Choosing a dashcam comes down to four decisions: resolution, how many cameras you need, how the footage is stored, and how it's powered. Get those right and the dozens of feature lists stop being overwhelming.
Resolution
1080p is the floor. It's what insurers expect and it's enough to read most number plates within 5–10 metres. 4K (3840×2160) doubles the price but lets you read plates at 20+ metres, which matters on motorways and when an incident happens in the next lane.
2K (1440p) is the sensible middle ground for most drivers. Sharper than 1080p without 4K's storage cost.
Channels
One camera (1 channel) sees the road ahead. That's enough for most insurance claims, where the cause of the accident is in front of you.
Two channels add a rear camera — protects you against rear-end shunts and lets you read plates of the car behind. We sell two-channel as the default for taxi and rideshare drivers.
Three or four channels add a cabin camera and (sometimes) side coverage. Mostly relevant for fleets, private hire, and high-value vehicles where parking-mode protection matters.
Storage
microSD card capacity determines how long the camera can record before overwriting itself. As a rough guide:
- 64GB stores ~6 hours of 1080p front-only footage
- 128GB stores ~12 hours, or ~6 hours of 1080p dual-channel
- 256GB stores ~24 hours of 1080p front-only — enough that you can review last week's commute
Get a card rated for dashcam use (high endurance). A regular phone-grade card will fail within months under constant rewriting.
Power
Two ways to power the camera:
- Cigarette adaptor — plug-and-go, but only records while the engine's on. Wires hang in the cabin.
- Hardwired — wired into the fuse box, hidden under the trim. Enables parking mode (recording while parked). This is what we fit in the workshop.
Our quick recommendations
If you mostly drive in town and just want insurance protection: a one-channel 1080p unit is plenty.
If you drive long distances, do rideshare, or want protection while parked: go two-channel with hardwire kit and a 128GB card.
If you carry passengers (taxi, Uber, fleet): three-channel with cabin coverage.
Have a specific vehicle or use case? Message us — we'll tell you exactly which model fits.