vehicle owners who love smart features
| Pros | Cons |
| Watch front and rear feeds through app | Expensive |
| Call for help with Witness Mode | |
| Get emergency assistance |
If you love your smart home, then why shouldn’t you enjoy similar technology inside your vehicle? With the Nextbase iQ 4K Dash Cam and the iQ app, you can receive alerts whenever there are potential threats to your parked car, and you can tap into the front and rear feeds at any time. You can activate Witness Mode to share footage with a trusted contact for when you sense danger, and you can get emergency assistance when you find yourself in an accident.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity | Wireless |
| Max video resolution | 4K |
| Mounting type | Suction |
70mai Dash Cam Pro Plus A500S
Best front and rear dash cam if you want smart features for cheap
| Pros | Cons |
| Cheap price for smart features | Relatively low resolution for rear camera |
| Advanced driver assistant system | |
| Built-in GPS |
Smart features aren’t only for the expensive front and rear dash cams because there are affordable options like the 70mai Dash Cam Pro Plus A500S. With 1944p resolution for the front camera and 1080p resolution for the back camera, you’ll record clear footage of your everyday travels, and with an advanced driver assistant system, you’ll receive alerts when there are potential safety issues around your vehicle. The dash cam also offers built-in GPS for route tracking, automatic recording when its G sensor detects a collision, and video downloads through the 70mai app.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity | USB |
| Max video resolution | 1944p |
| Mounting type | Adhesive |
Vantrue S1 Dash Cam
Best front and rear dash cam for 4K resolution without breaking the bank
| Pros | Cons |
| Low price for 4K resolution | Wired installation for rear camera |
| Enhanced night vision | |
| Locks videos in case of accident |
For drivers who want 4K resolution in the videos that their front and rear dash cam takes, you should check out the Vantrue S1 Dash Cam. It also offers enhanced HDR night vision for clear footage in low-light environments, and a built-in GPS that keeps track of your location and speed. The dash cam also has a parking mode that will allow its cameras to start recording when there’s motion, and its valuable for protecting evidence because it locks videos whenever its G-sensor detects a crash.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity | USB |
| Max video resolution | 4K |
| Mounting type | Adhesive |
Onn. Dual Dash Cam
Best front and rear dash cam if you don’t have much to spend
| Pros | Cons |
| Very low price | Relatively low resolution |
| Parking sensor | Rear camera isn’t set to look outside |
| LCD screen |
If you’ve on a very tight budget but you want to equip your vehicle with a front and rear dash cam, the Onn. Dual Dash Cam will be your best bet. The front camera takes 1080p footage of what’s happening ahead, while the rear camera records what’s going on inside the vehicle and behind it. It has a parking lot sensor that makes it start recording when it detects impact, and a large 3-inch LCD screen shows images from both cameras.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity | USB |
| Max video resolution | 1080p |
| Mounting type | Suction |
How we chose these best front and rear dash cams
Choosing the best front and rear dash cams from all of the models that are available online isn’t an easy task, but we managed to narrow down our top picks by focusing on the needs of the vehicle owners. You’re going to have to determine your own preferences yourself before you’re able to make the decision on which of these options to buy, as well as how much you’re willing to spend. Getting a front and rear dash cam with features that you’re going to use and at a price that fits your budget is the ideal outcome.
Latest technology
You wouldn’t want to get a front and rear dash cam that’s stuck with outdated features, as that wouldn’t be an efficient use of purchasing power. While the most of the latest technology can be found in the more expensive models, even the budget-friendly dash cams should have features that make protecting your car — and more importantly, your family — much easier for you. Not all front and rear dash cams are required to have LTE connectivity, motion detection, and night vision, but it’s always nicer to have as many of these technologies as you can afford.
Ease of installation
Tinkering with your car’s electronics may be a worrisome chore for some vehicle owners, so we made sure that the front and rear dash cams that we highlighted above are easy to install. You wouldn’t need to deal with cutting wires and creating connections, as a front and rear dash cam should be a plug-and-play device as much as possible. If you need to hire an electrician to install your front and rear dash cam, that’s going to be an additional cost that you should try to avoid.
Value for money
Whether you go for a cheap front and rear dash cam or an expensive model, we want you to get excellent value for your hard-earned money. If it’s a budget dash cam, you shouldn’t be getting one that will break after just a few days, and if it’s a premium dash cam, you shouldn’t be paying extra for features that you can get from less expensive options. Determining your budget will go a loong way in helping you decide the front and rear dash cam to get, but in any case, you’re going to want to get the best option that you can afford.
This article is managed and created separately from the Digital Trends Editorial team.
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