5 Best Front-Facing Dashcams [Tested and Reviewed]

Kenwood's 4K Dash Cam DRV-A601W boasts the ability to capture clear recordings in 8.3 million pixels. Another top selling point is the ability to choose between adhesive tape and suction cup mounts, depending on where you want to install the dashcam.

As advertised, during our testing, we were able to clearly see the numbers of the license plates under both good and bad conditions: not only on well-lit roads during the day but also near the entrances and exits of tunnels where the backlighting is intense, and on roads at night. If a hit-and-run did take place, we’re confident we would be able to collect the evidence necessary to identify the other party’s vehicle using this dashcam.

When we evaluated the width of the shooting angle, we recorded a horizontal angle of 110 degrees. Because this dashcam can widely capture its surroundings, even if you collide with an oncoming vehicle when turning at an intersection or if you get cut off, it can record not only the moment of the accident but also the circumstances leading up to it.

For playback, this dashcam has a dedicated PC viewer that can be used on both Windows and Mac. In addition to the video, you can check information such as GPS and travel speed using this dashcam. Additionally, it comes with an LCD monitor that can be operated by a touch panel, allowing you to quickly review the footage immediately after an accident.

That said, this dashcam doesn’t have an SD card check function, which is a drawback that could make noticing SD card errors difficult. We recommend you regularly remove the SD card and review the footage to check for SD card errors.

Some testers also said that the dashcam’s app was difficult to operate intuitively. In particular, many people struggled to connect the app to their smartphone for the first time, with quite a few having to try several times before they succeeded. On the other hand, after connecting, our testers found they could relatively easily play and save footage.

While this dashcam has a few drawbacks, our testers gave it high marks for the most crucial features required for a dashcam: image quality and wide angle of view. If you are considering purchasing a front-facing dashcam, this camera should be at the top of your list.

The Dash Cam DRV-A301W from Kenwood utilizes an HDR function to prevent overexposure and underexposure. And its magnetic mount makes it easy to quickly remove the camera when necessary.

During our tests, under good conditions, the license plate was clearly visible. If an accident occurs during bright daytime hours, this dashcam should be able to record sufficient evidence. On the other hand, this dashcam doesn’t perform well under backlit conditions. During our testing, it was somewhat difficult to read the letters and numbers on the license plate. So this camera might not be capable of recording evidence clearly when facing strong sunlight or car headlights.

When we tested the width of this dashcam’s shooting angle, it recorded at a horizontal angle of 110 degrees. Because this camera can record a wide range, even if you get into an accident with an oncoming car at an intersection, this device can not only clearly capture the moment of the accident but also the surrounding circumstances.

This dashcam has a dedicated PC viewer that you can use on both Windows and Mac for playback. In addition to the video, you can also check the GPS and driving speed, which can be useful when negotiating the degree of fault with your insurance company. Also, this dashcam is equipped with an SD card check function, so if there is a problem with the SD card, you will be notified, so you won’t get caught with a malfunctioning SD card when you need it to record.

On the other hand, many users had trouble connecting to the app associated with this dashcam. In addition, even when the dashcam was connected, we observed random disconnections and the screen unexpectedly went dark, so this may not be the best dashcam when it comes to ease of use. But you can still easily check the footage by inserting the SD card into your PC.

Thinkware's F70 PRO TW-F70PRO incorporates distortion correction technology, which can improve image quality. Although conventional cameras tend to have significant distortion at the edges of the image, this product claims to keep distortion to a minimum.

During our testing, we were able to clearly record the license plate under both good and poor lighting conditions. This dashcam could easily record video while suppressing overexposure, not only on roads when it was bright out, but also near tunnel entrances and exits and roads when the sun was strong.

When we measured the shooting angle's width, the horizontal angle was 90 degrees. Because of the narrower width, this dashcam had more blind spots than some higher-end models, so it may not be able to fully capture the movement of oncoming vehicles at intersections or sudden collisions.

The dedicated viewer for PC is compatible with both Mac and Windows, but you’ll need to purchase additional equipment to check information such as GPS and driving speed. The SD card check function is included, though, so you can troubleshoot any malfunctions before you get on the road.

That said, connecting the app and smartphone took several tries. Additionally, the instruction manual is bare bones and didn’t have enough information about how to connect the dashcam to the app. Even after eventually connecting the dashcam to the app we observed several instances when the live video was frozen and we could not check it in the app. So we recommend you use a PC to watch footage for a smoother viewing experience.

Garmin's Dash Cam Mini 2 is very compact at about the size of a car key. What also sets this dashcam apart from other models is its voice control capability, which allows you to save videos and start and stop audio recording even while driving.

This dashcam got mixed reviews during our testing. Under good conditions, our testers could see the characters on license plates quite clearly. Even if an accident occurred during bright daytime hours, this camera could effectively capture the evidence. On the other hand, under backlit conditions, “black crush”, or details that are hard to see in the darker parts of an image, was a major drawback, and our testers could not fully read the license plates. When driving near the entrance and exit of a tunnel during strong sunlight, or when car headlights are approaching, this dashcam may not be able to record evidence as clearly as some other dashcams on this list.

When it came to the field of view, we recorded a wide horizontal angle of 110 degrees. So even if there was an oncoming car at an intersection or if you were suddenly cut off by another car, this dashcam would be able to record the situation.

That said, this dashcam provides less evidence than some other models on this list because it isn’t equipped to record driving route or speed. Also, it doesn't have an SD card check function, so you’ll have to make sure to regularly check your SD card to ensure that it’s still working properly.

This dashcam does work with an app, but it requires an initial registration, which could slow you down if you want to check the video immediately. This dashcam does work with Wi-Fi connection and via Bluetooth. That said, some testers noted that neither connection worked well, so if you want to check the video easily, we recommend you use a PC.

The Dash Cam M300 by 70mai incorporates noise-reduction technology, and promises to maintain clear recording by minimizing noise in night time footage, preventing phenomena like crushed blacks or blown-out whites.

Under good conditions, we were able to easily see the letters and numbers on the license plate. If an accident occurs on the road during daylight, this dashcam should be able to clearly record sufficient evidence. On the other hand, in areas near the entrance and exit of tunnels where there is strong backlighting, and on roads at night, we were unable to read the license plate at all. So be aware that under poor lighting conditions, this dashcam may not record effectively.

When we tested for the width of the shooting angle, we recorded a horizontal angle of 110 degrees. With this wide angle, this dashcam should not only capture the moment an accident occurs, but also the circumstances that led to it.

This dashcam doesn’t have any dedicated viewer software, but you can check the video through the app. However, the app doesn’t record driving speed or the route, so this dashcam doesn’t provide as much evidence as some other models. Also, this device doesn’t have an SD card check function, so you’ll need to look regularly to make sure it’s working correctly.

Though this dashcam works with an app, it was somewhat cumbersome to use as you had to create an account the first time you used the app. Since this device did not come with an LCD monitor and required a connection to a PC or a smartphone, this dashcam isn’t the best option if you want to check footage immediately.

In addition, the instruction manual wasn’t very detailed, and our reviewers didn’t find it to be user-friendly. That said, once our testers connected to the app, they were able to easily play back the footage, so establishing a connection was the only major hurdle.