Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam review in a sentence: Perfect for vehicles with smaller screen areas with very impressive 2K HDR footage and ease of use being the main appeal.
The Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam is a welcome arrival. Why? Well, as someone who owns a car with a small windscreen I find regular dashcams can be just a little too bulky and frequently get in the way. Have a look through the best dash cam guide and you’ll see what I mean, with many models being a bit chunky. The recently arrived Nextbase iQ, for example, is a brilliant dashcam but it’s not going to work for my car as there’s too much hanging down.
I’m faced with the same issue when looking at the best front and rear dash cams because again, my rear window is tiny and makes fitting something tricky to say the least. The Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam on the other hand is small and very compact. In fact, it’s got to be one of the dinkiest new dashcams on the market, which means that it’s ideally suited to my needs. If you’ve got a car with a limited view or space, or simply want a smaller dashcam because you can then the Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam should fit the bill.
(First reviewed February 2024)
Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam review: price and availability
Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam review: price and availability
The Viofo VS1 is available now from, directly from VIOFO US for $149.99 although it’s currently reduced to just $119.99. If you’re in the UK then it’s also possible to buy direct from VIOFO UK for £118.65. This is also currently reduced to £94.92. The box comes with everything you need, save for a hard wiring kit if you want a more permanent installation, but these are widely available from the likes of Amazon.
Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam review: design and build
As you’d expect with a name like this model has, the Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam is a diminutive number, which fixes to your screen using the standard 3M sticky pad. It’s about half the size of a ‘standard’ issue dashcam, with an angular design that houses the lens and various buttons and ports for cables and cards. As with other Viofo models, there’s nothing to moan about with the overall design and build quality. While it’s plastic this unit does feel sturdy and able to stand the test of time.
In terms of its overall design, this model is about as simple as it gets, with a slot for the memory card and a couple of buttons and that’s about it. The camera is mounted to a base with a movable joint, which allows you to angle it right so that it captures the road ahead. I managed to get mine set up first time, which was more luck than judgement, while you may find you have to review some test footage after installation to check that it’s capturing the road ahead correctly. There’s no rear screen on this model though, so use the app or pop the card into a laptop or PC.
Also inside the box is a product manual, car charger, a USB2 Type-C to Type-C data cable, a spare sticky mounting pad, a tool for pushing wires behind trim, windscreen static stickers and a 32GB Viofo memory card. This can be supplemented with a hardwire kit and a Bluetooth controller if you want to capture footage manually.
Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam review: Features and functions
The Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam features Sony Starvis 2 technology, and thanks to the 5.12 megapixel, 1/2.8-type image sensor delivers 2K 1440p video recording, which I find more than adequate for most average needs. Despite its size, the HDR (high dynamic range) technology is more than capable of coping with changes in light so when you’re going through tunnels, driving in very dark weather or you’re out on the road at night, it should cope well with the changes.
There’s also voice control for this model too, which lets you use it hands-free to start and stop recordings, take a still photo or turn the Wi-Fi functionality on and off as needed. Incidentally, the dual 5GHz and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi options allow for quick and easy transfer of data, while if you get the Viofo app you can also preview footage on your phone.
If you want to tap into the 24/7 parking monitoring functionality of the Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam you’ll need to hardwire it into your vehicle. This is well worth doing if you don’t need to transfer the camera from one vehicle to another as it opens up a wealth of extra features such as detecting movement and time lapse recording, while the built-in G-sensor can record a file when a sudden impact or collision occurs. It’s a handy back-up if you park on the street or in car parks on a regular basis.
Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam: Performance
I found the Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam a doddle to set up and start using. I opted for the plug-in option for power, rather than hardwiring, which I always like to do prior to seeing just how good a camera is. I also opted to use the included static sheet to mount the camera onto, rather than using the sticky pad directly on the screen.
These things are quite handy as they work a little like the sheets that go on the front of phones with the upside being you don’t get lots of sticky gum from the pad on your windscreen if you need to remove the camera. However, you can also slide the Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam from its mount and leave that in position if you just want to give the unit a once over.
All I did to get up and running was insert the microSD card, plug in the power and press the microphone button for a short while, which duly formats the card without the need to go into the app. From there, the Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam just works and tells you its recording so you know for sure. There’s a small red LED that shows it’s operating too. If you need to quickly store a chunk of footage, simply press the button on the back of the camera and you’ll get that logged on the card. It’s all pretty effortless.
I used the Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam for a few days on a variety of journeys and during all sorts of British weather conditions, although grey skies dominate my footage. Nevertheless, the Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam offers up very respectable footage, with crisp and clear video that capture important details such as number plates and road signs. Information on date and time is also recorded to the footage, so it very much does everything you ask of it. Albeit in a smaller format camera than many rivals. Overall then, I’m impressed.
Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam review: verdict
The Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam is a great option and stands out from the crowd because of its compact design. As mentioned, this is perhaps the biggest draw compared to rivals because it’s so well suited to cars with smaller screen areas. Obviously, it’ll work quite happily in vehicles with larger windscreens too, but I found it a perfect match for my two-seat sports car.
There’s a downside in that you don’t get any rear screen, so it’s not possible to preview footage directly on the camera. You’ll need to get the supporting app, which is fine and does the job or view footage on a laptop or PC, but I do miss having a monitor. However, the camera tells you when it’s working and the LED flags up normal operation or a malfunction too, so this isn’t a dealbreaker. On the whole, the Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam does everything you’d expect of it for not much money.
Viofo VS1 Tiny Dash Cam review: also consider
If you want something small but require better quality footage the Nextbase 622GW is still a great option, despite the fact that it’s been around for a while now. It comes packed with lots of practical features too and is very easy to use. Similarly, the compact Garmin Dash Cam 66W is another dinky offering, which has proved popular with the staff here at T3 Towers.
However, if you’re really tight on space, then consider the Garmin Dash Cam Mini, which is wonderfully compact with one of the smallest designs you can buy. It too has been out for a while, but that should mean you can find one discounted online without too much investigation.
Don't forget, if you're looking to save a little money you can check out our best cheap dash cam deals page, and if you're looking to record all angles then you can read our best front and rear dash cam guide.
