Drones become increasingly popular and they open new opportunities and possibilities for an unprecedented number of industries around the world. Filmmakers, photographers, farmers, engineers, and even law enforcement use drones today. No longer confined to the military, they also make travel photography more exciting. Rather more than toys, the bigger ones sometimes need registration with the FFA. But, for learners, not all of the best drones for beginners come with that requirement.
Using drones not only helps people grab some amazing footage, but they also get some shots from a different perspective. Making a vlog on YouTube, or just want some stunning birds-eye-view videos? Well, these days, the technology’s right at your fingertips. Naturally, they can be a little tricky to fly and beginners should maybe start off with those a bit easy on the pocket while learning to fly. So, check out our list of the best drones for beginners.
Holy Stone HS170 Predator
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The Holy Stone HS170 Predator comes with a 2.4Ghz 6-Axis Gyro and four channels. The quadcopter delivers between six to eight minutes of flight time and takes 45 minutes to an hour to recharge. The control range is about 30-50 meters, and as it weighs less than 0.55 lbs, you don’t need an FFA registration.
The price range makes it easy on the pocket for first-timer flyers. The unit’s very easy to learn and it’s quite durable when crashing it.
What we love
- Cheap and stylish, the Holy Stone HS170 Predator is a drone that’s exceptional in its price range.
- The three flight modes the small drones offer are complemented by its excellent 6-axis gyro stabilization system.
- The headless security system makes the drone safe and easy to fly.
Pros
- The flexible plastic frame makes more durable in the event of minor crashes.
- The excellent controls make it easy to adjust the throttle.
- It manages stability most days if it’s not too windy.
Cons
- It tends to heat up, so you need to take a break between each flight.
- The battery is tricky with the arrangement of the wires and they could break.
- The controller works well but it takes ages to figure it out as they have no symbols.
Altair AA108 Hornet
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The Altair AA109 Hornet‘s suitable for newbies. The drone comes with a built-in 720p HD camera. It takes video and images with the 120 Degree Wide-Angle lens. The unit comes with three separate flight modes. The headless mode makes this perfect for learners and you can use it indoors with some practice. That puts this on our list of the best drones for beginners.
Learners love it because of the built-in take-off and landing featured operated off a single button. It also comes with an emergency landing function.
What we love
- Altair AA818 Hornet’s flight modes that make it easier to maneuver.
- 1-button takeoff & landing is nice.
- Generally, it flies nice and smoothly and is quite steady.
Pros
- It flys for up to ten minutes at a range of 100m.
- The out of range alarm, is useful, as it the emergency landing function.
- You can make your own customized flight path on your smartphone.
Cons
- Sometimes it tries to take off again after using the landing feature.
- Many customers complain about poor after-sales customer support.
- The range is not always as far as advertised and if it goes beyond range, sometimes it flies off into the wild blue yonder on its own mission.
Altair Aerial Blackhawk
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The Altair Aerial Blackhawk will fly for around 15 to 17 minutes and comes with medium throttle options to allow for that. With a 300 to 500 meter range, it’s not bad. Plus, to help with avoiding burnout it has v 6-Axis Gyro And Independent ESCs Built-in Automatic Lock Protection.
The camera mount allows for Go-Pro Hero 3 attachment and 4 other cameras. Rather than plastic, The Blackhawk has a metal body. It weighs just 0.16 ounces.
What we love
- Speed and durability are superior features of the drone.
- The camera mount makes it flexible for upgrading camera quality.
- The range is very good.
Pros
- The battery life is much longer than other products in the same price range.
- It flies well in windy conditions.
- Control responses are fast.
Cons
- There’s no altitude hold, so that makes it difficult to control.
- The prop tends to contact the propeller guards when landing.
- The controls tend to be oversensitive and you can really quickly lose too much altitude.
Holy Stone HS100G
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Holy Stone HS100G is one of the cheapest entry-level drones so we put it on our list of the best drones for beginners. It comes with a built-in camera with a maximum resolution of 1080p FHD which makes every shot cinematic. Real-time transmission and control are also possible with the Holy Stone HS100G and its 5G FPV Wi-Fi transmissions.
In addition, the GPS and sensors installed in the quadcopter assure that the drone’s smart technology leads to fewer crashes. It delivers really good plug-and-play features.
What we love
- The Headless Mode, with Altitude Hold and One Key Takeoff and landing functions, are great for kids and learners.
- The click of a button brings it back to the takeoff point through GPS mode.
- The batter has no wires to worry about.
Pros
- It comes with extra propellers, landing gear, screws, caps, and more in case your crash it.
- We love the “explosion-proof” bag that comes for battery charging.
- You can change the camera angle at any time during flight.
Cons
- It can take five to eight hours to recharge the battery.
- It only flies for about 12 minutes on one charge.
- The unit doesn’t fly very well in windy conditions.
