What to Look For When Buying a Dash Cam?

The dash cam has become one of the most popular vehicle accessories over the past couple of years, simply because it provides a wide range of benefits to drivers, regardless whether on or off the road. It serves a pretty straightforward purpose – to record video and sounds while you’re driving. They’re used by millions of drivers worldwide, including driving instructors, police officers, taxi and bus drivers, and the everyday Joes.

You can find dash cameras online in 4 wheel drive accessories stores, technology stores, and other online stores such as eBay or Amazon. Regardless of where you decide to shop for a dash cam, you can rest assured you will get a peace of mind on and off the road. 4 wheel drive accessories and other online stores offer models in all price ranges, and you usually get what you pay for. Some cheaper models may lack some advanced features, while the more expensive ones may be very rich in features and include GPS, automatic on/off, g-force sensor, smart-file storage, loop recording, etc.

But features aside, the main thing to look for when buying a dash cam is the quality of the video it records. If the quality isn’t good enough, you might not be able to use the footage as proof that you weren’t the one at fault. That being said, get a dash cam that has at least 720p resolution. A higher resolution typically means a superior quality footage, but keep in mind that it comes at an increased price.

Furthermore, consider getting an SD memory card. While most dash cams have an integrated card, it might not have a lot of memory, and dash cameras are designed to overwrite on the oldest footage when they’re full. That being said, the SD memory card you opt for should be class 6 or above to ensure it performs at a high standard and is reliable for use in the dash cam.

Once you buy a dash cam, you’ll obviously need to install it. Dash cams come with a cord that needs to be plugged into the cigarette lighter part of your car. The range of the cord can be anywhere between one metre up to 5 metres. You generally want more cord length, but not too long that it tangles up and becomes an inconvenience.

Lastly, you might be able to connect the dash cam to your phone, computer or laptop in order to view recordings in an easier-to-browse manner than through the dash cam’s default media player. Additionally, the dash cam might have WiFi which allows for wireless transfer of the footage from the dash cam to a mobile device. This feature eliminates the need of having to remove the dash cam from your vehicle and take it inside your home to do what needs to be done.