Customer Ratings & Reviews

I've honestly never had a dash cam before but always wanted one. Because of that, I can't really compare this to other dash cams. That said, I actually have an automotive YouTube channel based around my car, and in many of my videos I do use dash-view footage. Until now though, I've just always used my phone with a dash/windshield mount to act as a "pseudo" dash cam. I always figured that would give me the best video quality anyway. But using a phone as a dash cam is no where near ideal. Not to mention it's near impossible to have it recording non-stop while driving. With all that said, I was really excited to finally get a true dash cam with this Nextbase 522GW. Let's start with what you get out of the box. Of course you have the camera itself, a mount that's detachable from its base, an extra base, a usb cable, DC adapter, fitting tool and quick-start guide. The most surprising think to see though is that usb cable and the usb connector on the DC adapter. Nowadays, products are more and more going to usb-c while some are still hanging on to micro-usb. Nextbase however, apparently never even made the transition to micro-usb. That's right, they're still using the old mini-usb!! It's honestly been several years since the last time I saw a product using that old usb tech. I don't think I even have a single device in my entire household anymore that uses it, until now with this dash cam. At least the old usb tech still works fine for powering the device and I don't use it for any type of data transfer anyway. I also want to mention that although the quick-start guide is adequate for what it is, I highly suggest going to Nextbase's site and downloading the full manual pdf before you install and use the dash cam. That brings us to installation, which is simple and easy. You can get away with just adhering the base to your windshield where you want it, and simply plugging the dc adapter in without routing it anywhere. Of course no one wants a dangling cord so it's still easy enough to route it depending on your vehicle and how hard or easy it is to tuck something along the edge of your headliner and trim panels. The DC adapter cord was the perfect length for my Dodge Challenger too. I was able to route it along the top and side of the windshield, through the dash and out the center to then plug in. It was even long enough to let me plug it in to my armrest console outlet. Once installed, setting up the camera is easy enough. And with the app you can keep it updated, which it had a software update available immediately. Just make sure during setup that you use the camera itself to format your microSD card. I used my laptop at first to format it, which the Nextbase manual said you can do, but when I installed it and tried to update the camera it gave me a card error. Re-formatting with the camera though solved that issue. Once setup, as soon as the camera has power it immediately turns on and starts recording. This is why using a phone to do the same doesn't really work. It then stores the videos in short 1 minute length files which is nice and easily manageable. These files just get overwritten as space is needed. If you need a clip to be protected though, it's just an easy press of a button and it'll create a protected file. When I first grabbed these files directly from the SD card, I learned the camera actually creates 2 different files for each clip, a high-definition one and a low-definition one. Not sure when you'd want to use the low-def ones though as they really are low quality. The high def ones though look really good. In fact I took some identical footage with my phone and compared them side by side. The dash cam footage looked so much clearer and the colors more vivid than what was being recorded with my phone. In fact it's more than good enough to satisfy my use case and I can't wait to get some drag racing footage of my car from this new dash cam's view. While the video quality came out great and met my expectations, the audio is another story. It's honestly just plain bad. Sounds are over-amplified and raspy. It almost hurts my ears listening to it. This means I can't depend on the dash cam to produce audio I can use for my videos, which means additional editing work for me as I'll have to use another source to grab the audio from and sync it to the dash cam video. And it's not like I need the greatest audio, in most of my dash-view footage I'm only using the sound my car's engine and exhaust make. Finally I want to talk about the MyNextbase Connect app. I was honestly worried about this app as most of the reviews of it were pretty bad. So I was pleasantly surprised when I didn't seem to run into any issues at all (running on a Galaxy Note 20 Ultra). Everything went pretty smoothly and the app is simple to use. I could easily look through my clips and watch any of them. If there is one issue, it's that downloading video clips is really slow. My phone was right next to the dash cam and it was barely getting over 2 mbps. But I'm not downloading videos to my phone that way anyway. It would just be an extra step so for me it's easier to pull the SD card and transfer the files directly over to my computer where I'll be needing them anyway to do my editing. And for the occasional clip that might be needed to share on social media, even at the slow speeds it doesn't take too long to download a single clip. In summary, I really like this dash cam. It does almost everything I need it to, and best of all will give me footage I can use for my videos. I really want to give this 5 stars, but the audio is just so bad, and I know that's not the primary purpose of a dash cam, but I don't think its unreasonable to expect something at least a little better. And since that's going to cost me time and some future headaches when editing videos using this dash cam's footage, I have no choice but to take away a star. As far as everything else is concerned, being my first dash cam, I really like this one, even with some of its other quirks that come with being a UK made product being used in America. Plus it's expandable with a rear cam module, which I have since purchased.

