How Much Is a Dash Cam? A Guide on the Cost of Dash Cam
Most drivers don’t realize the real value of a dashcam until they get into an accident. If you don’t have video evidence of the traffic accident, chances are that you’ll end up paying a heavy price even if you’re not at fault. This is where a dash cam comes to the rescue.
Dashcam, short for a dashboard camera, is an invaluable device that is used to record footage during travel. A basic dashcam that can record the vehicle’s journey and provide evidence in case of any mishap is available at very reasonable prices in the market. But if you go for a dash cam with advanced features, then you’ll have to pay more accordingly. Nevertheless, you’ll never regret spending more on a quality dashcam, especially when it saves you from unjust insurance claims.
So, if you’re wondering “How much is a dash cam?”, read on to explore the price ranges of various dashcams and the feature that greatly affect the cost of a dashcam. By the end of the article, you’ll hopefully be able to make a wise decision regarding your new dashcam purchase.
Table of Contents
- How Much Does A Dashcam Cost?
- Price Range of Consumer Dashcams
- Price Range of Fleet/Commercial Dashcams
- Factors Affecting the Price of a Dashcam
- Is It Worth Having A Dashcam?
- The Bottom Line
How Much Does A Dashcam Cost?
Depending upon the features, a dashcam can cost as little as $40 to as high as $1000. There are dozens of factors that are responsible for this variation (explained below). However, if you’re looking for a decent dash cam, you can easily get one in the $200-$400 range.
If you are low on budget, but you want a dashcam that has all the essential features, you can look among the low-price range dashcams. A standard dashcam will provide all basic functions, although the video quality might not be as good as the expensive ones. Also, it might lack a lot of fancy features. However, if you are willing to invest in an expensive dashcam, you will enjoy the benefits of advanced features that will prove very useful in the long run. Moreover, there is a slight difference in the price range of consumer-grade vs fleet or business dashcams.
In short, a dashcam that offers advanced features like artificial intelligence and GPS tracking will be of course expensive as compared to a basic dashcam that only records videos.
Price Range of Consumer Dashcams
Consumer-grade dashcams are generally intended to be used in cars and small vehicles. They are purchased by individual motor vehicle owners, not associated with any company. Consumer-grade dash cams do not have all the features that are offered by commercial dashcams. Therefore, they cost slightly less than commercial or business-grade dashcams. They are available in the price range of $40 to $400. However, high-end consumer-grade dashcams with modern features cost nearly the same as commercial ones.
Price Range of Fleet/Commercial Dashcams
Fleet or business dashcams are designed to be purchased by companies or government agencies. As such, they are more advanced and come with a lot of additional features that consumer dashcams lack. This includes features like Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity, remote live monitoring, and an industrial SD card. Fleet dashcams are installed in entire fleets of vehicles like trucks or taxi cabs and are more costly. The starting price of a business dash cam is around $100 and can be as high as $450 to $500. Despite the initial high price of a fleet dashcam, they help reduce future spending by cutting down on insurance costs and minimizing the wear and tear of the vehicle.
Factors Affecting the Price of a Dashcam
As we have already discussed, the more features a dash cam offers, the greater the price. Thus, before investing in a dashcam, you must know about all the factors that affect the price of a dashcam. Keeping in mind these factors and your requirements, you can invest in a dashcam that is perfectly suited to your needs. This way, you will be able to purchase a budget-friendly dashcam with all the essential features you were expecting.
Below, we have provided a breakdown of all the factors that impact the price of a dashcam.
Video Quality
Video quality or resolution of the dashcam depends on the pixels the dash cam records. A higher pixel count means a better video quality, which in turn means a higher price. Generally, dashcams come in four different pixels 720p, 1080p 2k, and 4k. Obviously, 2k and 4k pixel dashcam offer magnificent picture quality. However, 1080p dashcams also give excellent results and are sufficient for cars. They are also reasonably priced. Most commercial dashcams usually have 2k and 4k video resolution.
Built-In AI Features
Artificial intelligence is an excellent feature that only high-end consumer dashcams and commercial dashcams offer. Dashcams with AI constantly analyze road conditions as well as the driver’s driving style and behavior. Based on this, the dashcam helps minimize the chance of road traffic accidents by warning the driver of reckless driving, bumpy road, and near misses. All this information is conveyed to the driver through built-in speakers. Dashcams that have artificial intelligence are exorbitantly priced and cost more than $300.
Forward facing vs Dual facing Dashcam
A front or forward-facing dashcam is designed to record the front view of the vehicle. It comes with a single lens. It doesn’t record the interior of a vehicle. However, some front-facing dashcams can swivel and also record the inside view. These types of dashcams are most common in consumer-grade dashcams.
