10 Best

360 Degree Dash Cams

of October 2023

Installing a dashcam in your car can offer several benefits. It’ll help you collect evidence in case of an accident or a collision so that you can prove who was at fault. This is valuable for insurance claims or legal purposes and can save you from staged accidents or scams. Also, since you know that every action of yours is being recorded, you’ll be more responsible when driving. In particular, a 360-degree dashcam will record footage in front, behind, to the sides, and even inside your vehicle!

And that’s not all: Some dashcams have a parking mode feature that allows them to monitor your vehicle even when it's parked and the engine is off. They can detect motion or impacts and start recording, providing evidence in case of hit-and-runs, vandalism, or theft while your vehicle is unattended. And, on the lighter side of things, a 360-degree dashcam can record interesting or memorable moments during your travels, such as scenic drives, wildlife encounters, or unexpected events on the road. These recordings can serve as a personal archive or be shared with friends and family.

We’ll go through some of the different types of 360-degree dashcams, how they’re installed, and some of their unique features. They’re well worth the investment to protect yourself in the event of an accident!

What is a G-sensor on a dashcam?

A G-sensor, also known as a “gravity sensor” or accelerometer is a component found in many electronic devices, including dashcams. It is designed to measure changes in velocity or movement, specifically acceleration or deceleration forces acting on the device. In the context of a dashcam, the G-sensor detects sudden changes in the vehicle's motion, such as during an accident, braking, or a sharp turn. When the G-sensor detects a significant acceleration or deceleration, it triggers the dashcam to save or lock the recorded footage automatically. This feature is particularly useful during accidents or collisions, as the locked footage can be preserved as evidence.

There are several types of 360-degree dashcams available on the market, each offering different features and capabilities. Here are some common types:

• Dual-Lens Dashcams: These dashcams consist of two lenses, typically positioned on the front and rear of the vehicle. They capture footage from both directions, providing a 360-degree view of the surroundings. Dual-lens dashcams are the most common type of 360-degree dashcams. An example is the Wolfbox G840S 12” 4K Mirror Dash Cam Backup Camera. The front-view camera records 170°, while the rear-view camera records 140°.

Wolfbox G840S 12” 4K Mirror Dash Cam Backup Camera

• Four-Lens Dashcams: Four-lens dashcams have additional lenses on the sides of the vehicle, offering a complete panoramic view. These dashcams are particularly useful for larger vehicles, such as trucks or buses, as they provide a comprehensive visual coverage of the entire perimeter. An example is the Hupejox V7 360° Dash Cam. It can record the front and sides of your car and still has two cabin cameras to record inside the car.

Hupejox V7 360° Dash Cam

• Multi-Camera Systems: Instead of a single unit, multi-camera systems consist of multiple individual cameras placed strategically around the vehicle. These cameras work together to provide a comprehensive 360-degree view. They may require more complex installation and wiring, but they offer precise coverage and flexibility in camera placement. An example is the Wolfbox i07 Dash Cam. It’s a 3-channel dashcam, with a 150-degree front-view camera, and 160-degree interior camera, and a 155-degree rear camera.

Wolfbox i07 Dash Cam

It's worth noting that the availability of these dashcam types may vary depending on the manufacturer and the specific model. When choosing a 360-degree dashcam, consider factors such as video quality, storage capacity, ease of use, and additional features like GPS tracking or Wi-Fi connectivity.

We went over some customers’ impressions of the 360-degree dashcam that they bought:

• Parking mode: There is also “parking mode” on a number of cameras, which allows them to start a recording when the car is parked, and experiences a sudden shock. That can help you detect the culprit in an accident in an instance when your car is parked. It should give 3-5 minutes of footage if the battery is fully charged.

• Problems with attachment: People who used a suction cup to attach the camera mount to the windshield were a bit disappointed that it wouldn’t stick anymore after a few months, possibly because of the heat in the car. The same happened when they used Velcro instead. So, you should look for a more stable mounting option.

Here are some tips about features to look for when choosing a 360-degree dashcam:

• Loop recording: You’ll see dashcams that sport loop recording. That means that the camera performs continuous recording of video footage by overwriting the oldest files when the storage capacity is full. It does this by recording footage in short segments. Once the storage is full and there is no more space to save new recordings, the dashcam automatically starts overwriting the oldest loop segment with the latest recorded footage. This process ensures that the dashcam always has space to store new video recordings, and you don't have to manually delete old files to free up storage. But, to ensure that you don’t lose important historical footage, most dashcams provide options to manually protect or lock specific video files to ensure they are not erased during loop recording.

• Installation: Many of these dashcams are simple to install. Some, like the Pruveeo Dash Cam, have a suction cup that you attach to your front windshield or dashboard. Others use an adhesive mount, while others, like the Wolfbox Dash Cam, attach to the rear-view mirror by means of rubber straps.

• Wide dynamic range: Some cameras will boast of having “wide dynamic range”, or WDR. This means that the camera can record both dimly-lit and brightly-lit areas in the field of view. This ensures that all of the details of the scene can be captured.

• Power: You’ll notice that dashcams will differ on where they get their power. The Nextbase 322GW Dash Cam uses a lithium-ion battery, and users say unfortunately that it doesn’t have a very long battery life. Most use the 12 V cigarette lighter socket or connect to a USB charging port in your car by means of a USB-C cable. You can tuck the cables leading from the camera on the rear windshield under the car’s interior panels.

• Video quality: You’ll see some variation in video quality among dashcams. The Yeecore Dual Dash Cam is exceptional in that its front- and rear-facing cameras have a 4K image sensor, and can record up to 8 million large pixels in 4K UHD. Also, look for dashcams that have infrared sensors to film even at night in low-light conditions. The WolfBox i07 Dash Cam has 6 infrared sensors that can record action inside the car as well as outside.

• Storage capacity and the correct type of SD memory cards: Some of these dashcams require special memory cards that can record data quickly. For example, the Hupejos V7 360° Dash Cam comes with a 128 GB TransFlash memory card, which is especially suited for reading and writing footage at fast speeds. Other cards may give you an error such as “Cannot Format SD Card”, or “Card Error”. Other cameras will support MicroSD cards as large as 512 GB!

• Wi-Fi connectivity and smartphone apps: Some cameras will allow you to transfer footage to your phone wirelessly, but only if your phone is within a certain distance from the camera. Others, such as the Yeecore Dual Dash Cam, have 5G Wifi and a smartphone app that lets you control the dashcam from your smartphone, as well as view and download footage.

Final Verdict

We surveyed the various 360-degree dashcams available, with their excellent 4K sensors, G-sensors, and ability to record even in low-light conditions. Whether you want to record footage of an accident to see who was at fault, or just to record scenery as you drive, a 360-degree dashcam is a worthwhile investment!