AutoVehicle TechGarmin Dash Cam 57 reviewThe 57 is the latest mid-range dash cam from Garmin, with 1440p video, GPS and new automatic cloud upload systemWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Garmin)T3 VerdictThe Garmin 57 is an excellent dash cam with all of the features most drivers could ever need. From GPS and parking mode, to 1440p resolution with HDR, and a simple, compact windscreen mounting system, there’s a lot to like here. There’s also the new Vault function for automatically uploading incident footage to Garmin’s free cloud storage, and a range of driver assistance features too.Reasons to buy+Compact design+1440p video with HDR+Automatic uploads and free cloud storageReasons to avoid-140-degree lens could be wider-Battery only 30 minutes-Cloud storage free for just 24 hoursWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
AutoVehicle TechGarmin Dash Cam 57 reviewThe 57 is the latest mid-range dash cam from Garmin, with 1440p video, GPS and new automatic cloud upload systemWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Garmin)T3 VerdictThe Garmin 57 is an excellent dash cam with all of the features most drivers could ever need. From GPS and parking mode, to 1440p resolution with HDR, and a simple, compact windscreen mounting system, there’s a lot to like here. There’s also the new Vault function for automatically uploading incident footage to Garmin’s free cloud storage, and a range of driver assistance features too.Reasons to buy+Compact design+1440p video with HDR+Automatic uploads and free cloud storageReasons to avoid-140-degree lens could be wider-Battery only 30 minutes-Cloud storage free for just 24 hoursWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
The 57 is the latest mid-range dash cam from Garmin, with 1440p video, GPS and new automatic cloud upload system
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Garmin)T3 VerdictThe Garmin 57 is an excellent dash cam with all of the features most drivers could ever need. From GPS and parking mode, to 1440p resolution with HDR, and a simple, compact windscreen mounting system, there’s a lot to like here. There’s also the new Vault function for automatically uploading incident footage to Garmin’s free cloud storage, and a range of driver assistance features too.Reasons to buy+Compact design+1440p video with HDR+Automatic uploads and free cloud storageReasons to avoid-140-degree lens could be wider-Battery only 30 minutes-Cloud storage free for just 24 hours
(Image credit: Garmin)
(Image credit: Garmin)
T3 VerdictThe Garmin 57 is an excellent dash cam with all of the features most drivers could ever need. From GPS and parking mode, to 1440p resolution with HDR, and a simple, compact windscreen mounting system, there’s a lot to like here. There’s also the new Vault function for automatically uploading incident footage to Garmin’s free cloud storage, and a range of driver assistance features too.Reasons to buy+Compact design+1440p video with HDR+Automatic uploads and free cloud storageReasons to avoid-140-degree lens could be wider-Battery only 30 minutes-Cloud storage free for just 24 hours
T3 VerdictThe Garmin 57 is an excellent dash cam with all of the features most drivers could ever need. From GPS and parking mode, to 1440p resolution with HDR, and a simple, compact windscreen mounting system, there’s a lot to like here. There’s also the new Vault function for automatically uploading incident footage to Garmin’s free cloud storage, and a range of driver assistance features too.
T3 Verdict
The Garmin 57 is an excellent dash cam with all of the features most drivers could ever need. From GPS and parking mode, to 1440p resolution with HDR, and a simple, compact windscreen mounting system, there’s a lot to like here. There’s also the new Vault function for automatically uploading incident footage to Garmin’s free cloud storage, and a range of driver assistance features too.
Reasons to buy+Compact design+1440p video with HDR+Automatic uploads and free cloud storageReasons to avoid-140-degree lens could be wider-Battery only 30 minutes-Cloud storage free for just 24 hours
Reasons to buy+Compact design+1440p video with HDR+Automatic uploads and free cloud storage
Compact design
1440p video with HDR
Automatic uploads and free cloud storage
Reasons to avoid-140-degree lens could be wider-Battery only 30 minutes-Cloud storage free for just 24 hours
140-degree lens could be wider
Battery only 30 minutes
Cloud storage free for just 24 hours
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Garmin Dash Cam 57 deals
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Garminhas one of the most comprehensive dash cam ranges on the market. From the Dash Cam Mini 2 all the way up to the Dash Cam 67W, there’s something for everyone, and every budget too.
Trouble is, apart from the Mini 2, the rest of the range all look remarkably similar. So while you may think you’ve read this review before, you haven’t – that might have been the Dash Cam 47, or perhaps a slightly older member of the Dash Cam range, as the basic design hasn’t changed for a few years now and they’ve all been featured in ourbest dash camguide as well as ourbest front and rear dash camguide.
