The Best Dash Cams in The US

When purchasing any product, people want the best. Nobody sets out to buy the worst of anything, after all. Dash cams are no different, which is why Nexar has compiled a comprehensive list of the best dashcams in the United States.

Below, Nexar provides a little more than traditional run-of-the-mill dash cam reviews. We break down the best dash cams in a variety of categories, in addition to information about how to choose the best dash cam for your specific needs.

What is the #1 dash cam?

So, who is the best of the best when it comes to the best dash cam this year? Although we have a category for front + rear bundle dash cams, our number one choice is the Nexar One + rearview bundle. Nexar One, our highest resolution dash cam, covers the road and the cabin. Adding a rearview camera and making it a bundle gives drivers 3-point coverage for what many of our competitors charge for a decent roadview camera. We consider this all-encompassing package the #1 best dash cam this year.

Even when you’re away from your vehicle, your road and rearview cameras are still working. Parking Mode (supported via Nexar LTE Protection plan) springs into action during an incident or an event, recording just before and the aftermath of a collision, a break-in, or during an act of vandalism. Both cameras will activate during a collision or incident, capturing any applicable footage.

It doesn’t just start and end with Nexar One, either. Nexar connected cameras (such as beam2, beam2 mini, and Nexar One), when paired with our rearview camera, provide that crucial additional point of view while driving, capturing every event that happens or has the potential to happen – whether it happens in front of you or behind you.

Best Compact Dash Cams

Nexar beam2 mini is our compact dash cam, perfect for those who want to upgrade their driving experience and hit the road at a moment’s notice. Featuring a true plug-and-play 10-minute setup process, beam2 mini is small, simple to set up, and easy to use – so you can focus on the road ahead.

The AI-powered beam2 mini keeps you protected and connected with 4G LTE, remote live streaming, 24/7 Parking Mode, automatic emergency alerts, automatic cloud backup of critical footage, AI incident detection, and more — all in a pint-sized design. Nexar beam2 mini is truly the best dash cam that fits in your pocket, providing a 160-degree field of view (a much more expansive field of vision than our competitors).

Garmin Dash Cam™ Mini 3 is an ultracompact 1080p dash cam with a 140-degree field of view. Featuring built-in Clarity™ Polarizer technology, this is a great dash cam with entry-level features for those who aren’t looking to spend a fortune on a dash cam. However, for cloud storage and easy access/sharing of files, subscription to the Garmin Drive™ smartphone app is required.

Best Dashcam for Older Vehicles

What is the best dash cam for vehicles manufactured ten years ago or older? Some of us love nostalgia, and that can certainly extend to the cars, trucks, and whatever else we choose to drive. Some drivers out there might want coverage on an older car – for safety, security, and financial reasons. Owners of classic vehicles will certainly be interested in protecting their wheels.

Consider the Nexar beam2 front and rear dash cam bundle. Nexar beam2 is one of the connected dash cams that provides a plethora of smart features and comes with an easy setup process that can be done in 10 minutes or less. Please note that older vehicles may have older diagnostic ports. If you’re looking for the perfect security match for classic motorcars and vehicles purchased outside of the last decade, beam2 is your dash cam. It provides enhanced features like Unlimited Cloud Backup, Parking Mode, AI-powered incident reporting, Automatic Recording, not to mention live GPS tracking. These features are all accessible through the LTE Protection Plan, seamlessly protecting you and your car. 

The Nexar LTE Protection Plan* unleashes beam2’s advanced features to create a more connected driving experience, even when you’re driving a classic or more antiquated vehicle. Nexar’s robust ecosystem makes the best dashcam for older vehicles even better!

The Garmin Dash Cam™ Mini 2 provides 1080p resolution. It is considered a smaller dash cam, compact in size yet with a 140-degree field of view – it’s easy to set up, and there aren’t a ton of nuts and bolts to contend with. Garmin Mini 2 also has a voice control feature that responds to hands-free spoken commands, making it a very convenient product to use on the road. The only drawback is that this dash cam requires at least an 8 GB microSD™ card (Class 10 or faster), which is not included – you have to purchase your memory card separately, adding to the upfront cost.

Best Smart Dash Cam

“Smart dash cam” is kind of an unnecessary term. Nobody is in the market for a dumb dash cam – drivers want the best dash cams available on the market. But, one thing smart dash cams can do that antiquated dash cam models might not be able to is connect seamlessly with your smartphone. We took a look at best dash cam options for dash cams that integrate with smartphones and have what we consider “intelligent” features.

Nexar beam2 just happens to also be the smartest dash cam we’ve ever made. Your smart driving sidekick is packed with connected features at the unbeatable price of $249.95 for a limited time. This smart dash cam connects right to your smartphone, providing must-have features like remote livestream, automatic emergency alerts, vehicle tracking, and Parking Mode – all powered by Nexar LTE Protection Plan.

The Nextbase iQ is a dash cam that utilizes smart alerts and offers features like Roadwatch AI and Witness Mode. Such advanced features give drivers the ability to protect themselves and to take action when an incident happens. With a normal asking price of $499, this dash cam may price itself out when it comes to cost-conscious consumers.

The Thinkware U1000 is the brand’s newest flagship model. With features like Radar Parking Mode, GPS tracking, remote live view, and geo-fencing, this smart dash cam is a true contender for best of the year. However, the U1000 is currently priced at $329.99, which still may be too costly for drivers trying to stay on a budget. 

Best Budget-Friendly Dash Cam

Now it’s time to cover the best dash cam options for drivers on a budget. Need your dollars to stretch? We have you covered.

