There are a number of vehicle components that are ripe for an upgrade. Everything from the factory issued radio to the steering wheel, the front lights, and the exhaust system – even the engine. There are a huge number of aftermarket upgrades available for just about every part of the vehicle.
One area of the vehicle that many people overlook when it comes to upgrades is the rear view mirror. But for just a little time and money, even this simple component can receive a useful upgrade, improving your driving experience and safety.
In this article we are going to take a look at some of the best rear view mirrors on the market today, and help you to find the right one for you.
The Best Rear View Mirror
BETOOL 15” ATV Rear View Mirror
We are going to kick off our list with a mirror with a pretty specific purpose. This product, from BETOOL, is designed for use with ATV vehicles. For that reason, if you are looking for a mirror to install in a standard road vehicle, then this may not be the right one for you.
If you do have an ATV that lacks a mirror (or needs an upgrade) then this could be a solid option. First off all it is crazy easy to install. This model includes a very well designed bracket system that simply bolts around the crossbar above the driver. Not only that, the aluminum brackets are designed for a super close fit, holding the mirror safely in place even during the most rugged off road driving experiences.
Allview Rearview Mirror
Our next product represents a solid and safety minded rear view mirror replacement. This mirror is in fact packed to the brim with excellent quality safety features.
The first and most important feature is the rearward view it provides – frankly, it is simply outstanding. The viewing area is 15 inches and 2.3 inches; a far bigger viewing area that you are going to get with your factory equipped rear view mirror. That view is not convex but rather a straight edge mirror. That means that you will see exactly what is going on behind you with no distortion.
Fit System Clip On Rear View Mirror
Fit System is the manufacturer of our next rearview mirror product. Just as their name suggests, this item is all about the fitting. Specifically it is about how easy it is to fit, which is one of the stand out features of this quality design.
This mirror simply clips over the existing mirror in your car. That is it, installation complete! It is worth pointing out that the mirror is compatible with most types of rear view mirror. It should be fine with your mirror, but there is a chance it won’t fit. If so we have heard that Fit System offer refunds for non-compatible mirrors – though this is not official so don’t quote us on that!
Fouring BL Super Wide Angle Rear View Mirror
The next mirror is one with a number of features, but it has one that could be particularly interesting to any parents out there. As may be visible from the item image, this mirror is a little taller than many others, with a viewing surface over 3 inches tall.
When combined with the mild convex shape, this mirror allows you to angle your viewing position so that you can see both out the rear of the vehicle, but also into the backseats. As we said above, that makes this model ideal for parents. It means you can keep an eye on kids in the back seat without having to turn around, a terrifically useful safety feature for any parent.
Eluto Rear View Universal Mirror
We’re halfway through our list of the best rear view mirrors on the market, so it’s time to take a look at something a little different. This mirror from Eluto does not boast the largest viewing area of the mirrors on our list and it does in fact only measure 8.4 by 2.6 inches.
It is not the viewing area that is the standout feature with this item though, but rather its installation method. This mirror makes use of a powerful but very easy to use suction cup device. When this is combined with the 360 degrees of adjustment possible with this mirror, what you have here is a mirror that is ideally designed to cover blind spots.
Issyzone UTV Rear View Center Mirror
We are taking a look at another quality ATV specific rear view mirror here, this time from Issyzone. This is a wide-angle rear view mirror designed exclusively for ATV use. As part of this, it has a number of features not found on the typical rear view mirror designed for normal vehicles.
It is, for example, equipped with a pair of brackets for installation onto the crossbar above the driving position. This has a number of advantages. First of all, it means that installation is very, very quick and easy. All you need is a small, cross head screwdriver to undo the bracket, place the mirror, tighten the bracket again and… well, that’s it actually.
Rally Panoramic 5-Panel Rearview Mirror
If you absolutely have to, no questions asked, definitely 100% need to see everything that is happening behind your vehicle at all times, then we recommend you take a closer look at this mirror from Rally.
This highly innovative design makes use of 5 panels and a very unique mounting cradle for an unsurpassed panoramic view. This truly is a wide-angle rear view mirror, but the trick is that because it has no convex glass, there is no distortion in the image. You are seeing exactly what is happening behind you, and across a very wide angle of vision too.
CIPA Wedge Auto Dimming Rearview Mirror
Next up we have this entry from CIPA. It is both the most expensive but also the most technologically advanced replacement rear view on our list today. This is not simply a plug and play style replacement mirror, but rather a type of mirror that does need a little more time to install, as it needs to be plugged into the vehicle electrical system.
