Ultimate Dashcam Battery Pack Comparison 2025

When it comes to protecting your vehicle and capturing crucial evidence while parked, having a reliable dash cam battery pack is essential. With the rapid advancement of vehicle technology and the shrinking size of car batteries, dash cam battery packs have become a vital accessory for continuous dash cam operation without draining your car’s battery. In this comprehensive guide, we explore six leading dash cam battery packs available today, breaking down their features, capacities, pros, cons, and performance to help you make an informed decision.

Why You Need a Dash Cam Battery Pack

Modern car batteries have gotten smaller, not because of less power, but due to improved technology. For example, my Volkswagen ID4 has a battery rated at just 280 cold cranking amps, compared to my dad’s truck which has over 800 cold cranking amps. This is significant because many people confuse the large electrical power storage in electric or hybrid vehicles with the car battery itself, which is actually much smaller.

Older vehicles could start with as low as 9 volts and minimal battery drain, but today’s vehicles are heavily computerized. These computers draw between 15 to 50 milliamps continuously to maintain functions like keyless entry. If your car battery voltage dips below around 11 volts, the vehicle might fail to start.

This is where dash cam battery packs come in handy. They charge while you drive (typically needing just 45 minutes of driving to fully charge) and can power your dash cam during extended parking periods, such as an 8 or 12-hour work shift. This ensures your dash cam’s time-lapse, motion detection, or impact detection parking modes remain active, providing crucial video evidence in case of incidents, protecting you in insurance disputes.

If you prefer not to use a battery pack, it’s recommended to limit your dash cam’s parking mode recording to a maximum of 3 hours to avoid excessive drain on your vehicle’s battery. For longer recording needs, either impact detection-only dash cams like the Thinkware Vueroid or VIOFO A329S, or investing in a dedicated battery pack is the safer choice.

Dash Cam Battery Pack Capacities

Here’s a quick look at the battery capacities of the six packs we’ll be exploring:

• 70mai, Power Cell 8, and Thinkware iVolt Extra – 7,500 mAh
• VIOFO (pre-production) – 7,650 mAh
• iROAD Power Pack Max 8 – 8,000 mAh
• iROAD Power Pack Pro 12 – 12,000 mAh

Detailed Battery Pack Reviews

70mai Battery Pack (7,500 mAh)

The 70mai battery pack is a simple, compact solution rated at 7,500 mAh. It features a DC input compatible with either a cigarette lighter plug or hardwired connection, two outputs: a 12V output for parking mode cables and a 5V USB-C output for direct connection to 70mai dash cams.

Four green LEDs indicate charge status, but there is no LCD display or Bluetooth app for detailed monitoring. An on/off switch allows manual control.

One downside is the use of three black wires for outputs, making it hard to identify power, ground, and accessory wires without labels—something technicians would prefer to be color-coded red, black, and yellow for easier installation and troubleshooting.

Optional cigarette lighter and hardwire cables are available for flexible installation.

Thinkware iVolt Extra (7,500 mAh)

The Thinkware iVolt Extra battery pack is also rated at 7,500 mAh. It offers constant power and ground inputs, plus an output harness with power, ground, and ignition wires for parking mode. A green wire must connect to ignition or accessory power to enable charging during vehicle operation.

This pack has a USB output port, useful for powering devices like hotspots. It features selectable charging rates (low, off, high) to optimize charging speed depending on your power source.

While it has an app for monitoring battery levels and charging, it lacks a cigarette lighter adapter, meaning DIYers must hardwire it. It is also not expandable.

IROAD Power Pack Pro 12 (12,000 mAh)

The IROAD Power Pack Pro 12 is the largest capacity pack reviewed, with 12,000 mAh. It includes two inputs: a high current input for hardwire installation and a low current input for cigarette lighter plug use.

An LCD display provides real-time info on charging current, output, and battery level, though it lacks a dedicated smartphone app. The output includes three wires—accessory (red), constant power (yellow), and ground (black)—for easy connection to parking mode cables.

This pack is versatile with optional hardwire, cigarette lighter, and even a home adapter (sold separately) for wall charging. It records the longest parking mode times among all tested packs.

IROAD Power Pack Max 8 (8,000 mAh)

The IROAD Power Pack Max 8 offers 8,000 mAh capacity in a compact design. It includes a power switch and an LCD display showing amp hours remaining, charging voltage, and battery percentage.

The DC input requires connection to constant power, ground, and ignition. The output harness uses red, yellow, and black wires for accessory, constant power, and ground, respectively, and connects directly to parking mode cables.

Note that the connector pinout is unique and differs from other packs, so careful installation is needed to avoid mistakes.