We know we’ve covered Nexar beam2 mini prior to this, but it’s just such a versatile small dash cam – and it appeals to the driver looking to come in at the lower end of the totem pole when it comes to price point without sacrificing quality. Priced at $149.95 for a limited time, this dash cam is comparable in cost to offerings from companies like Thinkware and Garmin – both of which require components sold separately for full functionality. We don’t do that. We’d rather be upfront out of consideration for our customers.

Thinkware F70 PRO is a simple Full HD front-facing (roadview) dashcam with Wi-Fi. With a normal asking price of $99.99, this camera is considered inexpensive and still has a few crucial features. Although this might be considered a basic dash cam, it does have Parking Surveillance Mode, which incorporates motion and impact detection, which is powered by hardwiring or an OBD II power cable. The OBD II power cable is sold separately for $44.99, adding to the total upfront cost if you’re looking to unlock all features.

The Cobra SC 120 is normally priced at $129.95. This dash cam does provide cloud storage via Cobra’s Drive Smarter® app, but the SC 120 is fairly slim on features otherwise. While we don’t consider this the best dashcam when it comes to smart features, this is an acceptable basic dash cam for drivers who don’t want to spend a lot of money and don’t need connected features.

Best 4K Dash Cam

For those looking for the best dash cams that can capture a fantastically clear and vivid picture/image, Nexar One is the dashboard camera for you. 

Nexar One is our highest definition camera and is our top choice for the best dash cam that captures video in 4K. As we compose this article, 4K is the highest definition currently available for a dash cam. Nexar One is your eagle-eyed companion any time you hit the road. This dash cam records such crystal clear footage that it might get you a viral-worthy clip. Don’t think of this dash cam as just a security system – the way it can capture scenic views might make this a valuable wingman for any video/content creator. Of course, this dash cam has all the connected smart features that will keep you protected on and off the road.

Nexar One records at an angle of 140° outside and 160° inside. Even when it's too bright or at night, you’ll always see the big picture with our flagship 4K dash cam.

The Thinkware U3000 has the ability to capture crystal-clear footage (in either 4K or 2K resolution). However, normally priced at $429.99, this dash cam is more expensive than Nexar One and may be out of the question for many drivers, budget-wise.

The Cobra SC 400D provides easily shareable 4K UHD resolution. This 4K smart dash cam has an optional rear-view accessory camera and comes with an SD card as well. The fact that this 4K dash cam is priced under $400 might appeal to some buyers. However, our Nexar One front and rear bundle gives you roadview, cabin view, and rearview for the same price.

Best Front & Rear Dash Cam

Now that we know the best dash cam in a variety of important categories, it’s time to cover multi-channel dash cam setups. 

What is the best dashcam system with multiple cameras? Nexar beam2 mini roadview/rearview bundle is a fantastic option for budget-conscious drivers who want 2-point coverage. Currently priced at $199.90 while supplies last, you can get 2-camera coverage at a steal.

For those who want to capture what’s going on in the front and the back, this option is for you. If you’re looking for additional features, you can bundle up on any of our connected dash cams (beam2, beam2 mini, and Nexar one). Our front and rear dash cam bundles give you front-to-back coverage for the same price that a lot of dash cam providers charge for a single roadview camera.

Nextbase provides a Rear View Camera that is normally priced at $99.99. This rear camera can be added to dash cams like the 322GW (normally priced at $199.99). Nexbase’s front and rear bundle has features like WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS.

The Vantrue Sonnet 1 PRO (S1 Pro) is a front and rear camera bundle that captures video in 1080p resolution. This bundle is priced at $199.99, which does make it a viable option for our budget-conscious consumers out there. One drawback is that the United States LTE module does not fully support AT&T and Verizon SIM cards. Some consumers may find this troublesome and problematic.

Best Night Vision Dash Cam

One important aspect of a dash cam is whether or not it can record at night. After all, we drive at night and our vehicles are parked at night. We need to be able to capture events in the daytime or in the evening.

We’d hate to keep bringing it up, but our high definition dash cam, Nexar One, is able to capture 4K footage day or night. With Night Vision and Parking Mode in addition to other smart features provided through our LTE Protection Plan, Nexar One can truly see it all, no matter what time of day it is.

The Thinkware Q200 captures sharp 2K QHD videos at 30fps. This results in clear footage with good contrast and color balance. This camera incorporates technology that ensures every detail is recorded, in the daytime and at nighttime. 

How to choose the best dash cam for me? 

Wondering how to choose the best dash cam for your specific needs? There are a few factors to take into consideration when choosing your dash camera or dash cam system.

Factors to consider when choosing your dash cam include:

• Number of cameras
• Storage (cloud vs. internal memory)
• Image quality (1080p or above)
• Features
• Cost 

We cover all these topics and more in our “How to choose a dash cam” blog if you’d like more information on that.

How We Tested The Dash Cams?

We took several factors into consideration when selecting this year’s best dash cam for each category. Some of the most important things we considered included cost/budget, installation process, durability, windshield footprint, quality of video, whether or not the camera has connected smart features, as well as what’s inside the box. 

Dash cams were omitted if they had any outstanding problems or below-average consumer reviews. We also omitted dash cams that were outdated. Even the dash cams we selected for classic and older cars are considered current in their features and capabilities.

That pretty much concludes our Best Dash Cams of 2025. We hope this article differentiates itself from run-of-the-mill dash cam reviews. We also hope this comprehensive list of the best dash cams of 2025 helps you make a much more informed decision if you’re in the market for a dash cam. Better yet, just visit getnexar.com to view our menu of connected dash cams, one of which is bound to be the perfect fit for you.

At Nexar, we design smart dash cams with the driver in mind — putting safety, simplicity, and real-time protection first. Our mission is to create a more connected driving experience and pave the way toward a safer future on the road.