Top 10 Best Budget Dash Cam 2023

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Model	Features
TOGUARD Mini Dash Cam Read Our Review	1080P full HD dash cameras recording with 1.5 inch LTPS screen, it's tiny for cars not cover your angle view. G-Sensor function that records an accident and lock the footage when sudden braking, impact, rapid acceleration or sharp cornering occurs. Additional 16GB micro SD card included.Coming with 1 IR LED night vision and 120 degree wide angle lens.
Apeman Dash Cam Read Our Review	1080P 30FPS video recording with WDR Technology help to capture high-resolution video, clear video(12M) and never miss any license plate. Framing from a 170-degree angle, the camera successfully avoids the video shooting blind area, captures a sweeping view of the road. Full HD Videos, Super Night Vision, Ultra Wide 170 Degree Angle, G-sensor, 6G Lens, Motion Detection, Auto-Locking, Date Stamp, Plate Stamp and Built-in Lithium Battery.
Crosstour In-Car Dash Cam Read Our Review	Super large screen shows the realtime image, helps you clearly see every details when playing back and brings better visual experience. With super big aperture and wide dynamic range(WDR), you can get comparatively clearer footage and image at night. Loop recording, motion detection, on/off audio, license plate stamp, time stamp, auto power off, screen saver, burst photo. All of these functions basically cover what you need for daily driving.
Xuanpad S3 Mini Dash Cam Read Our Review	The cam will turn on/off and start/stop recording automatically when the engine turn on/off. Bulit-in G-sensor and with the function of motion detection, the dash cam will protect your car even when parking. 1920X1080P at 30fps video, 12M 4032X3024 high quality pictures that make a good performance in every detail of every corner.
Crosstour Mini In Car Dash Cam Read Our Review	SONY 2M sensor, F1.8 super big aperture are combined in CR700. So it can record much better and clearer videos than other dash cams even in dark night. 170° viewing angle can bring you more views. With 6 glass lens, the dash cam can record more clear and better scenery. During collisions, the built-in gravity sensor(G Sensor) will trigger forced file protection function. The protected video file will not be deleted or overwitten.

Driving a car is without a doubt the most convenient method of getting from place to place in the UK. Whether that is going to and from work, a trip to the shops or simply for social use, there are many places in the country where public transport is not efficient, and it’s expensive, too! That’s not to say that running a car is cheap, but compare it to regular bus or train trips, and build in the convenience of door to door travel, and it’s the best way by far.

The roads of the UK are, however, among the most problematic in the world, with accidents a regular occurrence even on minor roads. Part of the reason is that the network has remained largely unchanged for many years, yet the quantity of traffic – including an increase of heavy freight – means that congestion is unavoidable in many places. Apart from the wear and tear that a car incurs over thousands of miles, resulting in necessary servicing, and the petrol and tax costs, there’s the one thing that we all dread: insurance!

Younger drivers nowadays have great trouble getting insured for even the least powerful and cheapest cars, such is the alarming rate of accidents. Even those of us with experience pay a lot for insurance. There are many ways you can reduce your costs, however, and one of the cheapest and most effective is to fit a dash cam. These small, effective devices record what is going on in front of you as you drive, and as such are a great help if you are involved in an accident or happen o be behind one. Insurance companies love them, too, so we took a look at the top 10 on the market right now. Before we give you more details, let’s have a quick look at what they do, how they work, and why you need one.

The Top 10

1: TOGUARD Mini Dash Cam

Our first model is an entirely typical dash cam that should give you a good idea of what you are going to be looking at. It’s from Toguard, who have a range of similar products, and it’s a full HD 1080P resolution camera which is pretty much what you want. This one has a motion detector and will start and stop when the engine is turned on and off, and sticks to the windscreen. The arm can be angled so you get the view you need ahead.

It’s very small so can be fitted behind the mirror so it does not obscure your view, features a loop recording function, and it has easy playback so you can check that it is recording. This is a neat and basic dash cam that will suffice, but it’s worth knowing that it does not come with an SD card included, so you need to supply that yourself. Nevertheless, at the price it’s worth looking at.

2: Apeman Dash Cam

There are some products that we expect to feature repetition, and the dash cam is one of these. The reason is that they are all designed to do the same job – record what is happening ahead – and they do so in the same way. Indeed, it’s very likely that a number of these have the same internals, and are simply packaged in a different way. This one, as with the above, is a compact model that is fixed with a sucker – preferably behind the mirror – and offers some interesting features.

