Best Rear View Backup Cameras – Reviews and Buying Guide

If you buy a new car these days, it will probably come with a rear view backup camera system, usually syncing up with the built-in display. Cars made within the United States after 2018 are now required to come with a rearview camera.

But for all of you folks hanging onto older cars, you might be ready to take the plunge for extra safety and convenience, no matter how old it is. For newer cars that already have a touch screen/media display, you may be able to buy just a camera and wire it into that screen.

But many backup camera products come with a display that mounts to your dashboard. Many of them can even split the view to include a front and back camera. And if they come with recording capabilities, you can enjoy that extra peace of mind knowing that you will have video evidence in case of an accident.

But putting the possibility of a collision accident aside, one of the main reasons to get a backup camera is convenience. Especially if you live in a city and consistently park in tight spaces and difficult parallel parking situations, a backup camera makes executing that easy and repeatable. Especially if it comes with the guidelines, you can learn the perfect angles and never hit the curb again.

But there are many features with these camera systems, and they come in a variety of price points depending on the installation, video quality, recording capability, and many other factors. So if you are in the market for one of these products, this article should help you learn how they work and which features you will need.

Keep reading to learn all about the best rearview backup cameras!

Best Rear View Backup Cameras

If you are finally ready to upgrade the safety and convenience of your car with a rearview backup camera, let’s make that process as smooth as possible. Here are seven of the top products, their features, and how they compare and contrast.

These wired systems tend to give you a more reliable connection than wireless screens, but you should make sure ahead of time that you are comfortable playing with the wiring in your car, taking things apart, and putting them correctly back together. With the installation kit and instructions, installation should be easy for those that love do-it-yourself projects.

And although the camera is not top-quality—the maximum resolution is 720p—it works well enough to make parking easier and save you money on buying a complete system. Just make sure that your existing screen has an RCA connector before choosing this product.

Lastly, the other main features this product has include LED lights for better night vision, a waterproof camera, and an adjustable viewing angle of 149 degrees. You are not getting all the bells and whistles with this product, but for a small investment, you get a solid upgrade to your older car.

---

Because this is a wireless system, the installation will be much simpler. The most complicated aspect of the installation is connecting the camera to a power source via your reverse lights. But the company offers a detailed user guide as well as an installation video to help ensure the setup process goes smoothly.

In terms of features, this camera has great night vision, a 110-degree viewing angle, and a wireless connection to the screen. While wireless connections can sometimes result in latency and other image problems, this product eliminates signal interference with a digital point-to-point connection.

And in terms of making your parking easier, this product includes parking guidelines that help you feel the dimensions of your vehicle and have a visual cue of when you might hit something behind you. Guidelines are a must if you struggle at all with parallel parking!

---

Additionally, this wireless connection has a long enough range that you can do high-speed driving observation up to 33 feet away, making it ideal for longer SUVs and pickup trucks. The signal technically travels as long as 40 feet, although you will start to notice some lagging at that distance. For longer distances such as with an RV or trailer, you might consider using a wired camera instead.

You can use this display on full screen or split-screen, which is great if you ever buy another camera for the front in the future. The screen includes parking lines to help you parallel park, and you can adjust the width and angle of these guidelines to best suit your car.

---

Other features of the LeeKooLuu LK3 include LED lights for super night vision—these lights automatically turn on in dim lighting—a waterproof camera, and adjustable parking lines. You can turn the parking lines on/off as well as change the angle and width to customize them to fit your car’s dimensions exactly.

And in terms of the display, you will get fantastic colors from the 4.3-inch HD LCD. While the smaller screen might be a downside for some, the screen is lightweight and will mount as close as you need it anywhere on the dashboard or windshield. And you can rotate the screen 360 degrees to find the perfect viewing angle.

Lastly, for powering the system, you can either wire it to your fuse box if you feel comfortable or you can give it power from the 12V cigarette lighter in the front of your car.

---

First and foremost, this product uniquely has solar charging capabilities. With only thirty minutes of sunlight, the battery will be fully charged and last for up to two months of average use. This camera system is not designed for continuous operation or video recording, but as the occasional backup assistance solar power is all you need.

And when you combine solar power with the wireless transmission, you will be saving yourself multiple hours of installation issues with wiring and other power-supply considerations. All you have to do is attach the camera to the back and connect it to the HD monitor that mounts on your dashboard.

Lastly, because the installation takes less than five minutes, you can quickly switch this camera system between cars. You would never switch a camera that wires into the rear light power supply, but with solar charging, wireless connection, and an easy suction cup mounting on the dashboard, you can use this in all of your vehicles.

The image transmission is solid and real-time, but do be aware that on a lower battery or with a longer vehicle, you may notice some lagging in the image updates.

