1. The list in brief
2. Best overall
3. Best budget
4. Best heavy use
5. Best low-profile
6. Best cheap 4K
7. Easy install
8. Best value dual
9. Best for older cars
10. Best ride-share drivers
11. How to choose
12. How we test
The best dash cam in Australia will be different for each and every driver. While all of the very best models should tick off the basics such as recording clear video footage and being easy to use, some include extra features that may or may not be useful to you. On top of this, prices of dash cams can vary wildly, and so you need to make sure you're sticking within your preferred budget.
Our colleagues in the US and UK currently rate the Nextbase iQ Smart Dash Cam as the best overall model, but over two years since its announcement, it's still not made its way to Australia. It's for this reason that the Nextbase 622GW is still our outright favourite pick, serving up brilliant 4K footage and a useful set of features.
We've spent countless hours on the road with all of the latest models, testing them in various weather and lighting conditions to assess their usability, features, and video quality in the real world. Based on these experiences, we’ve tracked down the best dash cams for every need and budget below.
The quick list
Below you can find a quick round-up of our favourite dash cams to buy in Australia. You can click through to read a more in-depth review and compare prices quickly using our price comparison tool.
Best all-rounder
With impressive 4K video quality and a flagship feature set, the Nextbase 622GW is still our pick of the bunch.
Best budget
It may be small, but it means the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 is easy to install on your windscreen. Throw in full HD video anda useful app and you have yourself top-notch performer.
Best for high-mileage drivers
The Nexar Pro is a dual-cam solution to record both inside and outside the cars. Ideal for people who spend extended periods behind the wheel and don't mind the limitation of 1080p video.
The best low-profile 4K dash cam
Neat and relatively compact, the Vantrue E1 is an attractive dash cam that’s capable of recording 2.5K video at 30fps.
Best cheap 4K
Regularly hovering around the AU$100 mark, the Miofive S1 Ultra offers stunning 4K video for its price. It even gets built-in GPS for added value.
The best for easy install
Similar to the Mini 2, the Garmin Dash Cam 67W can clip in immediately with a magnetic clip. Video quality is also excellent.
Reveal the next 3 products...
Best value dual system
This neat dash cam package combines a 4K front-facing cam with a 2K rear-facing cam for total coverage with crisp image quality.
Best for analogue vehicles
If your car doesn't have an infotainment system, or you don't use your phone but you want sat-nav, the Garmin DriveCam 76 is a feature-packed tool that will do it all.
Best for ride-share drivers
Designed with taxi drivers in mind, the Vantrue N2 Pro forgoes many of the extras which your car is already likely to have, including speed camera alerts and collision warnings.
The best dash cam in Australia in 2024
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Here you'll find more in-depth reviews of our picks for the best dash cams in Australia in 2024. Each one has been tested thoroughly by TechRadar's team of camera experts, and you can click through to read the full review of each.
The best dash cam overall
The Nextbase 622GW has remained our pick of the bunch for some time now. Despite other models arriving on the scene – and even being more affordable – the 622GW manages to fend them all off thanks to a combination of ease-of-use and some of the best dash cam footage we've ever seen.
Clever low-light algorithms help to boost the quality of recorded video at night, but when recording during the day, the 622GW's 4K/30p footage is almost cinematic in its presentation, with extremely crisp definition and great detail. This makes it much easier to pinpoint registration numbers or pick out hard-to-see elements of an accident.
A built-in polarising filter on the front of the camera can be rotated to reduce glare from windscreens, while digital image stabilisation is another first for the dash cam market and helps smooth out those bumps and shakes caused by potholes and poor road surfaces.
Despite new dual 2.4GHz + 5GHz Wi-Fi, we did have some trouble connecting with phones to transfer images and video clips, but overall this is a simple camera to use, with a bright, sharp rear display. Footage is automatically saved when an incident is detected, and thanks to clever what3words integration, the 622GW can pinpoint the location of stricken vehicles and send it on to emergency vehicles.
- Read our in-depth Nextbase 622GW review
The best budget dash cam
The Garmin Mini 2 is a tiny dash cam that all but disappears behind your car’s rear view mirror, yet boasts Full HD video with HDR, voice control that actually works reliably, a decent smartphone app and a dead-simple magnetic mounting system.