What do you get for that level of investment of money and time though? Well you are getting a mirror that is packed full of more high tech features than can be found on any other model we looked at today. First, and perhaps the biggest stand out, is the auto-dim feature. Have you ever been driving down a road or on the freeway, and had that car behind you that seems to have two ongoing nuclear explosions installed instead of normal headlights?
Yoolight Car Rear View Mirror
So first thing first, Yoolight is a dumb name. On the other hand though they have produced a really interesting replacement rear mirror product here. In fact, what it really is more of a rear view mirror upgrade.
We say that for two reasons. Firstly is the fact that it simply clips over the top of your existing rear view mirror. For one thing, that means install is really easy; it literally takes a few seconds.
Car Mate Razo Wide Angle Rear View Mirror
We’re going to finish up our list with this product from Car Mate, the Razo Wide Angle Rear View Mirror. Is it just us, or is this one of the best looking rear view mirrors on our list today? It just has very clean lines, nice tight 90degree angles and that very subtle but attractive black frame. It looks great!
It’s not just the appearance that is attractive though, the features list is also very eye catching. The first thing to note is that this model makes use of convex glass. That means you get a nice wide angle of rear vision without increasing the actual size of the mirror itself. That’s pretty nice.
Best Rear View Mirror Buying Guide
In our buying guide, we’ll take you through the features that you should keep an eye out for when picking out the best rear view mirror for you. After that, we’ll take a look at how best to use your new tool and answer some of the most frequently asked questions about this extremely useful product.
What to Look for in a Rear View Mirror
- Viewing Area
One of the key features to look for is the viewing area of the mirror itself. This basically refers to the size of the reflective surface. Bear in mind that a convex style mirror will provide wide viewing angles when compared to a traditional mirror of the same size. At the same time though, the convex surface can distort images slightly, meaning a traditional (non-convex) surface can provide a more accurate view of what is happening behind you.
- Installation
We have gone into this a little more below, but it is worth noting that the installation is a feature you should bear in mind. If you don’t want to spend a huge amount of time on the install, look for rear view mirrors that can be installed onto the existing mirror – this is almost more like an upgrade mirror. On the other hand, installing a brand new mirror can bring cool new features like anti-glare or even built in temperature readers and wider viewing angles.
- Anti-Glare
Anti glare coatings on the mirror will protect your eyes from bright headlamps behind you. This can really help to improve your safety during night driving.
- Shatterproof Glass
Last but not least, keep an eye out for shatterproof glass. This is a good feature to help keep you safe in the event of an accident, preventing the mirror shattering into sharp shards that can do real damage.
Benefits of Using an Aftermarket Rear View Mirror
To us there are a number of benefits of an aftermarket rear view mirror:
- Safety
Perhaps the key benefit, a mirror with a wider angle can allow you see more of what is going on behind you. That in turn can help to keep you safe.
- Accurate View
In addition to the way that a better mirror provides a better view, this larger viewing area also means you have a more accurate view of what is going on behind you. This can also help you to drive safer.
- Fewer Blind Spots
A blind spot can be a killer. Bigger mirrors will have less blind spots, providing an all encompassing panoramic view of everything behind you. This can, for example, make freeway lane changes easier and safer.
Types of Rear View Mirror
- Overhead
An overhead style of mirror essentially runs across the width of the windshield. We actually only had the one example on our list above, though we do like these styles of innovative mirrors. They allow an excellent wide-angle rear view, without using convex glass. Speaking of which…
- Convex
Convex is a type of surface that is angled. This means that light reflects off it slightly differently than a traditional surface. On the one hand, this can create a distorted image where it is difficult to judge where some objects truly are in relation to the vehicle. On the other hand, this means that it can provide a wider-angle view with a smaller mirror.
- Traditional
The traditional style of rear view mirror will often look similar to the convex, though it needs to be a little bigger if it is to provide the same wide angle view. On the other hand, it is more accurate, meaning you can better judge distances of objects behind you.
Our Top Pick
There are some high quality items here with a wide range of outstanding features and applications. Naturally, that makes picking out the best rear view mirror something of a hard task!
But we know that you guys come to our because we are not scared to make the big decisions. With that in mid then, we have got to go for the Allview Rearview mirror as the top pick on our list today.
As we highlighted in our review of this product, it just ticked all the boxes that we were looking for in a quality rear view mirror. It had a very wide and seamless view of the rear of the vehicle. It also had built in anti-glare to help during nighttime driving, plus shatterproof glass construction to protect you in case of an accident.
As we noted, it was from the higher end price point of the market. At the same time though it is of such a high quality design and construction it is, to us, well worth the investment.