The next base 522 is a high quality dash cam with great optional add-ons, good size, responsive touchscreen, and easy set up. Out of the box it comes with everything you need to get started minus the micro sd card. It comes with two base 3M mounts which makes it easy to choose the optimal position for your needs. I chose to mount mine on the base of the rear view mirror instead of the windshield due to having to replace my windshield due to road debris damage. Having it mounted here it still performs impressively and gives me peace of mind knowing that it is out of the way and still has the wires neatly hidden. Also, with the optional add on if a rear view or cabin cam, this position works perfectly since the add ons plug into the right side of the cam. Just be mindful when placing because there is only limited cable to run and having a larger truck, I just did make it to my electrical plug in. I do wish there was another option for a mount (suction mount, larger range of motion) to get placement perfect and movable. The touchscreen is a great size and very responsive to input. Setting up the dash cam was very easy and took only a few minutes. When You want to do an immediate record you can just quickly tap the record button or to snap a picture just tap center screen. The cam initiated every time without fail when touch input was used. There is Alexa built in… I attempted to use Alexa multiple times, but it was hit or miss most of time. Not very reliable and I got tired of repeating myself so I decided not to continue that relationship with Alexa. It is a great feature if you can it get it fine tuned. Getting to your recordings is very convenient via the Nextbase app which can download or send a captured video of an incident directly to your insurance provider via email or you can download it straight to your device photos app. There are several options actually such as removing the cam and micro sd to download via computer, but it seems like an extra burdensome step when they made it so easy with the app. Having the click pro mount does make removing the cam very easy with just a quick little snug pull. Plus the mount has a power adapter built in. The dash cam auto records with any movement of the vehicle and actually starts recording when removed from the mount. I’ve powered the cam off and it still powers up and starts recording when removed from the mount. It is very sensitive in that regard but I wouldn’t want it to be under sensitive so it would miss any important events. The image quality is great for such a small device that in a moving vehicle. I’ve tested it in many environments but the best test in my opinion was in a drive thru car wash. Gives you the quality of several different environments at once (rain, wind, low light, sun light). Overall this is a great cam.

First the good, the NextBase 522GW dashcam is a well built, fairly compact unit with a full 3” inch (960 x 480) touch screen. Video quality is very good and it records up to 1440p (2560 x 1440 @ 30 frames per second) or will do standard HD resolution (1920 x 1080 @ 60 frames per second). Sixty frames per second comes in handy in this use case as video taken really works well with the driving playback experience. Now higher resolution or frames per second video lead to large files and one of the annoying things (at least from my perspective) is you only have the option of recording 1 or 3 minute videos. For a long trip, if you want to review portions of your trip you have to navigate through a bunch of files, which can get a bit tedious, but smaller files might make more sense (since they are easier to download via mobile apps, more on that later). The camera is feature laden, with built in GPS which records telemetry such as coordinates and speed (both of which can be configured to display on the recordings). It also has a shock sensor and some unique S.O.S. features which can be configured to notify emergency services (via your smartphone) if you have an accident. Given what I describe later, I would not depend on that function at all. In any case two different mounts are provided, one of the suction cup variety and one that glues to your windshield. The bracket separates from the body of the camera (the power plugs into the bracket) and kinda snaps in place with the help of a magnet. You would think this would make the camera easy to remove, however not so much as I had problems removing it from the windshield with the unit mounted behind my rear view mirror (perhaps there is a way to perform some ninja wrist move). There are mobile apps (iOS, Android) and a PC based app, all seem to have some real cool features. However, I had major issues with the stability of the iOS app on my iPhone 6s. Numerous times I had problems pairing them, with connections failing, pairing requests not appearing (or the searching for accessories prompt on iOS). A firmware upgrade downloaded after first connecting (and hopefully they will release an update that makes the camera more stable). While the unit records high resolution video they produce fairly large size files, this makes them impractical to access in any way, shape or form from my iPhone. Videos downloads (even when connecting via “high speed WiFi”) are sloooow and unstable. The connection constantly drops and reestablishing them is a challenge. I deleted Bluetooth connections and reinstalled the app on my iPhone numerous times. None of this improved the functionality in these areas. I had better results with my Galaxy Tab A tablet and the android app, videos still downloaded slow but I was able to get a few videos off the dashcam. The only real successful way for me to get videos off this dashcam was to remove the microSD card and play via my PC. There is so much to like about this unit, however the integration with mobile devices is not one of them. Hopefully there will be a firmware update for this unit or updates in the mobile apps that make the advanced functions that require connectivity to a mobile device more stable and frankly useable. Pros: - Great video, including 1440p 30fps or 1080p 60fps (and lower res formats) - Well built - Polarizing lens for clarity - Clear touch screen (speed can be displayed as a screen saver) - time lapse feature Cons: - Unstable connectivity to my iPhone 6s - Slow video download speeds - Quirky

