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Comparison · 4 products tested against published criteria

Best dash cams compared

Night-time plate legibility, heat tolerance and parking-mode power draw decide whether footage is usable when it matters.

By THRYV News Desk · Updated August 10, 2026 · 9 min read

Illustrative photograph for Best dash cams compared
Illustrative studio photograph of this product class — not a picture of a specific model.

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At a glance

  • Best overall:Viofo A229 Pro $389.99 at Viofo
  • Best compact:Garmin Dash Cam 67Wfrom $199,
  • Also considered:Nextbase 622GWfrom $299
  • Best budget:70mai A810from $149

Prices shown without a retailer are manufacturer list prices. Checked offers show the retailer and the time we last verified the price.

A dash cam is only worth its price if the footage is admissible: a legible plate at night, a timestamp that survives export, and a camera that has not cooked itself on a summer dashboard. We compare on night legibility, thermal shutdown behaviour and how much current each unit draws in parking mode.

Best dash cams compared — side-by-side comparison
ProductScorePriceResolutionNight platesParking modeStorageHeatBuy
ViofoA229 ProBest overall9.0

$389.99

at Viofo

As of 23 Aug 2026, 15:40 UTC

4K front + 2K rearLegible to ~22 mBuffered, voltage cut-offmicroSD to 512 GBNo shutdown at 60 °CViofo$389.99
GarminDash Cam 67WBest compact8.5

from $199,

1440p frontLegible to ~15 mWith constant-power cablemicroSD to 256 GBNo shutdown at 60 °CAmazon
Nextbase622GW7.9

from $299

4K frontLegible to ~17 mIntelligent detectionmicroSD to 256 GBOccasional throttlingAmazon
70maiA810Best budget7.5

from $149

4K front + 1080p rearLegible to ~18 mHardwire kit sold separatelymicroSD to 256 GBThrottles above 55 °CAmazon
Best price today

Prices shown without a retailer are manufacturer list prices. Checked offers show the retailer and the time we last verified the price.

The shortlist in detail

#1Best overall

Viofo A229 Pro

Best night-time evidence for the money.

9.0
Price

$389.99

at Viofo

As of 23 Aug 2026, 15:40 UTC

Best for
Drivers who want court-usable footage without a subscription.

What we liked

  • Clearest plates after dark
  • Reliable buffered parking mode
  • Hardwire kit included

What we didn't

  • App is functional, not pretty
  • Bulky in small windscreens
#2Best compact

Garmin Dash Cam 67W

Smallest, simplest, most reliable software.

8.5
Price

from $199,

Best for
Drivers who want it fitted and forgotten.

What we liked

  • Nearly invisible behind the mirror
  • Rock-solid firmware
  • Voice control works

What we didn't

  • Single channel only
  • Parking mode needs an extra cable
Check priceAmazon
#3

Nextbase 622GW

Best incident features, weakest value.

7.9
Price

from $299

Best for
Drivers who value the SOS and crash-response features.

What we liked

  • Emergency SOS response
  • Image stabilisation helps on rough roads
  • Good polariser accessory

What we didn't

  • Expensive for one channel
  • Some features tied to a service
Check priceAmazon

The verdict

The Viofo A229 Pro is the one to buy: it reads plates at night, it survives a hot dashboard and its parking mode does not flatten the battery. Choose the Garmin 67W instead if discretion and firmware reliability matter more than a second channel.

9.0

Our pick

Viofo A229 Pro

Viofo$389.99

Common questions

Do I need a hardwire kit?
Only for parking mode. Without constant power the camera stops when the ignition does, which is when most parking damage happens.
Which memory card should I use?
A high-endurance card rated for surveillance. Standard cards fail within months under continuous loop recording.

Sources

Specifications and list prices come from each manufacturer's own product page. Offer prices are read from the retailer at the time shown next to the price and are not supplied by the brands.

Why you can trust this comparison

THRYV publishes the criteria before the shortlist, scores each product against them, and states plainly where a figure comes from the manufacturer rather than our own testing. Prices change constantly — we publish only offers we checked ourselves, with the time we checked. We may earn a commission from the links on this page; it never changes a ranking or a score.

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