Best Dash Cams for Irish Drivers

The best dash cam is the one that records a readable number plate in the rain at night, and keeps watching when the car is parked. Here is what to look for, and how the cameras we fit compare.

What actually matters

A sharp front camera

The front camera is the one that proves what happened at a junction or roundabout. Higher resolution keeps number plates readable further away. 4K is the safe choice; 2K is fine for a budget front-only setup.

Night vision for Irish winters

From October to March a lot of driving happens in the dark and the wet. Look for a large lens aperture (a low f-number such as F1.5) and WDR, which balances headlights against dark roads.

Parking mode, and why it needs hardwiring

Car park bumps happen while nobody is in the car. Parking mode records bumps and movement while you are parked, but only if the camera has power with the engine off. That means hardwiring it to the fuse box. A camera plugged into the cigarette lighter cannot do it.

Supercapacitor or battery

Cameras with a supercapacitor cope better with a car that sits in the sun or in frost than cameras with a built-in battery. All three Botslab cameras we fit use a supercapacitor. The 70mai M310 uses a built-in battery.

Front only, front and rear, or more?

Front only suits a driver on a budget who mainly wants a record of the road ahead.

Front and rear is what we recommend for most drivers. If someone runs into the back of you, only a rear camera records it.

Three cameras add a cabin camera with infrared, so it records the back seats after dark. This is the setup for taxi and Uber drivers.

Four cameras add the left and right sides for the most complete view, useful for drivers who park on busy streets or work late in the city.

Already bought one?

We fit most dash cams that come with a hardwire kit, including Nextbase, Garmin, Viofo, 70mai, Botslab, BlackVue and Thinkware. Fitting a front camera you supply is €70, front and rear is €110. More on fitting your own camera.