Vantrue E360 Review: The 360 Dash Cam That Comes Off the Windscreen

Vantrue E360 Review: The 360 Dash Cam That Comes Off the Windscreen

The TLDR (Too Long, Didn't Read):
The Vantrue E360 is a two lens dash cam that records the road and the cabin as one stitched 360 degree view. It also slides off the windscreen and works as a handheld camera (on the ACE Variant), which is something no other dash cam we stock will do.

It is built for coverage and versatility. It shows what happened all around your car and inside it. It also comes off the glass for a campsite, a job site or a vlog. Long range number plate detail is the one job where a conventional forward camera still leads. We set out the evidence for that below so you can weigh it yourself.

We bought our Vantrue E360 out of our own stock, the same stock we sell. Below is what we found, what other reviewers found, and what we have not tested yet.

Quick answer What we would tell you
Best at Full situational coverage, cabin recording, and coming off the glass as a handheld 360 camera
Pack to buy Vantrue E360 ACE, for most people
Suits Rideshare and taxi drivers, tradies, campers, anyone carrying passengers
Look at a conventional camera if Reading plates at distance is the one thing you want, or you need a weather-sealed rear camera

 

On this page

What does the Vantrue E360 record?

The Vantrue E360 is a two lens camera in one body, with an optional third camera for the rear in the PLUS and ACE kits. The two built-in lenses sit back to back. One faces the road and one faces the cabin, and each covers 210 degrees. The camera stitches those two views into a single panoramic file that Vantrue calls PanoVis.

The optional rear camera records 2.7K at 165 degrees and plugs into its own port on the camera body. With all three running, Vantrue quotes 585 degrees of total coverage for the three channel packs. That is the sum of the three fields of view, not four cameras pointing at the corners of your car.

The top mode records the stitched panorama at 5.2K with the rear at 1440p. Both figures come from the official Vantrue E360 user manual, version 1.3. The manual lists 38 resolution options in total, 30 for drive recording and 8 more for handheld use. That is an unusually long mode list for versatility in all situations (In Car or Handheld).

Can the Vantrue E360 see faces in the back at night?

The cabin lens has infrared LEDs, and the manual sets them to automatic by default, so they switch on as the light drops. Infrared lets the camera see inside a dark cabin without a visible light shining in anyone's eyes. Footage comes out in black and white while they are running.

We have not tested how well it identifies a face at night, and neither has any published review we could find. If that is the main reason you are buying, tell us. We will be straight about what we do and do not know.

Is the Vantrue E360 really 360 degrees?

Yes, in the horizontal sense. Two lenses face opposite directions, each seeing 210 degrees, and they overlap and stitch into a full circle. There are no separate cameras pointing at your front guards.

That matters because it shapes what the camera is for. A stitched 360 view answers "what happened around the car" better than anything else in this category. That is what the Vantrue E360 is built for, and it is very good at it.

Still working out whether a 360 camera is the right shape of tool for you? Our guide to 360 dash cams walks through that decision first.

How good is the Vantrue E360 footage?

Strong for context. Long range detail is the part reviewers disagree on, so here is the evidence from both sides.

What the published reviews found

TechRadar reviewed the Vantrue E360 on 2 May 2025. It gave the camera its Recommended badge and scored it 4 out of 5, listing "very impressive crystal-clear footage" among the pros. TechRadar's reviewer disclosed that Vantrue loaned the camera and supplied the accessories used for testing.

Notebookcheck praised the night vision and the image stitching, and that reviewer also disclosed a unit supplied free of charge. Both rated it positively overall, though Notebookcheck was critical of the app and of file management - however in our testing it was as easy as plugging the unit into USB-C directly which we loved!

Why the 5.2K figure needs explaining

The specification explains why the reviews disagree, and Vortex Radar predicted it before launch. The 5.2K figure is a stitched output from two 2K class Sony STARVIS 2 sensors rather than a single native 5.2K chip. A DashCamTalk reviewer later measured the panorama at 5184 by 1944, which is exactly two 2592 by 1944 frames placed side by side.

So the 5.2K is real as a file size, and it is two 2K images rather than one 5K image. We have not run controlled plate readability tests on this model. We'll test ourselfs and post the findings in the futue, but as it currently stands we are not going to settle the argument with a number we do not have.

