Although it takes its design inspiration from the top-of-the-line Nextbase iQ, this compact dash cam is far simpler, smaller and more affordable. It’s called the Piqo, which is a cute name as far as dash cams go, and is a play on “pico”, a prefix that means one-trillionth of a unit, like picometer.

So it’s small, but not quite as tiny as the equally new Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3. As well as being compact, the Piqo promises to deliver everything you need from a simple, affordable dash cam, and nothing you don’t. There’s no screen, for a start, and no cellular connectivity (and none of the extra complexities and cost that brings, either).

It’s also remarkably cheap, with a retail price of $129.99 - but currently available for $99 / £99.

So far, so good. But has Nextbase done enough to create the perfect compact dash cam? Read on to find out.

Nextbase Piqo: Specifications

Nextbase Piqo: Price

I mentioned this at the start but it really is worth repeating. The Nextbase Piqo carries a retail price of $129.99 in the US and £99 in the UK for the 1K resolution model. This makes it less expensive than the $149.99 / £149.99 Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3, which I would consider to be the Piqo’s closest and most obvious rival.

At the time of writing, in late-2024, Nextbase’s UK website has reduced the Piqo 1K to just £79, which I think represents seriously good value. In the US, BestBuy has cut the price of the Piqo 2K from $149.99 to $99.99.

Nextbase Piqo: Design & handling

Being compact and unobtrusive is the name of the Piqo’s game. The dash cam measures approximately 3.35 in (8.5 cm) long, 1.57 in (4cm) wide and 1.18 in (3cm) deep, excluding the windshield mount.

The Piqo’s design means it can be almost entirely hidden behind your car’s central mirror, making for a discreet installation. There’s a small camera lens on the front, an equally compact button on the rear for manual recording – such as when you witness an incident but aren’t directly involved), a microSD card slot on one side, and a USB-C power socket on the other.

The windshield mount uses a ball-and-socket joint that is permanently attached to the top of the dash cam. It offers a great amount of adjustability, but grips tight enough for the Piqo to remain in place while driving. This then slides onto a mounting plate, which in turn attaches to the windshield with an adhesive pad. Nextbase includes two of these mounting plates in the box, so it’s easy to swap the Piqo between two vehicles.

Both plates have an integrated hook for neatly holding the power cable and channeling it upwards towards the roof liner, but I found the hook is also helpful for removing the mount from your screen, since it gives you something to pull on. Also included is a USB-C power cable and an adapter for plugging into your car’s 12-volt lighter socket. The adapter has a pair of USB-C sockets, so you can run the Piqo and charge your phone at the same time.

Like the Garmin, Nextbase does not include a microSD card in the box.

Setting up the Piqo is very easy. Simply stick the mounting plate to the windshield, s;ide the dash cam into place and plug it in. Nextbase includes a tool that helps tuck the power cable between interior panels, if you want to go for a neater, more permanent installation.

The company also sells an OBD power cable and a hardwired installation cable. Both give the dash cam a constant source of power, even when the car is switched off, and enable the Piqo’s parking mode, which automatically starts recording when a collision is detected, then alerts you when you return to your vehicle.

Nextbase Piqo: Performance

There are two models of Nextbase Piqo, but their specifications are very similar. The Piqo 1K has a 1080p resolution with a 140-degree field-of-view, while the Piqo 2K shoots at the slightly higher resolution of 1440p and through a fractionally wider 145-degree lens. The foreigner accepts microSD cards up to 128 GB in capacity, and the latter works with cards up to 256 GB.

They are otherwise identical, since both support Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth 4.1 and USB-C. They also both have GPS (which adds speed and location data to your recordings), are compatible with iOS and Android phones with the free Nextbase app, and they have enhanced night vision for low-light recording.

I’m using the 2K model for this review, and I’m pleased to report that video quality is pretty good. It isn’t up there with the Nextbase iQ, of course, but that dash cam is much larger and significantly more expensive, at well over $500 for the 4K version. Footage produced by the Piqo 2K looks good, with an acceptable amount of detail, decent lighting, and colors that are accurate, albeit a little muted. I stuck to the default of 2K at 30 frames per second, but there is the option to record Full HD (1080p or 1K) at 60 fps.

Details like vehicle licence plates are mostly visible, although sometimes they are too blurred to be fully legible. Footage is smooth and stable, with the dash cam doing a good job of staying fixed in position when driving over speed bumps and uneven roads. The field-of-view isn’t as wide as some rivals but at 145 degrees for the Piqo 2K it’s enough to see the entire width of the road just a few feet ahead of the car.

There’s a bit of grainy noise in footage shot on an overcast day, and this is more noticeable at night. I used the dash cam on both lit and unlit roads after sunset, and while it’s more difficult to read license plates, the footage was otherwise impressive, with colors still visible. Low-speed city traffic was far more detailed, with plates legible, colors accurate and noise kept to a minimum. Since the Piqo has GPS, all footage includes your location (using a set of coordinates) and speed, along with the current time and date.

Like other dash cams, the Piqo constantly records to the microSD card. When that gets full, the oldest footage is overwritten first. If a collision is detected (or you press the button to manually tell it something has happened) that portion of footage is securely saved and will not be overwritten. You can then transfer that from the microSD card to your computer, or wirelessly to your smartphone using the Nextbase app and the Piqo’s Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections.

Above: Sample video footage from the Nexbase Piqo

Extra features also include Guardian Mode Lite. This lets you set parameters like speed and geofencing limits. If these are broken – by someone borrowing your car, or a mechanic or valet, for example – you’ll be notified when you return to your car. Footage recorded during those infractions is also saved, giving you evidence of what happened.

The Nextbase phone app mostly works well, but it is rather slow. It can take around a minute just to connect to the dash cam and navigate to the settings menu, or start to scroll through video recordings. Transfer speeds are even slower, with a one-minute video taking 3min50 to transfer from the Piqo to my iPhone, despite using a direct Wi-Fi connection. It’s quicker to take out the microSD card and plug it into a computer. Firmware updates are also fairly slow, and after completing one the Piqo no longer recognized its microSD card, despite it being Nextbase’s own. I could only fix this by formatting the card with my computer – remember to safely transfer any footage you want to save before doing that.

Finally, if you use wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto (or your smartphone connects to your car via Wi-Fi for some other reason), then you can’t connect to the Piqo and transfer recordings at the same time. I found my car and the dash cam would conflict with each other, causing frequent disconnections. Plugging your phone into the car for a wired connection (for CarPlay etc) should address this.

Nextbase Piqo: Verdict

The Nextbase Piqo is a very good compact dash cam at a great price. It looks and feels premium, with good video quality and excellent ease-of-use. Recordings are clear enough, with a decent amount of detail and a strong nighttime performance, especially considering the low price. Setup is easy, although the smartphone app is fairly slow, with especially slow video transfer speeds. It’s quicker to use a computer.

The extra features will be welcomed by some users, especially the guardian system that alerts you after someone borrowing your car has exceeded the speed limit or driven somewhere they shouldn’t have. Emergency SOS is also welcome, but it costs extra as it’s included with the Protect subscription, which also unlocks 180 days of cloud storage and increases the warranty from one year to do.