Installing the Mini 2 is the same as other members of the Garmin Dash Cam family. We found the setup process took just a few minutes with the use of Garmin’s Drive smartphone app (iOS and Android). The simple but effective mounting system comprises a ball-and-socket joint for positioning the camera at the perfect angle, while a coin-sized magnet that sticks to your windscreen and holds the dash cam securely in place.
We found video quality to be good for the size of the camera. It records in Full HD, 30fps with HDR and produces footage that is sharp enough to pick out key details like registration plates, whatever the ambient light and weather conditions. At 140 degrees, the lens' field-of-view isn’t the widest on the market, but still provides a good view of the road ahead.
There’s a button for quickly saving a portion of video (or you can rely on the g-sensor to automatically detect a collision) and voice controls for functions like taking a photo or turning audio recording on and off work surprisingly well.
Due to the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2’s compact size, it does not have a display. Instead, you need to use the smartphone app to check the camera’s view and access recordings. It also misses out on GPS, which is a shame, but this is arguably the only major feature missing here. Unless you need the best dash cam with driver assistance functions like speed camera alerts, the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 will leave you wanting for very little. Simple, subtle and reliable, it’s the definition of set-and-forget- technology.
- Read our in-depth Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 review
The best dash cam for high-mileage drivers
If you're someone who spends extended periods behind the wheel, the Nexar Pro is going to be one of the best options for you. It's a dual-cam solution that can record video both inside and outside a vehicle and you get both camera units in the box. These connect by a cable, which we found surprisingly simple to setup, even if it took up a fair bit of screen real estate.
The Nexar app is central to the twin camera experience: it’s where you can fine-tune settings, generate incident reports and save recorded clips to the cloud (Nexar bundles cloud storage in for free). Other useful tools include break-in alerts if someone tries to tamper with your car, as well as GPS data logging.
There's no 4K recording here, but we found its 1080p video to be perfectly serviceable. The external camera fares well even in tricky shooting situations, from heavy rain to bright sunshine. There are cheaper dash cams out there with fewer features to play with, but if the security of your car is crucial to your daily life, the Pro is hard to beat in terms of protection and overall value.
- Read our in-depth Nexar Pro review
The best low-profile 4K dash cam
Giving the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 a run for its money with its equally-compact size is the Vantrue E1. This attractive dash cam is capable of recording 2.5K video at 30fps, or Full HD 1080p footage at a smoother 60fps, for additional detail while you drive. Results are sharp night and day, with accurate colours and acceptable noise in low light. Our testing revealed that the optional polarising filter does a good job of reducing dashboard reflections.
The E1’s magnetic mount works well, but the lack of sideways adjustments limits its use if you can’t fit it centrally. If you can, you’ll find its 160-degree angle captures a wide view of what’s ahead. A tiny 1.54-inch screen offers a handy preview when installing, but the smartphone app is more useful to tweak settings.
Driver assistance is left to your vehicle, but the E1 still has a solid set of features, including GPS tracking, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a remote for wirelessly saving footage.
- Read our in-depth Vantrue E1 review
The best cheap 4K dash cam
For the low price, you might not expect a lot from the Miofive S1 Ultra, but you'd be wrong. With an RRP of AU$150 – but regularly discounted – you get 4K video recording, built-in GPS and 5Ghz Wi-Fi for fast data transfers to your smartphone. The 4K video footage is legit, too, boasting sharp detail that controls noise well when light levels dip.
It's nowhere near the diminutive size of the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2, it must be said, but that's partly due to the fact it has a rear display. The other slight niggle with the S1 Ultra is that it only records at 30fps, no matter what video resolution you choose. 60fps at 1080p would have been a fair compromise, but sadly that's not the case.
Get past this though, and you'll be in ownership of a dash cam that is easy to setup. It's also possible to buy it as a standalone unit, bundled with a 4K rear camera and even with a microSD card for local storage of video footage. The cost naturally increases with these packages, but they're still what we would call affordable considering what you're getting in return.
- Read our in-depth Miofive S1 review
The best dash cam for easy install
The 67W supersedes Garmin’s already very good 66W with a few additional connected features that only add to a very enticing package. At about the size of a matchbox, the 67W is one of the smallest dash cams we’ve had the honour of testing – in fact, it's only usurped by Garmin’s own Mini, which is so small it looks like it came out of a Christmas Cracker.
