Sourcing Dashcams from China: Wholesale Guide

Dashcams have moved from a niche product to something a significant percentage of drivers want. Insurance companies in some markets now offer discounts for dashcam footage. Fleet operators require them. The category has real, repeat demand and solid margins for importers who understand the quality differences.

China makes essentially all the world’s dashcams. The key factories are concentrated in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and the Zhuhai area of Guangdong province.

Factory Tiers

Budget ($8–18 factory cost): 1080p front-only or basic 1080p+720p front+rear. Small display (2.4"–2.7"). Loop recording, G-sensor, basic parking mode. These are adequate for buyers who want documentation of accidents only. Not designed for night driving performance or advanced features. Common on Amazon at $20–35 retail.

Mid-range ($18–40 factory cost): 1440p (2K) or 1080p front with proper Sony sensor, 1080p rear. Better night vision through Starlight or Night Vision 2.0 sensor tech. GPS logging (records your route alongside video). Built-in WiFi for phone app download. These compete at $50–90 retail and represent the best value tier for most importers.

Premium ($40–100 factory cost): 4K front with Sony IMX 415 or Samsung ISOCELL sensors, ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System — lane departure, forward collision warning), 360° coverage using front + rear + internal IR cabin cameras, LTE/4G for cloud upload, built-in GPS with real-time tracking. Target the fleet management and insurance telematics markets at $120–250 retail.

The Specs That Actually Matter

Sensor model. This is the single biggest predictor of video quality, especially at night. Ask for the specific sensor chip.

Sony IMX 415, IMX 335, IMX 335, Starvis 2 sensors produce excellent low-light footage. OmniVision OV4689 is a strong performer. Unknown Chinese sensors are a gamble.

Budget cameras often claim “Sony sensor” without specifying the model. Press them for the exact part number. If they won’t tell you, the sensor is not Sony.

Bitrate. Higher bitrate = more detail captured per second = better quality footage. A 1080p camera shooting at 6Mbps will look worse than the same resolution at 20Mbps. Ask for the default and maximum recording bitrate. Compare to competitors at the same resolution.

Display quality. Most buyers want a display for reviewing footage. A 3.0" IPS screen is noticeably better than a 2.4" TFT. Some buyers prefer display-free cameras (cleaner windshield mount). Know your market.

GPS logging. GPS records speed, location, and route data alongside video. Critical for fleet use. Important for insurance claims. Check whether GPS is built-in or requires an external dongle — integrated is better.

Parking mode. Most mid-range and above dashcams offer some form of parking monitoring when the car is off. Three types: time-lapse (continuous low-framerate recording), motion detection (records when movement detected), impact detection (records when G-sensor triggered). Better implementations use buffered recording that captures 30 seconds before and after an event.

Storage compatibility. Some cheap dashcams only work with specific cards or max out at 32GB. The better ones support 256GB+ Class 10 or U3 microSD. Check the max supported card size and whether it supports high-endurance cards (required for continuous loop recording).

Heat resistance. Dashcams sit in a car windshield — one of the hottest environments any consumer electronics sees. Cheap devices shut down or fail in hot climates. Ask about the operating temperature range. Look for heat-resistant capacitor-based models if you’re selling to customers in hot climates (capacitors outperform batteries in high heat).

Certifications

FCC Part 15B: Required for US sales. Dashcams with WiFi need FCC Part 15 (including the wireless authorization). Verify any claimed FCC ID at fcc.report. Without FCC certification, CBP can seize the shipment.

CE + UKCA: Required for EU and UK sales respectively. Cameras with WiFi fall under the RED directive.

FCC Part 15 (GPS): If the camera has GPS reception, it’s generally still covered under basic Part 15B, but confirm with your factory.

No FDA or health considerations: Unlike wearables, dashcams don’t have special health claim risks.

Common Quality Failures

Overheating shutdown. Car interiors in summer can exceed 70°C. Cheap cameras shut down or corrupt files in high heat. Test by leaving the camera recording in direct sunlight in a hot car for 2 hours on a hot day.

File corruption on sudden power loss. Loop recording must handle sudden power interruptions (when the car turns off) without corrupting the most recent file. Cheap firmware handles this badly. Test by pulling power suddenly during recording 10 times and check file integrity.

WiFi app connectivity. Many cameras claim WiFi transfer to a phone app. In practice, cheap implementations require you to disconnect from your regular WiFi network, the connection drops constantly, and file transfer is slow. Test the actual app experience thoroughly.

Adhesive mount failure. In high heat, cheap adhesive mounts detach from the windshield. Source cameras that use quality 3M adhesive mounts or suction cups with reliable retention.

G-sensor sensitivity tuning. Poorly calibrated G-sensors either trigger constantly on bumpy roads (filling your storage with false alarms) or not at all when needed. Test G-sensor sensitivity on actual road driving.

MOQs and Sourcing Strategy

Standard models with your packaging: 200–500 units.

Custom firmware (your brand name in the UI, your app): 500–1,000 units. Requires the factory to compile a custom firmware build.

Custom hardware (different button placement, form factor): 2,000+ units with tooling.

For a first order, buy a proven model with FCC certification already in place, add your packaging, and test the market. The firmware branding can come on the second order.

Best Use Cases for Importers

Fleet management: This is the highest-value segment. Trucking companies, delivery fleets, and rideshare operators need reliable dashcams with GPS, cloud connectivity, and possibly driver behavior monitoring (acceleration, braking, cornering). Factories with 4G LTE models and proprietary fleet management platform access exist — ask about it explicitly.

Insurance telematics: Some insurance companies partner with dashcam suppliers to offer devices to policyholders. A serious but long-selling-cycle opportunity.

Consumer retail: The core market. Mid-range 1440p or 4K models at $60–90 retail with strong night vision is where demand is highest. Amazon is the primary channel.

Dash cam gifting/corporate: Standard models at $20–30 retail for corporate gifting, driver training kits, and promotional use.

Frequently Asked Questions

What resolution dashcam should I source? 1440p (2K) is the sweet spot for most consumer buyers in 2026. It’s a clear step up from 1080p in footage clarity and reads license plates better — the main use case. 4K is better still but requires more storage and has less value for buyers who don’t review footage on a large screen. Don’t source 1080p unless you’re targeting sub-$30 price points.

How important is the sensor brand on a dashcam? Very important, especially for night performance. Sony Starvis sensors are the reference standard. A 1440p Sony Starvis camera will produce dramatically better night footage than a 4K camera with a no-name sensor. Ask for the specific sensor part number. If the factory is vague, assume it’s not Sony.

What’s the difference between a parking mode dashcam and a regular one? Standard dashcams only record when the car is on. Parking mode cameras continue monitoring when the car is parked, using motion or impact triggers. They require either a hardwire kit (connected to the car’s battery) or a separate battery pack. This is a significant selling point and adds $10–20 to the factory cost for a good implementation.

Do I need a special type of SD card for dashcams? Yes. Standard consumer SD cards wear out quickly under the constant write cycles of loop recording. High-endurance cards (like Samsung Endurance series or Transcend High Endurance) are rated for much higher write cycles. Recommend or bundle these in your product listing. It reduces customer complaints about card corruption.

Can dashcams be sold on Amazon without any certifications? No. Amazon requires FCC documentation for any electronic device sold on their platform in the US. A dashcam without a valid FCC certificate will be removed from Amazon’s catalog. Verify the FCC ID is real at fcc.report before placing your first order.