Shortlist and buying guide · the ranked board is on its way
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What to look for
Front and rear cameras and a parking mode cover most claims; check night footage quality.
Models worth comparing
From manufacturers' specifications and published UK reviews, read on 6 October 2026. Not tested by us. In no particular order: these are not ranked, and we do not say which is best until the customer ratings are in.
Budget
Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3
Drivers who want a tiny, discreet front camera that hides behind the mirror and is controlled by voice rather than a screen.
Key-fob-sized body mounts horizontally to tuck neatly behind the rear-view mirror
Built-in Clarity polariser to cut windscreen glare
Voice commands to save clips, and up to four Garmin cameras can be synced in the app
Watch out for: There is no built-in GPS, and the parked-car alert feature needs a separate hardwiring kit, a Wi-Fi connection and a paid Vault subscription.
Video
1080p at up to 30fps, 140-degree view
Rear camera
No (single front camera)
GPS
Not built in (only when synced with a GPS-equipped Garmin dash cam)
Parking mode
Parking Guard alerts with Vault subscription and constant power
Enthusiasts who want front and rear cameras in the box, strong night footage and flexible parking modes for a hardwired install.
Sony STARVIS 2 sensors front and rear, with HDR on both
Built-in GPS, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and voice control
Buffered parking mode saves footage from before and after a detected event
Watch out for: Auto Express found it cannot hold its higher frame rate once the rear camera is plugged in, and the hardwire kit used for parked recording is an optional extra.
Video
Front 4K at 30fps, rear 2K at 30fps
Rear camera
Included
GPS
Built in
Parking mode
Buffered event detection, time-lapse and low-bitrate modes (hardwire kit optional)
We are gathering the customer ratings this board needs from UK shops. When they are in, the ranked list replaces this guide at the same address, scored the way every board is: star ratings weighed by how many people left them. How we score.