I imagine the optional hardwiring kit will be a more popular upgrade, since this makes for a cleaner installation and enables the Piqo’s parking mode.

Overall, this is a fantastic dash cam for the price, with high-quality video and great ease-of-use. I just wish

Alternatives

The Garmin Tandem is a dash cam that simultaneously records forwards and rearwards to capture a view of the road ahead, and of the driver and their passengers. It isn’t the sort of dash cam every motorist needs, but for taxi and ride-share drivers it could prove invaluable if a claim is ever made against them by a customer.

Dash cams with an interior view are nothing new – we have an entire buying guide dedicated to them – but since we’re such big fans of other Garmin dash cams, like the excellent 67W, we have high hopes for the Tandem.

The big feature is how the Tandem records in two directions at once, and how Garmin has managed to fit both sensors and lenses into such a compact body. Some of today’s dash cams take up a serious amount of windscreen real estate (looking at you, Nextbase iQ), so it’s impressive to see how small the Tandem is.

Another lesser-seen feature of the Tandem is how the lenses are both 180 degrees. Some other interior dash cams are this wide, but very few forward-facing sensors go much beyond 140 degrees. Other manufacturers argue that anything more causes distortion, and while that can be true, I’m glad to see 180 degrees from Garmin, since this means a dash cam that captures more of its surroundings.

Something else Garmin tends to get right is voice control. It works really well, in that it responds quickly and reacts reliably. It’s a useful way to mute the microphone or manually save a recording.

Garmin Dash Cam Tandem: Design & Handling

The Tandem looks and feels very similar to other Garmin dash cams. This is great news in our book because we think Garmin’s hardware design is among the very best. The matchbox-sized camera has just two buttons; one for muting the microphone and another for manually recording video (for when you see an incident but aren’t directly involved).

Then there’s a microSD card slot on the button, a microUSB port on the side and…that’s it. Nice and simple. The Tandem fits to the windscreen with the same mount as other Garmin dash cams, which uses a coin-sized magnet that sticks to the screen, and onto which a small plastic arm snaps into place. This then connects to the dash cam with a ball-and-socket joint that offers a fit that is as secure as it is adjustable.

Garmin Dash Cam Tandem: Performance

The Tandem is quick and easy to set up using Garmin’s Drive smartphone app. Or you can simply plug it in and leave everything on the default setting; there’s no requirement for you to create an account or ever actually use the app if you don’t want to.

The front-facing camera is great, with HDR and a 1440p resolution that produces high-quality video both day and night. Some 4K cameras produce even sharper, more detailed footage, but they (like the Nextbase iQ) tend to be more expensive.

Recordings are saved to the microSD card, and you can also have them automatically upload to the cloud via a Wi-Fi connection with your phone. This requires a subscription to Garmin’s Vault storage service, however.

The interior camera is less impressive since its resolution is just 720p. That’s still technically HD (just not Full HD), but for the price we had hoped for better, and really it should be at least 1080p. It also manages just 30 fps (same as the front camera), and lacks HDR.

All that said, automatic night vision helps to produce audible interior footage that is plenty sharp enough if it were ever needed as evidence – to help document an incident between a taxi driver and an unruly passenger, for example.

Lastly, there’s a parking mode. Like most other dash cams, this requires a hardwiring kit or Garmin’s OBD cable to power the dash cam after the car has been switched off. If installed as such, the Tandem switches to a low-power state, ready to spring into life and start recording the moment a parking prang is detected by its g-sensor.

Garmin Dash Cam Tandem: Final Verdict

If you're in the market for a dual-view dash cam, the Garmin Tandem is hard to ignore. Its compact size and simple but very effective windscreen mount are both excellent, while the front camera records impressive footage, and the voice control function works well.

We wish the interior camera was of higher quality, but it still manages to produce usable footage in any lighting condition, and when it comes to interior views we value the wide,180-degree lens over the number of pixels.

Nextbase has reimagined the dash cam. I know that’s a big claim, but while it looks broadly similar to other dash cams on the outside, there are several significant differences when you delve under the hood.

Firstly, instead of being powered by a USB or 12V lighter socket, the Nextbase iQ connects to your car’s OBD II port. These are found in the cabin of almost every vehicle and it gives the dash cam a constant supply of power, even when the car is turned off and without the need for the more complex hardwiring approach taken by others.

The iQ is also one of only a handful of dash cams to have a 4G connection. That means you can log into it from your phone while away from your car, where you can check in on your vehicle. The dash cam sends notifications to the app when the dash cam notices nearby movement or detects a collision while parked.

Add in 4K video recording, a second integrated camera for the interior, an optional third camera for rear-facing video, an emergency SOS function, and an upcoming feature that tracks the speed, distance, and trajectory of other vehicles, and the iQ promises to be one of the smartest dash cams ever made.

I’ve already covered most of the key features in the introduction, but it’s worth focusing more closely on a couple of them here. Firstly, the power connection. I’m amazed that other dash cam companies don’t all use the OBD II port because it’s an easy way to tap into a constant source of power. Others can attach to the vehicle’s fuse box (which is also possible with the iQ if you prefer), but that can make for a tricky installation.

With the iQ, I plugged it into the OBD II port of my car, which is beneath the steering wheel, then fed the power cable around the dashboard and to the top of the windscreen, where the camera mount attaches with adhesive. Now it fires up with the car, like any other dash cam, but it is also active while my car is parked and turned off. Nextbase says the iQ carefully draws power only when the car battery can deliver a certain voltage. When that voltage falls, the iQ shuts down. I’ve found no issues with power drain, or with my car not starting. Nextbase says the iQ should be able to run for several days at a time without the car being switched on.

Next up there’s the 4G connection, which uses Vodafone in the UK and Europe, and T-Mobile in the US. This is included via a monthly rolling subscription priced from $9.99/£6.99 and gives access to live video streamed from the iQ to your smartphone, wherever you are in the world, and recordings (which are automatically uploaded to the cloud) are accessible via the app for 30 days. Paying for the more expensive $19.99/£9.99 tier increases this to 180 days and also adds the option for multiple user accounts and Emergency SOS, which contacts the emergency services with your location if you have an accident and don’t respond to prompts from the iQ.

Nextbase iQ: Design & Handling

The iQ is pretty big for a dashcam, despite it not having a video display. Instead, there’s only a small screen on the back for showing status icons like 4G signal strength. The two antennas can be positioned to face up or down, with the latter helping the iQ fit more neatly against the top of the windscreen. Although designed to fit behind the central mirror of most cars, it didn’t fit behind mine. Admittedly, I drive a small car (a Mazda MX-5), but this means buyers in a similar position will have to put the iQ slightly to the side of the mirror, where it’s more likely to partially block your passenger’s view ahead.

All that said, the iQ feels very well made and certainly has the aesthetics of a premium product – and so it should, given the 4K example I’m reviewing here is $699 / £449. I also like how there’s no distracting video display, and how a circular LED is used as a status light, like that of an Amazon Echo smart speaker. The dash cam’s only button is for manually saving video and uploading it to the cloud (such as when you witness an accident but aren’t directly involved).