(Image credit: Garmin)
(Image credit: Garmin)
Garmin Dash Cam 57 review: Design
The 57 has the same matchbox-style design as other members of the Garmin Dash Cam family. Like those, it is compact, smart-looking, with a protruding lens on the front, a display and buttons on the back, and a windscreen mount attached with a ball-and-socket joint on the top.
We love this windscreen mount. While some dash cam companies produce needlessly large mounts, Garmin has deployed a masterclass in simplicity. It’s a small mount, but allows for a lot of adjustability, a secure grip on the dash cam itself, and a coin-sized magnet that sticks to the screen with adhesive, then to the mount with magnets. This makes installing the dash cam, and swapping it between cars if you so wish, the work of a moment.
The adjustability of the mount means the camera can be fitted to any windscreen, even if it is completely vertical, or very steeply raked. From Land Rover to Lamborghini, it’ll work just fine.
On the other side, there’s a microUSB port for power. The Dash Cam 57 has a battery but that’s only good for about 30 minutes of use, so realistically you’ll need to plug in for every journey. A long USB cable and a 12V adapter to plug into your car’s lighter socket are included. Garmin sells an additional cable to give a constant power feed while parked, ensuring the camera wakes up and starts recording the moment an incident is detected while the vehicle is switched off.
Lastly, the bottom of the dash cam is home to a slot for a microSD card (not included). The camera supports cards up to 512GB in size, and Class 10 cards or faster.
(Image credit: Garmin)
(Image credit: Garmin)
Garmin Dash Cam 57 review: Features
First and foremost, this is a dash cam that uses a camera and a g-sensor to sense collisions and automatically save footage recorded before and after the event. As mentioned earlier, there’s also a button to manually save a portion of video, which can be useful if an incident happens ahead, but doesn’t directly involve your vehicle. Audio can also be recorded, but we tend to leave this switched off in the interests of passenger privacy.
This camera also features integrated GPS, so accurate location and speed data can be added to your videos, providing you with extra evidence should you ever need to prove your innocence after a road incident.
(Image credit: Garmin)
(Image credit: Garmin)
Garmin Dash Cam 57 review: Video quality
The resolution of the Garmin 57 is 1440p, which is a little beyond 1080p Full HD. This is good news, as these days we consider 1080p to be the lowest acceptable resolution for a decent dash cam. Those extra pixels make for a slightly sharper and more detailed picture – useful when you want things like vehicle registration plates and road signs to be clearly legible in your recordings.
There’s also HDR (high dynamic range) which helps to boost shadows and lower highlights to make sure detail is still visible in the lighter and darker portions of footage. This is particularly useful on a bright, sunny day, when details can otherwise be lost.
The camera records through a 140-degree lens. This is around the minimum of what we deem acceptable for a dash cam, with wider being better. However, lenses that are too wide can cause footage to become distorted, and that’s not a problem here.
Nighttime footage is also sharp and clear, with the camera automatically cranking up the exposure when darkness falls (or you dive into a tunnel or dimly-lit car park during the day).
(Image credit: Garmin)
(Image credit: Garmin)
Garmin Dash Cam 57 review: Software
The camera can be used entirely on its own, but it’s useful to also set up the Garmin Drive smartphone app, which is free foriOSandAndroid. This shows a live feed of the camera to make positioning it easier, and it’s where you’ll find the new Vault feature.
The Garmin Drive app can also be used to synchronise up to four Garmin dash cams, with their footage recorded in sync. This can be useful for drivers of large vehicles like trucks or motorhomes, who want a camera facing in every direction – and it makes it easy to install a rear-facing camera without running a cable to the front camera.
Garmin Dash Cam 57 review: Verdict
As with the rest of the Garmin Dash Cam family, it is hard to say anything bad about the 57. It is very similar to the 47, apart from its higher 1440p resolution, and falls short of the 67W flagship owing to that model having a wider, 180-degree lens
Integrated GPS is a nice bonus, and we’ve always been fans of Garmin’s wonderfully simple (and compact) windscreen mounting system. The new Vault system is nice to have, but we suspect the majority of owners will instead transfer footage via the app or from the microSD card in the usual way. As such, if you have a previous-generation Garmin Dash Cam there is probably no need to upgrade to this one.
But if you are new to the dash cam market, or own one that’s a few years old and lacks features like 1440p recording and GPS, then this could be just what you’re looking for.
Garmin Dash Cam 57: Price Comparison
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