Best Dash Cams of 2018

We often get questions on what camera is best for certain situations.  We are currently updating this page for 2018 to highlight the best cameras available depending on your specific need.

Q. I am looking for the cheapest dash cam?

A. Anything under $30 is typically poor quality. Buy from a reputable seller due to lower specification versions.

  1. Blueskysea B1W (No screen, discreet, capacitor)
  2. Xiaomi 70Mai (No screen, discreet, battery)
  3. A118C (Screen, discreet, proven reliable, video quality is worse – older cam)

Q. I am looking for a discreet single camera with a screen and GPS?

  1. Viofo A119 V2 (More reliable that A119S)
  2. Viofo A119S V2 (Better night video than A119 but not as reliable)

Q. I am looking for the best Brand Name Camera?

  1. Garmin Dash Cam 55

Q. I am looking for the dash cam brands with the best support?

  1. Street Guardian (All around support)
  2. Garmin (Good replacement policy if something goes wrong)
  3. Nextbase (UK Based, responsive to user questions)
  4. Viofo (Good firmware updates)

Q. I am looking for a budget dual camera?

  1.  Viofo A129 Duo
  2. Mini 0906 (cheaper than the A129 but not as reliable)

Q. I am looking for a premium dual camera?

  1. Street Guardian SG9663DC (best video)
  2. Thinkware F800 Pro (best buffered parking mode)
  3. BlackVue DR750S-2CH (best cloud storage)

Q. I am looking for a camera with a remote lens?

  1. No good examples currently in the market

Q. I am looking for a taxi camera (one front facing lens with no LEDs, one rear facing lens with LEDs)?

  1. Transcend DrivePro 520

Q. I am looking for a combination dash camera and satellite navigation system?

  1. Garmin nuviCam LMTHD

Q. I am looking for an affordable parking mode camera (prebuffers video)?

  1. Thinkware F50 (video quality is average, but it has prebuffered parking mode)

Q. I am looking for a camera with time lapse parking mode

Time lapse parking mode records during the entire time your vehicle is parked by lowering the fps per second and providing a “time lapse” recording.

  1. Mini 0906
  2. Vico-Opia2

Q. I am looking for the best video quality during the day?
Depending on lighting conditions, cameras perform differently so there is no “one size fits all” answer. Check the side-by-side comparison forum for real examples. The best bang for your buck dash cams on our main page perform well.

Q. I am looking for the best video quality at night?
Depending on lighting conditions, cameras perform differently so there is no “one size fits all” answer. Check the side-by-side comparison forum for real examples. The best bang for your buck dash cams on our main page perform well.

Q. I am looking for a multi-purpose dash cam / action camera?

  1. Mobius (Older camera but one of the most reliable)
  2. SJCAM SJ7

Q. I am looking for a waterproof camera?

Consider one of the action cameras above with a waterproof case.

If the our main page with our best bang for your buck list and this page does not provide a camera that meets your needs, check out our What Should I Buy Sub-Forum.

You can also check out our previous best picks in our Best Dash Cams for 2017, Best Dash Cams for 2016 and  Best Dash Cams for 2015.

PLEASE NOTE:  New cameras come out every day so I will try to keep this list up to date.  This is a living document, so please let me know if you don’t agree or believe a better camera exists.

Published: Jan 4, 2018

Last Update: Sept 16, 2018