What SD Card Should Nextbase Dash Cams Use?

Choosing the right SD card for your Nextbase dash cam is super important due to its unique requirements. For optimal performance & to prevent potential damage, Nextbase recommends using their own branded SD card.

Some buyers might ignore this warning and be fine, while others learn the hard way. This article aims to give a clear answer for what the optimal SD card is for a Nextbase dash cam, and explain why they designed their own.

SD Card Requirements

The continuous recording and overwriting of data in a Nextbase dash cam writes data extremely fast so it requires a high-endurance SD card. Most manufactures SD cards might work perfectly with a mobile phone or computer, but don’t fulfill these unique requirements due to technological differences. That’s why we can’t recommend you use your phone as a dash cam, especially when driving long distances.

Over time, a lower capability card can experience freezing & frame skipping, eventually leading to a corrupted SD card. For these reasons, Nextbase recommends using a dash cam compatible U3 SD card, specifically designed for dash camera or CCTV usage.

Related Post: How Long Do SD Cards Last?

U3 rated SD cards have a minimum write speed of 30MB/s, significantly faster than the U1 SD cards, which write at a slower pace of 10MB/s. This fast write speed is crucial as a dash cam primarily writes data to the SD card when recording.

Size & Recording Time

Nextbase SD cards are available in various storage capacities – 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB. For example, the 32GB U3 microSD Card can record approximately 4 hours of HD footage before the dash cam overwrites the oldest recordings.

This becomes 2 hours if you are using a Rear Camera Module. The 128GB U3 microSD Card, the largest you can use, can record 16 hours of HD footage or 8 hours if using a Rear Camera Module.

Why Use Nextbase Branded SD Cards?

Regular SD cards, like ones used with phones, might not work well with dash cams due to their different technological requirements. For example, while the average SD card focuses more on read speed, the Nextbase 222x dash cam prioritizes write speed, since dash cams continuously write data while recording.

Nextbase developed its own branded SD cards after years of testing, trialing, and optimizing their performance with their dash cameras. These cards are designed to fulfill the unique needs of Nextbase dash cams and provide the highest level of consistency.

While Nextbase SD cards might be pricier than other brands, it’s arguable whether the cost is justified by the R&D that went into them. Their cards handle the Dash Cam technological requirements far better than non-U3 SD cards though so it’s hard to argue with Nextbase on this one.

Risks of Using Non-Nextbase SD Cards

While it might be tempting to use a non-Nextbase SD card due to their often lower price tag, the cost could outweigh the benefits in the long run. Non-Nextbase SD cards can seem to work perfectly at first, but issues can emerge after a while. Things like frame-freezing, missing footage, and FPS lag. With that being said, there are a few easy fixes if your dash cam doesn’t recognize your SD card.

Formatting Maintenance

Given the high-intensity environment within a dash cam, Nextbase recommends formatting your SD card every 2-3 weeks for heavy users and 3-4 weeks for regular everyday users. Formatting completely wipes the SD card, creating space for new recordings. It’s helpful for the maintenance of loop recording.

Even though the purpose of loop recording is to overwrite old footage, it shouldn’t be the only one doing so. If you’re a dash cam owner, manually cleaning out dash cam clips should be a regular practice. At least once every few months.

Nextbase SD Card Differences

Nextbase funded years of R&D to create an SD card for great dash cam performance. They also talk about the importance of using their SD cards for optimal dash cam performance. With that being said, any high-quality U3 SD card meets the requirements of Nextbase dash cams, so if you don’t have one – don’t stress. It’s not going to ruin your dash cam.

For those using a Nextbase rear camera module along with the dash cam, I’d recommend using a U3 SD card for that as well. While buying an Official Nextbase SD Card isn’t needed, their SD card is free with a dash cam purchase from their site.

So if you’re set on getting a dash cam from them, why not? We used their SD card for both the front and rear cameras in our recent Nextbase 622GW review. In my opinion, I’d rather have the peace of mind knowing my storage device was created for the sole purpose of being used in my dash cam.