The best dash cams under £100

You don't need to break the bank to get a good quality dash cam

close up of dash cam on windscreen

by Aaron Hussain |
Updated on

It is probably one of the most hotly contested and competitive price points for car tech - the best dash cams under £100. It's the kind of bracket which attracts a wide range of interest due to the wide range of equipment available and the £50-£100 price range is where the fiercest competition in the dash cam battle takes place.

That's because all the established names such as Nextbase, Road Angel, and Thinkware try to compete against other, slightly newer brands such as 70mai, Cobra, and others to offer the best budget-orientated dash cams with as much features as they can offer.

This is the price range which attracts attention among buyers. For high tech dash cams, it's all about features; for dash cams under £100, it's all about simplicity and just how much you can get for your money.

The best dash cams under £100 at a glance:

The best dash cam under £100: Nextbase 222 - buy from Amazon
Editor's pick: Road Angel Halo Go - buy from Amazon
The best dual dash cam under £100: 70mai A500S - buy from Amazon

But what are the best dash cams under £100? Truth be told, the field is filled with more options than you might've originally thought - it even includes a couple of dual dash cams. We've been scouring across the internet and compiled a list of our favourite dash cams that both represent quality, usability, and features, yet won't break the bank.

The best dash cams under £100

Best value dual dash cam under £100

Orskey dual dash camVia Orskey

Rrp: £69.99

Price: £43.99

The Ring Automotive RSDC4000 is a great option for those wanting a high-quality dash cam with a few extra important features. But adding the rear cam takes it over our £100 ceiling of this article. To address that is the more basic offering from Orskey.

In terms of performance, the Orskey is more in line with the Nextbase 222. But it adds the bonus of a rear camera which also records in 1080p. The front camera's super wide-angle lens gives 170° coverage, while the rear camera captures an impressive 140° in full HD.

Pros

  • Front and rear dash cams included, adding to comprehensiveness
  • Compact cameras, especially the rear cam which can be well-hidden
  • Great value for money at just over £40 for the package

Cons

  • No GPS as standard, which can be off-putting
  • Build quality not as on-par as others
Video quality:1080p @ 30fps front, 1080p @ 30fps rear
Screen size:3 inches
Viewing angle;170 degrees front, 140 degrees rear
App compatible:No
GPS:No, available option

Editor's pick

Nextbase 222Via Nextbase

Rrp: £99.99

Price: £84.99
Alternative retailers
Walmart$99.00View offer
Best Buy$99.99View offer
Tractor Supply$119.99View offer

Among the CAR Products team, we tend to lean towards dependable simplicity over the volume of features with dash cams, especially for under £100. The Nextbase 222 embodies this way of dash cam design and, therefore, stands as our current champion.

We've tested Nextbase's top-end models, and those are jam-packed full of very useful but not strictly necessary features. The 222 is different. It possesses what is important in a dash cam, and that's all. For example, to make the Full HD video as clear as possible, the 222 has a 6G lens.

Nextbase's Click&Go PRO mount is also fantastic. It uses adhesive to stick to the windscreen, but the dash cam itself is connected via a magnetic mount, so it's easy to remove if needed. The 222 also has a 2.5-inch LED screen that makes this dash cam very simple to operate.

Pros

  • Crisp and clean image at 1080p HD recording resolution
  • Best dash cam mount out of all the options available
  • Great features such as Intelligent Parking Mode and G-Sensor

Cons

  • Not compatible with Nextbase rear cam module
Video quality: 1080p @ 30fps, 720p @ 60fps 
Screen size:2.5 inches 
Viewing angle:140 degrees 
App compatible:No
GPS:No

Best dash cam under £100 for features

Ring RSD3000 Dash camVia Ring Automotive

While features beyond Full HD recording, G-sensor, and loop recording aren't absolutely necessary in a dash cam, they can certainly be useful. Ring Automotive's RSDC3000 has a very unattractive name but several very attractive features. At a stroke, you can also turn this into a dual dash cam with the brand's Full HD RSDCR1000 Rear Camera.