Crammed inside this tiny package is a top-quality sensor that's capable of capturing crisp 1440p footage and enhancing it in those tricky weather conditions thanks to a HDR (High Dynamic Range) function. In our tests, it looked great and the additional pixels made it possible to punch into footage on the computer to read number plates or spot minor things that could act as important evidence.
Easy to set up, simple to use and accompanied by a very clean smartphone app, the 67W goes one better than its predecessor by adding connected features, such as the ability to automatically upload any saved clips to Garmin’s cloud when the camera detects a trusted Wi-Fi network.
Bear in mind that Garmin will charge you for a storage plan – and if you want to make the most of its connected features, such as the ability to remotely check in on a parked car from anywhere in the world, you’ll have to hardwire the camera into your vehicle’s main power source.
You’ll also need to make sure the camera is connected to a Wi-Fi network, so this means parking next to a friendly router or investing in a mobile hotspot, which will also require constant power. You can see how it rapidly becomes a deep and expensive rabbit hole.
Regardless, if you just want great quality footage that’s automatically recorded by something that will fit into a shirt pocket, look no further.
- Read our in-depth Garmin Dash Cam 67W review
The best value dual dash cam
The Miofive Dual Dash Cam takes the also-excellent Miofive 4K Dash Cam and adds in a 2K camera to record out of your car's rear window. As with its single-unit sibling, the front-facing camera in this package records great detail during day and night and remains slim enough to neatly tuck away at the top of your windscreen. A suction cup instead of the sticky adhesive used would be great, but we're nitpicking a little.
The rear camera captures 2K footage at 30fps with a 140-degree field of view. That's the same as the front camera too, and while it's enough for most drivers, some rivals do offer wider angles. You can store around 8 hours of recorded footage to the 128GB of built-in storage before fresh content starts to overwrite older stuff.
The companion app is also useful, and we love the addition of built-in GPS and collision warnings. If you're looking for a dual-camera setup, we think there's plenty of value to be found here.
- Read our in-depth Miofive Dual Dash Cam
Best for older cars without an infotainment system
Combining a dash cam and a sat nav in one neat package, the Garmin DriveCam 76 is an ideal solution for vehicles without a built-in infotainment system. In testing, we found its 7-inch display intuitive to use and we loved how well Garmin’s rich mapping visuals were shown, making them easy to follow. Navigation is clear and well-timed, complemented by live traffic updates when paired with your smartphone’s data connection. The unit itself is much larger than many rivals, though, which can make it tricky to place without obstructing the driver’s view. Helpfully, both the display angle and camera lens are adjustable, so you can find the right position between road and driver.
Full HD footage is shot in HDR at 30fps, delivering balanced exposure and enough detail to make number plates legible. That said, we found that video suffers from noticeable stabilisation wobble. This distortion doesn’t reduce the detail, but footage is worse than from other Garmin dash cams. You’ll also find better value dash cams if you don’t need features such as smartphone notifications and weather updates. But if you want a dash cam with added smarts, this is a great choice.
- Read our in-depth Garmin DriveCam 76 review
The best for ride-share drivers
Relatively compact for a dual-lens dash cam, the Vantrue N2 Pro records a detailed view of the road ahead and your vehicle’s interior. Designed with taxi drivers in mind, it forgoes many of the extras which your car is already likely to have, including speed camera alerts and collision warnings.
That simplicity extends to its connectivity, a factor we liked in testing. With no Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or smartphone app, it’s a self-contained dash cam that gets on with the job of capturing events. The only feature we did miss was GPS tracking, although Vantrue sells an optional GPS windscreen mount.
We were happily surprised by the video quality. The cameras can record Full HD footage in both directions, capturing video that’s smooth, sharp and clear, matched by decent audio. The interior camera occasionally struggles in bright sunlight, but that’s a small criticism of otherwise impressive performance. The front camera can also go solo to shoot in even more detailed 1440p.
- Read our in-depth Vantrue N2 Pro review
How to choose the best dash cam for you
The best dash cams can have anything from one, two or even three cameras. Single camera dash cams record the outside view from your windscreen, dual dash cams add an inside facing camera which is especially useful for ride-share drivers like taxis, while three-camera dash cams are more for professional drivers clocking up the miles, adding an additional viewpoint from the outside of the vehicle, being especially handy for trucks.
