Complete Guide on the Best Drones to Buy

Best Drones to BuyAre you in the market for a drone? Drones are growing quickly in popularity, but there are several things to consider when deciding which drone is best for you. Below are some questions you should ask yourself followed by some helpful information and answers to those questions.

Are you a beginner when it comes to flying drones, or do you have some experience under your belt and are looking to upgrade? Are you an adult buying a drone for yourself or are you looking to purchase one as a gift for a child or teen? Is long flight time important to you or are you more concerned with stunt capabilities? Do you just want to enjoy flying your drone or are you looking to take pictures and/or video with your drone? No matter what you are looking for, there is a drone to meet your needs.

Top Drones to Buy by Category

Drone Features Price
BLADE Nano QX RTF

BLADE Nano QX RTF Quadcopter
Review

  • Best Drone for Kids
  • No assembly required
  • Very durable; not likely to break
  • Flight time 5-10 minutes

$80

DJI Phantom 3 Standard

DJIPhantom3Standard
Review

  • Top Choice for Long Flight Time
  • Flight time of 25 minutes
  • Built-in GPS tracking system
  • Camera takes professional quality photos

$499

Yuneec Q500 4K Typhoon

YuneecQ5004KTyphoon
Review

  • Best for Experienced Flyers (Adults)
  • Comes equipped with GPS
  • Flight time up to 22 minutes
  • Removable camera included

$959

Beginners

Are you just beginning to fly drones? It can be a good idea to obtain a relatively inexpensive drone to practice on before upgrading to a more expensive model. Things to look for are durability, flight time, how far you can control the drone, and ease of use.

The UDI U8181A drone ($50-$100) is a starter model that can be great to learn on. Ready to fly out of the box, it flies for 7–9 minutes on a full battery charge, comes with a camera, and is made to withstand crashes.

More Experienced Flyers

If you are an adult and a more experienced flyer, you may be looking to test your skills on a drone capable of doing stunts and taking aerial photographs and video. GPS tracking comes standard on drones priced $400 and up so you won’t have to worry about losing your drone. Many also feature a return-to-home feature that allows the drone to return to the controller before the battery dies.

The Yuneec Q500 4K Typhoon Quadcopter ($959) offers safety features such as creating a smart circle around the operator to make sure both take-offs and landings are safe. It has automated flight controls such as Follow Me and Watch Me which enable taking selfie videos and having the drone follow you wherever you go.

Children

Are you purchasing one for a child? Durability is an important factor. You don’t want the drone to break on its first flight. You may also want to look at the physical size of the drone – is it a size the child can manage easily? Do you want a basic drone that simply flies or are you looking for one with a camera?

The BLADE Nano QX RTF Quadcopter ($50-$100) may be an excellent choice for a child if you are interested in a small basic flying drone. It measures 5.5 inches and no assembly is required. Perhaps most important, it has a tough construction and is not likely to break itself or other objects when it crashes.

Flight Times

Flight times for drones can vary widely depending on what price point you are looking at. Time in the air can be as short as five minutes for lower-priced model and tends to top out at 25 minutes for expensive models flying under ideal conditions. No matter what price drone you are purchasing, it is a good idea to purchase an additional rechargeable battery in order to increase the length of your flying experience.

A high-quality mid-priced drone with a long flight time is the DJI Phantom 3 Standard ($499). It can fly up to 25 minutes on a single charge. It also can be controlled up to 1 km away and includes a camera that can take professional quality photos.

Cameras and Photography

Drones can be great for capturing aerial photos and videos. If a drone comes with a camera, you will want to check out the video resolution and speed, number of megapixels for still images, the size of the lens, and special modes and features. Are you looking to capture some fun shots to impress your friends or are you expecting professional results? What you are able to accomplish will depend a great deal on your budget.

At a low price point, the Sky Viper Video Drone V950HD ($70-$125) includes a camera which captures 640p x 480p photo and video. It also has the ability to take a 360° panoramic shot at the touch of a button. If you have a larger budget, the Yuneec Q500 4K Typhoon Quadcopter ($959) offers 4K/30fps video, slow motion capabilities, and 12 MP resolution on still photographs. It also comes with a Steadygrip Handheld Device which allows you to use the camera on the ground.

GoPro

The GoPro lines of cameras are considered to be some of the best available when it comes to action photography. If you have a GoPro or have been eager to purchase one, you may want a drone to use the GoPro with in order to capture amazing aerial photography.

The 3D Robotics Solo Aerial Photography Quadcopter ($999) was designed especially to work with a GoPro camera. It features several different flight modes which can enhance your photography. Orbit mode will have the drone circle any object of your choosing, Follow Me follows you wherever you go, and Cable Cam follows a virtual line in the sky. The Solo also has the ability to auto-hover which allows you to freeze the drone’s position so you can capture the perfect shot.

Reputable Companies that Make Drones

While you probably won’t decide which drone to buy solely on the company that makes it, it is good to know a little something about the company and brand that stands behind your drone. Four major players in the drone industry are DJI, Yuneec Electric Aviation, 3D Robotics, and Parrot SA.

DJI (Da-Jiang Innovations) is known for making easy to set-up and affordably priced drones that are capable of professional photography. They are a Chinese technology company founded in 2006 whose major lines include the Inspire and Phantom series. Yuneec Electric Aviation was founded in 1999 as a Chinese manufacturer of radio-controlled model aircraft. They have also created an electric paraglider and an electric trike as well as creating the Typhoon and Tornado drones.

3D Robotics is an American company based in Berkeley, California that was founded in 2009. They have produced the Aero-M Fixed Wing UAV, X8 Quadcopter, the IRIS+, and the Solo quadcopters, but have decided to no longer manufacture any model other than the Solo. Last but not least, Parrot SA was founded in 1994 in Paris, France. They have made many developments in wireless technology, especially with the Bluetooth. In 2010, they introduced the Parrot AR Drone flying hardware. This was followed in 2014 by the Bebop drone and in 2015 by the Bebop 2.

Flying a drone should be a fun experience. Here at BestDronesToBuy.org we have done the research for you and once you identify which features are most important to you, you should be able to purchase a drone that meets your needs and provides you with hours of enjoyment.