SD Card Dash Cams: Choosing the Right Memory Card

Use the exact type, speed class and capacity range specified by the dash-cam manufacturer. Within those limits, an endurance-rated microSD card is a sensible fit for continuous overwriting.

Retention time depends on resolution, bitrate, channel count and the camera's file settings. A front-and-rear model generally consumes storage faster than a single-channel camera at comparable settings.

Loop recording should overwrite unlocked old clips, but protected files, an incompatible format or card corruption can prevent it. Save any needed footage, then follow the manual's formatting steps.

Follow the interval in the camera manual or its on-screen reminder. Formatting erases files, so export incident footage first.

Only if it meets the camera maker's requirements. Cards built for continuous video are generally better suited to repeated write cycles than general-purpose cards.