I’ve taken my NextBase on a few trips around town now and I’ve really enjoyed the video quality! I’ve had one other DashCam before this and it sucked. This DashCam’s actually video quality isn’t grainy and the window attachment has a strong magnet that doesn’t compromise how sturdy it hangs from the glass. The cons for me are that it still requires a clunky wire to charge the device. It makes the vehicle terribly ugly and though it’s long enough to tuck in and around the car it is a task that can annoy you. The NextBase application is very intuitive and easy to transfer files, title files, sort and move. Alexa is built in and a feature you can turn on, oh and there’s an SOS feature for emergencies or crashes so great for a young driver! I’ve been wanting to drive for a car service but feared that something random might happen but having the NextBase gives me a little more peace of mind that I can do it with ease. As far as size as concerned it is about the size of your palm or an old pager, the mount is easy to mount on the glass and the magnet is so secure it’s almost tough to remove it from the glass so that’s good! Hope this helps.

Keep restarting by itself :((( no fats technical support response, looks like they didn’t care

I've had my dashcam for 2 weeks and in my opinion this dashcam is solid built product with the best and needed features to offer in a dashcam . The resolution is the best you can get in a dashcam right now, the 622 GW coming out soon will be 4k resolution but with a price tag of around 399.00 , I just didn't want to spend that much. Clarity on this dashcam is excellent during the day and when it is not raining. Night driving is okay same as rainy weather but for the overall features , it's a good dashcam, installing the wiring to be hidden and out of the way in your vehicle can be a bit challenging but can be done with patience and a little time on your hand. I brought the rear window camera that plugs into the side of the dashcam also, now that wiring installation was a little more difficult to hide the wiring, however; with help , I got it done. Now the Nextbase connect app I installed on your phone isn't the best because sometimes it doesn't connect or it takes to long, It uses wifi. Yes the dashcam comes with alexa but it took days for me to it it working and even now it still doesn't work all the time. The Dashcam itself works great and downloading footage from the sd card to my computer was quite simple, there's a Nextbase computer app for that and you can download a 50 page manual to your preferred device, just Google, manuel for nextbase 522 Gw. So should you buy this cam, yes because even with the Cons , to me it's still the best dashcam on the market right now.

I bought this because it was Wirecutter's top rated dashcam. It has an easy to use touchscreen, convenient powered magnetic mount, and a very clear 4K camera. It also includes GPS, Bluetooth, wifi, and a polarizing filter. The only drawbacks are the relatively high price and lack of a rear camera. Overall though, if you're looking for the single best front facing dashcam around and don't mind paying a premium to get it, this is a great choice.

Anyone that has ever driven in the city or has newly driving kids, should definitely consider getting a dash cam. And from experience, I can tell you, people will try to blame you in any traffic incident. So as long as you've got the dash cam, you're almost always guaranteed to have a reliable witness to fall back on. I've been using a Next Base 422GW for a while now and it has been invaluable to my daily commutes. I drive for a living and it's great to have that equipment watching my road with me. Enter the Next Base 522GW. This the slightly bigger and slightly more expensive big sibling of the 422. It comes with everything you need to get up and running in no time at all. All you really need to do is download the Nextbase App from the App Store or Google Play Store. It does have a micro SD card to expand your recording time. Nextbase has memory cards that are sold separately, but you can use cards up to 1TB. You can download and view footage to your phone or tablet for later use. After to the camera runs through the full memory capacity of the card, it will as to format again. This shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't need any of the footage. Formatting only takes a second or two. Inside the box, you get the cam, car charger, cradle, two dashboard dock stickers and a wire fishing tool. The cool thing is, if you're moving up from the 422 to this one, you don't need to switch cradles. The 522GW will fit into the 422GW's cradle. It's just a little bigger that the 422, but it has a much better picture. You also get the added connectivity of Alexa, for voice commands through your phone or linked device. Hello GPS. This thing is really great. If you're having to choose between the 422 and 522, I recommend shelling out few extra bucks and get 522. It's worth it. Again, this thing is all but vital to daily driving. I highly recommend getting this. You've made this far. Go ahead and add it to your cart.