The RSDC3000 features GPS but also connectivity to the Ring Connect App. This dash cam's shape and lack of a screen make it very discreet and not distracting for the driver. Yes, you do need the app for setting up and positioning the dash cam, but fortunately, Ring's app is pretty good.

Pros

  • 1296p recording resolution makes it slightly more impressive than a few others
  • GPS feature included as well as G-Sensor and connectivity to the Ring app
  • Discreet shape, which can make things less obtrusive on the windscreen

Cons

  • Rear camera is an extra which has to be bought separately
  • Design isn't as discreet as others
Video quality:1440p @ 30fps 
Screen size:No screen
Viewing angle:140 degrees
App compatible:Yes
GPS:No

Best mini dash cam under £100 with winter mode

Road Angel Halo GoVia Road Angel

Road Angel has packed a great deal of features into the compact Halo Go. There's a 1080-pixel camera with a 130° viewing angle, Super Night Mode, Wi-Fi, and if you hardwire it, there is a winter mode to keep a section of the screen frost, mist and rain-free while the engine is off.

The cam will keep protecting your car while you are away, thanks to parking mode, which activates after 15 minutes of inactivity. It's all controlled through the Halo smartphone app; you can connect via Wi-Fi, adjust camera settings and download footage.

Pros

  • Good value for money, given the features integrated
  • Very compact, which makes it discreet on the windscreen/by the rear view mirror
  • Winter mode built in, which generates extra heat when the tempereture drops

Cons

  • Doesn't include a screen interface, which can limit adjustability
Video quality:1080p @ 30fps
Screen size:No screen
Viewing angle:130 degrees
App compatible:Yes
GPS;Yes

Best HD dash cam under £100

Nextbase 122HDVia Nextbase

Rrp: £99.99

Price: £84.99

The other Nextbase dash cam to make the list consists of the entry-level 122. The HD version, with it's 120-degree viewing angle and 1080p resolution, is capable of some of the tasks that its upmarket siblings can do.

For example, it has an Intelligent Parking Mode which records any of the vehicle's physical movements when parked up. This is also backed up by a G-Sensor which can automatically record footage and store it in a safe folder. It lacks mod cons such as a rear camera, Wi-Fi connectivity, or a 4K resolution, but it's arguably all the dash cam you could ever need.

Pros

  • Great value for money at just over £80 with the features included
  • Parking mode integrated, which is impressive for a base model dash cam
  • Good enough recording quality at 1080p HD resolution

Cons

  • Rear camera not compatible with the 122, which limits the appeal slightly
Video quality1080p
Screen size2 inches
Viewing angle120 degrees
App compatibleNo
GPSNo

The best value dash cam under £100

Cobra SC100 Dash camVia Cobra

Rrp: £129.95

Price: £103.99
Alternative retailers
Walmart$129.95View offer
Tractor Supply$139.99View offer

One of the cheapest options on the list consists of the SC100 by Cobra. It's a compact, front-facing dash cam with a 140-degree view and comes handy with an 8GB SD card - which while it's quite small - is enough for a starter dash cam.

However, Cobra have managed to cram in a load of features. Chief among which is Wi-Fi connectivity that pairs to the brand's Drive Smarter app and allows you to store and share footage from anywhere via Cloud - this is something that dash cams up to three-times the price cannot match. The setup also has a GPS built in as well as activity tracking via the app, and even a speed limit display.

Pros

  • Impressively comprehensive for the size and price point of £35
  • Compact enough to be placed by the rear-view mirror without being too obtrusive
  • Wi-Fi connectivity, so clips can be stored and shared easily

Cons

  • 8GB SD card will be too small for many people
  • No enhanced night vision, which might make clips in the dark a bit tricky to watch
Video quality1080p
Screen sizeN/A
Viewing angle140 degrees
App compatibleYes
GPSYes

Best dual dash cam under £100

70mai A500S dash cam dualVia 70mai

You wouldn't normally expect to get a dual dash cam setup for under £100, but that's what 70mai have managed with the A500S. It even has a recording resolution of 2.7k, which is mightily impressive for the price point.