On the other hand, dual-facing dashcams come with two lenses and are intended to record the inside and front view of the vehicle at once. Dual facing dashcams are more common among fleet dashcams. As expected, a dual facing dashcam costs more than a front facing dashcam. A dual facing dashcam can cost anywhere around $200 to $400.
Also, front and rear dashcams are available in the market which can record both the front and back side view of the vehicle. These are also common among both private as well as fleet vehicles.
Display screen
Some dashcams come with a display screen, while others do not. Both types have their own set of benefits, but dashcams with a display screen cost a bit more than the ones without a screen. Dashcams with a display screen can be easily adjusted on the dashboard at a perfect angle. Moreover, camera recording can also be easily viewed on the screen without the need of downloading the footage to another device.
GPS Tracking System
Dashcams that have built in GPS Tracking System help indicate the location of a vehicle and the current speed. This is useful in case of accidents as it provides important information regarding the location and speed. Such information is vital in proving the innocence of a driver and is useful while filing an insurance claim. Dashcams with a GPS tracking system cost around $50 to $100 more than dashcams without GPS.
Wi-Fi Connectivity
Some dashcams models come with a built-in Wi-Fi feature. This allows the dashcam to directly connect to a smartphone using Wi-Fi signals. This enables you to easily download footage to the smartphone and allows you to conveniently view it. The main benefit of the Wi-Fi feature is that you can view the video without removing the camera from the vehicle.
More Internal Storage
Dashcams with high-capacity SD cards can record and store a greater number of videos than dashcams with low-capacity SD cards. A 64 GB SD card can store around 8 hours of videos. The dashcams with relatively high storage will cost more.
Night Vision
Night vision is a feature that only high quality dashcams offer. This feature allows the dashcam to record footage even at nighttime or other low light intensity conditions. Most commercial dashcams are designed with night vision features for drivers who work at night. However, high-end consumer dashcams also have this feature. The presence of a night vision feature has a great impact on its price.
Parking Mode
Some dashcams offer parking mode. This means that the dashcam continues to record even when the car is parked and the engine is turned off. In this case, the dashcam derives power directly from the car battery or relies on its internal battery. Some dashcams will start recording upon motion or impact detection. This allows constant protection of the vehicle when the driver is not around. Dashcams with parking mode are slightly expensive and cost more than $100.
Audio Speaker And Recording
Some modern dashcams have built-in speakers that along with AI technology help to alert the driver about road conditions and unsafe driving if detected. This helps to prevent a lot of incidents on the road. Moreover, the recording feature allows the recording of audio during any event on the road. This can prove vital as evidence in some cases. Dashcams that have this feature are more costly than simple ones.
So the price also depends on whether the dash cam can record audio or not.
Installation Cost
Apart from the actual cost of the dashcam, you also have to consider the cost of dashcam installation. Most basic dashcams are easy to install and can be self-installed using adhesive and simple connection wires.
However, some dashcams are a bit complicated and need to be installed by a professional. Also, dashcams that allow parking mode have a complex installation process that requires hard-wiring to the electrical system of the car. If you get your dashcam installed by a professional, it can cost anywhere between $35 to $50.
Is It Worth Having A Dashcam?
Most drivers are initially hesitant in investing in a dashcam, but later realize its importance when forced to make unjust payments for insurance claims. It is immensely important for every driver to install a dashcam in their vehicle for a number of reasons.
A dashcam is very useful in case of unforeseen circumstances like road traffic accidents that sometimes end in casualties. In this case, even if you are not at fault you might be dragged into police cases and unjust insurance claims. But if you have a dashcam installed, it would record the entire scene and save you from a lot of hassle by serving as first-hand evidence. A dash cam can also record footage of robbery and hit-and-run cases.
Apart from this, you can use a dashcam to monitor the driving of an amateur driver and provide feedback. A dashcam can also be used for recreational purposes, such as recording road trips.
Modern dashcams have a lot of advanced features available, such as GPS monitoring system that let you know the exact location and speed of a vehicle at any instant.
Based on these facts, we think it is totally worth investing in a good dashcam as it saves you from a lot of trouble in the future.
However, there are a few reasons you should not have dashcams.
The Bottom Line
There isn’t a simple answer to “How much is a Dash Cam?”. Dashcams come in a variety of prices and combinations of features. A basic dashcam isn’t too heavy on the pocket and effectively records video footage.
On the other hand, high-end dashcams offer a multitude of features and better service in terms of video quality. However, they are slightly overpriced.
In short, the price of a dashcam varies with the number of features it offers. It is important for drivers to realize the importance of dashcams and must invest in them as soon as they purchase a vehicle. However, to get a budget-friendly, model, you must understand the features of dashcams and decide which ones are important to you. Our guide on what to look for in a dash cam can help you in this regard.