This is the second dash camera I have acquired from Nextbase and they just keep getting better. I have owned my other dash cam for almost three years and never had any issues with it. The new Nextbase 522 GW is a welcome upgrade for my vehicle, replacing another brand dash cam, because of how much I preferred my other Nextbase dash cam. The set up was about as easy as anyone could possibly hope for. After I removed the camera, mount, and cable from the box, inserted a high-speed Micro SD card (not included) into the camera, mounted it with the included 3M tape to my windshield and plugged it in my car’s power/lighter adapter, I was ready to turn it on and set it up. It was simple to click through the options and answer a few questions on the clear touchscreen display, which is very responsive to the touch by the way. The last part of the set up gives you the option to link the camera to the MyNextbase Connect smart phone app so you can view the camera options, save pictures, and video, and set up Alexa. The 3” high-definition screen with IPS technology is crystal clear and pairs well with the 1440 quad HD camera with wide angle view to capture everything in front of you. You can use the built-in Alexa voice control to play music, answer phone calls, get directions, etc. The Nextbase SOS function can alert emergency responders and report critical information in the event of an accident. One of my favorite functions is the parking mode that can sense movement or motion and will automatically start recording in the event your vehicle is being tampered with even when it’s not on or occupied. Overall, Nextbase is definitely my go-to dash cam manufacturer because of the quality, durability, options and functions and would recommend it to anyone in the market for a dash cam.

I have been in the market for a dashcam for quite some time. I’m glad this one came along. I have seen others that require a you to setup a 4G phone account with a service. I’m sure that is fine for some. But this is not an option I was looking for. I was looking for something with great video. A set it and forget it, especially someone hits me while I’m parked type of camera. This fits the bill with the options I was interested in. A forewarning, there isn’t a lot of instructions and sometimes I like to have a quick guide to check on stuff If I have questions. There is a startup guide but that’s where it ends, even checking the app I felt as if I was just lumbering around until I could find an answer. (like recording or taking a still image) You will have to hit the website for this or search for videos. On to the review. I found the camera to be of very good quality, doesn’t feel cheap. I like the 2 different mounts to choose from. My camera will float between a couple of cars. So I didn’t care for the permanent mount that is included but the suction mount is perfect for my needs. The included power cord is very long, enough to place the unit just about anywhere in your window. I also like the fact that the unit has a battery should you only need it for short trips and not want to hook in the power cord. I pre-charged the unit as directed then downloaded the phone app. Immediately the app noticed I was on firmware version 6.X and needed up graded to 16.3 (wow). I did run into an issue. As I was updating, the update got stuck after the unit was to reboot. It didn’t come back. I waited for 30 minutes as the message on the unit said do not hit any buttons or power cycle during firmware. I then discovered the unit was unplugged so fair warning only update firmware when plugged in. It then continued to update and finished. The app is very user friendly and easy to navigate, you can set up just about every option you need from it. I tested the unit and checked my library on the phone. Each clip was easily viewable, sound and video were clear, even when I transferred the card to a PC to view it on a larger screen. I found the pictures, video and sound to be very nice. I started the app while in my house and the car in the drive way, I started the live view and it connected!! That’s a strong Wi-Fi built in antenna to do that. I was at least 75ft and a few walls away. For future updates to the app it would be nice to be able to control the start and stop recording. I have mine set to always record, so it would be nice to shut this off, if I would know it wouldn’t be needed for a while. Or even shut this off, if it was parked to in my garage and connected to my home Wi-Fi while I was away. Over all I am very impressed with the camera, it does exactly what I need a dash cam to do. If you feel the need for a reverse view camera for shots of your interior or out the back window. There is an optional camera that you can buy as an add on . It attaches to the side of the camera. I’m giving it 4 stars, would have got 5 if they had a more detailed instruction manual included. One should never have to hit up the internet to find out more info on a purchase. I would recommend this to family and friends

