How to Choose Best SD Cards for Dash Cam?

Choosing the right Micro SD card for your dash cam can be very confusing. There are so many factors you have to consider. It is important to understand what memory card is best for your dash cam and how you can pick the best one for your needs. Without the right memory card in the cam, it might not be able to perform well or not fit perfectly with your needs.

Dash cam record videos all the time which can fill up the memory card (SD Card). When you are recording at higher resolutions, it can reach its maximum capacity even faster. You should see what resolution you need and then choose a card with enough storage. Memory cards are available in different capacities from 32GB to 512GB. Higher capacities will let you record videos for long periods and save multiple files at the same time.

You should always look for memory cards that have at least UHS-I (U1) or U3 rating. These cards have higher writing speeds and can be helpful to record high-resolution video footage without dropping frames. Standard Cards that have Class 10 are not much faster and therefore have rough recording as they aren’t fast enough for smooth recording.

You should for the card that have high endurance rating. Normal memory cards cannot be used in dash cams because they do not support recording or rewriting. The high endurance rating cards can be used in high temperatures and also support continuous recording. This will also increase the life of your card.

The local memory cards might have issues and will not be as good as the ones from reputable brands. These cards will not be able to save your videos for longer and eventually fail. You must buy the card from reputable brands like SanDisk, Samsung or Wolfbox . These brands have the highest number of positive reviews and also have warranties in case your card has issues with it.

You should also make sure that the size and the format of your card are compatible with your dash cams. Cards have different sizes like SDHC / SDXC and formats like FAT32 / exFAT. You should check your dash cam’s manual for verifying what size and format of the card your dash cam supports.

Resolution

If you want to record the videos in lower resolution like 720p or 1080p, you can select the card with smaller size like 32 GB or 64 GB. But if you want to use higher resolutions like 2.5K (1440p) or 4K, you should choose 128 GB or 256 GB.

Loop Recording

You should also keep in mind how much recording you want at any given time. Dash cams usually have a loop recording feature that will save the video in small time chunks (1, 3, 5 minutes) and when storage is full, it will overwrite the oldest part to make space for newer recording. So, you must know how much recording you want at any given time.

Frame Rate

If you want to get clearer videos with good details even if you are driving at high speed, you should use higher frame rate settings in your dash cams. But with a higher frame rate, you will also need a memory card (SD Card) with higher storage capacity. 60 FPS recording can take almost double the amount of space taken by 30 FPS recording.

Parking Mode

Some Dash cams also have parking mode which records the surroundings of your car even if it is turned off. These features can take up some additional space in your card as they are always running. You should choose a card with higher capacity for these modes.

Futureproofing

When you are buying a dash cam card, you should consider that you might need to upgrade later. You should choose a card that is able to record higher resolution videos in case you need it in future.

The recording time of your memory card depends on its size. It also depends on what resolution settings you are using.

Please note: These are approximate values and can vary depending on the specific brand, model and video bitrate settings of your dash cam.

• Longer Lifespan: Memory cards with higher endurance ratings can withstand repeated rewrite cycles. This will increase the lifespan of your SD card as compared to standard ones.

• Extreme Temperature Resistance: High endurance cards are built to work well in extreme temperatures (both hot and cold) which are common inside a parked car.

• Enhanced Reliability: These cards can handle continuous operation and reduce the risk of data corruption or card failure during recording.

Wolfbox has a range of reliable Micro SD cards that are designed specifically for dash cam use.

These cards are made to meet the demands of continuous recording and provide reliable performance in various conditions. You can buy them in addition to the dash cams from Wolfbox so you don’t have to worry about buying them separately.

You can find them here:

It is very important to format your dash cams after set periods of time. It will help them perform better and prevent the chances of any errors.

• In-Camera Formatting: Most dash cams have a built-in formatting option in their settings menu. This is the recommended method as it will also optimize the card for the specific dash cam.

• Using a Computer (Alternative): If you can’t find the formatting option on your dash cam, you can use a computer. For cards 32GB and smaller, format them as FAT32. If you have larger cards (64GB and above), format them as exFAT.

It's a good idea to format your dash cam's memory card every few weeks or months for their best performance.

Choosing the right Micro SD card is very important for the performance and reliability of your dash cam. You should consider factors like storage capacity, speed class, endurance rating and brand reputation to make sure your dash cam captures clear and reliable footage. You could also consider using a high-quality dash cam from a reputable brand like Wolfbox.