There’s a microSD card slot on the side and Nextbase includes a 64GB card in the box. Video is recorded here in both high and low resolution, so the iQ performs like a normal dash cam even if you decide not to pay the monthly fee.

Nextbase iQ: Performance

Video quality from the 4K sample I’m reviewing here was superb, with great sharpness, accurate color, and a nicely balanced exposure. The system also works well at night, with infrared night vision used to help retain detail in the cabin after sunset. It’s probably the best video quality I have seen from any dash cam, but then so it should be for the price. I haven’t tried out the 1K ($499/£349) or 2K ($599/£399) versions to see how their quality holds up, but I suspect they will also perform well.

Also impressive is the iQ’s power management, and how it neatly balances its need to function and my car’s need to have enough voltage in the battery to start whenever I need it. Connecting to the iQ via the app usually works right away, providing both my phone and the dash cam have a half-decent 4G signal. It’s just like checking on a home security camera, but one running from a cellular connection instead of Wi-Fi.

Notifications of potential threats, like someone lingering by the car, are quickly delivered to the phone app. If there really is a threat, you can activate an alarm from the app. Also quick is the iQ voice control system, which is used to enable Witness Mode. This starts a 30-minute video recording, uploads it to the cloud, and informs your pre-defined emergency contact, who is sent a link to view a live stream from the iQ. The microphone is also automatically turned on, and Witness Mode continues to function if the car is turned off. This feature could be useful if you’re involved in road rage and feel threatened, or if you’d like a witness while talking to a police officer, for example.

Nextbase iQ: Final Verdict

Four years in the making – and two years since it was first announced – the iQ is certainly one feature-packed dash cam. But instead of trying to wow with all sorts of driver assistance, the iQ focuses on what actually matters; it’s a dash cam, but one that is easier to hardwire than most others, and with 4G that turns it into a security camera for your car.

It looks and feels like a premium product, the 4K footage is fantastic, and I found the 4G connection to be quick, stable, and mostly reliable. There’s no getting away from the huge cost, especially if buying the 4K model, adding a rear camera (1440p resolution; prided at $199/£149), and going for the pricier of the two subscriptions (which are at least rolling and can be canceled at any time).

But for that high price, the iQ delivers something different from most other dash cams, and Nextbase also promises future improvements and upgrades via over-the-air software updates. With car theft a constant concern, especially in major cities, having a security camera in your vehicle adds an extra layer of protection, and it could also lower your insurance premium too.

See our guide to the best front-and-rear dashcams, and our guide to the best three-channel dashcams

A three-channel dash cam is one that most commonly records forwards, rearwards and into the interior of your vehicle. Some systems alter this setup slightly, with weatherproof exterior cameras and different types of interior view also available. But the premise is of a system that provides a near-360 degree view to capture everything inside and around your vehicle.

The most obvious use case for a three-channel system – or any dash cam that records the interior – is for a taxi or ride-share driver carrying passengers. We’ve actually covered this in more detail, with a guide specifically for the best Uber dash cams.

But non-professional drivers can benefit from a three-channel system, too. Some 3CH dash cams, like the Viofo A329WW, incorporate a pair of weatherproof cameras for capturing footage from outside your vehicle, along with the usual forward-facing cam. Others, like the feature-packed Nextbase iQ, can use their interior view to act as a security camera, keeping an eye on your car while you’re away and even allowing live video streaming over a dedicated 4G connection.

Many of these dash cams use infrared night vision to help the interior camera in low-light situations, while the majority of front-facing dash cams now record in 2K or even 4K resolution.

Some also boast HDR for even greater detail. Other useful features include 5GHz Wifi for faster video transfers to your smartphone, voice control, GPS for adding speed and locational data to recordings.

We’ve tested a wide range of dash cams to help you find the right three-channel system for you.

The quick list

The best 3 channel dash cams

Best three-channel dash cam overall

Viofo’s flagship A329 dash cam is available in a range of configurations to fit your needs. At the time of writing there are seven different kits available, all bundling rearwards and interior cameras with the main unit. The differences are small, but crucial depending on your use case – for example, the A329WW comes with a pair of weatherproof external cameras along with the main unit, while the A329S has an interior camera with a fisheye lens for a wider view.

All feed into the main unit, which houses a 4K camera that records at 60 frames per second, has HDR, and uses a Sony Starvis 2 imaging sensor for excellent low-light footage. There’s also high-speed Wifi for quick video transfer to your smartphone, GPS, and even support for SSD storage. Aside from cellular connectivity, the A329 series offers just about everything you could ever need from a dash cam.

The Viofo A329 is certainly an expensive system, but no more so than rival flagships from brands like Nextbase and Thinkware. In fact, if you’re looking for a three-channel system instead of just two, the Viofo manages to undercut rivals 4K dash cams like the Thinkware U3000 and Nextbase iQ. If you’re happy with the Viofo’s design – it is fairly chunky with that 2.4in display – this is the best three-channel dash cam you can buy right now.

To learn more, read our Viofo A329 review.

Best three-channel dash cam for security

The Nextbase iQ is a watershed moment for dash cams, thanks to its 4G connection, how it acts like a security camera when parked, and the manufacturer’s promise of new features via future over-the-air software updates. We love it, but its very high price stops it taking the top spot in this guide. If you want the 4K model with a rear-facing camera, you’re looking at $900.

That’s an enormous amount of money for a dash cam, and don’t forget that some of the 4G-powered features require a monthly subscription too. That said, if you’re okay with the price there’s an awful lot to like here. The iQ’s 4K footage is top-drawer, the hardware feels premium, and we love how the camera receives a constant power supply from its included OBD cable. It makes us wonder why all dash cams don’t do this.

Then there’s the integrated interior camera, which works very well, and how the iQ will buzz your smartphone when it detects a parking prang, or when it thinks someone is loitering by your car. You can then view a live feed from the camera over its 4G connection, and even sound a siren to ward off a potential thief.

To learn more, see our full Nextbase iQ review

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Best three-channel dash cam with Alexa

We were very impressed with the quality of video produced by this device. The 4K footage shot by the front camera is among the best we have ever seen from a dash cam, while the optional second and third channels record at a perfectly respectable 1080p. Not only is the resolution high, but exposure levels are good, white balance is well controlled and there’s a great amount of detail.

We’re also big fans of how the GPS antenna is cleverly integrated with the dash cam’s magnetic windscreen mount, and there’s Alexa too for those who want it. We must warn readers that this dash cam is fairly large; not as bulky as the Nextbase iQ, but much bigger than anything from Garmin. Those with smaller vehicles and shallow windscreens might want to look elsewhere, but otherwise this is a great (albeit rather expensive) bit of kit.

To learn more, see our full Cobra SC 400D review

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Most compact three-channel dash cam

We’ve been a big fan of Garmin dash cams for years now, and we love the Mini range because of its small size. The Mini 3 is not sold in a three camera kit - but you can buy three separately and link them together. And even then you have a very small system that takes up minimal space on your vehicle's windows. I

Garmin's offers voice controls to make the cameras easy to use, even though there is no screen. You can use your smartphone to set things up - but here this is not essential. Cloud storage, hardwiring and a parking mode are all available too - to turn this into a grown-up set-up, although you will need to pay extra for the hardwiring kit and the online subscription.