However, that is the trade this design makes, and it is a deliberate one. Every pixel spent on your cabin is a pixel not spent on the car in front. The same goes for the pixels filling in the sides of a panorama. A conventional camera puts the whole sensor down the road because that is all it has to do. The Vantrue E360 covers three jobs instead, and it covers them well.

Which recording mode should you use?

The 5.2K panoramic mode is not the only way to run this camera. The manual also lists modes that record each lens separately instead of stitching them, including 1944p on all three channels at once. If plate detail matters more to you than the panorama, that is where we would start. This is our reading of the manual's mode list rather than a measured result from us, so treat it as a setting worth trying.

What makes the Vantrue E360 different from other dash cams?

Two design choices, and neither of them shows up well on a spec sheet.

The handheld mount is not a gimmick

This is the part we did not expect to like. The Vantrue E360 slides off its windscreen mount in one movement. The E360 ACE pack adds a handheld mount with a battery in the handle, plus a separate tripod stand. Camera off the glass, onto the stick, and you have a 360 camera for a campsite, a job site or a weekend away.

The battery lives in the handle rather than in the camera. Vantrue states the handle holds two Panasonic 18650 cells and gives up to four hours of continuous recording on a full charge. Handheld mode sets resolution for the front and cabin lenses only, so the rear channel sits out while you are carrying it.

That portability is why we steer most buyers to the E360 ACE pack. It is the difference between a dash cam and a camera that also happens to live in your car.

The rear camera unplugs

The rear camera has its own dedicated port on the camera body, separate from the mount connection. When you take the camera out of the car, the rear cable pops out and stays where it is. No wrestling a plug from behind a trim panel, and no unclipping the run down the headlining.

Maybe you park somewhere you would rather not leave a camera on the glass. Maybe you swap between a work ute and the family car. Either way, that one design choice saves real time every time you take the camera with you.

What is the difference between the Vantrue E360, E360 Plus and E360 ACE?

The camera is identical in all three packs. The differences are entirely in the box.

Pack Channels What is added Best suited to
Vantrue E360 2, front and cabin Camera, GPS mount, car charger, stickers and cables Drivers who want the panorama and no rear camera
Vantrue E360 Plus 3, adds rear Rear camera and rear cable Drivers who want three channels and will keep the camera in the car
Vantrue E360 ACE 3, adds rear Rear camera, cable, battery handheld mount, tripod stand Rideshare, tradies, campers, anyone who wants it out of the car too

Pack contents checked against Vantrue's own product listings on 13 August 2026. Worth knowing before you shop: Vantrue's manual mentions the bundles only in passing and is not consistent about which one includes the rear camera. Go by the listing on this point.

Short version: take the Vantrue E360 ACE if there is any chance you will use the camera away from the car. Take the E360 Plus if you are certain it stays on the glass. Take the base E360 only if you do not want a rear camera at all.

What should you know before you buy?

Four things to plan around. None of them is a dealbreaker, and three of them are settled at setup.

It wants a fast, high endurance card. Card slow warnings were the most common thing in the owner feedback we read, including from owners who were otherwise delighted with the camera. Three channels of high bitrate video is a lot of data to push. A card that copes fine in a phone will not necessarily keep up here. Card sizing is covered below.

Keep the rear camera inside the cabin. We could not find a published IP rating for it. The word weatherproof does not appear in the manual or on Vantrue's own listings for it either. The manual does explicitly flag the main camera and the handheld mount as not waterproof.

The Vantrue E360 does not take a CPL filter. A CPL is a polarising lens that cuts reflections off your dashboard and windscreen, the same way polarised sunnies cut glare off water. Vantrue's own filter page lists the E1, E1 Lite, E2, E3, N4 Pro, N5, N2X and S1 Pro. It states plainly that the filter does not fit other Vantrue cameras. The 210 degree fisheye lenses are the likely reason. Keeping the top of your dash clear of anything shiny does the same job for free.

