4 Dash Cams Actually Worth Your Money, According To Consumer Reports

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Dash cams have increasingly become a must-have tech accessory for your car. Whether you want bulletproof evidence for accidents or attempted scams, the video recording captured by a dash cam can be helpful in not only keeping fraudsters at bay but also aiding with insurance disputes. Many dash cams also have a built-in parking mode to watch out for theft attempts, impact by other vehicles, or keying by mischievous strangers. Beyond all the legal and utilitarian stuff, a dash cam can also be an excellent car gadget for road trips, especially if you wish to capture interesting and wild moments on the road, helping you avoid fumbling with your phone.

While you can use your old iPhone as a dash cam, we recommend getting a dedicated dash cam since there are tons of them on the market at good prices. Notably, most dash cams are made by brands that a first-time buyer may not have heard of. Fortunately, Consumer Reports (CR), a trusted and unbiased source for reviews of products and services, tests, and rates dash cams. CR's feedback can be an excellent starting point in your dash cam shopping journey. So, here are four dash cams that have gotten positive feedback from not only CR but also Amazon shoppers, making them worth your money.

The F7NP Basic from Redtiger is CR's top pick for a dash cam, thanks to its ease of installation, excellent daytime video quality, and a large 3.2-inch screen. It's a dual-channel dash cam, meaning it comes with both front and rear cameras to keep you covered from both sides. The front camera can capture videos in 4K, has a 170-degree field of view, and uses Sony's widely-liked Starvis 2 sensor found in most high-quality dash cams. However, the rear camera is limited to 1080p, which isn't as detailed as the front camera, but it is still decent for most use cases. Among other highlights, you can opt for an optional CPL (Circular Polarizing Lens) filter to reduce glare and reflections, and a hardwire kit to keep the dash cam powered even when the car is parked, which can be handy if you park your car in a not-so-safe space.

Redtiger supplies everything you need in the box, including a 128 GB microSD card, which you'll certainly appreciate given how SD card prices have skyrocketed because of the chip shortage, just like RAM prices. There is also a GPS bracket in the box for superior location tracking and cable clips to help route the cable around the car cabin neatly. The F7NP Basic is reasonably priced at $150 and is often discounted, reaching as low as $86. It has also garnered an excellent average buyer rating of 4.2 out of 5 on Amazon.

The Rove R2-4K Pro is another excellent dash cam, which, according to CR, performs almost equally well as the Redtiger F7NP Basic, with easy installation and solid daytime video and audio quality. CR also found its nighttime video to be usable. However, it uses a slightly older Starvis image sensor, which can still capture videos in 4K, albeit not as sharp as the Redtiger option. It's also accompanied by a wide-angle lens for a 150-degree field of view. Unfortunately, it doesn't support rear or inside cameras, so it's a good choice if you only want a front-facing dash cam.

In other highlights, the Rove dash cam, which is rated 4.5 by Amazon shoppers, supports up to 512 GB microSD cards and Parking Mode using an optional hardwire kit. You also get built-in GPS, voice alerts, and a 2.4-inch display. The company includes everything you need for a seamless install in the box, including both suction and sticky mounts, electrostatic film, cleaning pads, and a dual-USB car charger.

The Viofo A119 V3 is another good dash cam that you can consider if you are only thinking of getting a front-facing camera for your car, as it doesn't support additional cameras. Otherwise, CR says it has good video and audio quality and comes with a built-in 2-inch display to control the camera and review the captured footage. It's also well-liked among Amazon shoppers, with an average rating of 4.3. However, the installation option is limited to adhesive mounts, which are a pain if you mess up the install and need to relocate or adjust the camera's location. More premium cameras offer suction mounts.

Another downside of the Viofo camera is the lack of an app to view the footage on your phone. The Viofo camera uses Sony's 5MP Starvis sensor, which can capture 1440p video and is paired with a 140-degree field-of-view lens. The company supplies a GPS module in the pack if you want to keep track of your GPS location in the captured footage. Additionally, you can enable one of three parking modes using an optional hardwire kit. You'll need to buy a microSD separately as it's not bundled in the package, unlike most of the other recommendations. The Viofo A119 V3 is priced at $114.

The Rexing V1–4K is the most affordable option among CR's recommendations, coming in at under $100. Despite its low price tag, it's reasonably feature-rich, with 4K video recording support, a 170-degree field of view, and a 2.4-inch display. Unlike the Viofo dash cam, it has a mobile app. However, it doesn't come with a GPS module in the box; you will have to purchase one separately. The same goes for the suction mount, as the company only supplies the dash cam with an adhesive strip for installation.

Another accessory that you'll have to buy, as it's not supplied in the package, is a microSD card. Otherwise, CR says the dash cam has good video and audio quality, but you don't get support for rear or inside cameras. In other features, like all other recommendations, it has a parking mode, which you can enable with the company's optional hardwire kits. It has received an average rating of 4.1 from Amazon buyers. 

While picking the dash cams that are actually worth your money, we consulted the best dash cams guide released by Consumer Reports, which is a trusted source of product and service reviews in the U.S. We refined our choices by also taking into account the buyer reviews shared on Amazon and chose dash cams that are rated four or above and are widely available for purchase. All the dash cameras on this list can record in either 1440p or 4K resolution, and come with all the required accessories for installation.