Dash cam deals: Early October Prime Day discounts

Are you looking for a second set of eyes to help you on the road? Now is a great time to buy a dash cam for piece of mind. Amazon’s next sales event, Prime Early Access Sale, will run between October 11th and 12th. What many people are calling “October Prime Day” should include great deals on everything from 4K front and rearview sets to mini-cams, and more.

The deals have already begun and we have curated the best sales on dash cams leading up to Amazon’s latest Prime Day event. You’ll need to be a Prime member to take advantage of these steep discounts. If you aren’t a member already, check out our guide for how to get Amazon Prime for free.

While Amazon has plenty of dash cam deals, other retailers are getting in on the Prime Day action with their own sales, too. With so many choices, there will be plenty of opportunities to find the right camera for your needs.

We have tested countless dash cams and we’ll spotlight the best deals from trusted brands such as Garmin, Vantrue, Nextbase, and more. So, if you’re shopping for the latest 4K UHD cam or just something to discreetly clip onto your rearview mirror, we have some deals for you.

Best Prime Early Access Sale dash cam deals

As there are a ton of dash cams on sale ahead of the October Prime Day, we’ve done our best to include only dash cams offering excellent value.

Our list includes some great premium options such as the Nextbase 622GW, which is one of our favorite dash cams, on sale for 20% off at BestBuy right now. There’s also the Vantrue S1, which boasts 4K resolutions and a wide field of view, currently going for 37% off on Amazon. But if you’re on a budget, we also found some great options you can check out, such as the 1080p Orskey Dash Cam (37% off from Amazon).

• Thinkware X700, 1080p front and rearview/2.7-inch touchscreen LCD, $109.99 (27% off on Adorama)
• Viofo A119 V3, 1440p front view/140 degree field of view/2-inch LCD, $99.90 (17% off on Amazon)
• Nextbase 622GW, 4K front view/140 degree field of view/3-inch touchscreen LCD, $319.99 (20% off on BestBuy)
• Byakov Dash Cam, 1080p front view/170 degree field of view/2-inch LCD, $39.99 (33% off on Amazon)
• Nextbase 322GW, 1080p front view/140 degree field of view/2.5-inch touchscreen LCD, $169.99 (15% off on BestBuy)
• RedTiger F7N, 4K front view/2.5K rearview/170 degree field of view/3.16-inch LCD, $139.99 (30% off on Amazon)
• Thinkware Q800 Pro, 1440p front view/140 degree field of view, $199.99 (30% off on BestBuy)
• Orskey Dash Cam, 1080p front view/170 degree field of view/3-inch LCD, $49.99 (17% off on Amazon)
• Vantrue S1, 4K front view/1080p rearview/170 degree field of view/2-inch LCD, $179.99 (22% off on Amazon)
• Vantrue N2S, 1440p front and inside view/155 degree field of view/2-inch LCD, $219.99 (24% off on Amazon)

What to look for when buying a dash cam

When purchasing a dash cam you will want to focus on a few important features such as video capabilities, recording options, and other handy nice-to-haves. Video capabilities will be the most important aspect of your decision. You will want to consider whether you need front and rearview or just front view. Also, check the resolution—we recommend at least 1080p, but premium 4K resolution dash cams really make a difference if you can swing the extra cost. Additionally, you will want to take a look at the field of view. The sweet spot seems to be between 120 to 140 degree field of view, as anything less might miss important things and anything more may cause a fish-eye distortion to the recordings.

Next, you will want to decide on the recording options you need. Things such as continuous loop recording which automatically overwrites older recordings at specified intervals (unless saved) in order to minimize storage requirements or incident recording which uses motion detection and triggered impact detection to record possible accidents. As for storage options, you will generally find that there are two options to choose from: cloud storage and microSD card storage. Cloud storage isn’t as common, but it can be nice to have if you’re worried about losing a physical memory card. Otherwise, a microSD card will be the most common option.

Finally, you should consider any other handy features that a particular dash cam might provide. These include GPS navigation, phone connectivity, parking monitoring, night vision, and speed detection. All of these will depend on your personal preference, but should be taken into account before purchase.