Parrot Bebop 2
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The Parrot Bebop 2 comes with a 14-megapixel 1080p fisheye lens camera that takes stunning and breathtaking cinematic videos and images. It’s also compact enough to fit into your travel bag. The powerful motor means users can get a reasonable altitude. That makes it our choice for this list of the best drones for beginners. It comes with two sets of blades. While there’s no actual controller a free app you can download works on your phone.
You can fly it with either your WiFi-enabled phone, FPV controller or a Sky-Controller but they need a separate purchase. The package weighs in at 2.8 pounds.
What we love
- Parrot Bebop 2 package includes the drone, FPV goggles, and sky controller or app.
- The 2700 mAH battery gives a good life.
- The intelligent flight mode maneuvers on its own to some extent.
Pros
- For a refurbished product, it’s very well presented and feels sturdy.
- The drone’s not hard to assemble and seems very user-friendly.
- Up to 25-minutes of flight time’s exceptional for products in this price range.
Cons
- Some people complain about slow or poor customer service.
- If you land it in water it sinks.
Ryze Tello
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The Ryze Tello comes purpose made with learners in mind. So, we put it on our list of the best drones for beginners. It comes with a 720p MP4 camera. Altitude might sound limited at about 10m, but you stand less chance of crashing it and causing damage. The drone brings about 12 to 15 minutes of flying time. The product comes at a dimension of 3.9 x 3.7 x 1.6 inches and weighs 1.12 ounces. Plus, additional propellers come with the package.
What we love
- Extended flying time’s easy if you carry an extra battery. Swopping them out is not complicated.
- Setup only takes about three minutes via the app.
- It’s easy to fly even in breezy conditions.
Pros
- Very durable, it seems almost immune to damage from crashes.
- It’s quite stable in the wind and flies very easily.
- Pictures and video recording is easy to do.
Cons
- It’s charged by a micro-USB cable connected to the drone so you need a separate purchase.
- It’s difficult to land after dark, so you’re limited to clear daylight flying.
- Each time you power down the drone you need to do the network setup again.
DJI Spark
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The DJI Spark line of the smaller units is ideal for those learning to fly a drone. It comes with FaceAware, meaning the drone lifts off from your hand by via facial recognition. Weighing in at 1.49 pounds, the compact machine also comes with obstacle avoidance. We put it in our list of the best drones for beginners because automated flight modes make easy to fly.
The decent propulsion makes for quite steady flight even in windy conditions. Editing for photos and videos comes with the app. The camera has an f/2.6 wide-angle lens with a 25 mm focal length.
What we love
- Taking photos just involves hand gestures, without a mobile device.
- The flight is extremely stable.
- Those hand gestures really work, making this an incredible little drone.
Pros
- The Fly More Combo from DJI is excellent value for money and cheaper than just the done.
- You don’t need a person to take a selfie for you. This little gadget can even do that.
- Almost anyone can figure out how to use it as it’s so user-friendly.
Cons
- The flight time comes in at less than advertised.
- The battery has a tendency to fall out, resulting in a broken drone.
- While good, the video’s not of excellent quality for YouTube.
DJI Mavic Mini
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The Mavic Mini weighs just 249g. Compact and foldable, it’s easy to carry around or even pack when traveling. The unit supports 12MP aerial photos and 2. 7K Quad HD videos. The extended flight time means it can stay aloft for up to 30 minutes it has a 3-axis gimbal for steadiness. It comes with a mini-bag and a two-way charging hub.
What we love
- There’s no need to register it with the FAA as it’s lightweight.
- It’s compatible with memory cards up to 256GB which is quite fast.
- The flight time’s close to that 30-minutes advertized.
Pros
- Easy portability definitely makes it a big pro for this little drone.
- The DJI Fly app uses the Geospatial Environment Online warning you if you’re in an area where flying is restricted.
- If it disconnects from your controller or phone, it flies back to its take-off point.
Cons
- The app is chinaware and probably collecting your data.
- Definitely get propeller guards for handling this when in any active mode.
- It doesn’t seem to work with Android phones.
Parrot Anafi
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The Parrot Anafi is aimed at beginner pilots. The drone shoots in 4k and 2.7k with 21 megapixels for photos. The drone comes with a 180° tilt gimbal and 25-minute flight time. The large 4,000-meter range is superior compared to others in the price range. Usefully, this drone’s easily portable with folding features. There’s a smart Li-Po battery for fast charging.
The drone’s designed to reach a speed of 55 km/h in sports mode. it comes with a Parrot Skycontroller and a three folding remote control.
What we love
- The drone hovers on the pre-set altitude until you’re ready to perform some maneuvers.
- The Anafi camera shoots in RAW as well as JPEG and DNG.
- it comes with GPS position hold and Smart RTH.
Pros
- It really delivers the advertised flight time of 25 minutes.
- As this drone really flies itself it’s extremely user-friendly, making it one of the best drones for beginners.
