Nextbase 622GW dash cam review | Way more than just a camera

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One Million. That’s roughly how many dash cams were purchased in 2021. While that may seem like a lot, it is a fraction of the nearly 8 million video doorbells that were purchased in 2020, even though both serve similar purposes. For years we’ve seen videos from dash cams all over the internet, and in the past year their popularity in the U.S. has finally begun to increase. There are 142 million homes in the U.S., compared to nearly 290 million registered cars, so why has it taken so long for dash cams to become more popular? The truth is, up until recently the market has been an immature category with lackluster products filling pages of Amazon. That’s where Nextbase comes in.

For the purpose of this article we tested out a handful of Nextbase dash cams and modules, the feature-full 622GW, as well as the Rear Window Cam, the Rear View camera and the Cabin camera modules. Depending on your needs you can choose from six different models from Nextbase, ranging from $50.99 to $499.99. 

622GW Dash Cam - $449.98 (10% off)

The 622GW is the Nextbase do-it-all dash cam. In fact, calling it just a dash cam is like calling an iPhone just a phone. Here’s a quick breakdown of the specs:

• Resolution: 4K @ 30fps, 1440 @ 60fps, 1080p HD @ 120fps

• Screen: 3” HD IPS Touch screen

• Image Stabilization: Yes

• WiFi: QuickLink Wi-Fi

• Night vision: Yes, Enhanced Night Mode

• What3Words: Yes

• GPS: 10Hz

• Intelligent Parking Mode: Intelligent

• Emergency Response: Yes

• Alexa: Built-in

• Polarizing Filter: Built-in

• Viewing Angle: 140°

• Lens: 6 layer f1.3

• Module Compatibility: Rear Window Cam, Car Rear View Camera, Cabin View Cam

Resolution

For a long time, resolution was king, and maybe it still is, though it seems that the camera industry has (for now) settled on 4K as the standard for optimum quality, and that’s what the 622GW has, depending on how you use it. If you’re recording at 4k, that also means you’re recording at 30 fps, nothing faster. Bump it up to 60 fps and you’re looking at 1440p, and at 120 fps super slow motion, you’re down to Full HD. This isn’t surprising at all; it’s how almost every camera out there works: the faster the frame rate, the more processing, the lower the resolution. 

More resolution generally means better picture quality, which is especially important when trying to make out the license plate of a car that hits you.

Screen

The screen on the 622GW is crisp and clear, though most of the time I ended up using the app and not the screen itself. While it is responsive, it isn’t as smooth as a smartphone when it comes to the touchscreen capabilities. That being said, it is easy to navigate through each of the menus while stopped. It is not recommended to use it while driving.

Image Stabilization

When GoPro first introduced image stabilization into their cameras, it was a complete game-changer. No longer was I dealing with the jello effect that could come with mounting my action cam on my mountain bike, car or drone. The same reason I loved image stabilization on my GoPro is why I love it on this dash cam. Clearer footage. Yes, clearer footage looks better when you share it with your friends, but it also can be the factor in figuring out what exactly happened in an accident.

QuickLink Wi-Fi

For years I’ve dealt with wi-fi connections between my phone and various cameras that leave something to be desired, whether that is spotty service or dropping clips as I transfer them from the camera to my phone. I’m happy to report that in the month-plus of testing, I only had the connection fail once on me, and it was able to connect again a few seconds later. 

Enhanced Night Mode

I’ve been hit while driving two times in my life. Once, while stopped in the left lane of traffic on the expressway during rush hour, and another while waiting in the left turn lane during rush hour. Neither of these times were while the sun was up. In fact, even though night time driving only accounts for 25% of the time we’re on the road, according to the NHTSA, it is responsible for nearly 50% of all accidents, so your dash cam should be able to perform then too. The Enhanced Night Mode makes it easier to read details when driving at night and it works as advertised, thanks to the new, larger sensor in the 622GW.

What3Words and GPS

The 622GW includes two ways for emergency services to find you, GPS and What3Words. If you’re not familiar with the latter, according to their website “what3words is a global addressing solution where every 3m x 3m square in the world has been assigned an address made of 3 words from the dictionary. This is unique in the world and basically means people can find you much more easily and it's a human-friendly way to communicate location.” 

While I thankfully never had to use the function in an emergency situation, on a 600-mile road trip through some more rural parts of Colorado, the GPS was spot on, even in some of the steeper valleys, and the addition of the What3Words functionality is a redundancy that puts my mind at ease.