As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links to Amazon on this page are affiliate links.
The memory card matters more than the camera
Updated
A dash cam writes video every second you drive. A normal phone or camera card is not built for that and can fail without warning. Buy a card labeled "high endurance" and replace it every couple of years.
How many hours fit on the card?
Estimate using typical bitrates. When the card is full the camera records over the oldest video, except clips it has locked.
What to buy
- Type: microSD, labeled high endurance or made for dash cams and security cameras.
- Size: 128GB suits most front and rear setups. Three-camera setups like the REDTIGER F17 do better with 256GB. Check the largest size your camera supports first.
- Source: buy cards sold by Amazon or the card maker. Fake cards are common from unknown sellers.
Signs a card is dying
- The camera beeps or shows a card error at startup.
- Gaps or missing clips when you check the video.
- The camera restarts on its own.
Check your video once a month. It takes two minutes and it is the only way to know the camera is still recording.