Looking for the best 3 channel dash cam for your vehicle? This guide will help you to pick the right model fo your needs, and to find it at the best price.
Dash cams have become very popular in recent years, and most on the market have a single front-facing cameras. But you may know that two-camera versions are also available - either front and rear dashcams, or Uber dashcams that allow you to see what is going on in the car as well as on the road in front.
Three channel dashcams - or 3CH dashcams - are designed for a full all-around vision, giving you three cameras looking forward, rearwards, and at the interior. And while that might seem unnecessary for many social drivers, it can be a useful addition for taxi and ride-share drivers who want to keep tabs on rowdy passengers
These systems record just as normal, but with the added benefit of using a wide-angle lens, usually mounted to the same unit responsible for the front-facing camera. This guide will look into three-channel dash cam systems in greater detail, and includes a roundup of several models we think are worth your attention.
They come from reputable dash cam manufacturers, like Vantrue and Viofo, and cover a range of price points. Plus points include those that record at a high resolution through a set of three wide lenses, while negatives include a lack of essentials like GPS and the ability to record in Full HD or above
We have also included a Garmin dash cam that isn’t sold as part of a two- or three-camera system, but can be connected wirelessly to up to three others. This creates a four-camera system that is synchronized so that all four record at precisely the same time. This is by far the most expensive route to take, but could be the best option for drivers who want the highest possible resolution, the quickest frame rate, and the widest viewing angles.
The best 3 channel dash cams
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This three-camera setup from UK-based Viofo does without a display, but instead offers a fairly compact main unit with a front-facing camera that records at 2K resolution, also known as 1440p.
It connects with included wires to a pair of near-identical 1080p cameras for the rear and interior views. The latter has IR night vision sensors for capturing higher quality video inside a dimly-lit cabin. GPS is included, with the antenna integrated with the windscreen mount of the main unit, and we like how the lenses can all be rotated right around to get the perfect view.
USB-C connectivity is also a nice bonus, and the use of Sony’s Starvis sensors means high-quality nighttime recordings can be expected from this system. The Viofo loses a couple of points for the front camera lens being only 1490 degrees (some rivals are up to 170 degrees) and the lack of a display will be an annoyance for some.
This system from Vantrue which records at 1440p to the front, 1080p to the rear and 1080p inside the car. Unlike most other three-camera systems, this one has a decent-sized 3in touchscreen display, and both the front and interior camera are part of the same unit, making installation simpler.
Vantrue’s smartphone app works pretty well, showing detailed location data and driving routes alongside video recordings, making it easy to work out where an incident took place. There’s also a desktop app, and transferring footage over Wi-Fi is nice and easy.
We also think this system is well-priced, at $260 (currently reduced from $300), and all three cameras have a good range of adjustability to make sure they’re pointing at just the right angle. Their lenses are also quite wide, with 160 degrees front and rear, and 150 degrees for the interior.
See our full Vantrue S2 3CH review
This one is our left-field three-cam dash cam system of choice. Garmin’s dash cams can be synchronized via the company’s smartphone app, where up to four can be hooked up, wirelessly, then set to record video at the same time. When a collision is detected, all four will securely save that portion of footage.
They’ll each need their own power supply, but don’t need to be connected to each other with a cable, as conventional three-channel dash cams do. The Garmin 67W also boasts the best video quality of any camera in this guide, with 1440p footage shot at 60fps through a wide, 180-degree lens.
The camera is also remarkably compact, with a tiny but very affected magnetic windscreen mount, and there’s a voice control system too. Throw in GPS, optional online storage and a suite of driver warnings, and this dash cam is hard to beat. Expensive though, especially if you’re buying three.
See our full Garmin 67W review.
Don’t get too drawn into this dash cam’s 4K recording capability. Because, while the front-facing camera can handle 4K on its own, when used with either the rear or interior camera, or with all three running together, that resolution is no longer available.
As a three-camera system you’re looking at a still-respectable resolution of 1440p for the front view and 1080p for the rear and interior views. Like most other systems, this dash cam has a parking mode that starts recording the moment a collision is detected (but only when the dash cam is hardwired to the car’s fuse box for a constant source of power, something you might need a professional to do).
There’s no GPS, so videos don’t have speed and location data, but at $260 this kit still represents decent value for money, especially considering its compact size and inclusion of a small display.
See our full Vantrue N4 review.
This dash cam from Blackvue is a good option for those who want a subtle design and don’t want to be distracted by a display. We like how compact this system is, and when hardwired would definitely look like it was fitted to your car from new. But it’s pretty expensive and, while the front and rear cameras record at 1080p, the interior resolution is only 720p. The lenses are also fairly tight, with 139 degrees at the front and rear and just 119 degrees for the interior.
This could mean a less-than-ideal view of your cabin and passengers, which could make this system less suitable for taxi and ride-share drivers.
That said, the Blackvue scores points for its dual Starvis imaging sensors, parking mode via a hardwired installation, and the front camera recording at 60 frames per second, which should produce smoother footage than the more common 30fps. We also like the optional 4G connectivity, which is a pretty rare feature among multi-channel dash cams.
This three-channel dash cam from Viofo is a great all-rounder, thanks to its compact design, low price, integrated GPS and high resolution for every camera. The system records in 1440p at the front and 1080p, also known as Full HD, at the rear and in the cabin.
The lenses are also pretty wide, at 165 degrees for the interior and rear cameras, and 140 degrees for the front-facing one. All three record at 30 frames per second. A clever design detail is how the front-facing camera can be swivelled by 90 degrees, to face through the driver’s side window.
Viofo suggests this could be useful for recording a conversation through an open window, potentially with another motorist or a police officer.
There are three parking mode options available here, along with GPS for adding speed and location data to all recordings, and Wi-Fi for transferring footage to your smartphone.