It also has a GPS built in as well as a Wi-Fi hotspot, so you can easily download and share footage from your device. It also has an ADAS system built in; this monitors your surroundings and can alert you of things such as you lane drifting, if you're too close to the vehicle in front, and more. For under £100, this is one of the best equipped dash cams out there - and it's a bonus that it's a dual setup as well.

Pros

  • A dual dash cam setup at this price is hugely impressive and represents good value
  • Very comprehensive features, such as the ADAS system as well as Wi-Fi and GPS
  • High recording resolution of 2.7K, which means great quality footage

Cons

  • It comes with a 16GB SD card, which will be too small for some people
Video quality2.7K (2,592 x 1944p front, 1920 x 1080p rear)
Screen size2-inches
Viewing angle140 degrees
App compatibleYes
GPSYes

Thinkware F70Via Thinkware

For absolute simplicity along with a solid build quality to compliment it, Thinkware's F70 may be the option for you. It may not boast a Wi-Fi hotspot or a rear camera, but the F70 does have an Advanced Driver Assistance mode, whereby the cam looks out for safety cameras and provides audio warnings of them.

It's parking mode can also monitor the status of the vehicle's battery and automatically shut off if any problems are detected. It has a 140-degree viewing angle as well as a 1080p HD recording resolution, and even a night vision feature. However, the F70 is let down by the 8GB SD card that's included, which is a put-off for many as it's too small to store any large amounts of footage.

Pros

  • A perfectly simple device for those who don't want all the mod cons
  • Advanced Driver Assistance feature can detect and warn you of speed cameras
  • Parking mode can monitor battery health and act accordingly, depending on its condition

Cons

  • Nowhere near as comprehensive as the 70mai at the same price point
Video quality1080p
Screen sizeN/A
Viewing angle140 degrees
App compatibleNo
GPSNo

FAQs and what to remember with dash cams under £100

Are cheap dash cams worth it?

If they're from renowned brands, such as Nextbase, Road Angel and more, there is a place for them. What you have to expect is a lack of features to which their more expensive counterparts will have integrated. This can include anything from no Wi-Fi hotspots to lower (but not by much) quality recording, and most notably, the lack of a rear camera module.

The features on base model dash cams under £100 are generally less dense than on more expensive units - and you won't find any good mirror dash cams for that price point. But the target market is those wanting pure and utter simplicity in a dash cam rather than getting everything available. A simple, front-facing dash cam can be a great starter unit for those who've never owned one before and are curious to try one out without breaking the bank.

What recording quality should I expect under £100?

At this price range, you should accept that Full HD or 1440p at most are the resolutions you'll get. There are 4K dash cams available for under £100, but they aren't worth your time. Full HD and 1440p provide great image quality, so you don't need to feel cheated.

Are dash cam apps useful?

Dash cams with wi-fi that have apps need to be considered carefully. An app can be very useful for accessing footage and other things, but are only useful if they work properly. The best dash cam apps come from Garmin, Nextbase, Ring Automotive, and a small collection of other brands that have properly developed them.

Is GPS important in a dash cam?

In addition to recording footage, matched speed is a very helpful resource. Some mid-range dash cams have GPS as standard, and you can certainly get it if you want it. Just remember to consider the other important factors of dash cams too.

Does size matter with dash cams?

The smallest dash cams, such as the Garmin Mini 2, are about the size of a garlic bulb. They hide very well behind a rear-view mirror but, if not engineered well, can be annoying to use. A dash cam with a screen size of two to three inches will be bigger but generally easier to use (Garmin Mini 2 notwithstanding).

Aaron Hussain is a commercial content writer at Bauer Media writing for Parkers and CAR. He is obsessed with classic cars and anything with a fascinating story to tell.

For verdicts, scoops, news and analysis from the team, delivered direct to your inbox, subscribe to the CAR newsletter.

You can enjoy CAR in its traditional print format, or one of the swelling number of digital editions, optimised for Apple iPhones, Android devices, iPads, tablets and desktop computers.

Just so you know, we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website - read why you should trust us