Power it from Vantrue's own adapter or hardwire kit. Owners on DashCamTalk reported the camera rebooting in a loop, and the reports point at power rather than the camera. One owner traced it to a generic USB-C lead and fixed it by switching to the Vantrue adapter supplied in the box. The reports are not confined to early firmware, so we would not treat it as an old bug already sorted. Vantrue has released firmware updates for the camera, the most recent announced in October 2025. Updating on day one is worth doing on its own merits. Our Vantrue E360 setup and troubleshooting guide covers how.

Owner feedback overall well received. On Amazon in the United States, retrieved 13 August 2026, the Vantrue E360 Plus sits at 4.0 out of 5 from 172 ratings. The current E360 ACE listing shows 4.3 from 30 ratings. An earlier ACE listing sits at 3.9 from 122, and the original two channel listing at 3.6 from 181.

What is the Vantrue E360 app like?

Better than we expected. We have used the Vantrue app on Android to pull footage off the camera, and it was a good experience. Pairing was straightforward and getting a clip onto a phone was not the fight it sometimes is with dash cam apps. The camera runs both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, and the faster band is what makes moving a large panoramic file bearable.

One question we cannot answer yet. A stitched 360 file is not a normal rectangular video. An insurance assessor or a police officer needs to be able to open what you send them. We have not tested the PC software or the export process, so we are not going to guess at it. If you need that answer, ask us and we will tell you exactly where we have got to.

Will the Vantrue E360 cope with an Australian summer?

The design is the right one for our conditions. The Vantrue E360 uses a supercapacitor rather than a internal rechargeable lithium battery. A supercapacitor stores power in a way that copes better with heat than a small rechargeable cell. That matters in a car parked outside in February. The manual rates the camera for operation from minus 20 to 60 degrees Celsius.

Vantrue is more cautious than most manufacturers here, and we think that is to its credit. The manual recommends collision detection mode in hot conditions and advises turning the camera off if the cabin reaches 60 degrees. Worth reading before your first summer with it.

Owner reports on heat are genuinely split. Some report shutdowns in hot weather and others report months of trouble-free use in hot climates. The evidence does not settle it, and a supercapacitor is a component choice rather than a guarantee of lifespan.

One note for E360 ACE buyers. The handheld mount does contain a lithium battery, so we would bring that inside rather than leave it on the dash in summer.

What accessories should you add?

A hardwire kit, if you want parking mode. The Vantrue E360 supports four parking modes and every one needs constant power, which your cigarette lighter socket stops supplying once the car is off. The manual is unusually direct about this and warns against kits from other brands, because accessory detection pins are placed differently. Vantrue lists its ACC hardwire kit as compatible with the E360 and E360 ACE, and we stock it as the VP05 hardwire kit. It shows live voltage, so you can see what your battery is doing. Would rather not go near a fuse box? The VP04 OBD cable plugs into the diagnostic port instead and has the same voltage display. Not every vehicle keeps that port powered when parked, so check yours first.

The right size card. The current manual supports cards from 32GB up to 1TB, U3 or faster. Several published spec sheets still say 512GB, so a 512GB Vantrue high endurance card is the answer that works either way. A 256GB Vantrue high endurance card is the sensible floor for three channels.

Pro Tip: format the card in the camera rather than on your computer, and do it again every couple of months. Card slow warnings were the most common complaint we found on this model, and a fresh in-camera format is the quickest thing to rule out.

A spare mount, if you run two cars. The GPS mount for the Vantrue E360 and E360 ACE holds the GPS receiver. A second one in the other car means the camera genuinely slides between vehicles.

Who should buy the Vantrue E360?

Buy the Vantrue E360 if your priority is complete situational coverage in one small unit. It suits rideshare and taxi drivers who need the cabin recorded. It suits anyone who wants a camera they can pull off the glass for vlogging, a campsite or a job site. And it suits anyone who parks where they would rather not leave hardware on display.

Look at a conventional camera if reading number plates at distance is the single thing you care about. Same goes if you need a weather-sealed rear camera for a canopy or tray. The Vantrue N4 Pro covers the same three views with a 4K forward lens. We would rather tell you that now than after the E360 is on your windscreen.

See how it compares with the obvious rival in our Vantrue E360 versus 70mai Omni comparison, or browse the full Vantrue range. If fitting is the part putting you off, our installer finder will point you at an independent installer near you.

