Editor's Note

• Original review date: March 2022
• Launch price: From $214.99 / £179.99 / AU$ n/a
• Official price now: From $184.95 / £129.95 / AU$ n/a

Update: March 2024. The Nexar Pro remains available to buy on the Nexar site despite the pricier Nexar One range taking center stage. And the original Nexar Pro arguably is better value, if you don't need 4K video capture. It remains in our best dash cams guide thanks to crisp full HD footage, unlimited cloud storage and easy installation. The Nexar One range might be smarter, but the Pro remains a great first dash cam, especially for those that clock up the miles.

The Nexar Pro dash cam is a step up from the slightly cheaper Nexar Beam and that’s because it’s mainly aimed at pro drivers. This includes people who drive for a living or who spend longer periods of time behind the wheel. It’s not actually that much more expensive than the Beam model, but there’s certainly more inside the box, including two cameras. The main one is your front-facing dash cam, while the smaller unit is for monitoring the interior.

A real bonus with the Nexar Pro system is that it combines this camera setup with the useful features seen in the rest of Nexar's range. This means you get free cloud storage for your growing collection of driving videos, GPS data capture for helping with insurance claims, plus some neat tools inside the camera and app combination. You’ll need to step up to the latest NexarOne model to gain the benefit of 4K video, but the 1080p full HD present here is perfectly serviceable.

You can also upgrade to a larger microSD card if needed, though the unit comes with a 32GB one to get you started. The cameras mount to your windshield using a suction cup mount for the front-facing one, which has the GPS data unit as part of the assembly. Meanwhile, the smaller interior unit fixes with a self-adhesive sticker. 

Also included is a generous 3-meter cable, a USB charger plug, and installation tools for hiding the wiring away if needed. If you’re keeping the cameras in one vehicle this makes a lot of sense, though if you’re moving them from car to car there is the downside of having trailing cables hanging around.

The Nexar app is central to how the twin-camera setup works. It’s also the place where you can fine-tune settings, including how much space is allocated for video storage on your phone. 

We’ve found that it’s best to funnel off content to your cloud storage to keep the phone storage down, and the software does this for you on a regular basis. The app also has some practical tools, including the ability to generate reports for your insurer in the event of an accident. This includes speed, location, impact force and, naturally, video to back it all up. 

There are less vital, though suitably handy, additional tools, including one that tells you where your car is located if you can’t actually find it. That's handier than you might think in large car parks. 

The same goes for the protection offered by the interior camera. This can issue break-in alerts if someone is tampering with your vehicle and begins recording automatically so you have video evidence if anything is stolen. Indeed, Nexar’s emergency alerts are a useful addition to your in-car security arsenal and provide reassurance for anyone who gets a little nervous on driving jaunts.

Once you’ve installed both cameras, added the app to your smartphone (for iOS or Android) and set up a Nexar Cloud account, you’re good to go. The small LEDs on the back of the unit indicate the status of the camera at any given time, and also highlight if its gone offline for any reason. This is also clearly explained in the literature that comes inside the box – full marks to Nexar for the clarity on display here.

A spare USB socket in the power plug is useful as having the required Wi-Fi and Bluetooth controls enabled can tend to drain your phone battery. However, with setup complete, the camera combo basically gets on with the job, recording drives and other activity. You can also use the app to keep selected clips or the video from an entire journey if needed. All recorded content handily comes with date and time shown at the foot of the shot.

A big benefit with the Nexar range is the cloud space you get as part of the deal. Content can be managed inside here, using a web browser from home for additional ease. This is very handy as you can dip back in if there’s an unforeseen event that comes to light after a journey. It’s a reassuring back-up system that adds a lot of value to the package as a whole. The other benefit with this is that it allows your phone to have its own storage freed up because video content can soon take its toll on any valuable spare space you might have.

Results-wise, we’ve found the 1080p video content to be very impressive, during both day and night-time use. Audio can be enabled too, if required. 

The external-facing camera also fares well in less ideal shooting situations, including heavy rain and bright sunshine. For the money, though, the Nexar Pro combination is hard to beat in terms of overall value.

Should I buy the Nexar Pro dash cam?

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• These are the best dash cams you can buy right now

Editor's Note

• Original review date: September 2021
• Launch price: $259.99 / £199 / AU$369
• Official price now: around $199.99 / £165 / AU$285

Update: November 2024. Released in 2021, the Garmin Dash Cam 67W is a small, feature-packed dash cam that we think represents excellent value today. It shoots sharp, 1440p video with HDR across an extra-wide 180-degree field of view. The Dash Cam Mini 2 is newer, neater and cheaper, but the 67W has more features to speak of, including GPS, voice control and a parking mode. One of the main caveats at launch was the cost of the dash cam. Due to discounts, that’s no longer the case. While the 67W doesn’t rank among the best dash cams any more, we still think it offers fantastic value if you want a capable dash cam with a lot of features in 2024.