So the camera itself is good as is video quality. Battery is only rated for 15 minutes without power source so if you want to use parking hit detection you need to have it hard wired. Tech support is responsive but they are in UK so factor that into time you call. Responsive via email but can take a few days. The only real issue i have with this camer (why it got 4* as opposed to 5*) is that it runs extremely hot if you don’t have the correctly spec’d micro SD. Their tech support said it runs best with theirs but they hadnt made a 128GB available in US yet, so their suggestion was to use a U3 “enhanced” sandisk. The “ultra” sandisk micro SD card i had originally made the camera run so hot to touch i didn’t like holding it. With the correct SD card it runs perfect now. The reason is because on the two spec’d SD cards can handle the loop recording. Otherwise, love this camera. Use the 522 as a front camera and the 322 as a rear camera. Both turn off and do not drain my car battery if i leave them plugged in.

Plays back great quality video! However, it does seem to overheat easily, even in cooler temperatures. I'll get random messages to format the SD card because it cannot be read, but when I reset the camera by holding the power button (which also seems to take longer than expected), the message disappears. And either the charging dock is connected wrong to my car's fuse, or this camera's rechargeable battery is shot, because the battery life doesn't last long when my car's ignition is off. The iOS app that's supposed to sync to your camera is also finicky; it may detect a connection, but I can't preview any clips. The desktop app, however, works great.

My first impressions of the Nextbase 522GW were when I viewed the dashcam on-line at Bestbuy.com, in a nutshell I was thinking nice stuff and liked what I saw in the pics and read in the spec’s. When the 522GW arrived, I knew my first impressions were spot-on. What I found upon opening: - First-rate design - Polished aesthetics - Gorgeous Large 3” IPS Touchscreen for viewing and managing - Mounting system that secures the dashcam firmly to the windshield - All cables included The system came surprisingly in a rather small package relative to typical packaging. To quote on old idiom, “The best things come in small packages.” Delightfully this holds true with the Nextbase dashcam, there is loads of brilliant tech packed inside. Setup is straight forward, smooth, and quickly accomplished. The Nextbase app should be downloaded first and ran for step by step instructions, my nature lead me to start up the cam and go into the setup screen to look at the settings/options which I went ahead and set. Then I went back to step one and ran the app and sync’d the cam to my mobile which just took a few moments to accomplish. The app is well designed, intuitive and takes you effortlessly through setup procedures including running firmware updates. This is truly one of the best, smooth and easy apps to connect to a device that I have used, that I highly appreciate after some apps I have had to deal with in previous products. After syncing and updating I checked into the settings screen and was pleasantly surprised to see all my cam settings were loaded. Good stuff and an excellent app. Features: - Built in Alexa - Blue Tooth and Wi-Fi support - 1440p HD resolution at 30fps recording - 3” IPS Touchscreen with excellent viewing - Polarizing filter to reduce windshield glare - G-Sensor for accident detection - Emergency SOS contacts first responders with GPS location - Live viewing on your mobile device app - GPS Coordinates Stamp - Speed Stamp - Date & Time Stamp - MicroSD’s are supported up to 128GB - Parking Mode – if the G Sensor detects an event will switch on and record - Emergency SOS – if there is an incident detected it will contact Emergency services in your GPS area The built in Alexa (operates like all Echo devices) is a welcome addition, instead of reaching for the mobile and Google for directions, weather. Etc. you can ask the built in Alexa. This is very useful to me, instead of having to fumble with my mobile (which is highly distracting) to turn on music streaming I just direct Alexa. Plus, it is now illegal in my state to have your mobile in your hand while driving. Believe at present the 522GW is the only dashcam with built in Alexa. The recording’s GPS/Speed/Date & Time/Model stamps are turned on by default but can be turned off in settings. A small item I like is the charging plug has a low hue blue light, my last dashcam had a bright red light which I found annoying. A nice touch in a well thought out product. The dashcam runs quite warm to the touch, just took the dashcam on a 1000-mile roundtrip and it was especially warm in the sunlight. Does not affect the quality or operation of the unit and hopefully will not affect long term durability. After the thousand-mile trip the mounting system held up in the hot sun, which I appreciate having had a previous brand which occasionally would fall from the windshield. Not what you want when navigating rush hour traffic, tended to make me jump a bit while driving. The 522GW is approximately 35% smaller than their previous 512GW and mounts discreetly and out of passenger’s view. The Nextbase does not come with a MicroSD card and you will need to purchase one for the system. Personally, I picked up a top brand 128GB card highly spec’d at Up to 100MB/s read and 90MB/s write speeds; UHS Speed Class U3 and Speed Class 10. At today’s pricing it is an easy call to go with a high-end card, my card cost only $19.49! For smooth recordings at higher resolutions and FPS you should install a fast MicroSD. Nextbase provides a detailed 50-page user manual which you download from their site covering every aspect of the system from setup to operation. Good documentation is always a big plus in my book. The Nextbase 522GW is a fully featured highly functional dash cam system which has performed marvelously around town and on my long trip in 95-degree heat. Set my cam to record at 1080P at 60FPS and the videos are vivid and smooth in playback. Highly recommend the Nextbase 522GW dashcam.

