Best backup cameras for 2026
Check out our top-rated backup cams for aftermarket radios
In this article, we'll discuss seven of our most popular backup cams:
- Best easy-to-mount backup camera — Brandmotion 9002-7601
- Tiny and versatile backup camera — Kenwood CMOS-230LP
- Clear image at night — Boyo VTK601HD
- Popular cam with active parking lines — Boyo VTL17IRTJ
- Best camera for image quality — Kenwood CMOS-740HDLP
- Backup cam with wireless video delivery — Garmin’s BC 50
- Superb image quality and Alpine compatibility — Alpine's HCE-C1100
Ready to add a backup camera to your car? Check out our backup camera buying guide for an overview on what to look for when shopping. It helps to have a good sense of what style of camera best suits your needs and what features you'll make the most of — because you have a lot of cameras to choose from. To help you narrow things down quickly, we've compiled our customer-favorite cameras here.
Most of these cameras will work with any aftermarket stereo that has a camera input. The exception here is the Garmin camera, which is designed to work with Garmin portable navigators.
What makes these favorites?
The rearview cameras we highlight below are not simply top sellers. They have earned an average Crutchfield customer rating of 4 (or more) stars, which means our customers are seriously satisfied with their purchase once they've installed it.
Things to keep in mind about backup cams
Most people use "rear-view camera" and "backup camera" interchangeably, but they aren't exactly the same. Unless otherwise noted, a backup camera is only intended for use when backing up your vehicle. If you require a front-view or constant rear-view camera, check for that capability.
How much wiring is required?
Wiring instructions vary from camera to camera. Some cameras have power wiring that can only be connected near the radio. Others let you power the camera at compatible reverse lights. In all cases, the camera must be wired for power and ground, the camera's video output must be connected to the radio/monitor. The best time to install a camera is when you're installing a new aftermarket radio.
Will the included video cable be long enough?
You'll need to route the camera's video cable from its mounting location outside your vehicle into your vehicle's cabin and all the way to the screen in the dash. This often requires drilling a small hole in your vehicle or filing some metal or plastic. You'll also need to estimate the length of cable needed to run from the camera to the dash, which will not be a straight shot.
What's the deal with parking lines?
Most backup cameras offer parking guide lines to help orient yourself when backing up. Normally these lines are static (they don't move or bend). During installation of the camera, you have to decide whether you want to use the camera's guidelines. Most cameras default to having the parking lines turned on. If you don't want to use them (perhaps because your stereo already has them as a feature), then you'll cut a wire loop to disable them.
Occasionally, a camera defaults to having the lines turned off, and you'll cut a wire loop to turn them on. The camera's installation instructions (and our web pages) will make it clear which is the case for a given camera.
More questions?
Check out our backup camera buying guide or reach out to our helpful advisors.
Now, on to the cameras!
No-fuss mounting — Brandmotion 9002-7601 backup cam
Universal backup camera with a license-plate-mount
What you need to know: Brandmotion takes backing up seriously, innovating vehicle camera solutions at their headquarters in Michigan. Their 9002-7601 universal backup cam gives you a bar-style mount that fits neatly and securely behind your license plate. It's a solid camera that delivers a 170° wide-angle view that's reliable on sunny days and dark nights.
Features
- resolution: 648 x 488, SD
- viewing angle: 150° diagonal, wide angle lens
- input: composite video (RCA)
- mounting style: 2 mounting assemblies included (license plate, surface mount)
- parking lines: off by default
- water resistance: IP68
Something special: A three-year warranty helps you feel even better about purchasing this well-reviewed cam.
Tiny, versatile cam — Kenwood CMOS-230LP backup cam
Universal backup camera has a great image and included license plate bracket
What you need to know: The Kenwood CMOS-230LP backup camera is a small, universal option that works with any aftermarket radio that has a composite video input. The CMOS image sensor delivers a high-quality, wide-angle view to your dash.
Features
- resolution: 330,000 pixels, SD
- viewing angle: 128° horizontal, 103° vertical
- input: composite video (RCA)
- mounting style: 4 mounting assemblies included (license plate, surface mount, 2 angle mounts)
- parking lines: no
- water resistance: weather and dust resistant
Something special: Measuring less than one cubic inch, this camera is tiny. So, it's an unobtrusive addition to the back of your ride. You can mount it using either of the included brackets – a standard license plate bracket or a universal bracket for mounting under the lip of your trunk or hatch.
Great image at night — Boyo VTK601HD backup cam
Best-selling backup cam with multiple mounting options
What you need to know: There's a reason Boyo's VTK601HD backup cam is one of our best selling backup cameras. The included mounting options make it fully equipped to work wherever and whenever you need it. Selectable reverse image capability means you can use it as a rear-view camera or a front-view camera. And with excellent imaging down to 0.1 Lux, this camera is well-equipped for dark nights in the country or dark parking garages in the city.
Features
- resolution: 976 x 592
- viewing angle: wide angle 170° diagonal
- input: composite video (RCA)
- mounting style: 6 mounting assemblies included (license plate, square bracket, flush mount, 2 angle mounts, slim bar mount)
- parking lines: on by default
- water resistance: IP68
Something special: Boyo's eyeball design fits neatly into six uniquely contoured mounts. If upholding a factory look is important, you'll appreciate the VTK601HD's included mounting options for a professional fit and finish.