First, it is a wide angle camera so you get 170-degree coverage, which is enough for three or four lanes. Second, it can be used as a parking sensor, too. It has a 3” LED screen so you can see it is recording, it has high quality optics and provides 1080P HD resolution. It’s a good all-round camera in a tough metal surround, but once again you need to buy the SD card, although that’s not an expensive addition. Comes with all fittings and cables, and it’s a good price.

3: Crosstour In-Car Dash Cam

Very similar to the above in every single way – it’s a 3” screen, 170-degree wide angle camera with suction fitting, loop recording, motion sensor and so on – is this model from Crosstour, almost to the point it could be the very same model. That’s no bad thing, however, as you want specific performance and ability from one of these, so there is simply no reason to stray from the path and provide anything other than what the driver and insurance company wants.

It’s another wide angle camera so you get 170-degree coverage, which is enough for three or four lanes. It can be used as a parking sensor, too. It has a 3” LED screen so you can see it is recording, it has high quality optics and provides 1080P HD resolution. This one also claims to offer better night vision recording, although we are led to believe that each of those in the list is more than capable in this area. Comes with all fittings and cables, and it’s a good price.

4: Xuanpad S3 Mini Dash Cam

For some drivers, a camera attached to the screen is a distraction, despite it being an important safety device and potential cost-saver in terms of insurance. The cameras on this list are generally split into a couple of different classes: the standard sized models, which tend to be sized to incorporate a 3-inch screen, and mini models such as this one which do the same job, but are only large enough for a 1.5-inch screen. If you want small, this may be the one to go for.

It’s a simple, tiny camera that will hide behind your mirror and cause minimal obstruction, it offers 168-degree wide-screen vision – impressive for such a compact device – and it can provide 1080P resolution at 30 frames per second, which is all you need in one of these. There is no SD card supplied but it will take up to 32GB, and you can use the over-write feature at a selection of intervals, with the option to lock files. Small, cheap and usable.

5: Crosstour Mini In Car Dash Cam

Our second model from the Crosstour range, which includes a wide number of these cameras, is a more sophisticated design. We mentioned over-write above: this is where the camera records in a loop fashion – in other words, if it’s for accident and insurance purposes, you don’t want a 100mile journey recorded, but just the bit with the accident! You can choose the over-write time interval from a variety of options with this one (and others) so you don’t waste recording space.

This is a 170-degree wide angle camera with full HD 1080P resolution, it comes with a G-sensor which means it will automatically lock recorded files at the point it senses an impact, and it is a very compact design so will not take up screen space. This one is robustly built to a high quality standard, is easy to use and comes with all the features you will find on any of these, and while it is somewhat more expensive than others, is worth checking out.

6: Crosstour CR100

This is the ‘base’ model in the Crosstour range, and it’s a 3” screen, 170-degree wide angle camera with suction fitting, loop recording, motion sensor and so on, so that’s all the necessary features taken care of. This is a brand that majors in dash cams so you can expect it to do the job you want doing, and it’s suitably easy to use and fit. It’s well-made, and sticks to the window with the usual suckers.

It’s another wide angle camera so you get 170-degree coverage, which is enough for three or four lanes. It can be used as a parking sensor, too. It has a 3” LED screen so you can see it is recording, it has high quality optics and provides 1080P HD resolution. This one also claims to offer better night vision recording, although we are led to believe that each of those in the list is more than capable in this area. Comes with all fittings and cables, and it’s a good price.

7: Innosinpo Upgraded Dash Cam

There are basic models that do the job, and more sophisticated designs that seem to offer something extra – although to be fair, we’re not sure you need them, but more of that later. This very neat, compact and usable mini dash cam is very similar to other models on here, and will easily sit behind the mirror for less obstruction. It’s a full 1080P model, has suitable swivel for getting the angle right, and fits to the screen in the usual fashion.

While only a 140-degree vision model – that’s one thing that some of the more sophisticated models to better – it will still cover three lanes, and two very easily, and as usual it offers loop recording and has the G-sensor for when you need to automatically lock recordings. If you are on a budget and simply want one to tell you insurance company you have one fitted, you could possibly buy this one with change from 20 quid, so it’s well worth checking out.

8: Pruveeo F5 Dash Cam

We were hoping to find at least one of these devices that was notably different, and this is it! It’s from Pruveeo, who have been making dash cams for a while – it is their main business – and it’s a very clever model in many ways. It’s cleverly designed to be barely noticeable from outside the car, for a start, and fits to the windscreen with a strong mount. It is an HD 1080P model, and it comes with many satisfied users already.

