5 Best Ways to Protect Your Dashcam from Heat or Cold

Summer is here and we all know how hot our cars get in the summer. In fact, here in Florida, the average cabin temperature for a car is 116 degrees! Yikes! Now we ALL know how we feel when stepping inside a 116-degree car. Blah!

How do you think your sensitive piece of electronic equipment feels sitting inside that car all day? So now that you have invested some money in a nice dashcam, how do you protect your dashcam from such extreme temperatures?

In this dashcam guide, we’ll cover:

5 Ways To Protect Your Dashcam From Heat

There are five main ways to help with this issue:

Keeping it out of direct sunlight – You should also choose an area on your dashboard where there is airflow around or under your camera so that it doesn’t get too warm sitting right next to other objects like heated seats or steering wheel.
Using a reflective cover – A clip-on or magnetic style mount for your dashcam means that you can place it in an area where it still has access to sunlight. This ensures your recordings are not interrupted, and also keeps the camera from getting too warm all day long while sitting in direct sun.
Take it down – Simply remove the dashcam from the window. If you are going to be out of the car for an extended period of time…say at work. Take the dashcam down. You most likely will not be needing it while your working. It will still be hot in the car but at least it will be out of the direct sunlight.
Another alternative is to mount a small fan to the dashcam. This will take some ingenuity on your part, as you will need to supply power to the fan. And if your car reaches temperatures in excess of 120 degrees, you would just be blowing hot air around.
Get a dashcam that uses a capacitor rather than a battery. A lithium-ion battery is great for moderate climates. However, if you live in an area where you know it’s going to be hot a capacitor-powered dashcam will be a better alternative for you.

Best Heat Resistant Dashcams

All of the REXING dashcams have an incredible temperature range of -20 (F) to 176 (F).

Image	Title	Temperature Range	Other Features	Price
Top	REXING V5 Dash Cam 4K Modular Capabilities 3840x2160@30fps UHD WiFi GPS Car Camera Recorder Night Vision,Loop Recording,Parking Monitor,Supercapacitor,Support 256GB Max,Voice Control (2021) (Dash Cam)	-20(F) THROUGH 176(F)	Powered by Supercapacitor 24 Hour Parking Monitor Built-in GPS & Wifi	Check Price
	REXING V1 MAX 4K Solo Dash Cam 3840X2160@30fps UHD WiFi GPS Car Dash Camera w/ Night Vision, Supercapacitor,170° Wide Angle, Mobile App, Loop Recording, G-Sensor, Parking Monitor, Support up to 256GB	-20(F) THROUGH 176(F)	Powered by Supercapacitor Solo Camera Built-in GPS	Check Price
	Rexing V1P 4K Dual Channel Dash Cam 4K+1080p with Wi-Fi 2.4” LCD \| 170 ° Wide Angle \| Dashboard Camera Recorder with Rear Camera \| Supercapacitor \| G-Sensor \| WDR \| Loop Recording \| Mobile App	-20(F) THROUGH 176(F)	Powered by Supercapacitor Discreet Design WiFi Connect for easy data transfer	Check Price

When exposed to sunlight, dashcams can experience heat buildup, which causes the camera’s fan to run continuously. Leaving it plugged in will also cause this problem due to continued power output.

While dash cams are built to withstand high temperatures safely, they occasionally overheat if left on constantly or used extensively in a hot environment. Prevent this by switching off your camera when you park and ensuring power-on fans face away from direct sunlight.

Some dash cams are more sensitive to heat than others and can increase their internal temperature too rapidly on hot days unless they’re cooled with a fan or air conditioning while parked in direct sunlight. If this happens, try parking your car in the shade if you can find one, turn off the power-on fan if it has one, or keep the car’s air conditioning on.

Can a Dashcam Catch Fire?

Most dash cams are built with a metal housing that dissipates heat from the camera lens to prevent overheating. This is not only important for your safety but also prevents damage to the electrical components and circuitry of the dashcam.

No one can say for an absolute certainty that a dashcam will not catch fire. However, the likelihood of that happening is extremely rare. I have scoured the internet looking for instances where a dashcam caught on fire and found none.

That being said, if you attempt to hardwire the dashcam to your car and you don’t know what you are doing. There is a possibility of fire, albeit a small one, from improperly connecting the dashcam to the car.

So if this is the route you are going to take, either

1) make sure you take your time and use the proper equipment to hardwire the dashcam, or

2) have the dashcam installed by a professional.

Important Features in A Heat Resistant Dashcam

The best way to protect your dashcam from heat is to buy a heat-resistant dashcam. So what are some features to look for in a heat-resistant dashcam?

Dashcams can be damaged by high temperatures because they are designed to operate in a certain environment. There is no dashcam on the market that’s resistant to all extreme temperatures but there are some things you can do to help protect your camera.

Overall temperature range of the dashcam

Using a capacitor rather than a battery

The position of the dashcam

Making sure the dashcam is properly vented

The type of mounting you use

My recommendation for a dashcam that offers versatility in positioning, a huge temperature range, and uses a capacitor is the REXING V5. In addition to this, it offers very generous support for external memory storage.

Overall Temperature Range

The first place to look is at the overall temperature range of the dashcam you are interested in buying. Where do you live?

If you live in the south (of the United States, anyway), your summers are verrrry hot. You will want to ensure that the dashcam you are looking at can withstand that extreme heat.

Conversely, if you live in the North, you will want to ensure that your dashcam can handle the extreme cold of winter.

Using a Capacitor Powered Dashcam rather than a Battery

Choose a camera that uses a capacitor rather than a battery. A lithium-ion battery is great for moderate climates. However, if you live in an area where you know it will be hot, a capacitor-powered dashcam will be better for you because the capacitor will not get as hot as a battery on those days.

Position of Dashcam

Mount it low. Mounting the camera at a lower point will allow air to flow around it better. This means the heat generated from direct sunlight won’t hit the lens directly and could prevent the camera from overheating. If you need to mount it higher, then try using some duct tape or insulation material to protect the lens.

Proper Venting

Proper venting is essential to your dash cam’s longevity. The cooler the air that flows over the internal components, the longer they’ll last. Ideally, you want to mount your dashcam so it can be in close proximity to your car’s air conditioning system or in a location that is constantly receiving cool air.

Mounting Type

Dashcams can be mounted in several different ways. You should decide how you want to mount your dashcam before purchasing it. Some people prefer the dashboard type of mounting while others go with a suction cup-type mounting that attaches the dashcam to any window surface from its underside on the outside of the vehicle or a magnetic mounting.

A dashboard mount is an ideal option for people who don’t like the look of their dashcam mounted on top of their windshield. Dashboard mounts attach to your car’s vents and work by drawing cool air in from them, which leads to a cooler camera surface that preserves battery life over time because it operates at lower temperatures.

On the other hand, a suction cup can allow you to mount your dash cam on any window surface from its underside outside of the vehicle. The downside to this type of mounting is that it doesn’t provide as much protection for your camera because there’s no insulation around it like with an internal dashboard mount.

Magnetic mounts are similar in concept and design, but they work by attaching one magnet side onto the glass while another attaches directly to your dashcam’s body so that when you move them apart, air flows freely through their space, creating even less heat buildup over time than with a standard dashboard mount.

If you’re not sure which mounting option would be best for your needs or what kind of car vents will work well with certain types of mounts, check the dashcam manufacturer’s website for more information.