Try active parking lines — Boyo VTL17IRTJ backup cam
Universal backup cam with infrared lighting and active parking lines
What you need to know: Boyo prioritizes image quality with a higher resolution image than most cameras at this price. Plus, infrared lighting ensures a much better picture when it's pitch black out. A bar-style mount takes the puzzling out of placement, just use the screws that hold your license plate in place. Those are just a few of the reasons our customers love the VTL17IRTJ backup cam.
Features
- resolution: 720x480 SD
- viewing angle: wide angle 170° horizontal
- input: composite video (RCA)
- mounting style: integrated license plate bracket (included), surface mount bracket (included)
- parking lines: on by default, dynamically curve with steering
- water resistance: IP67
Something special: The standout feature here is active parking lines (also known as dynamic parking lines), which bend to match your trajectory in reverse. It's a nice parking perk that gives you a better sense of where you're headed when backing up.
Best camera for the details — Kenwood CMOS-740HDLP backup cam
HD backup camera compatible with select Kenwood receivers only
What you need to know: Get ready, there's a lot. The Kenwood CMOS-740HDLP has a 1.3 Megapixel CMOS image sensor, high-def image quality, and high dynamic range (HDR), all of which means incredible image quality delivered to your Kenwood receiver.
On top of the image quality, the camera has a 180-degree horizontal, wide-angle lens, letting you check your right and left sides when backing up and parking. And night scapes will be clear with minimal flare from nearby lighting, thanks to the camera's illumination range, clear down to 1.0 Lux.
Features
- resolution: 1280x720p HD
- viewing angle: 180° horizontal/103° vertical
- input: HD composite (HD compatible RCA)
- mounting style: license plate mounting bracket included
- parking lines: none, typically available via compatible Kenwood receiver
- water resistance: IP67
Something special: An easy-to-adjust mount lets you secure the camera at the top (or bottom) of your license plate and still get the perfect angle on the road behind you.
Wireless backup camera — Garmin BC™ 50 backup cam
Compatible with select Garmin portable navigators only
What you need to know: If you already have a compatible Garmin portable navigator on your dash, the Garmin BC 50 backup cam makes a nifty addition. Once this camera is installed and wired for power, all you need to do is wirelessly pair the camera with your navigator to see the video signal. It's the successor to Garmin's popular and well-reviewed BC 30 cam.
Features
- resolution: 720p HD
- viewing angle: 160° wide-angle lens
- input: wireless, MMCX
- mounting style: built into a clip-on license plate bracket (included)
- parking lines: optional
- water resistance: IP67
If you like the idea of going completely wireless, Garmin's BC 40 backup cam uses two AA batteries for power instead of hardwiring, which means you'll have a rear-view camera installed in minutes rather than hours.
And if you need the best possible view at night, consider the Garmin BC 50 backup cam with Night Vision, which provides an illuminated view of up to 20 feet behind you.
Something special: Garmin gives you image resolution up to 720p for a sharp picture with a compatible portable navigator.
Prioritized image quality — Alpine HCE-C1100 backup cam
Surface-mountable backup camera (optional Alpine license plate mount)
What you need to know: It's no surprise that Alpine strives to provide the best image possible for you, and our customers' reviews for their HCE-C1100 backup cam back up (pun intended) their reputation. They build automatic white balance adjustment and high dynamic range (HDR) into this compact cam, which ensures an accurate and detailed image as you transition between extreme dark and light settings. So, as you back out of your garage on a sunny day, you'll experience minimal blow-out.
Features
- resolution: 640x480 SD with HDR and auto white balance
- viewing angle: 131° horizontal, 103° vertical
- input: composite video
- mounting style: surface mount bracket (included), license frame mount optional (not included)
- parking lines: No
- water resistance: IP67 housing
Something special: For a nice, finished look, add on Alpine's optional license plate frame mount. If you're connecting this camera to an Alpine receiver that has a multi-pin camera input, then you won't have to connect separate power and ground for the camera. The Alpine cable takes care of it all!
What's popular vs. what's right for you
Before you decide on one of the cameras above, be sure to enter your vehicle information and explore our selection of vehicle-specific backup cameras. These backup cameras are specifically designed to blend in with the exterior of select vehicles, and in some cases, they include harnesses that work with factory-installed entertainment systems.
For more detailed information on selecting a camera, don't forget to read our backup camera buying guide. And if you need help, contact our Advisors.
Popular questions customers ask
Running the video connection from the camera's mounting location outside your vehicle into the cabin and up to the dash may require some drilling or filing that you might not feel comfortable doing. If that doesn't scare you, installing a backup camera system is usually a straight-forward and logical operation that shouldn't take more than about two or three hours to accomplish. Watch our videos in our How to Install a Backup Camera article.
Some cameras feature low-light enhancements, such as LED or infrared illumination, that really do let the camera and you see what's going on better at night.
A backup camera is only active when your vehicle is in reverse. A rearview camera is a little different, and can be turned on at any time. A few backup cameras feature an always-on rearview mode. The other option is to get a separate rearview camera system, like a rearview mirror monitor or commercial vehicle camera/monitor system. Learn more in our Backup Camera Buying Guide.
In this instance, you'd need to get a stand-alone rearview camera system, like a rearview mirror monitor or a camera system with a dedicated dash-mount video monitor.
As long as your installation does not interfere with the normal operation of the vehicle, you can replace or add any accessory, including a replacement backup camera, without voiding your vehicle's manufacturer warranty.
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