Most importantly, the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3 delivers great video quality - although you don't get 4K resolution.

To learn more, see our full Garmin Mini 3 review

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Compact three-channel dashcam with screen

Don’t get too drawn into this dash cam’s 4K recording capability. Because, while the front-facing camera can handle 4K on its own, when used with either the rear or interior camera, or with all three running together, that resolution is no longer available.

As a three-camera system you’re looking at a still-respectable resolution of 1440p for the front view and 1080p for the rear and interior views. Like most other systems, this dash cam has a parking mode that starts recording the moment a collision is detected (but only when the dash cam is hardwired to the car’s fuse box for a constant source of power, something you might need a professional to do). Go down the DIY route, however, and you’ll be faced by a whole bunch of cables powering each of the cameras; it can look cluttered, especially on cars with smaller windscreens.

There’s no GPS, so videos don’t have speed and location data, but we think this kit still represents decent value for money, especially considering its compact size and inclusion of a small display.

To learn more, see our full Vantrue N4 review.

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The best three-channel dash cam for safety

This dash cam begins life as a single-channel system, but can be upgraded thanks to its modular design. Nextbase sells an interior camera that plugs directly into the 622GW itself and records at 1080p through a 140-degree lens. Then you can hook up the company’s rear view camera, which sticks to the rear screen and attaches to the 622GW with a long cable; this also shoots at 180p through a 140-degree lens.

Do all this and you’ll have a three-camera system that costs less than the 4K, two-camera version of the Nextbase iQ. For your money you also get Alexa control with the 622GW, plus digital image stabilization, support for what3words, a parking mode, and a system that automatically calls the emergency services and shares your location if a significant crash is detected.

We’ve always lik3ed Nextbase dash cams, and for us the 622GW makes a fantastic two- or three-camera setup. The iQ means this is no longer the flagship of the range, but the lower price combined with a great feature set and 4K video mean the 622GW is still a dash cam we thoroughly recommend.

To learn more, see our full Nextbase 622GW review

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How to choose the best three-channel dash cam

Since this guide is specifically about three-channel systems specifically, your first consideration needs to be whether the dash cam you’re looking at can handle a further two cameras.

With that box ticked, it’s time to look at models that fall into your budget, then access their resolution, frame rate and field-of-view. You want a high resolution (1440p, also known as 2K, works well), but also a quick frame rate (30fps will do, but 60fps is preferable) and a wide lens (140 degrees at a minimum).

We urge readers to consider how they plan to use their dash cam. WIll you be logging in with your smartphone and do you want to set up all of its driver assistance features? Or would you rather take a set-it-and-forget-it approach, only ever checking footage on the microSD card if the worst were to happen and you’re involved in a crash? This will help you decide what you want.

How we test three-channel dash cams

Like all other types of dash cam, we have fitted all of these three-channel modes to a car and used them for several days before reaching a verdict. They are tested during the day and at night to see how they cope with varying light, and we try to use them in a range of weather conditions too. During our time with each dash cam we assess how easy their installation and setup process is, while also looking at video quality, ease-of-use and the reliability of features like 4G connections and smartphone app notifications.

When it comes to video quality, we care about the details. License plates and road signs must be clearly visible, day and night, for a dash cam to score highly. These are the crucial details that buyers will rely on if they’re ever in a collision.

For three-channel dash cams specifically, we test out how each camera works, and whether the quality of the front-facing camera decreases when a second or third camera is installed. This is sometimes the case, with the front resolution falling from 4K to 2K, for example, due to the processing demands of three cameras all running at once.

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Frequently asked questions

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Compare prices

What’s better than one dash cam? Two dash cams, of course, because with a second camera you can record to the rear of your car as well as the front. This helps to create evidence of accidents that happen behind you, such as when another driver rear-ends you.

In most cases, these so-called two-channel (or 2CH) systems include a front-facing dash cam as normal, along with a smaller, simpler camera that attaches to the rear windshield and connects to the front camera with a long cable.

The rear camera doesn’t require its own microSD card, since it sends footage to the front camera, which saves both feeds to its own memory card. The rear-facing camera tends to shoot in lower quality, owing to being smaller, but this isn’t always the case. Some of today’s more sophisticated two-channel systems record in 4K resolution forwards and rearwards.

Installing a front and rear dash cam system is more involved than simply sticking a single dash cam to the windshield. The rear camera’s cable will need tucking behind various pieces of interior trim, and sometimes behind the roof lining, to make a seamless installation. It’s often worth paying a professional to do this for you, but the results are worth it, since the two cameras will be installed neatly, as if they’ve been there since the car was built.

Since the rear camera connects to the front, it doesn’t need its own power supply. Or, it’s still possible to opt for a hardwired installation, where the front dash cam is plugged into the car’s fuse box or OBD port for a constant power supply from the 12-volt battery. This power is then sent to the rear camera, too.

Although inherently more expensive than a single-camera (or 1CH) system, two-channel dash cams can be bought for under $150. Premium options with improved video quality and extra features cost anywhere from $300 to over $500.

If you want to only cover the front of your vehicle, we also have a guide to the best dash cams for single-direction recording. Then there’s also our guide to the best budget dash cams if you want to spend less money.

The Quick List

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Best front and rear dash cams

Best overall

If you’re like me and treat your car like a prized possession, you know the anxiety of leaving it parked in a public lot. Most dash cams just sit there until someone actually hits you, but the Thinkware U3000 Pro is trying to change that game entirely.

The standout feature here—and the reason it’s priced at a premium (£399/$499)—is the dual-radar system. Most cameras use simple "G-sensors" that wake up after an impact. This one uses radar to monitor a five-meter zone around the car.

In my experience, it’s incredibly proactive. When I approached my driver’s side door, the camera was already rolling before my hand even touched the handle. I did have one "chatty" night where the default sensitivity was so high that a rainstorm triggered dozens of clips, but a quick tweak in the app settled it right down. Remarkably, even with all those recordings, it didn't drain my car battery at all.

The video quality is exactly what you'd expect from a flagship, and a successor to our old-favorite Thinkware U1000. It uses the latest Sony Starvis 2 sensors, giving you 4K video a the front and 2K at the rear, and has Super Night Vision 4.0, which keeps footage clear and remarkably grain-free even on those pitch-black backroads.

I’m a big fan of the screenless design. Once I tucked the wires into the trim, it looked like a factory-installed part of the car rather than a clunky aftermarket gadget. It’s a bit large, but it hides neatly behind the rearview mirror.

This isn't a budget buy. By the time you add the rear camera and the OBDII cable (which you definitely want for that "always-on" radar), you’re looking at spending aroound $580 / £550.

Read more: Thinkware U3000 Pro review

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Best for image quality

The Cobra SC 400D is a chunky-looking front/rear dash cam, but what impressed me most was the quality of the footage from the 4K front camera.