Video resolution is a key consideration when choosing a dash cam, as explained below. Most dash cams in 2023 can record footage in Full HD, which is generally enough to identify large details in a video clip. Sharper 4K dash cams tend to cost more, but capture video at a higher resolution. This makes it easier to pull out crucial details such as number plates, which mean 4K dash cams generally offer more reassurance from a safety perspective.
Video frame rates are also important. Most dash cams can record at 30fps, which is fine for reviewing footage at full speed, but the best models can capture action at a smoother 60fps. This gives you the option to slow down footage after the fact, making it easier to pick up details at half-speed. It’s increasingly common to find dash cams that can capture Full HD video at 60fps, but 4K 60fps recording is generally reserved for professional dash cams. Certain models, such as the Nextbase 622GW, also feature digital image stabilization, which helps to smooth out footage on bumpy roads.
There are also a wealth of features to consider, including a touchscreen display, a companion app, GPS, parking surveillance, voice control, sat nav and what3words to name but a few.
If you drive an older car without an infotainment system, then it’s worth getting a dash cam with sat nav, but there’s little point if your car already has sat nav. GPS location data is handy when recording incidents, while some even include what3words geolocation data which offers the most precise way of pinpointing your vehicle and super handy should you become stricken.
How we test dash cams
Almost all dash cams can be fitted to a car without making any permanent modification. They can be attached to a windscreen using a suction cup or removable adhesive pad, and powered from either a USB port or the 12V socket found in almost all cars. To test dash cams, we install them in our car, attach them to the windscreen and pair them to our smartphone as if we had bought them ourselves.
We then drive, at day and night, to test how the camera handles different lighting conditions, and ideally in varied weather too. The footage is then transferred to a smartphone or computer and viewed to check out the quality, and whether key details like vehicle registration plates are legible. This also gives us an opportunity to see how easy (or difficult) it is to view, transfer and save recorded footage.
Additional features like voice assistants and drive assistance systems get a thorough workout, and we also test how easy it is to turn these off, or adjust them to our personal preferences. Being able to quickly and easily turn audio recording off is key, especially when carrying passengers who don’t want their conversations recorded.
Naturally, we cannot crash a vehicle to see how well the dash cam detects collisions. Instead, firmly tapping the dash cam can simulate a collision, allowing us to see what happens when footage is saved. It is also possible to trigger a recording by powering the camera with a portable battery and tapping it against our desk. It may seem rudimentary, but it works and keeps our insurance company happy.
Sometimes, driving over a particularly aggressive speed bump can trigger a dash cam recording. In these cases we learn that the camera’s g-sensor is too sensitive, and needs to be adjusted, providing the menu system includes such an option.
Installing your dash cam:
So you've managed to track down the best dash cam for your needs but you're not sure how to get started on installing it? We've put together a handy guide on how to fit a dash cam to help make installation a breeze.
The best dash cams in Australia: FAQ
Is it worth having a dash cam?
Yes, absolutely. Some drivers might not like the idea of a camera constantly monitoring their vehicle, but some models of dash cam (like the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2) are compact and subtle enough to almost disappear behind the central rear view mirror. In other words, once they are up and running you soon forget about them; they just sit there, quietly keeping an eye out, ready to save footage if you’re caught in an accident.
If the worst were to happen, and you need to prove your innocence, the dash cam’s footage could do exactly that. This footage can also be set to include your speed, along with the time and date to help reinforce the validity of your evidence if blame is disputed by the other party. As well as monitoring the road ahead, dash cams can be used to record out of the rear windscreen too, recording footage if you are unfortunate enough to be rear-ended by another motorist.
Even if you're not directly involved in a collision, dash cams can still be useful. Many have a button for quickly saving the last few seconds of video. That way, if you need something ahead that you think needs recording, like an accident between two other vehicles, an example of bad driving, or something else noteworthy, you can provide that evidence to whoever might need it. Another useful feature of some dash cams is how they will call the emergency services if a crash is detected and you don’t respond; they can then share your location and ensure help is on its way.
Furthermore, many dash cams come with additional driver assistance features. These include alerts to let you know about nearby speed cameras and red light cameras, plus a prompt to tell you the vehicle in front has set off – just in case you weren’t paying attention while sat in traffic.
Lastly, some dash cams can be permanently installed in your vehicle and hard-wired, giving them a constant power supply. When paired with a special parking mode, this enables the camera to sense impacts and record footage while the car is parked, potentially gathering useful evidence of your neighbour’s poor parking.
