Nobody can deny the importance of a rearview mirror. This simple component assists us every time we’re reversing our vehicle, parking it in reverse gear or changing lanes during driving. It also helps us decide if the driver right behind us is maintaining a safe distance, in case we’ve to stop suddenly.
That isn’t to say that it doesn’t suffer from (m)any flaws. Factory-made rearview mirrors ignore blind spots, fail to provide a wide-angle view, and the cheap ones among them also produce glare. You cannot ignore these drawbacks if you’re serious about your safety.
Which is why you could do with an aftermarket rearview mirror. Some of them will only rectify the issues mentioned in the previous paragraph. Others will offer extra features such as 360* movement, built-in auto-dimming, and more. Yet both will improve the safety and quality of your drive.
Best Rear view Mirror In 2021 – Reviews and Buying Guide
The ELUTO Anti-Glare rearview mirror is as strong as it looks. It boasts an ABS casing capable of absorbing occasional thumps, impacts, and thuds. The mirror’s shatterproof glass, meanwhile, would withstand accidents without breaking down into shards.
You won’t have to do much to install this product. Simply pressing its suction cup against the windshield, putting the clip down and tightening the screw will get it up and running. The whole process is so straightforward that you’d be through it in less than a minute.
Equally praiseworthy is its anti-glare function. The presence of a shine-resistant coating on its surface allows this mirror to reduce the brightness of lights. You can therefore drive comfortably at night even when someone behind you is driving with a high beam on.
The back of this mirror is as crucial to its performance as its front. That’s because it’s there that the bracket-rotated adjustment and anti-slip screw control lie. The former provides the mirror with 360-degree adjustability, and the latter keeps shaking at bay.
Key Features
- Strong suction cup with 10kg suction power
- Anti-glare coating on the mirror’s surface
- 360-degree angle adjustment
- ABS casing
Why We Like It:
The ELUTO Anti-Glare rearview mirror is straightforward to install, offers 360-degree adjustment and is protected by an ABS casing that would keep it safe for years.
Here is one of those best wide angle rear view mirrors that pack various useful features. Most notable among them is its wide-angle design that enhances your rear viewing range. It also minimizes the driver’s blind spots and all but ensures a safe experience behind the wheel.
Two things about this mirror’s glass deserve your attention. The glass’s design keeps the images from distorting while also minimizing glare and double reflections. And the fact that it has undergone lens dispersion treatment means that it won’t shatter if broken.
This mirror also saves you from the nuisance of taking down or removing your existing rearview mirror. It is equipped with a clip-on design and can be ‘hanged’ on top of its predecessor. You might also find it useful to note that it is (almost) universally compatible and comes with a moneyback guarantee.
Key Features
- Clip-on installation
- Shatterproof glass
- Wide-angle rear view
- 100% moneyback guarantee
Why We Like It:
The Dependable Direct Universal Panoramic Rearview Mirror is backed by a 100% moneyback guarantee, has shatterproof glass and offers a wide-angle rearview.
The Yoolight is undoubtedly the best clip-on rear view mirror on the market. The presence of an adjustable clip on its back is the reason why. You simply have to clip it on top of your existing rearview mirror and slide it all the way down. And the installation would be complete.
The mirror’s glass won’t fall apart into shards when broken. It has an anti-splash design which would break it down into thousands of tiny pieces in such a situation. That means there won’t be any shavings of glass with the potential to cause a severe cut injury.
We were also impressed with its broad panoramic view. It’s much broader than most factory-made rearview mirrors and lets you see everything inside your car. You can also keep a close eye on your children sitting right behind the driver’s or the front passenger’s seat.
Key Features
- ABS casing
- Shatterproof glass
- Universally compatible design
- Ultra-wide design and panoramic rear view
Why We Like It:
The Yoolight Rearview Mirror is incredibly easy to install, offers an ultra-wide rearview angle and has an anti-glare tint to ensure one’s safety behind the wheel.
What is it that you look for when shopping for rearview mirrors? Most people want something that is easy to install, provides a wider viewing angle than the original, and is available at a budget price point. Guess what, that’s precisely what the Yoolight Universal 12″ offers.
Despite being one of the most inexpensive models in this review, it boasts the same clip-on design that you normally get on rearview mirrors costing twice as much. You can therefore count on this model to be as easy to install as its much pricier counterparts. That’s not all.
Yet another feature that budget rearview mirrors normally lack is ABS casing. Yoolight has that too. It is capable of withstanding shocks and impacts without letting go of the glass. The glass, in turn, has an anti-glare tint to prevent double reflections when the driver behind you has high beams on.
Key Features
- Adjustable design
- Anti-glare tint on the glass
- Minimizes double reflections
- Wide-ranging compatibility
- Budget-friendly price point
Why We Like It:
The Yoolight Rearview Mirror prevents double reflections, is compatible with a wide range of vehicles, and is available at a price that won’t blow a hole in your pocket.
