- 9.80/10 1. Premium pick: SANROCK U52 Drone
- 9.20/10 2. Editors choice: SNAPTAIN SP350
- 8.80/10 3. Best value: Holy Stone HS210
- 9.00/10 4. SNAPTAIN A10
- 8.60/10 5. Potensic A20 Mini
- 8.80/10 6. Q9s Drone
- 8.00/10 7. Holy Stone Shadow
If you’re looking for the best drones for beginners, look no further. We’ve searched the internet for the absolute best in beginner drones so you can start flying without the stress.
Let’s break down the best drones for beginners, from the simple to the feature-packed.
Just because you’re looking for a beginner drone, it doesn’t necessarily mean you want the cheapest model on the market. Sometimes you’ll find an affordable drone that has a great set of features, so you can get the most out of your new drone without spending too much on your first model.
One such drone is the Sanrock U52. In terms of features, it doesn’t skimp; it has a 720p camera, can be piloted with a first-person camera on an app, and can take off and land at the touch of a button. It even has a route-plotting mode for automatic flying.
Despite all this, however, the Sanrock has a price tag that rivals even the market’s cheapest models. This makes the Sanrock the perfect pick for someone who wants premium features but isn’t confident in spending over $ 100 on their first drone.
- Features a 720p camera
- Can land and take-off with one button
- Can be piloted via the app in first-person mode
- Brand: SANROCK
- Camera: 720p
- App: Yes
- Speed: 2 speed modes
- Weight: 178g
- Range: 320ft
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi
- Battery: 12-15 minutes flight time
- First-Person View (FPV): Yes
- Easy to fly
- Good picture quality from the camera
- Features intuitive and responsive controls
- Doesn't come with its own power adapter
SANROCK U52 Drone amazon
If you want a drone that’s effortless to launch, you need to check out the Snaptain SP350. While other drones require a little bit of expertise to get it off the ground, the SP350 has a unique way of getting airborne. Just throw it up into the air, and it’ll begin flying right away!
The SP350 also has some handy tricks up its sleeve. You can activate Circle Fly to do donuts in the air, press the Flip button to do airborne tricks and flips, and adjust the speed on the fly. All of this is achievable on the drone’s intuitive and easy-to-use controller.
- Comes with three batteries for a combined 21 minutes of fly time
- Uses a unique Throw to Go launching technique
- Can perform tricks at the touch of a button
- Brand: SNAPTAIN
- Camera: No
- App: No
- Speed: 3 speed modes
- Weight: 24.75g
- Range: 30m
- Connectivity: Remote control
- Battery: 21 minutes flight time
- First-Person View (FPV): No
- Easy to fly
- Controls can be easily understood by children
- Can be tricky to swap out batteries
SNAPTAIN SP350 amazon
If you’re looking for a drone that you wouldn’t mind losing, the Holy Stone Nano Quadcopter is a fantastic choice. Its low price and ease of piloting make it an excellent gift for any child eager to fly.
That doesn’t mean it’s not for adults, though; its sleek design makes it look more than just a simple toy. If you want to invest in a drone, but you’re worried about the cost of having to buy a new one after every devastating crash, this drone should elevate those fears.
Just because it’s cheap, however, doesn’t mean it’s of low quality. This drone comes with three batteries, which bumps up its flight time to 21 minutes; more than enough time to get some drone practice in!
- Comes with three batteries for 21 minutes of flight time
- Can do 3D flips
- Easy to control
- Brand: Holy Stone
- Camera: No
- App: No
- Speed: 3 speed modes
- Weight: 164ft
- Range: 50 meters
- Connectivity: Remote control
- Battery: 21 minutes flight time
- First-Person View (FPV): No
- Feels well-built and sturdy
- Great altitude control
- Can be easily buffeted by light winds
Holy Stone HS210 amazon
Do you want a drone you can pack up and take with you to a spacious outdoor flying spot? Then be sure to give the Snaptain A10 a shot. Its main draw is its foldable design, which allows it to be packed up into an easy-to-carry shape. It’s a rare feature amongst budget-friendly beginner drones, so if you want to go out and about, this one’s a must.
It’s not just a one-trick pony, however. It also has a 720p camera attached to it, which you can view using an app on your smartphone. The camera can detect gestures for photos and video recording, so you need not use the app. Just position the drone correctly, get everyone into the frame, then make a gesture for an instant photo.