Anyone with a penchant for cycling, running, hiking or pretty much any outdoor venture will likely be familiar with Garmin’s family of computers, smartwatches and navigational aids.

The thread that runs through all of these excellent pieces of tech is an equally brilliant and simple-to-use Connect app – which is, arguably, one of the best hubs for general health and wellbeing out there. 

Thankfully, the tech giant’s expertise in this field has carried over to its Garmin Drive app, which, while not quite as slick and all-encompassing as its lifestyle-focused Connect software, is still a long way ahead of some of its clunky dash cam rivals.

The reason for banging on about this so early in the review is that the major difference between the 67W and the 66W it effectively replaces is its ability to connect to a trusted Wi-Fi source and make the most of its newfangled connected prowess.

Once online (you can trust multiple Wi-Fi networks, so it will theoretically work when you pull up at work, home, your nan’s and so on), the camera will automatically upload any saved clips to Garmin’s Vault Storage, where they'll be saved for 24 hours… or longer, if you sign up for a storage plan.

What’s more, owners can open up the Garmin Drive app and receive a live feed from the camera, even when the car is parked. Again, and we hate to be the bearers of bad news, this requires a constant source of power, so you’ll have to invest in a separate cable and hard-wire it into the vehicle’s battery or fuse board. Fun times.

But let’s not get too negative here, because the Garmin 67W is still a very good dash cam, packing in all of the high-end features we enjoyed in the 66W. These include crisp, 4K 1440p video footage, captured in both optimal lighting conditions and on those grey drizzly days, thanks to an HDR (High Dynamic Range) feature, similar to those found on modern smartphone cameras.

As with most dash cams today, the diminutive Garmin will automatically commit footage to a microSD card (which isn't included in the box) when the built-in G-Sensor detects an accident or shunt. It also records on a constant looping basis, overwriting any old footage that isn’t saved by the system, or manually by the user.

Interaction with the unit is via four small buttons on the side – but, remember, the 67W is about the size of a matchbox, so those buttons aren’t very big. From here, it’s fairly self-explanatory; the buttons deal with numerous in-camera settings, including the ability to turn off the additional forward collision warnings, lane departure warnings and other, frankly distracting, warnings.

The screen is only 2-inches wide, so it’s great for initial setup, but you wouldn't really want to be interacting with the unit or looking at the screen whilst driving. Chances are, you’ll tuck the brilliantly compact 67W up near the rear-view window, route its cabling correctly, and then leave it. It’s so small that it's unlikely to attract the unwanted attention of thieves when parked up, either.

Amazingly, the battery life runs for around 30 minutes when power is disconnected, but the camera will try to turn itself off as soon it detects that the ignition has been turned off. That means any longer surveillance tasks will require a fair amount of hard-wiring, but this is the same as any other rival that offers those “constantly connected” features.

The big difference between them and the Garmin Dash Cam 67W is that in order to make the most of Garmin’s smartphone app, the camera needs to be on a Wi-Fi network, which is achieved via Garmin Drive. I had a bit of trouble connecting to my home network; it took a few attempts. But it’s an easy enough task to repeat a few times.

This can be repeated with other networks, should there be one close to where you park at work, for example. Another option is to purchase a mobile hotspot and keep that in the car. So long as it’s charged (or connected to power), it’s possible to remotely access the camera wherever you may be. It’s a neat feature, but it certainly isn't a unique one, since the cheap-as-chips Vava 2K Dual Dash Cam we tried also offered the same service. Alternatively, the BlackVue DR750-2CH LTE even accepts a SIM card, doing away with the need for a mobile hotspot. 

Should you buy the Garmin Dash Cam 67W?

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• Check out our guide to the world's best dash cams

Editor's Note

• Original review date: June 2022
• Yet to be replaced
• Launch price: $399.99 / £269 / AU$699
• Official price now: $349.99 / £239 / AU$599

Update: February 2024. Although it was launched back in 2020, the Nextbase 622GW is still the top model in the Nextbase dash cam range. It also continues to occupy the top spot in our list of the best dash cams, thanks to its combination of excellent 4K video quality and a comprehensive feature set, including effective image stabilization and clever what3words integration. Those skills do come with a significant outlay, though. If you’re interested in a Nextbase camera but don’t need all of the features offered by the 622GW, it’s worth looking at its sibling models. For example, the 522GW doesn’t have image stabilization, but it records 2K video and includes support for Alexa. It’s also significantly cheaper than the 622GW. That said, if you’re looking for the very best dash cam you can currently buy, we think the 622GW is worth the money. The rest of this review remains as previously published.

