Drones are the new cool gadgets, and they are indeed here to stay. Right from playing on the farm or doing professional photography, drones are used everywhere. Finding the best drone to buy depends on many factors and one of the most important one is your experience with flying drones.
Everyone crashes the drone at some point in time. These are expensive gadgets, and if you don’t have experience flying one, I would strongly suggest going with the wallet-friendly drone before you buy an expensive one. Besides that, before purchasing the drone make sure to check with the local law applicable to flying. You don’t want to get in trouble just for the sake of some fun.
To make your buying choice easy, we have done rigorous research on various drones available in the market and then sorted the best out of them. These are listed based on the number of ratings they have received, make sure to check them out.
1. Holy Stone HS170
Starting the list with an affordable drone for beginners and kids. Before we talk about the features, make sure you read the manual before flying it, else you are likely to crash and turn this gadget to scrap.
Talking about the features, it has a headless mode, which means the drone doesn’t have a head. The front is front and back is back, no matter in which direction the drone is facing.
This is quite helpful for newbies who don’t have much experience flying the drone. The battery life is merely 6-8 minutes and needs almost 45 minutes of charging. It is quite impressive if you wish to gift someone.
Who should buy?
- Kids and first-time drone flyers
- With fun on the top of the list
- No professional photography requirement
- Limited budget to buy a drone
Pros
- Budget-friendly
- Easy to get started
- Lightweight
Cons
- No Camera
Check out on Amazon
Ratings: 4900+ with average 4.5/5
2. Syma X5SW-V3
This is yet another entry-level drone for beginners in an affordable price range. Unlike the one above, this one has a camera; of course, it is not of top-notch quality. For starters, it is excellent as they can learn to fly a drone along with learning drone photography. Besides that, this too has a headless mode, making the flight control an easy task.
There’s an app for iOS and Android to view live video of the drone. You can rest your device firmly on the dock on the controller. It is just a couple of dollars higher compared to the one above.
Who should buy it?
- Beginners and newbie photographers
- Playing outdoor with friends
- Gifting for kids
Pros
- Camera in reasonable price
- iOS and Android app
Cons
- Short remote range
- Very less battery life
Check out on Amazon
Ratings: 1700+ with average 3.5/5
3. Holy Stone F181W
It’s time to raise the stakes with a little-advanced drone for intermediates. This one from Holy Stone has a 720p camera with a 120-degree field of view. It certainly doesn’t have the quality of a professional drone, but it is undoubtedly useful for casual photography when you are out on vacation.
With built-in Wi-Fi, you can see what your camera sees through your smartphone app. One of the nifty features is its ability to hold at a specific altitude; this allows you to take perfect pictures and videos. The company claims that you don’t need FAA registration, but we will recommend you to double check it before flying this product.
Who should buy it?
- Basic experience with flying a drone
- Newbie photographers to learn aerial photography
- Kids and adults who like to have fun
Pros
- 720p camera
- 120-degree FOV
- Built in Wifi
Cons
- Comparatively little big in size to carry around
- Looks are not durable
Check out on Amazon
Ratings: 1600+ with average 4.5/5
4. DJI Phantom 3
DJI is a well-known brand in the drone market. The Phantom 3 from the company is a mid-range gadget when it comes to price tag. It has a 12MP camera that can record 2.7K videos along with live streaming on your mobile at 720p. The drone is assisted using GPS which unlocks many attractive features like Point of interest, Follow Me, and Waypoints mode.
When it comes to battery, it can last for 25 minutes of flying. The Phantom 3 is surely not for beginners, because if you crash, you’ll lose a little more than half a grand.
Who should buy?
- Casual photographers
- Experienced drone flyers
- Frequent travelers who love to capture the aerial view
Pros
- 2.7K video recording with a 12MP camera
- Automatic Return to home feature
- Live video on mobile using the app
Cons
- 500m range
- Hard to set up the first time
- Unreliable automatic landing
Check out on Amazon
Ratings: 1200+ with average 4/5
5. Holy Stone HS110D
This one is for people who have somewhat experience of flying a drone, but they are not expert. Even if you crash this one, you won’t regret much, and that’s mainly because of its price. Even though it is not costly, it doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t worth it. The built-in camera has a 120-degree field of view and can capture videos at 720p.
It comes with a remote that has a smartphone holder. The mobile app has many functions that you can use to make your flying experience a memorable one. It has a 1000mAh battery that gives a little more flying time compared to other drones in this price range.
Who should buy?
- People with little experience of flying a drone
- Travelers that like to click aerial photos and videos
- Gift your kid his first drone
Pros
- Automatic takeoff and landing
- Hold altitude to capture still images
- Emergency stop when the drone is out of sight
Cons
- Only 10 minutes of flying time
Check out on Amazon
Ratings: 600+ with average 4.5/5
6. Syma X20
Syma X20 is a compact drone dedicated for beginners and kids. It is so small that you can hold it in your palm. As it is for beginners, there is no camera, but it has some handy features to get the newbie started. One-click automatic takeoff and landing is one of such useful features.
Besides that, the drone can hold at a specific altitude, even if you let go of the controls. Headless design allows first-time users to get hold of the directional movements easily. Overall, it is a decent product to get started with flying a drone at an affordable price.
Who should buy?
- First-time drone buyers
- Perfect gift for kids
- A user with a limited budget
Pros
- Easy to carry around
- Lightweight
- Wallet-friendly price
Cons
- Not durable enough when crashed
- Shorter flying range
- Only 5 minutes of battery backup
Check out on Amazon
Ratings: 600+ with average 4.5 / 5
7. DJI Mavic 2 Pro
Ideally, this should have been on the top of the list, but because it is a hardcore professional drone with a premium price, it didn’t make it on the top. Regardless, this is one of the best drones to buy in 2019, if you are an expert photographer as well an expert drone flyer. It costs almost a grand and features and quality justifies it correctly.
The drone comes with a bundle of goodies with itself including a 64GB SD card. As it is a professional drone, it comes with a 12MP 4K camera that can capture crystal clear pictures and videos. On top of that, it has a massive 4+ miles of range along with 27 minutes of battery backup.
Who should buy it?
- Expert drone flyers
- Professional photo and videographers
- Surveillance or security agencies
Pros
- 12 MP 4K Camera
- Better battery backup
- 4+ miles of controller range
Cons
- Need technical knowledge for setup
- Bulky along with different accessories
- Only 78.8-degree Field of View
Ratings: 20+ with average 4.5/5
That’s all, folks!
Flying off
Drones are indeed a cool gadget to have fun or for professional photography. But like all other gadgets, they are costly. On top of that, they are hard to master, and a single mistake can make you lose your drone forever and forget about the money. So make sure you choose the right drone based on your usage.
Did we miss any awesome drone that should be on the list? Make sure you let us know in the comments.
Jignesh Padhiyar is the co-founder of iGeeksBlog.com, who has a keen eye for news, rumors, and all the unusual stuff around Apple products. During his tight schedule, Jignesh finds some moments of respite to share side-splitting content on social media.