The 522 is an amazing product in every way. The basic functionality of a dash cam is out of this world good. The video clarity is top notch and with the included polarized lens, it cuts the glare. Night footage is equally great. UX is great with the App and easy to use functionality. the wireless mount is great for when i head into San Francisco and break ins are a dime a dozen. rear module is amazing as well. super easy to install and toggle between views. Excited that i haven't had to use the SOS tech, but i'm happy to know it's there when i need it. GPS and hand free alexa. it's got it all. i'm getting another one for my family!

The picture quality on this is very good, I can make out license plates just for normally. Generally speaking the build quality is good - I've had the camera running nonstop for about 3.5 years withought any issue until today when the picture began completely scrambling.

I like this dash cam a lot. Very happy with my decision to buy. GOOD: High-resolution, both forward and rear. Large touch screen, easily tap for snapshot. Uses iPhone GPS via Bluetooth to record route. Connects to my MAC for reviewing files. BAD: 1. Magnet is so strong it is difficult to un-mount from the windshield bracket. But the ability to do so is great and I'm getting used to it. 2. MAC application needs some work. It gets confused if you do a lot of start/stop, zoom in/out, rewind/forward.

This is the fourth brand of dashcam I've owned, and I think I've finally found the winner! Bringing together high-quality hardware with the best dashcam software I've seen, the Nextbase 522GW is one sweet package. HARDWARE: Build quality on this dashcam is excellent. It feels solid, not like the cheap plastic cases of other brands. The large, bright screen is easy to see in all lighting conditions (as long as you're not wearing polarized sunglasses!), and the magnetically attached GPS mount is both clever and functional. I also got the rear-facing (cabin view) camera attachment, which attaches easily and firmly, and provides a good view of the cabin--although lining up both the front- and rear-facing cameras for optimal framing can take some fine-tuning of the mounting hardware. Image quality is excellent, with exceptionally accurate colors. I only have two minor quibbles: 1) The power/data connector is mini USB, which is a little less common than micro USB. But since Nextbase provides all the cables needed to connect to both the vehicle power source and a laptop or wall charger, that shouldn't be an issue. 2) The "Protect" button at the bottom of the camera, for permanently saving a clip from being overwritten, can sometimes be tricky to press with one finger when the camera is suspended below the pivoting mount. SOFTWARE: The Nextbase 522GW really shines here. The user interface is uncluttered and easy-to-use, with the buttons spaced out in the corners of the screen to make them easy to find and press without having to hunt for them in a moving vehicle. Some of the UI and documentation terminology (like "fortnightly" and "whilst") makes it obvious that Nextbase is a British company. Setup was relatively fast and easy, compared to other dashcams I've used. The MyNextbase app had trouble finding the camera over Bluetooth at first, but I connected manually via my iPhone's Bluetooth Settings and everything worked great after that. The Amazon Alexa feature is fun, but I haven't had many opportunities to use it yet while driving. Sending clips to my iPhone over Wifi without disconnecting the camera from the car has worked flawlessly so far. This can be a big pain point with other dashcams, so I'm thrilled by how well it works! I do have one suggestion for Nextbase: You can turn off all the digital watermarks (time/date, location, license plate #) on videos EXCEPT for the company name. I understand their desire to increase brand visibility, but since I use my dashcam for vlogging to record clips for Youtube videos, having "Nextbase" appear in the bottom-left of all my footage is kind of a bummer. That said, by recording in 1440 resolution, it's very easy to zoom the video a tiny bit to crop this out and still get fantastic-looking HD clips for narration, etc. BOTTOM LINE: I've tried several other dashcams--ranging from cheap and dumb models to some of the fancy, smart "connected car" units. I have yet to find one that offers the same compelling package of high-quality hardware and easy-to-use software as the Nextbase 522GW!

