KDLINKS R100 Review - Is it actually an Ultra HD Dash Cam System?
July 30, 2023 by Amy Mitchell
The KDLINKS R100 is a rear-view mirror style dash cam that KDLINKS claims is full HD 1080p HD. With that being said, the video quality is far from what I would expect from a camera of this caliber.
KDLINKS R100 Ultra HD has two lenses, one for capturing rear-facing footage and a separate secondary lens for forward-facing video. At night time though, the video footage is grainy and lacks clarity, making it difficult to make out details in the footage.
There were only a couple redeemable qualities I found while using this dash cam. The KDLINKS R100 automatically captures video and audio as soon as the ignition is turned on. I used the KDLINKS R100 everyday for 1 month, and this is my honest review of the dash cam.
At A Glance
Pros
- Wide Angle Rear Camera
- 1296p Front 1080p Rear Camera
- HD Video Proof viewable on high quality IPS Screen
- Dashcam Starts Recording Immediately
Cons
- Inconsistent Loop Recording
- Strange Wide Angle Rear Camera
- Normal VGA Low Resolution
- 'Advanced Parking Mode' isn't advanced
- No Dash Cam Mount included
- Rear view mirror camera is low quality
- Brags about 'Superior Night Mode' - Superior To What?
- Poor Accident Auto Detection Feature
Product Highlights
Product
Features
* Claims to have Ultra HD 1296p Front 1080p Rear Resolution
* Car Accident Auto Detection Feature
* Wide Angle Rearview Mirror Camera
* Claims to have ‘Superior Night Mode’ (FALSE)
* High Definition Video Recording
Price
My Experience with the KDLinks R100 Ultra HD 1296p
On their website and Amazon listing for the R100, KDLINKS makes a ton of claims that I didn’t experience myself.
To begin, let’s look at the name of the product listing: KDLINKS R100 Ultra HD 1296p Front 1080p Rear. Now, I’m not a salesman but if you’re going to make claims like this you need to be able to back those claims up.
My experience was far from Ultra HD 1296p Front 1080p Rear camera video quality. In fact, I didn’t get full HD videos at all but instead just Normal VGA low resolution footage. Additionally, the audio quality is very bad and is accompanied by a lot of background noise.
I live in Texas and there were a few times I got in my car and the dash cam wouldn’t even turn on.
Takeaway: The camera also has a tendency to overheat, making it difficult to use for extended periods of time.
The KDLINKS R100 has a ton of issues that are inconsistent with the advertising. For this reason, I’m very hesitant to recommend it to friends and family. The camera is difficult to mount, and the user interface is unintuitive and clunky. It also has a slow response time, making it difficult to capture important moments.
Comparison to Other Dash Cams
Cobra SC 400D Dash Cam
Our team recently did a complete review of the Cobra SC 400D, check it out to see how it compared to the R100. Features:
- Legit Ultra HD
- 4K Smart Dash Cam
- Rear-View Camera Accessory Available
Nextbase 622GW
The Nextbase 622GW dash cam has been recently tested and rated by the Dash Cam Discount team. It has features like:
- Ultra High-Definition
- Rear Dash Cam Provided with Front
- Automatic Power Backup
- GPS Tracking
- Advanced Parking Mode with Motion Detection
Redtiger F7N Dash Cam
From my perspective, the F7N the qualities the KDLINKS R100 marketed on their sales page without actually having them. Features of the F7N include:
- Wide Angle Rearview Mirror Camera
- Quick Response Support Team
- Advanced Parking Mode
- Automatic Recording
- Superior Night Mode
Nextbase 222x Dash Cam
In comparison to the R100, the Nextbase 222 and 222x dash cam is better for less money! Read our full review if the below features are of your interest:
- Rearview Mirror Cam Bundled with Front
- Actually Ultra HD
- Starts Automatically
Features
Video Quality
The KDLINKS R100 Ultra HD 1296p dashcam claims to have a wide dynamic range (WDR) feature. The videos produced by this dashcam are far from full HD, and even at its best, the recordings are of low quality. Furthermore, the dashcam does not start recording immediately as claimed, and the support team is not as quick to respond as they advertise.
