Updated on January 20, 2023
Continuing with the series on small, good yet cheap dash cams for your vehicle, we look at the TOGUARD dash cam that offers full HD video recording with a gravity sensor, parking monitor and motion detector. Smallness is actually an advantage for the TOGUARD because it can remain incognito and still make recordings of everything that happens in front of the vehicle. Powered by a Novatek 96220 chipset, the dashcam churns out reasonable performance with amazing quality. Let’s take a deeper look at the features of this little device.
Quick Summary
| Image | Product | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | TOGUARD Novatek 96220 |
| Check Price → |
Product Review
Lens
An A+ grade all-glass lens provides exceptional video quality. The lens gives a wide angle of view of 140 degrees, which is more than enough for all practical purposes. Though we have reviewed and rated a few dash cams with wide angle that provide even higher coverage, you don’t really need to go overboard with the angle of view. After all, no one needs to have peripheral coverage.
You also have 4x zoom with the lens, which gives you the ability to make a tighter composition of an event that’s unfurling in front of you. Let’s say you notice a vehicle driving erratically, changing lanes at whim and driving faster or slower than the speed limit of the lane, putting other drivers at risk. While your dash cam is recording, you can zoom in closer to get an accurate capture of the license plate to alert authorities.
Recording
The resolution of the sensor is 5 megapixels. The sensor is capable of producing full-HD videos of 1920 x 1080p. Videos being taken can be reviewed on the 2.46” rear LCD screen. The lens comes with infrared capabilities for better video quality in low-light situations.
The TOGUARD supports loop recording, which is a sort of continuous recording that does not depend on the capacity of the memory card in the card slot. In other words, a camera with this feature will take videos in a specific resolution and other details for as long as there is space in the storage medium allows. What happens when the camera runs out of space? Well, simply it will overwrite the older files.
In terms of night vision, a single infrared light is provided that ensures that the TOGUARD dash cam can record good quality videos even at night time.
It supports up to 32 GB of SD/SDHC card. You will need to buy a memory card with this one; although it’s pictured here, it is not provided with the package. Videos are saved in .MOV format.
Dimensions and Weight
Weighing around 2.1 ounces, the dashcam measures a mere 2.4 x 2.8 x 1.3 inches. It is an extremely small and lightweight construction that does the job it is assigned to without funfair.
Motion Detector
The motion detection feature in this device picks up movements around the car and makes a quick snapshot of the event. The motion detector is invaluable when you leave your truck or SUV unattended for several minutes or even hours at a desolate spot. Any movement will trigger the motion detector and a video will be saved to the memory card or DVR.
Memory Lock Gravity Sensing
Two features which this dashcam has that have become ubiquitous with all devices in this range are gravity sensing and memory lock. Gravity sensing as a feature allows detection of sudden changes in gravity. This can happen due to a number of reasons. However, the primary among them is an accident when a vehicle either accelerates after being hit from behind or decelerates after hitting something in front. A sharp turn at high speed can also be a sufficient reason for the gravity sensor to get activated. Whatever might be the reason, the memory lock is activated as well.
Setting It Up
Setting up is easy. Scroll through the menu options. You can change the resolution of the video being saved to the memory card. By default, it is set to 1920 x 1080p, but you could set it to shoot at 720p or even VGA. It is, however highly recommended that you do select full HD for the highest resolution and picture quality. You can change the looping options as well to durations of either 3 mins, 5 or 10 mins. The larger the time duration heavier is the file. So, smaller loops would probably be better. You could alternatively switch off loop recording (not recommended). Auto power off is a feature that saves battery. If you switch it off the TOGUARD will keep recording for as long as the built-in battery has any power. If you set it to anything between 1 min and 5 mins, it would continue for that many minutes after the ignition is switched off and then switch off on its own. Sound recording is also another feature that you could either switch to off or on position. A lot of users prefer not to capture audio, and it is perfectly fine.
Still Pictures
The TOGUARD Novatek 96220 can be used as a still camera as well. You can choose between 12MP and VGA giving you a wide spectrum of choices. This is a handy option, and 12MP is more than suffice.
DashCamGurus Rating
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Video / Picture Quality
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Features
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Value
The Verdict
Overall this is a well-equipped yet one of the cheaper dash cam recorders, which is a good choice for those on a tight budget. Although lacking GPS and only a 140-degree recording angle, it is still a good option. Small, lightweight, easy to set-up, and gives all the necessary features you would come to expect from this ever-improving market.
Ash loves cars and gadgets. He is a Business IT graduate who loves spending time with his family and friends.
Looks like it might be a great camera, if you had a way to fasten it to your windshield.
I’ve even tried glue, it will not stick.
It’s really a shame – might have been a good purchase.
Maybe the mount you have is faulty. Perhaps reach out to the company for a replacement, or invest in a new mount.