Vantrue E360 questions we get asked

Is the Vantrue E360 good?

For coverage and versatility, yes. TechRadar gave it a Recommended badge and scored it 4 out of 5 in May 2025. It records the road and the cabin as one stitched 360 degree view, and it comes off the windscreen for handheld use. For long range number plate capture, a conventional camera with dedicated forward optics is the stronger choice.

Is a 360 dash cam worth it?

It depends what you want the footage to prove. A 360 camera is very good at showing the full context of an incident, including side impacts and what happened inside the car. If your main worry is a side swipe, a car park hit or a dispute with a passenger, it is the right tool.

What is the disadvantage of a 360 dash cam?

Resolution is spread across far more of the scene. The Vantrue E360 stitches its 5.2K panorama from two 2K class sensors. Fine detail such as a number plate at distance is therefore harder to resolve than on a conventional camera that spends its whole sensor on the road ahead. That is the trade you make for the coverage.

Does the Vantrue E360 need a hardwire kit for parking mode?

Yes. All four parking modes need constant power, which the cigarette lighter socket does not supply once the car is off. The manual specifically warns against kits from other brands, because accessory detection pins differ between makers. The Vantrue ACC hardwire kit and the OBD cable are both listed as compatible with the E360.

Am I allowed to record my passengers?

Recording people inside your car, and especially recording their conversations, is governed by surveillance devices legislation. That law is set by each state and territory in Australia, not nationally, and the rules are not the same everywhere. Check the current law for your own state before you rely on cabin audio. Many rideshare drivers turn audio off and display a notice. This is general information rather than legal advice. Checked 13 August 2026.

Will my insurance go down if I have a dash cam?

In Australia, generally no. The Insurance Council of Australia has said there is no standard premium reduction for having a dash cam installed. Most Australian insurers do not offer one. The practical benefit is evidence. Clear footage can support a not-at-fault claim and can speed up how quickly liability is settled. Check with your own insurer, since policies differ. Checked 13 August 2026.

The verdict

The Vantrue E360 is the most genuinely different dash cam we have bought this year, and we mean that as a compliment. Nothing else we stock records the road and the cabin as one stitched view, then comes off the glass and works in your hand.

It wears a lot of hats and it wears them well. It is a cabin camera for anyone carrying passengers. It is a full coverage camera for anyone who wants the sides and the back on record. It is a handheld 360 camera for vlogging, a campsite or a job site. Very few products in this category try to be more than one thing, and this one pulls off three.

Give it a good high endurance card and a proper hardwire kit and it does its best work. It trades some long range plate detail for everything else it covers, and for the drivers who buy it that is the right way round. If that trade is the wrong way round for you, we will happily point you at a camera that suits you better.

Not sure whether the base camera, the E360 Plus or the E360 ACE is right for your car? Give Michael or Harrison a yell. We will talk you through it honestly, including telling you if a different camera suits you better. No worries either way.

Last reviewed: 27 August 2026. The sensor, resolution, rating and specification figures on this page come from Vantrue's own published material rather than from controlled testing by us. If a specification, a feature or a claim on this page is wrong or has gone out of date, tell us and we will correct it.

Commercial disclosure: The Dash Cam Guys sells the Vantrue E360, so read this as retailer buying advice rather than an independent laboratory test. No brand paid for, sponsored or supplied anything for this review. We buy the cameras we review out of our own stock, the same stock we sell. Specifications, including the 5.2K stitched resolution, the 210 degree lens coverage and the memory card support, are Vantrue's own published figures from the E360 user manual version 1.3 and Vantrue's product listings, and are manufacturer claims unless we say otherwise. Performance findings come from named independent reviewers and from owner reports, and each is identified in the text. Where a reviewer disclosed that the manufacturer supplied their unit, we have said so. Our comments on the Vantrue Android app, the slide-off mount and the rear camera connector come from our own hands-on use of the camera we bought. We have not published our own controlled measurements of plate readability, night cabin identification, heat behaviour or battery runtime for this camera, and we have not tested the PC software or the export process. If a specification, a feature or a claim on this page is wrong or has gone out of date, tell us and we will correct it.