The 5 best dash cams in 2026: Consumer Reports

A collision can happen in seconds. Whether you walk away with a settled claim or a legal dispute often depends on what your car was recording at the time. Dash cam sales have grown steadily as more drivers learn that insurers and courts treat clear footage as decisive evidence. Not every dash cam captures footage worth submitting, though, and performance varies widely even within the same price range.

Consumer Reports evaluated five models on daytime and nighttime video quality, audio quality, and ease of installation to identify the ones worth buying.

Credit: Redtiger

Priced at $150, the Redtiger F7NP Basic is the top-scoring model in Consumer Reports' current dash cam ratings, earning an overall score of 72. CR's testing found excellent scores in daytime video quality, audio quality, and ease of installation, with midlevel scores for nighttime video and versatility. Standard features include a secondary rear-facing unit, a 3.2-inch display — one of the largest in the test group — a hardwiring kit for always-on power, and a vibration-triggered parking mode.

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At $120, the Rove R2-4K Pro scores 68 overall and earns excellent marks in daytime video quality and ease of installation, with Consumer Reports noting decent performance across nighttime video, versatility, and audio. Its 2.4-inch display, GPS antenna, and both suction cup and adhesive mount options come standard. The hardwiring kit required for its parking mode is sold separately for $50.

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The Viofo A119 V3 is priced at $115 and scores 64 overall. Consumer Reports found excellent marks for daytime video and audio quality and a midlevel score for nighttime video, but gave poor scores for versatility and ease of installation. Those low ratings trace to the unit coming with adhesive mounts only, which are harder to reposition than suction cup mounts. Parking mode footage includes a 15-second pre-event buffer, and the hardwiring kit is sold separately for $26.

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Among the five models tested, the Nextbase 622GW carries the highest price at $250. Consumer Reports rates its daytime video quality as excellent but gives it midlevel scores across all other tested categories. The 622GW is the only model on this list with a touchscreen display, and it supports additional cameras for interior or rear recording. Its hardwiring kit is sold separately for $30.

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Available for $100, the Rexing V1-4K Ultra earns a score of 63. Consumer Reports found excellent marks for daytime video and audio quality and a decent score for nighttime video, but subpar marks for versatility and a poor score for ease of installation. Daytime image clarity is aided by an included polarizing lens filter, and the parking mode is sensitive to both vibration and motion. The hardwiring kit is sold separately for $15.