Dash cams have become almost a necessity in Australia, since they give you the evidence you need if you’re in an accident. They can also help to capture everything that goes on if you’re unfairly treated by law enforcement and can prevent insurance fraud. But as with anything in the world of tech, some dash cams will be better than others, which is why we’ve rounded up the best dash cams Australia has to offer.
What to look for when buying a dash cam
Dash cams are constantly evolving, which is why you need to know what features to look for before buying one.
Some dash cams offer the extra protection of a rear-facing camera, along with the forward-facing one on the front. This can help to provide evidence if someone rear-ends you, and they claim you slammed on your brakes, for example.
You’ll also want to make sure your dash cam has HD (High-Definition) recording as a minimum for clearer images (some offer 4K recording), and that those images remain clear at night-time. The viewing angle is also important to take note of: the larger the field of the view, the more area the dash cam can record.
Some dash cams now have the ability to work via voice control too, meaning you can ask it to play music, read the news or check the weather, with results returned on your smartphone. It might seem a little gimmicky, but could be a genuinely useful feature.
Best Dash Cam Australia FAQs
Are dash cams illegal?
This is entirely dependent on where you reside, but for the most part, no! Most countries and states do allow dash cam use, but, again depending on where you are, there are restrictions that can apply to dash cams.
For example, in the United States, many states, such as New York and Washington, have strict laws about windshield obstructions; so if you live in one of these US states, and your dash cam is deemed to obstruct your windshield and ultimately, your view of the road whilst driving, you can get in trouble with the law.
You also need to consider privacy laws. Some countries and states deem dash cam footage a violation of privacy, especially if it's uploaded to social media.
We recommend thoroughly reading your state and country's laws, or reach out to your local law enforcement, to see what dash cam restrictions will apply to you before purchasing and setting up a dash cam in your car.
What features should a dash cam have?
There are so many different features that dash cams can possess nowadays, but the most important things to look out for is high video quality (4K is the best but not completely necessary; 1080P is fine!), night vision, a looping feature, and a parking mode.
If you’re wanting to get yourself the best dash cam Australia currently offers, read on to find out more.
1/5Garmin
A Garmin dash cam will give you peace of mind whilst driving thanks to its impressive features. All of Garmin's dash cams are voice-controlled (except the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2), compact, extremely easy to use thanks to the Garmin Drive smartphone app, will record and save incidents in either 1440P or 1080P video quality, and have glowing reviews and recommendations.
Our pick would be the Garmin Dash Cam 47 as its the company's best dash cam Australia has access to, which is an affordable small camera that's capable of recording 1080P HD video with a 140-degree field of view, and has built-in GPS so you can accurately record when and where an accident took place.
Plus, when used with the Garmin Drive smartphone app, the Garmin Dash Cam 47 can give you forward-collision warnings and lane-departure warnings, and will automatically upload any incidents directly to a secure online vault.
2/5Thinkware
All of Thinkware's dash cams come with a 2 year warranty, and the vast majority come with built-in wifi and GPS. Plus, the Thinkware Dash Cam smartphone app allows you to have convenient control over your dash cam, real-time viewings, remote access to your dash cam, as well as an efficient way to download videos.
While all of their dash cams are quite good, one of Thinkware's most affordable and what we consider to be its best dash cam Australia has access to is the F100. It comes with 1080p video recording, with all footage captured using a Sony Exmor CMOS sensor (that's good, by the way) and a 135-degree field of view. You're able to connect an optional rear camera to the F100 too, for all-round protection, as well as an optional GPS antenna to accurately pinpoint where any collisions happen.
3/5Nexar
The Nexar Pro is our pick as the company's best dash cam Australia can currently buy, and is targeted at those who spend much of their time on the road. You get two cameras, both of which record at 1080p, to record outside and inside the car along with internal memory. This is a big deal, as it saves you having to spend extra on memory cards (which you could lose). You also get built-in GPS to accurately pinpoint accidents and it's powered via your 12v outlet, meaning you don't need to hardwire it your car's main power source.
4/5Nextbase
Impressively, after campaigning for insurance companies to develop dash cam inclusive policies (which many did), Nextbase dash cams can reduce insurance premiums and will support you when (and if) faced with driving-related false liability claims. Some of Nextbase's higher-spec dash cams feature Alexa voice control, geolocation services, and will automatically call emergency services when involved in an accident.
Nextbase's best dash cam Australia can get its hands on is the 622GW which is what Nextbase calls "the ultimate dash cam" and oh boy, does it deliver. Whilst, it's slightly pricier than other dash cams on the market, Nextbase's 622GW really is impressive and worth every penny.
Multi-award winning, this dash cam records at 30fps in 4K to capture license plates and finer details, features digital image stabilisation to reduce vibrations from your car ensuring smooth image quality, super slow motion playback capability to determine exactly what happened in a crash or incident, enhanced night vision, intelligent parking mode that'll automatically record any bump or physical movement involving your car even when it's left unattended, and so many other awesome features.
5/5Viofo
Founded in 2011, all of Viofo's dash cams have high-quality video resolution, discreet & compact designs, and premium smart functions. Viofo dash cams are also well-known for their ability to withstand both extreme heat and cold conditions, meaning when in-car temperatures are very high (very common in summer) or very low, the dash cams have superior temperature tolerance and longer service life.
When it comes to Viofo, all of their dash cams are high-quality but if we had to pick the best dash cam Australia can buy, it would be the A139. Again, our top pick is a little pricey, but the A139 does come with three cameras: front, interior, and rear. The front camera is will record in 2K 1440P video quality and is equipped with high clarity night vision ensuring rich details are still recorded even in low light conditions, while the rear & interior cameras will record in 1080P with the interior camera also featuring a 6 element infrared LED lamp ensuring it clearly captures cabin activity even in complete darkness.
Also featuring wide viewing angles on all three cameras, voice notifications, built-in wifi, 3 parking mode options, GPS tracker, Circular Polarizing Lenses (to reduce reflections and glare, resulting in improved image quality), and many more features, Viofo's A139 is one of the best dash cams available.
