Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3 Review

Dash cams have become quite a fixture for motorists recently. They can capture clear-cut evidence of a road incident, taking away the issue of whose story should the authorities believe. For many drivers, a quality dash cam gets installed permanently in their vehicle. 

But that sort of solution doesn’t work for everyone. Some of us are constantly switching from vehicle to vehicle. Some travel regularly for work and are constantly in rental cars. Or the folks who are employed by a large company and could wind up in any number of vehicles on any given day. Having a permanent dash cam that uses an adhesive to stick to a vehicle’s windshield doesn’t work in these scenarios. Plus, some dash cams are rather sizable which could take up a lot of valuable luggage space when traveling.

The solution? A small, portable unit like the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3.

Small Size. Easy to Install

Like many brands in the dash cam world, Garmin makes a variety of models with varying levels of technology and capabilities. The entry level dash cam in Garmin’s portfolio is the Mini 3. Its name is accurate as it’s 2.05 inches (5.21 cm) x 1.24 inches (3.16 cm) x 0.80 inches (2.03 cm) in size. It only weighs 30 g as well. 

There are no exterior screens on the Mini 3, just a plug port on the side, a function button and SD card slot on the bottom, and a save button on the back. With so few buttons and controls, operating the Mini 3 is quite easy. Simply plug it into the vehicle via the 12V adapter or straight into a USB port and it will turn on. No micro-SD car is included, so one needs to be bought. The camera can take up to a 512 GB card. 

The first time an SD card is inserted, the bottom function button needs to be held down for a few seconds to format the card. Once the light on the left is solid red, the dash camera is now ready to use and is recording. 

Mini in Size, Not Features

With the simplicity of the camera and its diminutive size, it’s easy to assume it lacks features. In fairness, it does lack some of the features found on higher-end units like active driving assists. But it still comes loaded with a lot of technology. 

The camera shoots in 1080p HD video at 30 fps with a 140-degree lens. Garmin has a technology called Clarity HDR optics that should allow cleaner, easier-to-see footage in both day and night conditions. It also includes the Garmin Clarity polarizer lens intended to cut down on sunshine glare. 

The image quality of a dash cam is important as it needs to be clear enough to read license plates and capture footage in all lighting conditions. Compared to the far pricier units installed permanently in our family vehicles, the image isn’t as crisp and clear from the Mini 3. That stated, both day and night footage is still clear enough to distinguish everything that is happening in the video, it’s just some license plates are harder to read.  

Without an exterior screen, footage can only be reviewed when parked through a smartphone or computer, so it’s a bit of a trust exercise that everything’s performing currently. If a video portion needs to be saved on the go, hitting the button on the back will save the most recent footage to be viewed later. 

Crucial App

With no display screen, the Garmin Drive app is crucial to fully operate the Mini 3. Here a live feed can be viewed through a smartphone to properly align the camera in the window. All the dash cam’s other settings can be altered here as well, like video loop recording, incident sensitivity, etc.

I find the Garmin Drive app quite easy to use and was impressed with all the features the Mini 3 still includes considering its price. Video can be downloaded to a smartphone through localized Wi-Fi, or the memory card could simply be removed and read by a computer. 

Garmin offers an online subscription service as well, called the Vault, which is a cloud-based storage and operation center. Captured video can be sent through the Vault to other smartphones, it’s possible to watch a live view of the camera even when not near the car, get alerts if an incident occurs, and more.  

In Operation as a Travel Companion

After a month of use, I am impressed with the camera. Its small size allows me to travel with it and installing it from car to car is simple thanks to the mini suction cup mount. Ah yes, this is a necessary item for those that plan to cycle the Garmin Mini 3 through a multitude of cars. The two-sided adhesive it comes with is only good for a single use, but the suction cup mount as unlimited uses. So extra budgeting needs to be made for the suction cup mount and a micro-SD card on top of the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3 price. 

The diminutive suction cup is easy to install and remove. It’s such a simple set-up that takes under a minute to install or disassemble. The cord coming from it is a bit of a pain though. It’s not worth tucking the cord into the headliner and/or A-pillar for such a short period of time. In most cases, this leaves the cord dangling from the windshield. At least it's long enough to easily fit in most production vehicles. 

Final Thoughts

The Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3 does have some flaws, like the lack of an external screen, the need for an app for live-feed features, it’s not overly fast in transferring data from the camera to a smartphone, and the image isn’t the crispest. Oh, and there are the additional costs for a micro-SD card as well as the suction cup mount if needed. 

Overall though, the combination of the travelability, acceptable image quality, multitude of features, and entry-level pricing of the Garmin Mini 3 outweigh the negatives listed above. It’s exactly what I need as a portable, temporary dash cam.