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Buying guide
Car parks are where the damage happens and the other driver leaves. These cameras keep watching when the engine is off, and save the seconds before an impact as well as after.
Updated October 2026 · Picks based on published specifications and independent tests. How we choose
Best for most cars
Buffered parking mode with 4K front and 2K rear video, at a mid-range price.
Best parking protection
Three parking modes plus a hybrid mode, and far more recording room on an external SSD.
Best 3-camera parking cover
Watches front, cabin and rear while parked. The cabin camera helps with break-ins.
| Feature | VIOFO A229 Pro | VIOFO A329S | Vantrue N4 Pro S |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front video | 4K at 30 fps, 140° view | 4K at 60 fps front-only; 4K at 30 fps multi-camera | 4K |
| Rear camera | 2K (1440p), 160° view | 2K, Sony STARVIS 2 | 2.5K (1440p) |
| Cabin camera | Optional 1080p infrared (3-channel version) | Optional 2K (3-channel version) | 1080p with infrared |
| Front sensor | Sony STARVIS 2 IMX678 | Sony STARVIS 2 IMX678 | Sony STARVIS 2 IMX678 |
| Storage | microSD up to 512 GB | microSD plus external SSD up to 4 TB | microSD up to 1 TB |
| Parking mode | Buffered; needs VIOFO HK4 hardwire kit | Buffered, time-lapse, low-bitrate; needs HK6 kit | Buffered, low-bitrate; needs hardwire kit |
| Wi-Fi / GPS | Wi-Fi and GPS built in | Wi-Fi 6 and GPS | 5 GHz Wi-Fi and GPS |
| Extras | Voice control, HDR, 2.4-inch screen | 2.4-inch screen, hybrid parking recording | Voice control, 3.19-inch screen, optional LTE module |
| Price | Check price | Check price | Check price |
Buffered recording is the feature to look for. A basic parking mode starts recording after it feels a bump, so it misses the impact itself. A buffered mode keeps a rolling few seconds in memory and saves the moment before the hit as well.
You need a hardwire kit. Parking mode only works if the camera has power when the car is off. A hardwire kit connects the camera to the fuse box and cuts the power when the battery voltage drops to a set level, so the car still starts. None of these cameras include the kit in the standard box.
Time-lapse and low-bitrate modes record continuously at a reduced rate. They use more card space than impact-only recording but never miss anything, which suits street parking.
Not comfortable with a fuse box? A car audio or dash cam installer will hardwire a camera in under an hour. It is worth it for a clean, hidden cable.
A dash cam is only as reliable as the card and power feeding it.
A hardwire kit monitors the battery and switches the camera off at a voltage you choose, so there is enough charge left to start the car. If the car sits for many days, the camera will stop recording before the battery runs flat.
Not properly. A camera on the 12V socket loses power when the ignition is off in most cars. Hardwiring, or an add-on dash cam battery pack, is what makes parking mode work.
The camera keeps a short rolling recording in memory while parked. When it detects motion or an impact it saves the seconds before the event as well as after, so you see the cause and not only the result.
CarCamsOnline on YouTube
Accidents, near misses, bad driving, wild weather and the odd things you only see on the road. Our channel shows real dash cam clips and names the camera that filmed each one. We need your videos: caught something on your dash cam? Send it in and we will feature the best clips on the channel, with credit.
