What dashcam should we get?

I'm utterly dazzled by the number of dashcams on offer. I would like to have it hardwired by someone like Halfords. We have a Kia Niro and have an annual mileage of no more than 6000. Do we need a dashcam and if so which one can you recommend?
Whether you buy a dash camera is a choice only you can make, but I always recommend drivers use them. If you were to get into any kind of collision (whether it be a crash-for-cash scheme, a genuine car accident, someone pulling out in front of you etc), you'd wish you had one - especially if disputes over liability don't go in your favour. In our opinion, the most important things when buying a dash camera are resolution (the quality of the footage) and time/date/speed stamping on the recordings so you can hand this over to your insurer to corroborate your side of the events if needs be. Our advice would be to look at the reviews I've linked to below, and read a bit about the cameras. If nothing else, take a look at the footage in the reviews so you can see whether it's the quality you want. More expensive cameras offer more features, like Lane Departure wanring, speed camera alerts etc - so it depends if you want that. Most people just want a simple camera that records footage, especially if they have a new car that offers plenty of features anyway.

We would suggest the £50 YI Smart. It offers 1296p @ 30fps footage (which is above average and enough to make out number plates) and WiFi, so you can review/edit/download the footage on your phone. Though it doesn't offer GPS, so it won't be able to map your journey or show your speed - if you want that feature then you'll need to look elsewhere. It also offers lane departure warning and a forward collision warning - though these don't work as well as more expensive dash cameras.

If you want a dual dash cam, we recently reviewed the Nextbase 512GW and 512GW rear camera: kit.honestjohn.co.uk/reviews/review-nextbase-512gw.../

But there are also cheaper (front-facing only) options, like the very good Garmin 55. It's about £115, but it is an excellent, small dash cam: kit.honestjohn.co.uk/reviews/review-garmin-55/
Answered by Georgia Petrie on

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