I’ve spent years testing dash cams, but there’s one I keep going back to

I've never really understood why forward-facing cameras aren't installed in every new car. They're such a useful insurance policy to have in case you are involved in, or witness an accident.

Even for just recording motoring misdemeanours, or funny episodes on the road, they're an accessory that's well worth taking with you on every trip. Dash cams can help you settle a dispute, they can prove you were in the right if you're ever accused of something, and they can even be a valuable car security device.

They literally come in all shapes and sizes, and prices can range from £20 ^[1] up to several hundreds of pounds ^[2], depending on what features you want, or how many angles you want to capture footage from.

I've tested some of the most expensive, and some of the cheapest dash cams out there, and I've come to the conclusion that simple is best. It's worth paying for quality, but think carefully about what features you want. Smart dash cams with an array of sensors and warnings can be handy, but they can also be tricky to set up and the alerts can be annoying or even distracting.

So here's my favourite dash cams, including my top choice. The dash cam I currently have use on my daily drive.

Mirror Choice best dash cam Nexar Beam ^[3]

Small, simple, easy to use, reliable and some of the crispest footage I've seen from a dash cam. THe Nexar Beam has got the lot. It's easy to install and set up, it links seamlessly to the brilliant Nexar app and there's no cloud storage fees, it's free and unlimited.

This is as good as dash cams get, and it's the one I'm using in my own car every day.

£199.99

Nexar

Mirror Choice best dash cam: Nexar Beam

The Nexar Beam's ^[4] best feature is its size. It's a tiny, square unit with no display, no sensors giving you lane-departure warnings or alerting you to speed cameras or telling you when to turn on your lights, it just has a powerful HD sensor and an accompanying app.

And it's that simplicity I love about it. It might seem like £200 is expensive for such a basic dash cam, but I've found the Nexar Beam really does have the crispest footage - and that's actually the most important factor when it comes to relying on your footage.

It also has a brilliant accompanying app with free unlimited cloud storage and some clever features like 24/7 recording and smart alerts. If you want a camera that just does a good job of recording forward footage and little else, this is the best one I've tested.^[5]

Also consider... The Viofo WM1

Viofo describes the WM1 ^[6] as a "stealth dash cam" because it's so small and discreet. It hides away very neatly behind a rearview mirror and you wouldn't know it was there.

There's no display, no smart sensors beyond its GPS logger and it takes seconds to fit thanks to its sticky pad.

The app is good, it has a parking mode, and there's some handy accessories available for it such as a light filter and a Bluetooth remote control. If the footage quality was a bit mediocre, then I wouldn't recommend it - but it just happens to be excellent. So at £120, this is absolutely one to look out for.

If you're on a budget...

The good news is, you don't need to shell out a three-figure sum to buy a quality dash cam. For around £50 you could pick up the Nextbase 122 ^[7] - the latest generation of perhaps one of the most popular dash cams out there.

And it's popular for a good reason. There's a 2" LED display built in, which makes setting it up very easy, it serves up decent 720p footage in all lighting conditions and its wide 120-degree viewing angle is very useful. You still get some premium features too, like a shock detection sensor to use in parking mode.

It might be all the dash cam you ever need.

References

^{^} prices can range from £20 (go.skimresources.com)
^{^} several hundreds of pounds (go.skimresources.com)
^{^} Nexar Beam (go.skimresources.com)
^{^} The Nexar Beam's (go.skimresources.com)
^{^} this is the best one I've tested. (go.skimresources.com)
^{^} the WM1 (go.skimresources.com)
^{^} For around £50 you could pick up the Nextbase 122 (go.skimresources.com)