Toguard CE41A dash cam review

With its $70 price point and high-res dual camera, the Toguard CE41A might tempt some, particularly those on a budget who drive for a living.

True, its cabin camera might be absolutely solid, but its lackluster design, dodgy sound, and problematic night recording mean that this particular model leaves us wanting.

Toguard CE41A dash cam review: Price and availability

The Toguard CE41A is currently $69.99 on the Togard website.

Toguard CE41A dash cam review: Design & features

The Toguard CE41A features a candy bar design with dual 1080p cameras, the rear of which is mounted onto a 180-degree swivel mechanism.

Looks-wise, the CE41A’s body is a hot mess, with brushed aluminum on the rear camera housing and cheap, seamed plastic on the central body. On the back, we have a disappointingly small 1.5-inch display with a hefty bezel.

Additionally, the unit is extremely light, giving it a hollow, cheap feel in the hands.

However, there aren’t too many name-brand single-unit dual cams offering 1080p resolution recording on both the front and rear — certainly not at this price. That rear cam even comes with four IR lights to help ensure interiors are well lit.

This CE41A also features motion detection recording and an automatic G-sensor, which, when registering a collision, protects the current recording video clip from being overwritten.

There’s also a parking guard mode, which achieves the same function when the engine is off. And while the onboard battery has enough charge to keep going for a few minutes, to get full 24/7 protection, you’ll need to set up a hardwire connection to your vehicle’s power supply.

One oversight is that the CE41A is missing the ability to protect saved video manually. For many dash cam enthusiasts who love to share videos of third-party crashes and near misses, it’s a mystery why this option got shut out.

Toguard CE41A dash cam review: Setup

Setting up the Toguard CE41A can be a fiddly process due to its small display and slightly clunky menu system. Text and symbols can be minutely small, so it can be difficult to see if you’ve turned off audio recording, for example, without taking a close look.

Note that also, due to the lack of GPS, you’ll need to set the time and date yourself.

For installation, Toguard offers a suction or sticky mount. Both mounts, however, can feel cheap and flimsy. Removing and adjusting the unit can also be a pain thanks to the power cable getting in the way of the mount release.

And due to the single-piece design, its optimal placement position is pretty much limited to the passenger side near the central mirror to get the best view of the road and cabin without obscuring your own view.

Once turned on, you’ll also need to remember to click the “OK” button to start recording, which can be an oversight.

Toguard CE41A dash cam review: Video and audio quality

During the day, the Toguard CE41A performs well. Clarity and colors are decent, while the 170-degree viewing angle offers a good view of the road.

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This dash cam’s kryptonite, however, is contrast correction. In darker areas, such as under trees, it causes oversaturation of the image, while white clouds were practically whitewashed out of the sky during my test.

These contrast problems did not bode well for my night test, in which the CE41A scored poorly. 

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Any part of the image that was not lit up by street light or headlight immediately turned midnight black, creating a tunnel vision effect. Worse still, any vehicle tags immediately in front became too bright to be visible against my own headlights. Worst-case scenario? Your footage could be missing critical detail when you need to rely on accurate footage. 

The interior camera is probably the CE41A’s best asset. It works hard to create clear footage — even if a touch overexposed during the day — while the four IR lights ensure good image lighting at night.

Back to the bad stuff — the Toguard CE41A is also plagued with sound issues. My video clips were saturated with varying amounts of digital noise, comprising faint crackling during the day, and an unmistakable high-pitch squeal at night. When you notice it, you can’t unhear it. Disappointing.

Toguard CE41A dash cam review: Verdict

With 1080p recording on both sides and a decent cabin camera, the Toguard CE41A could have been a contender in the budget dual dash cam market.

It’s a shame that poor night time recording and sound issues spoil its chances. If you’re a professional driver, I’d advise looking elsewhere that offers a better night camera and GPS for improved protection. Other road users should also steer clear.