- Has a 720p camera
- Can fold up for easy carrying
- Features gesture-based photos and video recording
- Brand: SNAPTAIN
- Camera: 720p
- App: Yes
- Speed: 3 speed modes
- Weight: 521g
- Range: 80m
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi
- Battery: 7 minutes flight time
- First-Person View (FPV): Yes
- Easy for a child to fly
- Good responsiveness
- Live video feed to the app can be choppy
SNAPTAIN A10 amazon
If you’re worried about your new drone smashing into tiny pieces within seconds of its first flight, then be sure to take a look at the Potensic A20 Mini. It’s built for kids, which means it can handle rough bumps and tumbles without exploding into parts mid-flight.
Not only that, but everything down to the controller is designed with kids in mind. No bulky controllers or confusing buttons; anyone can pick up and play with the drone. There are plenty of customer testimonials showing kids of all ages flying their drones effortlessly around the room, so you can be sure this is a solid pick for your own children.
- Easy to carry
- Has a child-friendly control scheme
- Comes with altitude hold for easier flying
- Brand: Potensic
- Camera: No
- App: No
- Speed: 3 speed modes
- Weight: 190g
- Range: 50ft
- Connectivity: 2.4Ghz Remote Control
- Battery: 10-13 minutes flight time
- First-Person View (FPV): No
- Easy for kids to fly around
- Simple to take-off and land
- Can continue flying away if it flies out of range, so it's best flown indoors
Potensic A20 Mini amazon
If you’re someone who enjoys the flashy visuals that a drone can achieve, you need not look further than the Q9s Drone. Its main draw is the light-up rotors that make every flight a miniature light show. This makes the Q9s model a particularly good pick if you plan on doing some twilight flying.
Despite how good it looks, it’s still straightforward to use. It can take off and land at the touch of a button, can do 360-degree flips, and can auto-rotate for an easier time while you fly. It’s designed to withstand bumps and crash landings while also protecting people from the drone’s spinning blades.
- Features attractive light-up rotors
- Contains two batteries for 16-18 minutes of flight time
- Brand: Q9s
- Camera: No
- App: No
- Speed: 3 speed modes
- Weight: 322g
- Range: 230ft
- Connectivity: Remote control
- Battery: 16-18 minutes flight time
- First-Person View (FPV): No
- Quiet operation
- Feels responsive to control
- Easy to pick up and learn
- Individual battery flight life is quite low
Q9s Drone amazon
The Holy Stone Shadow has an interesting way of supplying the first-person view for cheap; it uses your smartphone as the monitor. Download the app and place your phone in the dock on the controller, and you can watch yourself flying around the neighborhood.
If you have a VR headset for your phone, you can use the Shadow’s VR mode. Just activate the VR mode in the app, put the headset on, and fly yourself around! The lights on the front make it easy to see during twilight, and it can even fold up for easier storage.
- Supports VR flying with your phone
- Can fold up
- Comes with lights for night-time flying
- Brand: Holy Stone
- Camera: 720p
- App: Yes
- Speed: 4 speed modes
- Weight: 82g
- Range: 50-70m
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi
- Battery: 7-9 minutes flight time
- First-Person View (FPV): Yes (including VR)
- Great picture quality
- Perfect for learning how to fly outdoors
- Fragile
Holy Stone Shadow amazon
FAQ
Q: How Do I Choose a Good Drone?
Choosing a good drone means picking one that suits your expectations best. Take some time to sit back and think about what the perfect drone will achieve. Do you want one that can do flashy tricks? Do you want a camera? Perhaps you intend to gift it to a child, so you need something easy to control?
Once you’ve worked out your ideal drone, ensure that your drone comes with the features you want. Take some time to read the reviews and see how people with similar interests liked the drone. Is the picture quality good? Is the drone suitable for kids? It’s a good idea to do some research before buying a drone.
Q: Do Drones Get Boring?
The problem with drones is that they can’t really be tweaked or upgraded. In short, when you’ve flown the drone once, it’ll feel pretty much the same way every time. This means that drones will sometimes lose their appeal after a few days and will be left to collect dust.
As such, it’s a good idea to get a drone that has more use to it than just a fun thing to fly. Try a drone that can do tricks and create a mini obstacle course to pass it through. Grab a drone with a camera and take some great aerial shots around your neighborhood. It’s up to you to get more value and time from your drone.
Q: Which Drone to Buy for Beginners?
A beginner drone requires some balance between cost and quality. If you go too cheap, the drone you get won’t give you the practice you need to work your way up. If you go too expensive, you may crash it into something and not feel like flying drones anymore.
Keep an eye out for drones that are both easy to fly and cheap. If you see a drone’s price point and grimace at the thought of having to re-buy it if you crash it, lower your price point. Always assume that the first drone you get will accidentally dash against a wall or fly off over a hedge; after all, we all have to learn somehow!