In my full review, I noted that it is sharp, bright, and nicely balanced, with minimal grain and a great amount of detail in the recorded footage – a revelation compared to some 4K dash cams that often overpromise and underdeliver when it comes to their video performance.

The rear camera offers a slightly narrower field of view, and an inferior Full HD image quality - but there is still plenty to like here. The integrated GPS and Alexa features are particularly welcome.

Cobra isn’t as well known for dash cams as rival manufacturers such as Garmin, Nextbase and Thinkware – but I wouldn't let that put you off. It’s not as clever as the pricier Nextbase iQ, nor is it as compact as the Garmin 67W, but I think the SC 400D does a great job nonetheless.

Read more: Cobra SC 400D review

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Best value

We love that you can now find a dash cam that offers you great video quality at the front and rear without it having to spend a fortune. The Miofive impresses with its twin 4K cameras - providing detailed, high-quality footage in all driving conditions.

You get a 3in LCD screen at the rear, which allows you to control the features and review footage. Its not touch sensitive, but you do have the option to control the units using an app if you so desire. Likewise, you get the choice or recording onto a microSD, or sending recordings across to your phone. If you choose 4K, you can expect to use up 0.4GB of storage for every minute you record. That means the supplied 64GB card can fill up in four hours driving, but incidents are saved in a protected folder - so you don't need to panic about losing all-important video evidence.

There are dash cams with better design, and more high-tech features – but overall the Miofive impressed us a lot in our tests, and is a great option who want high-resolution recording at a budget price.

Read more: Miofive S1 Ultra review

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Best in low light

It is the inclusion of two Starvis 2 sensors in the Viofo's two cameras that are the real performers here - providing some of the best lowlight, and night-time footage I have ever seen from a dashcam. Given few of us only drive in perfect daylight conditions, this makes the A329 justify its higher-than-average price. I urge you to look behind the slightly dated hardware design, and instead focus on these specifications, because that’s where the Viofo A329 shines brightest.

I really liked the option for 4K 60fps recordings at the front, and was equally impressed by the inclusion of HDR, which helps pull extra detail out of particularly bright and dark areas of the camera’s view. This helps it retain detail in changeable weather conditions and at night.

I also like how simple the setup process is – and especially how Viofo doesn’t demand that you create a user account, or even download the company’s app if you don’t want to. The entire setup process can be completed on the dashcam itself, which helps to keep things simple.

Read more: Viofo A229 Pro review

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Best for features

It’s possibly the most expensive dash cam ever made, but it is also one of the newest and arguably the most impressive (when it works). What makes it especially useful for Uber drivers is how, like the Garmin Dash Cam Tandem, every version of iQ (with 1K, 2K or 4K front cameras) comes with an integrated interior camera with Full HD video and infrared night vision.

A rear camera is also available as an optional extra. All three save footage to a microSD card, or with a subscription you can have footage automatically uploaded to the cloud via the iQ’s 4G connection. This is also used to notify you via the Nextbase smartphone app when the iQ detects a parking prang or attempted theft. And I love that the camera cleverly receives a constant power supply from your car’s OBD II port - a much neater, easier solution than the hardwiring required for other dash cams.

Constant power and 4G means this is a dash cam that also doubles as an in-car security camera, ready to stream footage to your phone from anywhere in the world.

Nextbase promises a steady supply of over-the-air software updates and new features are coming to the iQ soon, including radar-powered vehicle monitoring that uses artificial intelligence to estimate the speed and trajectory of every vehicle within its sight; this data is then added to recordings to help show who caused a collision. The radar is also used to alert you if the iQ spots a potential thief loitering by your unattended car.

The iQ is large, expensive, and has ongoing subscription costs to consider, but if you want the very best front and rear dashcam, it’s hard to ignore.

Read more: Nextbase iQ review

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Best for expandability

Garmin’s latest flagship dash cam, the X310 is a world-class product. It records 4K video at 30 fps – but, perhaps more usefully, it also has an option for capturing 1080p at a super-smooth 120 fps. It also has HDR for dragging extra detail out of shadows and highlights.

New for this generation of Garmin dash cam is an integrated polarizing lens, which helps to reduce windshield reflections, and if you pay a subscription (and hook the dash cam up to a data connection) you can access it remotely, turning the X310 into a security camera for your car.

What else? We think the X310 looks great and is surprisingly compact given the specification on offer. It even has a 2.4-inch touchscreen on the back, making it easy to adjust settings and view recordings before transferring them to your phone for a closer look. Factor in the small and simple but highly adjustable windshield mount, and the X310 is a fantastic dash cam.

Although Garmin doesn’t sell a dedicated rear camera, its dash cams can be wirelessly connected using the company’s Drive app. That means you can buy an X310 and a Garmin Mini 3, for example, and create your own front-and-rear dash cam system – just remember though, each camera needs its own power supply, which could be a problem in some vehicles.

It’s not cheap, and to access all of its features you’ll need a subscription, but the X310 remains one of my favorite dash cams to date.

Read more: Garmin Dash Cam X310 review

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Best for Alexa-integration

It might look like a fairly regular dash cam at first glance, but the Nextbase 622GW is absolutely packed with features. Compact, and with what I think is a well-designed magnetic mount, the 622GW features 4K video recording, GPS, and a function that automatically calls the emergency services and shares your location if the driver is unresponsive after a heavy crash.

There’s more. It also has support for what3words, the system for precisely pinpointing your location when local maps and data coverage aren’t up to the job, and there’s integrated Alexa, the Amazon voice assistant.

A secondary rear camera can be attached via a long cable, in the traditional manner, or Nextbase also sells a rear-view camera that attaches directly to the side of the 622GW. In fact, it actually sells two such cameras; one with a zoomed-in view for recording through the rear window, and another that records the interior. You can only fit one of these at a time, however.

Other features include digital image stabilization, which I’ve found can be handy if your car has a firm ride and tends to create shaky dash cam footage, and the option to record at 120 frames per second. This knocks the front camera resolution down from 4K to Full HD (1080p), but I like how the high frame rate can produce smoother footage.

I was less impressed by the clunky smartphone app, but as with most dashcams, this is only needed while setting everything up, and then can be cast aside.

Read more: Nextbase 622GW Dash Cam review

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Best 360° dashcam

I review a lot of dash cam, but the 70mai 4K Omni has a defining feature that makes it stand out from the rest: a motorized, 360-degree viewing capability.

This isn’t your average static dash cam; the unit can physically spin through 340 degrees to look left, right, or even back into the cabin via voice command. While it’s a neat trick for recording that interesting car in the next lane, or a serious tool for filming an interaction with a police officer, its true value unlocks when the car is parked. The rear camera is optional – but essential for recording the road behind you – so is usually included in the kit (but do check).

With the optional hardwiring kit, the Omni transitions into a superior security camera with 4G cellular connectivity. Its parking mode allows the main front camera to pan and follow suspicious movement around the vehicle, and it can send me an alert via 4G. The rear camera is essential here, providing constant coverage of the back.

