5 Mini Dash Cams That Get The Job Done

One of the first things you're taught in Driver's Ed is to "drive defensively." In broad terms, that means you should drive your car in such a way that you're always ready to respond to problems and hazards on the road. Proper driving technique is vital not just to keep you and your vehicle safe on the road, but to ensure you don't get left holding the proverbial bag if you need to make an insurance claim. Of course, just saying you drive defensively is cheap; the best proof you can have is video evidence.

This is one of many reasons it would be to your benefit to have a dash cam installed in your cabin. With a dash cam, you can keep track of your smart driving habits, as well as monitor the road in case you need proof of someone else's bad driving. Dash cams come in all shapes and sizes, not to mention price points. If you'd prefer something with a slightly lower profile, though, there are plenty of smaller-sized dash cams on the market.

Obviously, you won't know precisely when you need the footage from a dash cam until well after the fact. This is why dash cams are generally designed to stay on constantly so they can keep recording footage. If a dash cam stays on all day, though, there's going to be a lot of uninteresting nothing bookending the big moments. If you want to make sure you catch the important stuff while leaving out the daily grind, try the Arifayz Dash Cam, available on Amazon for $45.99. The Arifayz Dash Cam has a 4.3 out of 5 star user rating on Amazon. Users enjoy its balance of affordability and reliability, as well as how easy it is to install and access its recorded footage.

This compact, cylindrical camera records in FHD 1920X1080P 30 FPS video, more than detailed enough to catch fine details like license plate numbers both during the day and at night. What's neat about this camera is that it has a seamless loop recording function. Its filming is on a constant loop, with new footage gradually overwriting old footage on the internal memory card to conserve space. Paired with that function is a built-in G-sensor that detects sudden lurches and collisions. When shaking is detected, the camera locks in and partitions off its footage so it doesn't get overwritten.

Any driving experience comes with its fair share of blind spots. No matter how much you try to monitor the entire road, there's unfortunately a constant chance for obstacles or inattentive drivers to take you by surprise. If you need concrete proof that you didn't spontaneously cut your wheel for no reason, you'll want a camera that can see as much of the road as possible. The Avylet Dash Cam, available on Amazon for $59.98, is a solid option for this. The Avylet Dash Cam has a 4.6 out of 5 star rating on Amazon, with users praising its useful features and compact size, not to mention its impressive video clarity.

This dash cam features the widest angle on its lens out of all the dash cams we've gathered here, a sprawling 170 degree view that's more than capable of capturing several lanes worth of highway traffic. Pair that with 2K Quad full HD video, and you'll have eyes on the majority of the road in perfect clarity. As an added bonus, this camera automatically switches to an F1.6 aperture when night rolls around for optimal light intake, ensuring high quality night vision capture.

Even if you're packing a high-definition dash cam, the road can be a very unpredictable place. If you end up in a dangerous situation and your car starts shaking and sliding all over the place, it can be difficult to get clear footage, both for insurance purposes and your own peace of mind. If you need something that works a little harder to keep the video clear, try the 70mai Dash Cam M310, available on Amazon for $59.99.

In addition to its 3 megapixel, 2304x1296P HD view, this dash cam features an onboard 3D noise-reduction algorithm. If your recorded footage has become pixelated due to excessive movement or obstruction, the algorithm automatically smooths the footage out so you can still clearly see what's going on in there. Aiding that is Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) technology, which helps to optimize the exposure level during various lighting scenarios. You could be in a dark, crowded tunnel, and this camera could still catch the action.

Amazon users have given the 70mai Dash Cam M310 a 4 out of 5 star rating. One user praised this camera for its efficacy at capturing footage in both night and daytime driving settings, while others enjoyed its user-friendly setup and features.

Most dash cams come with a companion app that you install on your smartphone, which lets you control recording intervals, review footage, and so on. It's a convenient way to control your cam, but obviously, you shouldn't be fiddling with your phone while you're on the road. If you want a camera that can be safely operated while you're driving, you might like the Vantrue E1 Lite, available on Amazon for $89.99.

In addition to the usual companion app, the Vantrue E1 Lite also features full smart voice control functionality, with support for English, Japanese, Chinese, and Russian speakers. Without taking your hands off the wheel or your eyes off the road, you can directly control your camera's functions, having it take snapshots, start or stop video recording, turn its screen on or off, and more. Once you're done driving for the day, you can easily save, share, or transfer video and photo files using the app.Alistair Charlton of TechRadar gave the Vantrue E1 Lite a 4.5 out of 5 star rating, praising its high video quality and handy integrations with not just smartphones, but PC and Mac computers.

Even when you've parked your car for the morning and walked off to work, that doesn't mean you don't need dash cam footage anymore. You never know what could go down in a parking garage, after all, so it's to your benefit to keep the reel rolling. If you want a camera that keeps a vigilant eye all hours of the day, try the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2, available on Amazon for $129.00.

In addition to 1080p video and helpful voice commands, this camera comes with a specialized Parking Guard feature. As long as it has steady power and a wi-fi connection, the camera will constantly monitor the area around your car while it's parked. If any kind of impact or incident is detected in your car's vicinity, an alert is automatically sent to you via the Garmin app, which you can also use to remotely check the live feed.

Garmin is a well-known name in compact cameras, with one of its other offerings, the Dash Cam Live, scoring a nine out of ten score from us at SlashGear. For the Dash Cam Mini 2 specifically, Alistair Charlton of TechRadar scored it at 4.5 out of 5 for its intuitive features and compact size, with his only real complaints being a lack of some necessary hardware for installation.

Much like sourcing footage from a mini dash cam, the best way to know if you're getting the right device for you is feedback from users and professionals. This is why, in order to select the preceding dash cams, we choose products readily available on Amazon with at least a 4 out of 5 star user rating and/or positive feedback from an accredited tech review website.