Overall, this is a fantastic dashcam! It has everything I was looking for including video quality, parking mode, customization, portability, ability to switch between vehicles, phone connectivity, etc. The only reason for 4 stars is because, sometimes, it will not detect the SD card. It has only done it a handful of times and is usually after sitting in the hot sun for awhile. Possibly a Nextbase SD card would fix this issue???

I’ve been thinking about a dash cam for some time now. I like the idea of having a recording just in case I get into an accident and someone tries to blame me instead of their own erratic driving. This camera is small, light and easily hides behind the mirror so you can barely tell it’s there from the driver seat. The windshield mount is solid and has held up well and still sticks strongly to the windshield after almost a week of use. The mount is sturdy and doesn’t appear to have any issue with vibration or large bumps and potholes. It also came with two mounting pads so you can move the camera between two vehicles, and it is easy to remove the mount from the mounting plate and transition to another vehicle. There is a long power cord that you can run to a cigarette lighter receptacle and it comes with a tool to help you tuck the cord into the trim on your vehicle to help hide it. I wish it came with an adapter to plug it into the fuse box or wire directly into an overhead console, but the fuse power adapter is available as a separate purchase if you want an out of sight power cord. You also get a mini-USB adapter to plug into a computer to access your recordings without removing the microSD card. When you get hooked up to the car and get the settings how you want them it starts right up when you start the vehicle and records in either 1, 2 or 3 minute videos. You can also choose to save both high- and low-quality versions of your recordings. You can choose 1080p 30 fps, 1080p 60 fps or 1440p 30 fps for your recordings. I prefer 60 fps, so I have mine set to 1080p at 60 fps. There is also a polarizing ring on the front of the lens that can be adjusted to remove or minimize reflections from the windshield. When lighting is good the video quality is great, but I got some graininess in my recordings during low light situations. You can access the camera from your phone using the Nextbase Connect app that can be downloaded from the app store. I have an android phone and install and use were straight forward. You can also download the MyNextbase Player to your computer or laptop to play, edit and share your recordings. Part of the editing process allows you to join multiple videos together so all the 1, 2 or 3 minute clips you record can be joined into one large file for easy viewing. Overall, it’s a solid dashcam. I like the peace of mind I now have should I get into an accident and have someone accuse me of being at fault.

I was recently backed into and although the woman that hit me immediately admitted it was her fault, it took her insurance company about a month to take responsibility and agree to fix my car. Had I had a dashcam to record the incident I could have avoided all of the headache and frustration that came with the process. So when the opportunity to pick up a Nextbase dash cam came up I jumped on it. The camer is a nice size. I ended up putting mine directly in front of my cars rear view mirror and it almost hides there perfectly. The camera has a small LCD screen on it but honestly it is too small to really use for viewing your video files. However the camera has an app that you can use for viewing them on your phone. This is much more convenient that trying to watch them on the camera itself. I have a touch screen stereo in my car and I was hoping that I could hook the camera up to that to see video there but for some reason I couldn't get that to work. The camera records in either 1, 2 or 3 minute bursts. So unfortunately you have to scroll through quite a few files to the exact one you might be looking for but it isn't that much of a hassle. Also I really like that as you are viewing video files, the camera also shows you the road and direction you were driving on at the time. Very cool. You can record video in either 1440 or 1080 at 60 or 30 frames per second. Default is 1440 but I chose to change that to 1080. I don't see the need to record in anything other than 1080. Also, be advised that you will need a MicroSD card to record video as I don't believe that the unit has internal memory. All in all I am very happy with this camera. It does exactly what I wanted it to do and the size makes it pretty unobtrusive. I called Nextbase customer service a couple of times with questions and their agents were very friendly and helpful.