However, here's the crucial detail about the "360-degree view": the front camera is motorized, but the rear camera is a simple, static Full HD unit. This means the front unit will actively track a suspicious person who approaches the car from the front or sides, but if someone approaches solely from the rear, the system won't pan to follow them and you won't get the immediate 4G alert for motion tracking. The rear camera will record the event if a collision happens, but the comprehensive, active 360-degree security is disappointingly incomplete.

See our full 70mai 4K Omni review

How to choose the best front and rear dash cam

The same rules apply here to most other types of dash cam. You of course need to pick a system that works with a secondary, rear-facing camera. Sometimes these are included as part of a bundle, other times you can buy the second camera separately.

After that, you’ll want to strike the best balance you can between your budget and a dash cam that offers high quality video with a resolution of at least 1080p (Full HD), ideally with HDR and perhaps also a frame rate about 30 fps. After that comes the design of the dash cam – does it fit neatly behind the rear view mirror?; is the rear camera also compact and easy to install in your vehicle? – and finally we suggest buyers look at additional features. These can include speed camera alerts, but also functions like the SOS emergency calling of the Nextbase 622GW, or the always-on 4G connection of a Nextbase iQ.

Ultimately, your choice will come down to whichever dash cam offers a front-and-rear system with the best video quality for your budget.

Our overall favorite front and rear dash cam is the Thinkware U1000. We’re big fans of the 4K video of the front camera, but also love how the resolution can be lowered to 1440p in favor of a higher 60fps frame rate. The rear camera is Full HD at 30 fps, and we like how the main unit lacks a display, making it relatively compact and discreet when installed.

Other favorites include the hugely capable (but equally expensive) Nextbase iQ, as well as the Cobra SC 400D for its excellent video quality, and the Garmin 67W for the company’s clever way of wirelessly linking up to four dash cams at once. Dash cams from Viofo always offer great value, and the A129 Pro Duo featured in this guide is no exception. For a dash cam packed with features, including emergency phone calling in the event of a heavy crash, Alexa and support for what3words, we highly recommend the Nextbase 622GW.

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How we test front and rear dash cams

Every dash cam featured in our buying guides is installed and tested thoroughly. I fit each dash cam to my car and use it as if it is my own, logging into the smartphone app (where necessary) and using the camera for every journey. I test the dash cams at day and night, adjust their video settings, and look at any additional features they have.

Dash cams cannot be hardwired for every test. Instead, they are plugged into the 12V socket of my car – or the OBD port, as is an option in some cases – and the cables are tucked away as neatly as possible. How a dash cam is hardwired to the fuse box varies by car, so isn’t included as an assessment criteria for our reviews and buying guides.

Naturally, I cannot truly test the crash detection of these cameras, but endeavor to try out every other feature and function before reaching a verdict.

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Today's prices compared

Dash cams have quickly become a must-have product for any taxi, Uber or ride-share driver. They record footage of the road ahead, but crucially some models also record the interior of your vehicle.

As long as you display the correct signage to inform passengers of the camera, dash cams with an interior view record footage that could be invaluable if you ever have to deal with the repercussions of unruly passengers.

Like other categories of dash cam, there are plenty of Uber-friendly models to pick from, across a broad price range. Some cheaper dash cams come from lesser-known brands, while others are available from industry leaders like Viofo, Garmin, Thinkware and Nextbase.

As a minimum, Uber and taxi drivers should install a dash cam that simultaneously records the road ahead and the interior. The best dash cams for ride-share drivers often use infrared night vision and wide lenses to help the interior camera capture a complete view of the interior, day and night. Some dash cams integrate both the forwards and interior cameras into one unit, while others keep the two elements separate, connected with a cable. Others take a modular approach, where an interior camera can be bought and plugged into the side of the dash cam you might already own.

If budget allows, you should consider a three-channel system, which adds a rearwards view. This camera is usually fitted to the rear windscreen and connected to the front-facing camera with a long cable. Some models are weatherproof and can be mounted to the rear bumper.

In this article I have used my knowledge gathered from years of product testing to bring together the best dash cams from Uber, ride-share and taxi drivers.

Our top picks

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The best Uber dash cams

Best Uber dash cam overall

It’s one of the most expensive dash cams around, but it is also one of the newest and arguably the most impressive. What makes it especially useful for Uber drivers is how, like the Garmin Dash Cam Tandem, every version of iQ (with 1K, 2K or 4K front cameras) comes with an integrated interior camera with Full HD video and infrared night vision. A rear camera is also available as an optional extra. All three save footage to a microSD card, or with a subscription you can have footage automatically uploaded to the cloud via the iQ’s 4G connection too. This is also used to notify you via the Nextbase app when the iQ detects a parking prang or attempted theft, and the camera cleverly receives a constant power supply from your car’s OBD II port.

Constant power and 4G means this also doubles as an in-car security camera, ready to stream footage to your phone from anywhere in the world.

Nextbase promises a steady supply of over-the-air software updates and new features coming to the iQ soon, including radar-powered vehicle monitoring that uses artificial intelligence to estimate the speed and trajectory of every vehicle within its sight; this data is then added to recordings to help show who caused a collision. The radar is also used to alert you if the iQ spots a potential thief loitering by your unattended car.

See our full Nextbase iQ review

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Best value Uber dash cam

The Vantrue N4 is a 4K dash cam, which means sharper and clearer footage than some of its rivals. However, this resolution is only available when the front-facing camera is used in isolation. If you want to record the interior of your car and/or a view facing rearwards, as well as the front camera, the resolution drops to 1440p. This is accompanied by 1080p Full HD for both the interior and rear cameras, with all three recording at 30fps.

This means the Vantrue N4 doesn’t quite have the pixels to match the Nextbase iQ, but it is considerably cheaper and the main unit is smaller. It misses out on 4G, Wi-Fi and GPS, however, so recordings have to be transferred from the microSD card rather than wirelessly, and the lack of GPS means there’s no option for adding speed and locational data to your videos. If that’s a feature you need, Vantrue sells a GPS module separately.

This is a fairly basic dash cam – and lacks the more sophisticated design of the Nextbase iQ or Garmin Dash Cam Tandem – but one that is relatively compact and records impressive video in all three directions, which is crucial for Uber, Lyft and other ride-share drivers. There’s also a low bit rate parking mode, but this requires the optional hardwiring kit (as is the case with almost all dash cams).
See our full Vantrue N4 review

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Best Uber dash cam for lowlight

I’m a big fan of Viofo’s recent dash cams, and the latest A329 continues that trend. It’s not the cheapest dash cam around, but it packs a set of Sony Starvis imaging sensors, and even uses a Starvis 2 sensor for the main, forwards-facing camera.

But what sets it apart is the interior camera, which for the A329SW three-channel version featured here has 2K resolution, infrared night vision and, most importantly, a fisheye lens. This gives it a wide view of your vehicle interior that’s perfect for taxi and Uber drivers.

This system also comes with a weatherproof rear camera that also records in 2K and is designed to be mounted to the rear bumper of your car, for an improved rearwards view compared to dash cams that stick to the rear windshield. Other features to justify the price tag include Wi-Fi 6 for speedy video transfer from dash cam to smartphone, voice control, enhanced HDR, licence plate recognition, GPS, and even support for up to 4TB of external SSD storage.

