When purchasing a dash cam, you will want to focus on a few important features such as video capabilities, recording options, and other handy nice-to-haves. Video capabilities will be the most important aspect of your decision. You’ll want to consider whether you need front and rearview or just front view. Also, check the resolution—we recommend at least 1080p, but premium 4K resolution dash cams really make a difference if you can swing the extra cost.

Additionally, you will want to take a look at the field of view. The sweet spot is between 120 to 140 degrees field of view, as anything less might miss important things and anything more may cause a fish-eye distortion to the recordings.

Next, you will want to decide on the recording options you need. Continuous loop recording automatically overwrites older recordings at specified intervals (unless saved) in order to minimize storage requirements. There is also incident recording, which uses motion detection and triggered impact detection to record possible accidents.

As for storage options, you will generally find that there are two options to choose from: cloud storage and microSD card storage. Cloud storage isn’t as common, but it can be nice to have if you’re worried about losing a physical memory card. Otherwise, a microSD card will be the most common option.

Finally, you should consider any other handy features that a particular dash cam might provide. These include GPS navigation, phone connectivity, parking monitoring, night vision, and speed detection. All of these will depend on your personal preference, but should be taken into account before purchase.