This wireless camera will not suffer from some of the connection issues typical of the cheaper models. Yakry designed this product with RVs, trucks, and trailers in mind—the dual-antenna wireless systems works on a vehicle up to 220 feet long. That means if you use this camera on a normal car, the picture quality will be as clear as a wired system.

And with two video channels, using it on an RV or trailer means you can get a second camera and cover all of your blind spots with one screen. And speaking of screens, the high-definition 1080P display is seven inches across, meaning that even in the split-screen mode you will be able to see a high resolution/detailed picture.

The installation of this camera system is as easy as any of the other wireless systems—the hardest part is connecting the camera to the rear lighting power supply.

---

The superior night vision is owed to the seven LED lights around the camera that automatically turn on if you are using the camera in low ambient light—the night vision of this camera is truly stunning!

But outside of that unique feature, you can expect a similar set of features as other wireless camera systems in this price range. The wireless setup is easy, and the only difficult part is attaching the camera to your rear lights for power. After that, the wireless connection sends its signal to the 5-inch HD monitor that easily mounts on your dashboard or windshield.

There are distance lines and parking lines to help you feel the dimensions of your vehicle, something that is a must if you do a lot of parallel parking. And lastly, this product supports two video channels at once, making it perfect for a front and rear camera. You can even view the two cameras on split-screen.

There is one aspect to note for those who want a constant video feed at night: although this product has amazing night vision, headlights from behind largely obstruct the camera and make highway viewing difficult.

---

Rear View Backup Camera Buying Guide

Reading through a list of products is always helpful, but it can sometimes leave you overwhelmed with technical jargon and other confusing details. So in this short buying guide, you can see the main features you should be aware of as you compare and contrast your options.

Installation

Some people love working on their car, whether that is auto mechanic work or more casual customization jobs. If that description fits you, then you do not have to shy away from the more complicated installations that involve electrical wiring and possibly some work in your car’s fuse box.

With some cars, you might have to drill a hole to thread the wire that powers the camera—this wiring is even the case in wireless systems since the camera itself needs power, usually from the reverse lights. But for the easiest installation, choose a wireless system, preferably one that runs on your car’s cigarette lighter power source.

Video Quality

If you are unfamiliar with how video resolution/quality works, you should understand the basics of pixel ratios on a screen. The terminology for video resolution is likely something you have come across when shopping for televisions, and they describe how detailed and defined the image will be.

Look for displays that offer high-definition video (HD) and preferably with a resolution of 1080p—drivers report fewer incidents when the display was high quality. While high-definition is not strictly necessary, you will want to see as much detail as possible on the smaller screen, especially at night.

Front Camera

A bonus feature to look out for, especially if you are concerned with accidents and recording video in the front of the car, is if the product includes a dashcam. Having a backup camera that also includes a dashcam/ front camera essentially gets you two products in one.

Hopefully, you will never need to make use of a dashcam. But in the event of an accident, having video proof to show to the police can be a huge advantage.

Wired Vs. Wireless

There are advantages and disadvantages to both wired and wireless systems, so this consideration comes down to personal preference. Wired cameras will tend to give you a more consistently stable and high-definition video feed. A wired video signal should also suffer less from lagging and any other related connection issues, especially with HD signals.

And on the other hand, wireless camera systems are usually a breeze to install, the hardest part being mounting the camera. After you install the camera, the screen makes a wireless connection to the camera to capture a video feed. But keep in mind that wireless systems tend to have lower video quality and connection issues that cause lagging.

A wireless screen might also bump into issues of signal interference if there are other wireless signals at similar bandwidths around. It is not the case that wireless systems always have problems, but these connection-related issues are more likely than in wired systems.

Recording Capability

Whether or not the product you have in mind has a front camera/dashcam, any camera on your car is of little help in an accident if you do not have a video recording of what happened. Since you never know ahead of time when an accident will happen, you need a product that can continuously record videos that you can later reference when needed.

And dashcams are crucial because they give authorities objective data when investigating an accident. The best product will be able to record video from the front and back simultaneously, while also making your life easier when backing up and parking.

Customization

People tend to have various preferences when customizing their technology settings, and buying a backup camera system that allows for customization is a huge plus.

Some customizable features to look out for include:

• Ability to flip image between the mirror and normal mode
• Turning the parking guidelines on/off
• Changing the angle of the parking guidelines
• Ability to adjust the viewing angle  

Wrapping Up

As you can see, installing a backup camera into your car involves more detail than you might think. There is a range of products out there, and while they all overlap on many features, some of the more expensive cameras have unique features you might never have considered.

From solar charging capabilities to gigantic high-definition screens, it is worth taking the time to carefully sift through the features before you commit to one of these products. And especially if you think you will eventually buy multiple cameras, it is worth investing in a screen that supports at least two cameras and split-screen viewing.

So whether you need help with parallel parking or need the safety of more visuals around your RV/trailer, there is a product that will fit your needs and price point.