The OxGord rearview mirror is different. Both from your original rearview mirror and from many of the aftermarket ones. Mainly because it is incredibly durable, offers unlimited viewing angles and can be used in ATVs and UTVs too. Let’s go through all these points one by one.
Start with innumerable viewing angles. OxGord has made that possible by equipping this model with something you don’t usually find in rearview mirrors – a ball socket joint. It lets you move the mirror to any conceivable position by not posing any restrictions in its path.
Then comes its durability. This lightweight rear view mirror has high-impact ABS housing to shield its glass from feeling the full force of any impact. That isn’t to say that the glass is a shrinking violet. It’s shatterproof and temper-resistant and thus won’t mind facing one or two blows.
While most rearview mirrors work only with cars, trucks, and SUVs, this one does wonders with ATVs and UTVs too. It does that thanks to its installation hardware that lets you wrap its housing around 1.37″ to 2″ tubing. And the best thing about this product? It’s backed by a 1-year warranty.
Key Features
- One-year guarantee
- High-impact ABS housing
- Shatterproof tempered glass
- Unlimited viewing angles
- Image stabilization
Why We Like It:
The OxGord Rearview mirror is a full length rear view mirror that offers unlimited viewing angles and is backed by a 1-year guarantee.
The Rally Panoramic rearview mirror makes full use of its five panels. The two in the middle help you keep an eye on the middle of the rear windshield. You can also tilt them downwards, on occasion, to check out your little ones in the back seat.
The remaining three panels are all about eliminating blind spots. They do that by targeting the area – right next to the rear doors – which most factory-made mirrors black out. You can trust them to keep you aware of any vehicle that is about to overtake you from either side.
All of this is possible because this oversize rear view mirror won’t attach on top or in place of its predecessor. Instead, it comes with mounting hardware using which you can attach it above your vehicle windshield. That is the reason why it fits all cars, trucks, SUVs, and even vans.
Key Features
- Five-panel display
- Full panoramic view
- Windshield installation
- Universal compatibility
Why We Like It:
The Rally Panoramic 5-panel rearview mirror offers an ultra-wide rearview display and is extremely easy to install.
Here is one of those after market rearview mirrors that put their factory-made peers to shame. Where the latter only focus on your rear windshield, this best panoramic rear view mirror keeps an eye on the upper half of the back seats, the entire back windows, and the sides next to rear doors too.
The combo of ABS casing and tough fiberglass has also done wonders for its performance. ABS ensures the glass it has encapsulated remains free of vibrations. The glass, in turn, is borderless to provide easy viewing. You can also tilt it to reduce the glare of bright light that might be troubling your eyes.
One of the standout features of its design is how effortlessly you can fit it. The mirror has stretchable clips that you can hook on top of your existing model. That’s it, installation over! It’s worth pointing out that the clips’ stretchability helps this product achieve universal fitment.
Key Features
- 2.5D borderless design
- Anti-glare tint function
- Clip-on installation
- Panoramic display
- Universal fitment
Why We Like It:
The ELUTO Anti-Glare Rearview Mirror offers universal fitment, can be installed in less than 30 seconds and disperses bright light.
Ever used a car phone mount? Then you may recall how easy it was to stick that device on top of your dashboard. The Heart Horse rearview mirror offers a similar hassle-free installation. Albeit with one obvious difference – you’d push its suction cup against your windshield and not the dash.
The suction cup comes with screws to provide 360-degree adjustability. They are located right behind the mirror and can be twisted with bare hands. Right next to them is an adjustable buckle that lets you decide how tightly or otherwise you want the suction cup to grip the windshield.
Turning our attention to the mirror, it comes with a blue tint that isn’t there for show-off. Instead, it helps you drive safely by reducing glare and by rectifying the problem of double reflections. The blue tint also offers an accurate description of the objects behind your vehicle.
Key Features
- Washable suction holder
- ABS fitting
- Composite fiberglass mirror
- 360-degree adjustability
- Multiple sticky points to hold the mirror in position
Why We Like It:
The Heart Horse Rearview glass mirror offers 360-degree adjustability and can be attached effortlessly against the windshield via its washable suction holder.
Have a kid the age of four? Then it’s likely you also have a rear-facing car seat. Nobody can deny the seat’s utility in keeping your baby safe. But you also have to admit that it makes it hard to keep an eye on your child while you’re driving. Luckily, that’s what this baby car mirror is here for.
It can be installed on the rear seats’ headrest and can be adjusted to ensure your baby stays in its view at all times. It also offers nylon straps to ensure a secure fit and an impact-resistant ABS plastic frame that is as safe for your kid as it’s for the environment.
The glass inside the frame is shatterproof and would thus keep your little one safe in the event of an accident. It is also massive (30cm by 19cm) to provide a full view of the back seat and lets you pivot and rotate it unless you’re sure that the view is exactly what you are after.