VIOFO Battery Pack (7,650 mAh, Pre-Production)

The VIOFO battery pack, rated at 7,650 mAh, is a new entrant and currently pre-production, expected to launch in September or later. It features power, ground, and ignition inputs with the option to add an external battery pack for expansion.

It includes a USB-C output and a power button for activation. A Bluetooth app allows users to monitor battery and charging levels in real-time.

Multiple installation options are expected, including hardwire and cigarette lighter adapters, though exact box contents remain unconfirmed.

Blackbox My Car Power Cell 8 (7,500 mAh)

The Power Cell 8 offers 7,500 mAh capacity with input for ignition and ground, and output for parking mode cables (red, yellow, and black wires). It also has a USB output for powering devices like hotspots.

Charging modes include high, off, and low, with high recommended for hardwired installation and low for cigarette lighter adapter use.

It is expandable with the Cell Link Neo add-on, but uses a two-wire hookup for input, which is less suitable for modern vehicles that require three-wire connections for safety and proper operation.

Parking Mode Recording Time

Recording duration while parked varies depending on the dash cam model and battery pack capacity:

• Using a VIOFO A139 Pro in one-channel mode, recording time ranges from approximately 31.5 hours up to 53.25 hours with the iRO Power Pack Pro 12.
• With the A229 Pro in two-channel low bitrate mode, parking mode lasts roughly 19.8 to 33.5 hours.
• In three-channel mode on the A229 Pro, expect between 15 and 26 hours.

These times depend heavily on the battery pack capacity and dash cam settings.

 

Charging Time Comparison

Most dash cam battery packs advertise charging times of 45 to 50 minutes, except the iRO Power Pack Pro 12, which claims about 90 minutes. Testing revealed actual charging times from fully dead to full charge as follows:

• iRO Power Pack Pro 12 – 90 minutes
• iRO Power Pack Max 8 – 71 minutes
• VOFO – 64 minutes
• Thinkware iVolt Extra – 57 minutes
• Power Cell 8 – 64 minutes (can be faster with higher amperage settings)
• 70mai – 61 minutes

Charging often takes longer than advertised, so it’s good to have realistic expectations.

Battery Pack Dimensions

Size matters when planning installation. The six battery packs vary in length, width, and height. Measuring your vehicle’s available space beforehand ensures a good fit and neat installation.

Pros and Cons of Each Battery Pack

70mai

• Pros: Low price, small and compact, optional hardwire or cigarette lighter installation.
• Cons: All black wires make installation harder, shorter recording time compared to other 7,500 mAh packs, no LCD or app for status monitoring.

Thinkware iVolt Extra

• Pros: Energy-saving mode with compatible dash cams, app monitoring, selectable charging current, charges as advertised in 55 minutes.
• Cons: No cigarette lighter adapter for DIY installs, not expandable.

Power Cell 8

• Pros: Expandable, app available, flexible cable options for cigarette lighter and hardwire.
• Cons: Only two-wire hookup (ignition and ground), less safe for newer vehicles, needs redesign for modern cars.

IROAD Power Pack Max 8

• Pros: Small, compact, LCD display for detailed info.
• Cons: No app, not expandable.

VIOFO Battery Pack (Pre-Production)

• Pros: App available, expandable, VOFO cable included for easy dash cam integration.
• Cons: First generation product, not yet available, final specs and performance may vary.

IROAD Power Pack Pro 12

• Pros: Highest capacity (12,000 mAh), LCD display, multiple charging options (hardwire, cigarette lighter, home adapter), longest parking mode recording.
• Cons: No app, not expandable.

Final Thoughts on Dash Cam Battery Packs

Each battery pack has its strengths and weaknesses, but overall, they all perform well for extending dash cam parking mode recording. The 70mai is the most affordable but offers fewer features and less detailed status information. The Thinkware and IROAD packs are reliable choices with solid features, while the VOFO pack brings new competition with app support and expandability, though it is still in pre-production.

Having used the IROAD Power Pack Pro 12 for over four years, I can attest to its reliability and long-lasting performance. As new entrants from China emerge, it will be interesting to see how they compare over time in terms of durability and reliability against established South Korean manufacturers.

If you own a dash cam battery pack, consider how it has worked for you so far. If you don’t have one yet, this guide might help you decide if a battery pack is the right solution for your parking mode recording needs.

For those interested in professional dash cam installation or shopping for dash cams and accessories, check out Safe Drive Solutions. We offer expert advice, quality products like the Viofo A229 Pro 4K Dash Cam or the IROAD Power Pack Pro 12 Battery Pack, and professional installation services in Vancouver and Toronto.

Protect your vehicle, capture every moment, and drive with confidence.