- The battery’s really small but delivers plenty of flight time.
Cons
- Follow me and Free Flight functions are available but you need to pay extra.
- It does not come with obstacle avoidance.
- Sometimes it drops the video feed for no apparent reason.
DJI Mavic Pro
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Mavic Pro Series by DJI, comes with an excellent reputation. It’s compact and easy to transport on your scenic journey around the world. The unit comes with dual-satellite connectivity and four optical sensors. Usefully for beginners, it also features the GPS go-home function. The 4k HD camera combined with the 3-axis gimbal makes brings stable imaging. The Mavic promises a flight time of up to 27 minutes.
Dronerush reviewed it by noting, “we are un-apologetically in love with this drone.”
What we love
- The built-in camera pairs with almost any table or smartphone.
- Lights for flying after dark work very well.
- Footage shot from above is clear and very good quality.
Pros
- The drone itself hovers steadily and that helps for good images as there’s no shaking.
- Both beginners and more professional photographers get quality footage from this drone.
- The product’s robust and quite durable compared to others in the price range.
Cons
- A common complaint is the gimbal overloading and minor breakages.
- Another fairly common complaint involves battery issues.
- The controls are quite complex, so read the manual carefully.
- You need an FAA license.
Yuneec Typhoon H Pro
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The Yuneec Typhoon H Pro comes with a 20-megapixel camera. In the price -range, for beginners, it sits near the top. It’s not a toy you can afford to play around with and break. However, it can fly in windy conditions of up to 35mph. Usefully, it comes with Intel RealSense Collision Avoidance. Plus, you’ll find Intelligent Autonomous Flight Modes. The drone has a 10,000-meter range and up to 30 minutes of flight time. The controller comes with a seven-inch touch screen.
The package consists of the hexacopter, the camera, two batteries, and charging accessories. The smart controller and the travel bag are also supplied, as well as a quick-start guide.
What we love
- You can keep it aloft if one motor fails as it has a six-rotor design. making this one of the best drones for beginners on the market.
- It’s a powerful and smoother flying machine.
- The drone comes with retractable landing gear.
Pros
- It takes about one to two hours to recharge and two batteries will give about 45 minutes of flight time.
- The camera rotates 360.
- The controller is exceptionally easy to figure out.
Cons
- It has lots of No-Fly programming so it might not work well in some areas like near schools.
- The unit heats up, so you may need to let it cool in-between flights.
- Users complain about poor customer service from Yuneec.
DJI Mavic Air
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The Mavic Air seems one of the favorite drones used by many travel vloggers, videographers, and photographers. Quality performance takes this into the more professional spectrum of drone-flying. People like this drone because it comes with a good reputation and it’s compact and fast. The unit comes with 4K video at 100 Mbps with 30 fps while its slow-motion shots can go as high as 120 fps in 1080p video quality.
Weighing just 15.2 ounces, this item’s ideal for travelers. It folds up to the size of a smartphone. Plus, it’s robust with magnesium alloy brackets to reinforce the seven onboard cameras. Grab some unique shots of the longest bridges in the world, or any other destination.
What we love
- Image stabilization is superior because of the three-axis gimbal.
- Three-directional environment sensing and smart modes make it easy to fly.
- It comes with four km of transmission signal.
Pros
- It comes with internal storage of eight Gb and additional memory sticks are easy to find.
- Considering the technology in this drone, it’s remarkably easy to learn to fly.
- It flies with stability in winds up to 20kmh.
Cons
- Customers complain about poor customer service if they experience issues with the drone.
- The signal drops sometimes, which could cause problems.
- You must register this with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Mavic Pro 2
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The DJI Mavic Pro 2 is an exceptional drone. This product comes with the Pro Drone Quadcopter. The Fly More Combo includes a waterproof case and a backpack, ideal for travelers. It boasts a Hasselblad Camera and three batteries. Included are ND filters, a 128GB SD Card, the landing pad and VR goggles.
In the DJI Mavic 2 PRO Factory Package, you also get a battery charger with an AC cable. Then there are the extra remote control sticks and the controller. Add in spare propellers and adapters and cables, and you have one of the best drones for beginners, albeit at the top of the price range. But, you get what you pay for.
Protect your precious drone with one of the 13 Best DJI Mavic Pro 2 Cases & Backpacks.
What we love
- The fly more kit works out a lot cheaper than purchasing the parts separately.
- The robust case and the travel backpack are ideal for transporting it around.
- The camera takes precise and clear photos and video shots.
Pros
- Many users rate this as one of DJI’s best consumer drones available.
- The guide manuals are comprehensive and easy to understand.
- It’s robust so learner crashes don’t always end up in a throw-away product.
Cons
- It might be too pricey for very first time flyers who don’t know if they intend sticking with it as a hobby.
- The batteries in the hub don’t all charge at once, so allow time for them to all get charged up.
- The gimbal protector can be a bit finicky when trying to attach it.
