Dashcams are relatively new among road users, so chances are good that this is the first time you are going to buy a dashcam. But which one on earth should you get and what should you pay attention to? We've been selling dashcams for almost 10 years, so we'd like to give you a few tips.

The tips below can help you get a better idea of the options and the things to look out for. If after going through the tips you still have no idea which dashcam you need, feel free to contact our customer service and we will be happy to help you personally.

Tip 1: What are you going to use it for?

It sounds logical, but it is very useful to be clear in advance what you want to use the dashcam for. Prices and options vary enormously, and you can save yourself a lot of money and effort by not buying the most expensive one right away. Our first tip is therefore to first determine what kind of user you are. What exactly does that entail?

1: Only for security while driving
Most people buy a dashcam that will film when you turn on the car and record everything while driving. In fact, almost all dashcams are suitable for this group. Most dashcams over €50 nowadays have pretty good image quality that allows you to film situations well and even read license plates during the day. You can always opt for additional options (see tip 3), but if you need nothing else, we recommend choosing a "budget" dashcam.

2: Security while driving ánd parking
More and more people are buying a dashcam that not only captures the situation on the road but also secures the car while parking. They buy a dashcam with parking mode or parking mode. A dashcam with parking mode or parking mode is simply on while driving but has a special mode for while parking. It is then on standby and starts a short recording when a movement or vibration is detected, ideal for securing the car against vandalism or parking damage. The best dashcams in this category are dashcams with automatic parking mode, as these you don't have to worry about at all after installation. There are also dashcams with manual parking mode but you have to activate them every time you park.

3: Specific vehicle or purpose
Finally, there are a lot of people who buy a dashcam for a specific vehicle or other purpose. For example, we have special Truck dashcams, Motorcycle dashcams and Taxi dashcams. There are also, for example, Mirror dashcams that you place over your interior mirror and are commonly used for in RVs or vans. Want to use a dashcam for something else? Then feel free to contact our customer service team, we will be happy to advise you personally.

Tip 2: Front and/or rear camera?

Dashcams can be roughly divided into 1CH dashcams with one camera and 2CH dashcams with two cameras (CH stands for Channel, the number of channels/cameras). 1CH dashcams are "standard" dashcams and only film what happens in front of the car. A 2CH has a second separate camera, which you place on the rear window or bumper and connect with a long cable to the front dashcam. This then also films everything that happens behind the car.

Nearly half of the 1CH dashcams are also available as a 2CH version or can be expanded with a second camera, but not all 2CH dashcams are also available as a 1CH version. Therefore, you have to be careful to pick the right model. If you are not sure (yet), preferably choose a dashcam to which you can connect a separately available rear camera later.

Tip 3: Suction cup or sticker mounting?

Most dashcams work with an adhesive mount but there are also dashcams with a suction cup mount. One is not necessarily better than the other; both have advantages and disadvantages. In almost all cases, the holder and the dashcam are two separate parts where you place the holder on the window and slide or click the dashcam into it.

Suction cup mount
The biggest advantage of a suction cup mount is that the dashcam can be easily removed from the car along with the holder. Because you remove not only the dashcam but also the holder from the car, you can therefore easily use the dashcam in multiple vehicles. A disadvantage of a suction cup mount is that with prolonged use it can become somewhat brittle and therefore lose its suction. In addition, a suction cup mount is more sensitive to vibrations and you can only mount the mount on the windshield or another smooth surface and not, for example, on the dashboard.

Sticker attachment
The main advantage of a sticker attachment is that it is usually more solidly attached to the windshield than a suction cup attachment. In addition to its sturdiness, a sticker mount is often a bit more compact than a suction cup mount. This is because it lacks the swivel system and requires relatively less surface area to hold the dashcam. One disadvantage of a sticker mount is that you cannot easily remove the mount from the windshield. Therefore, in order to use the dashcam in multiple vehicles, you will need an additional mount in most cases.

In addition to mounts with suction cups and stickers, there are also dashcams that are attached to the interior mirror with rubber brackets. These are exclusively the interior mirror dashcams where the dashcam is placed over the interior mirror and attached at the back with these rubber brackets.

Tip 4: Additional features?

There are a lot of features that can make using a dashcam more enjoyable and safer, such as Loop recording and a G-sensor. Loop recording is the feature that ensures that the oldest images are automatically overwritten with new images the moment the SD card is full. The G-sensor is a vibration sensor that records impacts and, in the event of a collision, automatically saves the current recording securely so that it is not overwritten by the Loop recording. The Loop recording and G-sensor are standard features and come standard on every dashcam. So you don't have to pay attention to this further.

There are also a lot of features that are not standard;

Dashcams with GPS: Show current speed on screen and have the option to view the videos later with location and route.
Dashcams with Wifi: Have the the the option to view the recorded images wirelessly via your phone or tablet (within 10 meters of the dashcam).
4G or Cloud dashcams: Have the option to remotely log in to the dashcam and watch live footage. Handy for transportation and cab companies.
Dashcams with Touchscreen LCD: Make operating the dashcam very easy.

Another important factor is the storage capacity of the dashcam. The storage capacity indicates the maximum capacity of the SD card that the dashcam supports. Files are stored on the SD card, and the capacity of the SD card determines how many hours of recordings can be stored on the card at a time. The minimum capacity supported is 32gb and this can go up to 512gb or even 1024gb.

As a rule of thumb, we say that with 32gb you can store about 2 to 3 hours of FullHD recordings. So if you - for example for your work - want to be able to view at least 8 hours of recordings on the SD card, then you should make sure that your dashcam supports SD cards of 128gb or more.

In addition, there are features such as Night vision, ADAS or the option to fit a CPL filter. Take a look at our Knowledgebase to read about all the features and what exactly they are for. On our website you can easily filter by all functions.

Tip 5: With or without LCD screen?

Dashcams come with and without LCD screen. Those with LCD screen are generally larger and thus stand out more. An LCD screen can be useful to operate the menu and you can also quickly review recorded images. For adjusting the camera a screen is also handy.

Dashcams without an LCD screen are slightly more compact and are therefore less conspicuous. As a driver it doesn't bother you as much and also from outside you can't see the dashcam as well. A disadvantage of a dashcam without an LCD screen is that you can only operate it via your smartphone or tablet.

Tip 6: Check out the best-selling dashcams

Does the selection stress get to be too much for you or do you not feel like figuring everything out at all? Then follow the rest and just take the best-selling ones. Right now with us, that's the AZDome M63 Pro. This is a super complete dashcam for €139 with basically all the features currently available (Wifi, GPS and optional rear camera). It also comes with 64gb Micro SD card, so you don't have to worry about anything else. In our Top 10 you can see other commonly sold models.