I was disappointed with the KDLINKS R100 dashcam’s wide dynamic range feature. Despite the product’s claims, the recordings were far from full HD and the quality was not as high as I had hoped.
Rear Camera
I was disappointed to find the wide angle rearview mirror feature produced far from full-HD videos. The camera requires constant power supplied, which means that all owners need to hardwire it, which is a very technical task. Even with the constant power input, the recordings were not of high quality.
With all that being said, the screen on the dash cam is a high quality IPS screen which is one of the only things I found KDLINKS to be honest about in their marketing. I was expecting a much better experience with the KDLINKS R100.
The constant power requirement is a major issue, as it’s a difficult task for the average consumer to hardwire it. It was hard for even me to do, and I work with dash cams on a regular basis. The rear camera definitely didn’t produce high quality recordings.
Clunky G-Sensor
The KDLINKS R100’s low quality G-Sensor was a major letdown. Despite the company boasting it’s “extremely sensitive sensor”, it didn’t even save the current video file when I got in a fender bender. At best, I would say the G-Sensor is barely functioning… and definitely not an extremely sensitive sensor as claimed.
I had read reviews from other customers who had experienced similar G-Sensor issues, so I was prepared for the worst while hoping for the best. Unfortunately, the product didn’t live up to its claims and I’m left with a dash cam that doesn’t do what it claims.
Night Mode
The manufacturer’s brags about its superior night mode but based on my experience, the KDLINKS R100 doesn’t have superior night mode. I’ve used other dash cams that have had incredible night mode features, and I expected the KDLINKS R100 to perform similarly.
However, I found that the nighttime and low-light footage is grainy and blurry, and the KDLINKS R100 struggles to capture any detail in any lighting situation. The night mode feature is certainly not superior. The footage lacked detail, and I’m disappointed with the overall quality of the footage.
I’m not impressed with the KDLINKS R100’s night mode feature since I was expecting a superior night mode. The KDLINKS R100 failed to deliver in this aspect.
What We Look For in Dashcams
The Dash Cam Discount team rates all dash camera products by the following features:
Value For Money – 0 to 5 stars
Are you getting you money’s worth?
Is the product priced comparably to competitors?
Ease of Use – 0 to 5 stars
How difficult is the dash cam to install?
Is it easy to playback the video recording?
Camera Resolution & Lens Quality – 0 to 5 stars
Do the manufacturers use high quality parts? (Dynamic Range Lens, SD card, G Sensor, etc.)
Is it possible to read license plates and street signs from the video recording?
Additional Features – 0 to 5 stars
Does the dash cam have parking mode?
Is there a built-in GPS?
Can the dashcam use radar detection to inform you on your driving speed?
Find out how we rate all of the dashboard camera products we review on our product criteria page.
KDLINKS R100 Ultra HD Final Rating
1.5 out of 5
1.5/5
In conclusion, I am totally unsatisfied with the KDLINKS R100 Ultra HD 1296p front 1080p rear and I wouldn’t recommend it. This dash cam gets a 1.5 out of 5 stars in my book, and even that’s a generous rating.
The G-Sensor failed to lock current video file after my car accident, and the parking mode didn’t have advanced features. The product require constant power supplied, and the high definition recording clarity barely worked in poor lighting conditions.
Features such as the automatic motion detection and superior night vision seem like complete lies in retrospect. The parking mode didn’t have the advanced features claimed. Similar to our review of the KDlinks X1, this product also failed to deliver on its promises, and its features weren’t as advanced as advertised.
I had to follow the easy steps when my SD card wasn’t recognized in the dash cam but I shouldn’t have to do that with a brand new dash cam. Be sure to read some of our other dash cam reviews to get a full understanding of what a high quality dash cam should include!
About Post Author
Amy Mitchell
The newest addition to the Dash Cam Discount team is Amy. With her degree in writing & her passion for technology, Amy has a talent for breaking down complex topics into easy-to-understand articles.
When she's not working she loves spends quality time with her adorable puppy and writing for her own wordpress blog, "Amy Does Tech". Reach her there, or though email at amy@dashcamdiscount.com.
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