Key Features
- Shatterproof Glass
- Mirror rotates and pivots
- Has an impact-resistant plastic frame
- Requires no assembly
- Can be installed right out of the box
Why We Like It:
The Shynerk SH-M-02 Baby Car Mirror has all the features to help you keep an eye on your baby while driving.
How to Choose Rearview Mirrors – Rearview Mirrors Buying Guide
There are four factors you need to consider when choosing rearview mirrors. The first is the size of the mirror’s reflective surface or, in plain English, its viewing area. Then you have to decide which type of rearview mirror – overhead, convex or traditional – you may want next.
The third factor relates to the mirror’s installation mechanism. Many aftermarket models give you the freedom to simply clip them over your existing rearview mirror. Others, meanwhile, come with a full-blown installation kit, thereby requiring you to remove the existing mirror.
The final factor relates to the mirror’s glass. Or, more specifically, the glass’s properties. There are many of them for you to consider. They include the type of glass, whether it is shatterproof or not and how wide is its viewing angle. Read on to know about all these factors in detail.
Viewing Area
The size of its reflective surface determines the rearview mirror’s viewing area. The reflective surface is available in three sizes: 8-inches, 10-inches, and 12-inches. Eight-inch models work best inside smaller cars, but they might not eliminate the blind spot problem.
That is what 10- and 12-inch models do. They provide a wide viewing angle that eradicates the possibility of blind spots in large trucks and SUVs. However, while large-sized mirrors solve one problem, they might create another, especially when used in smaller vehicles.
Such models can impede your front vision by obstructing the front windshield. That’s why it’s always a good idea to make sure that the aftermarket rearview mirror’s size is the same as that of the factory-made model.
Mirror Type
Rearview mirrors are available in three types:
Traditional
PROS: Produces accurate images; shows exact distances
CONS: Has blind spots
Want to get the most accurate images? Don’t want any distortion in terms of distance and size? Then you might want to stick with traditional rearview mirrors. Such mirrors give you an accurate description of things behind you. You’d thus be able to judge better the size of the objects behind your vehicle and how close/far they might be.
Overhead
PROS: Provide a wide-angle back view
CONS: Might impede front vision
Also known as panoramic rearview mirrors, overhead rearview mirrors run from one side of the windshield to the other. This allows them to offer an excellent wide-angle back view. However, since they cover the windscreen’s entire width, overhead mirrors can obstruct your front vision too, especially if you use them in smaller vehicles.
Convex
PROS: Reflect light better; offer wide-angled view regardless of mirror’s size
CONS: Create a distorted image
Such mirrors have an angled surface that acts as a double-edged sword. On the one end, it reflects light better and allows even the smaller convex mirrors to produce a wide-angle view. On the other end, the angled surface creates a distorted image, making it difficult for the driver to assess where other objects are vis-à-vis the vehicle.
Installation
Aftermarket rearview mirrors can be installed in one of these two ways:
Clip-on: Rearview mirrors offering clip-on installation can be attached over the existing mirror – you don’t have to replace the original model. Needless to say that this makes them extremely easy to install.
Installation kit: Rearview mirrors with an installation kit require you to remove your existing model. While not incredibly difficult, their setup requires you to follow a few steps listed in the installation instructions.
Shatterproof and anti-glare glass
Let’s begin with the benefits shatterproof glass provides. It will keep you – and other vehicle passengers – safe in the event of an accident by not letting the glass break down into sharp shards that can cause serious injuries.
Anti-glare glass, meanwhile, protects your eyes. You’ll no longer be troubled by the high beam of the vehicles coming behind you. This will make nighttime driving both safe and comfortable.
Benefits of Rearview Mirrors
Following are the benefits of aftermarket rearview mirrors:
Fewer blind spots: Do you know that more than 800,000 blind spot accidents occur in the US every year? Sure, the built-in rearview mirror isn’t to blame for all of them, but why take chances with your safety. Eliminate blind spots by installing a full-length rearview mirror.
Increased safety: One of the key benefits any oversize rearview mirror offer is a wide-angle rearview. It enables you to see more of what is happening behind your vehicle, thereby helping you in your quest of remaining safe behind the wheel.
Accurate view: Both the traditional and overhead rearview mirrors not only enhance the rear-view. They also provide a better (and more accurate) view than factory-made models. You can thus count on them to help you drive safely.
Reduced glare: Some rearview mirrors let you manually flip them up to reduce the brightness of headlights of vehicles coming from behind. Others have an anti-glare coating for the same purpose – to prevent other vehicle’s headlights from potentially blinding you.
Conclusion
Our guide has everything you need to get the best rearview mirror for your vehicle. That includes a detailed buying guide and reviews of the top nine models on the market. The onus is now on you to make the rearview mirror upgrade. Good luck!