Garmin's fully connected dash cam keeps things simple but hits your wallet each month

Garmin Dash Cam Live review in a sentence: A super handy always-connected LTE dash cam that functions best if Garmin’s optional Vault cloud subscription is added to the cost.

Everyone knows the Garmin brand, they’ve been around forever and have produced some of the best dash cam models over the years. But, they’re a company with lots of competition to deal with, not least of which is to be found in the dash cam sector.

While the Garmin name is one to stick with if you prefer that over a generic unknown brand, the Garmin Dash Cam Live model might not be the first choice if price is the main consideration. It currently costs $399.99 / £349.99, and that’s without a cloud subscription plan.

On the upside, the Garmin Dash Cam Live is a super handy little bundle that arrives with everything needed to get set up and running. This is a no-frills camera package, with plug-and-play simplicity at its core. The design and build is solid and very conventional. If you’re impressed by some of the wilder dash cam models out there right now, the Garmin Dash Cam Live will seem quite old school by comparison.

However, it offers always-on connectivity that will appeal to anyone who requires constant surveillance, as well as parking monitoring. The added backup of LTE connectivity and cloud storage will certainly work well for some users, just as long as the optional Vault subscription plans are acceptable. These add cost to an already expensive package. So, the question is – does the Garmin Dash Cam Live make sense in a packed dash cam marketplace?

One other thing to note is that this is a front-facing only model, so if you're after a front and rear view bundle, try our best dual camera dash camera bundle, the 70mai A800S.

(First reviewed May 2025)

How much is the Garmin Dash Cam Live?

The Garmin Dash Cam Live has been around for a while now, so there’s every reason to expect to find it discounted. As it stands, the full price tag is $399.99 in the US and £349.99 in the UK. The package does come with everything for plug-and-play convenience, although a hard-wire kit will be required if you don’t want to use the 12v power socket option, for an additional cost.

Garmin also offers an LTE Vault subscription should you wish to make use of cloud storage and remote viewing features of this model. This costs $9.99 / £9.99 per month for 7-day storage, while the Advanced option costs $19.99 / £19.99 for 30-day storage and both can be selected via the Garmin Drive app.

Design and build

To be fair to Garmin, the Dash Cam Live does feel like a quality bit of kit. While the design is blocky and looks like something that might have been produced a few years ago, especially when compared to some rivals, it feels very solid. The nicely made buttons and bits that make up the package are similarly robust, especially the magnetic attachment bracket part of the bundle.

The magnet itself is super strong, so should ensure it never separates the camera from the mounting bracket when in transit. There are four function buttons down one side of the unit, with a USB power port at the other end. Underneath, there’s a slot for the supplied 16GB microSD card, although this can be expanded up to 512GB if need be.

Around the back is the 2.95-inch rear screen, which almost runs from edge to edge of the case. Down the right-hand side is a power up/power off icon and scrolling arrows for picking through menu options using the side buttons. Once powered up, the screen offers a very good quality landscape view of the road ahead, with various icons indicating the functionality being used along with the quality of the LTE/cellular connectivity signal. It’s all very good to look at.

Out front, the circular camera lens protrudes from the boxy body but is somewhat protected by a chunky surround, although it’s still easy to place a fingertip on it during installation. This offers 1440p, 30 frames per second capture using a f/1.6 clarity HDR lens configuration. The view of the road, meanwhile, can be adjusted even in situ thanks to the swivel balljoint mount that attaches the camera to the magnetic/adhesive screen fitting.

Features and functions

What I really like about the Garmin Dash Cam Live is its overall simplicity, but that’s not to say it’s light on features and functions. Central to the appeal is the 1440p camera, but the ability to enjoy live monitoring using Garmin’s LTE Vault subscription plan is likely going to be most appealing for anyone needed always-on monitoring. The core physical feature set is led by the crisp and clear rear screen, that delivers an excellent view of the road ahead. The option to boost internal microSD storage from the supplied 16GB card right up to 512GB is handy too.

Interestingly, on the power feature front, there’s no 12V socket plug, so you’ll need a full-power USB port to accommodate the 13-foot-long, USB-A to microUSB cable (a five-foot variant is also in the box) or buy an ODBII connector from Garmin as an additional extra. Crucial to this is the way that some features including the Remote Live View and Parking Guard features need an ‘always on’ supply to maintain their functionality. However, as you’d expect from Garmin, there is also GPS, a G-sensor for detecting any potential incidents worthy of recording and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi functionality present.

Joining up all the dots between the features and functionality is the Garmin Drive app. This delivers all of the everyday usage tools needed to get the job done. It looks good and makes data handling a breeze, even if the Garmin Dash Cam Live is only being used in its most basic guise without the benefit of any of the Vault subscription packages. It’s available for both Apple iOS and Android devices.

How does the Garmin Dash Cam Live perform?

I found using the Garmin Dash Cam Live to be as straightforward as I’d hoped. The installation and setup process, in particular, was seamless There’s very little to do in terms of configuration on the unit itself, save for selecting a country of use, which adapts the device to that region. The card was pre-installed and just needed formatting, so the Garmin Dash Cam Live was good to go from the off. Power in my instance came via a USB port in the dashboard.

There are a few shooting options, with up to 1440p HDR video generally on tap. This can also be reconfigured to shoot 1080p at 60fps, 1080p at 30fps right down to 720p HDR at 30fps. I quite like the way the ‘Select’ button on the unit can be pressed to capture stills at 720p. Any tweaking could be done easily via the Settings menu, where it was also possible to fine-tune additional features, including voice control. Garmin has done a great job with making the experience as simple as possible and that’s a big part of the appeal with this dash cam.

I’ve been very impressed with the resulting footage shot by the Garmin Dash Cam Live too. It's all as good as anything else I’d find in this sort of price bracket. However, there are certainly rival products with a lower price tag that can also match it for quality. There are some of the usual scenarios where the lens struggled a bit, such as where contrast changed drastically in a short space of time. This isn’t a deal breaking scenario though and the Garmin Dash Cam Live is certainly more than capable when it comes to capturing all-important details including license plates and road signs.

Should I buy the Garmin Dash Cam Live?

I’d say the Garmin Dash Cam Live model is a good bet for anyone who wants an ‘always on’ option. This might be unnecessary for some folks though and there are the constant power implications of using a camera setup like this. However, Garmin has done a very good job building in lots of features and functionality, even though the design of this model looks a little bit old school compared to some newer models on the market.

The obvious benefit is the LTE cellular functionality of this model, even though it’ll need to have one of the Vault subscription packages to unlock its true potential. The Garmin Dash Cam Live is a very decent product, and the app is solid too, but it’s vital to look at other products in this arena because, personally, I think some do more for less.

Also consider

If you're looking to save a little money then you can check out our best cheap dash cam deals page, or see all of our top pics in our Best Dash Cam guide.