The Viofo A329 is expensive, but no more so than rival flagships from brands like Nextbase and Thinkware. For an Uber driver-friendly three-channel system, the Viofo manages to undercut rivals 4K dash cams like the Thinkware U3000 and Nextbase iQ.

See my full Viofo A329 review

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Best Uber dash cam for easy setup

The Nexar Pro GPS dash cam is very simple to set up: it didn't take me more than five minutes to do so. As well as a front-facing camera, there's a cabin camera that makes this system especially useful for Uber drivers. This connects to the main unit with a cable and requires its own windscreen mount, meaning the whole system takes up a fair bit of windscreen space compared to those with integrated cabin cameras.

That said, each component is compact and should be easily concealable behind the rearview mirror of most vehicles. The flip side of a small footprint is that there's no display, so there's a compromise to be made there.

The camera records crisp 135° wide video in 1080p Full HD quality, and pairs with Wi-Fi with the accompanying mobile app to allow you to review footage on your phone (check yours is compatible first, though).

Collision detection and parking mode are also included, with the latter using the Nexar’s own small battery instead of drawing power from the car. If a more complete parking mode is important to you, consider dash cams that can be hardwired to the vehicle for a constant power supply..

For more details see our full Nexar Pro GPS dash cam review.

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Best Uber dash cam for safety

It might look fairly ordinary at first glance, but what makes the Nextbase 622GW stand out is both the high-end 140˚ 4K camera that comes supplied and the modular design. It also boasts image stabilization so the picture will be good even with car vibration.

What we found makes this dash cam great for Uber drivers is the modular design and how Nextbase sells two different secondary cameras that attach to the main unit; one for recording the interior and the other for filming through the rear windscreen.

The company also sells a camera that fits to the rear screen and plugs into the main unit. Based on our experience, we recommend fitting the modular interior camera and the wired rear camera for a three-channel setup that’s perfect for Uber drivers.

The 622GW boasts Alexa voice control and Emergency SOS, which calls the emergency services and gives them your location, name and even your blood type if you are unresponsive after a significant collision.

The system also has a 120fps super slow-motion option, but this lowers the resolution of the front camera to 1080p. There’s even what3words integration for precise positioning and an intelligent parking mode (hardwiring required).

See our full NextBase 622GW review

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Best compact Uber dash cam

The Garmin Dash Cam Tandem doesn't come cheap, but it provides a lot of value. This pocket-size dash camera features two 180-degree field of view lenses that record in tandem, providing complete video coverage around the driver.

The front camera records at a crystal-clear 1440p, while the 720p interior-facing lens harnesses Garmin's proprietary NightGlo technology for clear video of passengers at night. You also get voice control, built-in GPS, and Wi-Fi connectivity for transferring recordings to your phone.

Another nice touch is that the charger has an extra USB port, so you can power your phone or another device while you're driving. And the icing on the cake: it comes with a pre-installed 16GB microSD card, so you can use it right out of the box.

We’re big fans of Garmin dash cams and particularly like how compact they and their windscreen mounts are. We also like how up to four Garmin dash cams can be hooked up wirelessly to the Drive app, making it easy to create a multiple-view setup without routing any cables through your car.

See our full Garmin Tandem review

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How we test dash cams

Every dash cam tested here is fitted to our car and used for several days before we write our review, or include it in a buying guide like this one. During that time we pay close attention to the installation and setup process, then use the dash cam as if it was our own, testing it during the day and at night, to find out just how good it really is.

While we’re not able to test the G-meters and crash detection, we look closely at the dash cam’s video quality, as well as additional features like parking mode, voice control and driver assistance technology. In the case of this buying guide, we put ourselves in the shoes of an Uber driver shopping for a dash cam that records forwards and into the cabin.

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Frequently asked questions

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The MiVue 818 is a circa-£150 dash cam from Mio. It offers a video resolution greater than Full HD, as well as GPS, optional parking mode, connectivity via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and average speed camera alerts.

This model fits into the lower middle of Mio’s dash cam range, above the 792 and 812, but below the rest of the 8XX collection.

In this sector of the market, the MiVue 818 finds itself up against stiff competition from the likes of Garmin, Nextbase and Thinkware.

Mio MiVue 818 specifications

Resolution: 1440p at 30fps, 1080p at 60fps

HDR: No

Field of view: 140 degrees

Display: 2.7in

Battery: 240mAh

Voice control: No

Speed camera alert: Yes, with average speed cameras too

Dimensions: 85.6 x 54.7 x 36.1mm

Weight: 86.1g

Rear camera: Optional extra (MiVue A50)

Key features

The headline feature of the MiVue 818 is its beyond-HD video quality. It has a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and operates at 30 frames per second. A higher resolution means more pixels, and a sharper image with more details. This can be crucial when it comes to using dash cam footage for identifying key details like vehicle registration plates and street signs.

The MiVue 818 can also record Full HD 1080p at 30 or 60fps. The latter makes for smoother footage that is clearer to view when paused, but doesn’t have the superior resolution of 1440p. For us, we think 1080p is plenty, and doubling the frame rate to 60fps for smoother footage is worth more than the extra pixels.

Other key features of the 818 include Wi-Fi for quickly transferring videos to your smartphone, GPS for adding speed and locational information to your videos, and an average speed camera alert system.

We haven’t seen this in a dash cam before, where the system not only warns about camera location, but also calculates your average speed in real time, helping you stay below the limit between each camera. The system works, but can be a distraction. We prefer to look at our vehicle speedometer or enable cruise control, instead of relying on the dash cam and its calculations.

There’s also a parking mode, which requires hardwiring the camera to your car for a constant source of power, and the option of connecting Mio’s rear-facing camera, called the MiVue A50.

Build and handling

The 818 looks like many other dash cams, in that it is fairly small, with a lens in the middle and a 2.7-inch display on the rear, with buttons alongside for navigating the user interface. It attaches to the windscreen using a mount that slides onto the front of the camera, then sticks to the screen with an adhesive pad.

A ball-and-socket joint provides enough movement to ensure the camera works in any vehicle, to matter the rake of the windscreen. The way the mount attaches to the camera isn’t the best we have seen; it fits securely, but lacks the smoothness and quality we’ve seen from other dash cams at this price point.

The camera has a small, 240mAh battery of its own, but this is only really intended for keeping the camera running for a short while after the car has been turned off. During use, power comes from an included mini USB cable that fits to the car’s 12V lighter socket.

Unfortunately, the included charger doesn’t offer an extra USB port, so if you normally power your phone from the 12V socket, you’ll have to replace it with the dash cam. Or, purchase a 12V adapter with two USB ports, and use a different cable for powering the dash cam.

Performance

Video recorded in a resolution slightly above Full HD is always a nice bonus to have, and in this case it means the MiVue 818 produces footage that is slightly sharper and more detailed than some other dash cams at this price point. That said, we prefer to record at a higher frame rate where possible, so recommend buyers use the 1080p Full HD at 60 frames per second option instead.

