Dashcams are becoming more sophisticated by the day, especially when you consider their humble beginnings – the first dashcams to really make an impact on the UK market only had one forward facing camera, typically recorded in 1080p and did not record in-car audio. Even the popular 2016 Nextbase 212 model only had a 2.7” LED screen and recording at 30FPS. In just two short years, dash cam technology has leapt forward, with models such as Nextbase Duo and GPS enabled Garmin Dash Cam 35 taking the marketplace by storm.
Nextbase are undoubtedly one of the biggest brands in this sector and have been since 2014 with their Swiftcover collaboration. Customers could earn a 12.5% discount on their quote with Swift if they owned a Nextbase dashcam. Since then, many insurers offer similar deals (although most do not limit you to a brand of camera), including commercial insurance specialists such as Constructaquote.com.
In no particular order, 3 of the most popular dash cams this year so far are:
Nextbase Duo HD
We had to include a Nextbase model and which better than the Duo – with offering recording for both the front and rear of the vehicle, this model removes any need for wiring to a separate rear unit and gives drivers extra coverage for accidents in either direction.
The Duo does have GPS functionality which is a plus as the exact route, time and date are all recorded (so no lying to your insurance with this model) with built in WiFi so you can extract footage at the scene. It also comes with a MicroSD card as standard which can be extracted and loaded onto a suitable device for viewing.
Like most dashcams, the video footage is looped on a 20 min timescale, so older footage will be deleted constantly – but if an important clip is recorded, such as a bump, it will save them to the memory card automatically so you don’t lose them.
It does feature Nextbase’s Click & Go GPS Magnetic Mount which makes life easier for setup and use and starts automatically when the ignition is switched on.
Technical Stats
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080p (Full HD) or 1280 × 720p (HD)
- Frames per Second (FPS): 30FPS (Full HD) or 60 FPS (HD)
- Viewing angle: 140° (front) with 50m rear zoom
- Screen: 7″ / 68.6 mm LED touchscreen
- Memory: MicroSD
- Dimensions: 65 x 140 x 38 mm (H x W x D)
- GPS: Yes
Garmin Dash Cam 35
Garmin are another big player in the dashcam market and this HD model is the culmination of their camera and fitness tracker technology. Sharp imagery and audio make this a great dashcam, especially as the inbuilt GPS allows for exact date stamps and timing on all recordings.
This model has several features designed to not only capture important moments on camera, but also make your driving experience easier, like the speed trap warning system, forward collision warning alerts and its touchscreen interface. You can also pay a yearly subscription to link to the Cyclops™ database which contains updated information about red light, mobile and fixed speed cameras.
This camera is lightweight and easy to mount in and out of the vehicle, which does also mean you can take it with you if you need close up pictures of any damage.
Technical Stats
- Resolution: 1080p
- Frames per Second (FPS): 30FPS
- Viewing angle: 113°
- Screen: 3″ / 76.2 mm LED touchscreen
- Memory: MicroSD (up to 64GB)
- Dimensions: 48 x 94 x 39 mm (H x W x D)
- GPS: Yes
RoadHawk DC-2 HD GPS Dash Cam
RoadHawk is a relatively new name to this sector but already has made quite the reputation for itself. The DC-2 comes with evidential-grade footage, GPS information and G-Force data, so in the unfortunate event of an incident occurring, you know you’ll be covered if you need evidence for the police or your insurer.
One of the good things this camera has is gyro balanced image stabilisation, which keeps the imagery stable, and also a high quality sensor for use in low-light. If the camera detects sudden jolts, the current clip will be saved automatically to a separate “event” folder – you also have the ability to press the “event” button if you want to save footage clips of others on the road, too.
Inbuilt GPS ensures your route is saved to the RoadHawk map, as well as speed, location data, date and time. It is also capable of handling memory cards up to 128GB, an impressive amount.
The one thing to note about this model is that it does not have an integrated viewing screen – you will have to download your clips to view on an external device.
Technical Stats
- Resolution: 1080p Full HD
- Frames per Second (FPS): 30FPS
- Viewing angle: 120°
- Memory: MicroSD (up to 128GB) – 8GB card included as standard
- Dimensions: 98 x 68 x 26 mm (H x W x D)
- GPS: Yes