This one has only a 140-degree vision – but that should be easily sufficient for most UK roads – but where it scores highly is that it is Wi-Fi compatible. You can stream and record your video to your mobile device – it’s Apple and Android compatible and the App is free and easy to download – and it also takes up to a 32GB SD card (not supplied) for further storage. It’s not the cheapest but in the middle of the price range for this list, and we like it.

9: Buiejdog Dash Cam 3.5”

This model is a simple and basic dash cam of the type we’ve seen before, and in fact we reckon it’s pretty much the same as the first one on the list. It’s branded as Buiejdog, and it’s a full HD 1080P resolution camera which is pretty much what you want. It has a 3.5” screen for decent vision, and offers 170-degree vision, which is as good as it gets. This one has a motion detector and will start and stop when the engine is turned on and off, and sticks to the windscreen. The arm can be angled so you get the view you need ahead.

It’s very small so can be fitted behind the mirror so it does not obscure your view, features a loop recording function, and it has easy playback so you can check that it is recording. This is a neat and basic dash cam that will suffice, but it’s worth knowing that it does not come with an SD card included, so you need to supply that yourself. You get G-sensor and night vision, and at the price it’s worth looking at – indeed, it might be unbeatable.

10: Lanka Full HD Dash Cam

We’ve got to the point now where we know exactly what this compact dash cam, branded Lanka, is going to offer: it has G-sensor, loop recording, a motion detector, and a 2.3inch screen – slightly unusual that is – and is compact enough to hide behind the mirror, fits to the screen with a suction cup and can be angled. It will take an SD card, but none is supplied, and it can be set to loop record at intervals.

Is there anything more to add? It’s a wide-angle 170-degree model, comes with all accessories for fitting, is easy to put in place and to use, and will switch on and off with the car (unless you are powering it with your cigarette lighter which may remain live when the ignition is turned off, so please check. This is a perfectly decent, capable and usable dash cam that both driver and insurance company will be happy with, and is very sensibly priced.

That’s our list of the top 10 dash cams available right now, but which is for you? Let’s have a look at some of the key features to consider before we try and give you our verdict.

How It Works

We’ve already given you two great reasons why you need a dash cam: they record what happens in front of you so you have evidence in the case of an accident, and some insurers will give you a discount for having one fitted. Here’s another good reason: they’re not expensive at all! Where once you would pay a lot for a miniature camera, these days you will find they are surprisingly affordable.

How do they work? Much like the camera in your smartphone, they record video as you drive – powered by an internal outlet such as USB point or an adapter in your cigarette lighter or other source – and some record to an SD card, while others may need an external device for storage. They tend to work automatically, sensing when you start to drive, and they usually have a small screen so you can see that they are recording.

That’s about it: it’s a small video camera that attaches by suckers to your windscreen or to your rear view mirror, and it does the job very neatly. You want one, don’t you? Let’s have a look at the top 10 dash cams on the market right now.

Important Features to Consider

What do you need to look for when buying a dash cam? We’ve covered pretty much all of the major points in our descriptions, so here is a quick list to remind you:

Resolution – all of our choices offer HD 1080P resolution, which is as good as it gets with these

Screen Size – do you want a mini dash cam or a full size one? The screen size determines the size of the item itself, and they range between 1.5” and 3.5” across the list.

Features – each one of these offers loop recording, a G-sensor, motion sensor, night vision and can accept an SD card

Wide-Angle – not all of these offer 170-degree wide angle recording, so pick one that does.

Wi-Fi – only one of the above is Wi-Fi compatible, so if that is important to you, your choice is made.

As cost is not an issue – most of these are within a few pounds of each other – that’s about it, so which would we choose? Let’s see if we can offer you a choice.

Let’s Wrap It Up!

You’re buying a dash cam for two primary reasons: you want to save money on your insurance, and you want to record any accidents for evidence. This is why we are going to say that, while all of these are worthy contenders, we are not sure there is any merit in going for the more sophisticated models, as they do not add much to the proceedings. Instead, have a look at the last on the list, which comes at a very reasonable price, or any others that offer the wide angle option, as it pays to be able to cover as much area as possible.

So, get in touch with your insurer and see if a dash cam will make a difference – or buy one anyway, as they are cheap, and you never know when you might next be in an accident, no matter how minor.