Setting up the camera is easy enough, but just remember to format your microSD card before you get started. Also, while you can extract footage from a memory card in the conventional way, the MiVue’s way of organizing recordings means you are better off playing by the rules and using Mio’s smartphone app to view and transfer video. Integrated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi make this relatively painless. Mio also offers a free, comprehensive video viewing and management app for Windows and Mac.

Some buyers will love the speed camera and average camera warning system, but we prefer our dash cams to perform one job and otherwise be distraction-free. Limited viewing angles mean the screen is actually quite hard to see clearly at a glance when positioned centrally in the vehicle, and therefore off to the side of your line of sight.

Verdict

The MiVue 818 is a feature-packed dash cam that is relatively compact, easy to set up, and with good video recording capabilities. The extra features are welcome, and the average speed camera alert system is particularly interesting, but we feel most buyers will focus on the strong video performance, integrated Wi-Fi and GPS and optional parking mode above all else. That said, a suite of driver assistance and warning systems, like fatigue alert and forward collision warning, will likely be well-received by some.

We think this dash cam is relatively well priced at £160 and will appeal to drivers who want a dash cam that is smarter and with more additional features than most.

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Nextbase has announced the world’s first fully-connected smart dash cam, Nextbase iQ. It is designed to fast-track next generation safety, security, and AI-driver assistance.

Packed full of the latest AI-powered technology, the iQ is host to a range of cutting-edge new features, such as Spatial Awareness, where the Dash Cam anticipates, records, and notifies the user of incidents when away from your vehicle.

Building on its previous models, Nextbase iQ still offers key dash cam features including 4K, three cameras for front, back, and cabin views, able to record both externally and internally with cloud integration to make things as easy as possible for the end user.

The innovative new Roadwatch AI provides instant and accurate monitoring of other vehicles’ speeds and trajectories, and with the Witness Mode, iQ offers immediate handsfree recording, as well as real-time cloud upload and sharing to provide the ultimate video evidence for when things go wrong on the highway.

Along with these state of the art features the Nextbase IQ app gives users real-time alerts and access to video recordings when away from their vehicles. Drivers can benefit from real time tracking with ultra-precise GPS, smart sense parking for enhanced monitoring of surroundings, and instant incident notifications including still snapshot visualisation. 

Other key features include Smart Sense Parking, powered by AI-enabled Nextbase Spatial Awareness Technology, captures critical moments before and after any incident, tunable to adjust to circumstances to maximize security and minimize inconvenience. 

The intelligent monitoring system keeps a close eye on your surroundings, including vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, allowing drivers to obtain real-time alerts to observe and act upon if necessary. Another welcomed feature that was pioneered on the Series 2 Dash Cam range, and been improved upon with the Nextbase iQ is its automatic alerts for emergency services with location and other critical details following a serious accident. It might all sound a bit big brother at times but you can't argue with the fact dash cams are there to help protect you in any situation.

The Nextbase iQ is scheduled to go on sale in September this year, having been previewed at CES 2022.

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The Nextbase 622GW has 4K video quality with image stabilisation, Alexa integration, an SOS emergency feature, and is the world’s first to use the What3Words global positioning system.

Not all drivers will want every feature offered by the Nextbase 622GW, but the 4K video quality (or 1080p Full HD at 120 frame per second with slow-motion video) is difficult to ignore. After all, the most important feature of a dash cam is its ability to capture key details like number plates, traffic lights and road markings.

Specifications

Video resolution: up to 4K

Field of view: 140 degrees

Frame rate: 30fps/60fps/120fps

Digital zoom: No

Inbuilt microphone: Yes

GPS included: Yes

Key features

The 622GW shoots 4K video at 30 frames per second, or 1440p at 60fps and 1080p at 120fps. We recommend buyers pick either the first or third option. With the former they have the greatest resolution for the most detail, while the latter means smoother video and more chance of capturing details in fast-moving footage.

Video is captured through a 140-degree, six-layer lens with an aperture of f/1.3 and a polarising filter. The dash cam’s software includes functions for improving video quality at night and during bad weather. Audio can also be saved, but we prefer to switch this off to protect passenger privacy.

The rear features a 3-inch HD IPS touch screen for navigating through the user interface. Inside there is Bluetooth 5.0, QuickLink Wi-Fi for transferring footage to the Nextbase smartphone app, and 10Hz GPS.

 As with most dash cams, the 622GW has no battery. It can be plugged into a USB port, 12V lighter socket, or hard-wired to the car’s fuse box with a hard-wiring kit sold separately.

Key features include Alexa integration, SOS and What3Words. The former lets you interact with the voice assistant as you would from any other device, like a smart speaker at home. SOS emergency response alerts local emergency services and gives them your location if a crash is detected and you do not respond. What3Words is a global positioning system that assigns three words to every three-meter square on the planet, making it easy to share your location without GPS coordinates or a phone signal.

We tested the 622GW with the optional rear view camera from Nextbase. This connects to the front camera, comes with a long cable for routing through the vehicle, and attaches to the rear screen with an adhesive pad on a magnetic mount. It records in 1080p HD and has a 140-degree lens.

Build and performance

Sharing its design with the rest of the Nextbase range, the 622GW is fairly compact and subtle, with a smart magnetic mounting system for quick installation and removal. The device comes with a suction cup and an adhesive mount for a more permanent installation, plus a long USB cable with a lighter socket plug and a tool for concealing the cable behind interior panels.

A true set-it-and-forget-it device, the 622GW is quick and simple to set up, then can be mounted to the screen and forgotten about, quietly getting on with recording whenever you drive. The 4K video is excellent quality, with details like number plates highly legible and exposure handled extremely well; but the image stabilization is best switched off in vehicles with a firmer ride, as it has a tendency to overcompensate. Aside from that, the video quality is top-notch.

Sample footage

4K video sample from Nextbase 622GW

Video sample from optional rear camera

Verdict

The Nextbase 622GW ticks a lot of dash cam boxes. From the 4K video and option for 120fps at 1080p, to the integration of What3Words, a three-month subscription to SOS assistance and Alexa (which sends audio to your Bluetooth-connected smartphone), this is a formidable dash cam.

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Nextbase is launching what they are claiming at the world's smartest dashcam. First shown at CES at the beginning of this year, the 622GW is essentially the big brother to the Nextbase 522GW, which we reckon is one of the best dash cams currently available - but under the hood there is a lot of new features.

First up, the 622GW now offers 4K shooting, and in an additional (and perhaps more significant aid to image quality) adds digital image stabilization to reduce the inherent shake that you get when trying to record footage from a moving car. Although widely available on action cameras, this is the first time that EIS has been featured on a dashcam.

The 3-inch touchscreened 622GW also adds support for what3words... a relatively new geolocation system that gives the precise location of anywhere on the planet, to within a couple of feet, using just three words. This system makes it easier for those who have had an accident give precise details to emergency services. For example, the location of the Oval Office in the White House can be described with the tag score.later.loving

Other new features include:

• An extreme weather mode that enhances image quality in fog and mist

• Enhanced night vision to improve image quality after dark

• Support of 5GHz wifi, which will increase the speed at which you can download footage to your mobile phone.

The Nextbase 622GW will go on sale in this summer for $399/£249.

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