Nextbase has long been at the forefront of advanced dash cam tech, and its latest Nextbase 622GW model comes positively packed with the latest video recording smarts, making it one of the best dash cams on the market.

For a start, the 622GW features a new Ambarella H22 quad-core chipset, which lets you capture pin-sharp 4K footage at 30fps. Better still, the firm has installed a removable polarizing filter, which allows drivers to rotate a bezel on the front of the lens to produce beautiful, glare-free footage.

When recording in normal, well-lit situations, the resulting 4K clips are up there with basic GoPro offerings, and it’s extremely easy to slow playback down to 120fps via a Super Slow Motion setting. 

This is particularly useful for snaring a license plate during a hit-and-run incident, or capturing individual frames during an accident, for example.

There’s also an option to add a rear camera module that films at 1080p/30fps, but this is sold separately. On a positive note, this doesn’t require an irritatingly long wire dangling from the rear window because it neatly plugs into the side of the 622GW.

You interact with the Nextbase 622GW via a sharp, three-inch full-color rear touchscreen display that features small icons for navigating the various menu screens. These can be a little fiddly to locate, especially when you’re driving (not advised), while the touchscreen requires obvious digit swipes before it recognizes the command. 

Alternatively, there’s the option to link Amazon Alexa voice control to the 622GW via the accompanying MyNextbase Connect app, which is available for both iOS and Android devices. Once the two pieces of software are linked, you can simply say, “Alexa, ask my dash cam to take a picture” and the camera will oblige. It generally works well, although if you’re in a noisy vehicle Alexa can have trouble recognizing commands. 

Nextbase also now offers an upgrade to its coveted EmergencySOS feature in this camera, thanks to the addition of what3words geocoding. 

Emergency and breakdown services are increasingly looking to the innovative geocode system to provide help faster, as the technology can precisely pinpoint a location within three meters of a stricken vehicle, for example.

How does what3words work? If you find yourself in a remote area, this GPS alternative will let you precisely locate yourself, though you'll still need to make a phone call for help. For more serious incidents, there's also EmergencySOS, which can apparently work on very low data connection speeds (GPRS, or under 0.1Mbit/s).

Customers in all territories receive a year’s free trial of this EmergencySOS feature, but you’ll need to pay a subscription after that period.

Regardless, most of us carry a mobile phone these days, meaning EmergencySOS can be used with the accompanying app, and thanks to dual 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, cameras now tether to said app with fewer issues than previous Nextbase cams – although these issues haven’t been ironed out completely.

Previous generations of Nextbase dash cams have been massively frustrating to use, often failing to provide a stable connection to transfer still images and video between phone and camera, but things have improved. The set-up process is still a little fiddly and time-consuming, and the Wi-Fi connection between devices sometimes fails, but we managed to retrieve some imagery and footage after a few attempts.

It is, however, much simpler to plug the camera into a laptop or PC to access the footage, and playback is far slicker this way. We could imagine the app and its connection issues becoming frustrating to use if you were desperately trying to review footage directly after an incident, and this is something Nextbase, in our opinion, needs to address. 

But otherwise, the 622GW is an extremely easy camera to set up and use. Its 140-degree viewing angle isn’t the most extreme on the market, but it easily captures everything through the windscreen, and both its low-light and extreme weather recording modes, which use clever algorithms to improve the quality of the image, are great for capturing crisp footage in difficult situations.

New image stabilization technology also does its bit to ensure buttery smooth footage, cleverly soaking up bumps and vibrations from potholes or poor road surfaces. 

The improvements in sensor and processor technology means the resulting files are large, and Nextbase suggests investing in a 128GB U3 SD card, which isn’t supplied with the unit. These cost around $25 / £30 / AU$45, but opting for anything smaller will seriously restrict recording times.

Like most cameras on the market, the 622GW features a built-in G-Sensor, which will automatically save footage to the device if it detects a bump or crash. The sensitivity of this can be adjusted via the touchscreen display, but there’s also a handy Parking Mode that will automatically record footage if the G Sensor is activated, even when the camera isn’t drawing power.

The Nextbase 622GW is a clever little unit that now produces fantastic footage. Granted, the Nextbase app isn’t the easiest to use, but Alexa and what3words integration work extremely well, and have the potential to increase safety out on the road. 

Should you buy the Nextbase 622GW?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

• Check out our guide to the world's best dash cams