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.
This is the price range where most of us look. It's also the price range where ideologies clash. Dependable simplicity versus the feature-rich. For three-figure dash cams, it's all about features; for dash cams under £50, it's all about simplicity. Thus, at either end, you don't get as diverse a range of options. But in the £50 to £100, that's a mixing pot indeed.
Below are the current stars in this highly contested arena. Further below, you will also find some useful dash cam buying advice.
The best dash cams under £100 at a glance:
Editor's choice: Nextbase 222 Dash Cam - Buy now from Amazon UK
Best value dashcam: Navitel R5 Front Dash Cam - Buy now from Amazon UK
Best dash cams under £100 for features: Ring Automotive RSDC4000 Ultra Slim Compact Smart Dash Camera - Buy now from Amazon UK
The best dash cams under £100
Best selling dual dash cams under £100
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 recording
- Compact
Cons
- No GPS as standard
Editor's pick
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
- Best dash cam mount
Cons
- Not compatible with Nextbase rear cam module
Best dash cams under £100 for features
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 RSDC4000 has a very unattractive name but several very attractive features.
Like the Nextbase 222 and Navitel R5, the RSDC4000 records at 30fps but at a higher resolution of 1440p. This provides extra detail. At a stroke, you can also turn this into a dual dash cam with the brand's Full HD RSDCR1000 Rear Camera.
The RSDC4000 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
- 1440p resolution
- GPS
- Discreet shape
Cons
- 60fps would be better
- An app is necessary
Best mini dash cams under £100 with winter mode
Road Angel has packed a fair old bit into the 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
- Very compact
Cons
- App instructions could be better
Best value dashcam
Navitel's R5 is the same price as the Nextbase 222, so why is it awarded with 'Best value'? Because the R5 offers a couple of extras that the 222 doesn't, which may be of interest to some.
GPS is a feature that many buyers of dash cams like to have. It allows speed to be recorded in sync with footage, which gives even stronger evidence in your favour if you're involved in an incident where you weren't at fault. The R5 has GPS, in addition to a wider viewing angle than the Nextbase 222.
Though balancing that, the R5 can't quite match the image clarity of the Nextbase 222. Nor is it quite as simple to operate.
Pros
- GPS
- Very compact
Cons
- Nextbase 222 is easier to use
What to look for in a mid-range dash cam
Recording quality
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.
App connectivity
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.
GPS
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.
Size
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).
Chris Williams is an Automotive Content Writer for Parkers and CAR Magazine, but he also contributes to Live For The Outdoors and What's The Best. He trained as an automotive journalist in New Zealand, prior to which he studied International Relations and History.