What are the Best Drones for Beginners?

Drones can be used in many areas today, such as aerial videography, wildlife tracking, land surveying, etc. Many enthusiasts today also take up drone flying and assembling as a hobby. You’ll agree that we can all find countless ways through which drones can improve our lives and provide some entertainment. There are countless makes and models of drones in the market today. All this can be quite confusing especially if you are a beginner.

The following is a beginner’s guide to help you get started on the basics.

Top Drones for Beginners

Drone Features Price
1st BLADE Nano QX RTF

BLADE Nano QX RTF Quadcopter
Review

  • No assembly required
  • Flight time 5-10 minutes
  • Very durable; not likely to break
  • Great starter drone for kids & adults

$80

2nd UDI U818A

UDI U818A_nobg
Review

  • Ready to fly out of the box
  • 7-9 minutes of flight time
  • Flying range up to 100 feet
  • Camera included for photos & video

$90

3rd Sky Viper V950HD

Sky Viper V950HD Video Drone
Review

  • Flight time of 5-7 minutes
  • Polypropylene body to withstand crashes
  • Flying distance of 100-200 feet
  • Comes with a camera

$110

Getting Started

How you intend to use your drone will greatly dictate the type you buy and even how much it will cost. There are drones with low specs that cost as little as $30 whereas there are high-end professional drones that can cost as much as $10,000. Therefore, whether or not you plan to get a drone to aid you professionally, it would be advisable to get a cheaper one first so that you can learn the basics before you move on to something more expensive. A small $30 investment will ensure that you do not crash your $1000-plus drone in the future.

Drone Attributes

As a beginner, the best type of drone to go with would be a quadcopter. These types of drones are simple, more stable, and easier to control than the others. As their name suggests they are designed with four propellers placed in an evenly spaced formation. Most quadcopters can generate enough lift to carry up to 2 pounds. The four propellers also allow them to remain stable and in the full control of the operator. They can also remain steady in winds of speeds of up to 15 mph.

Quadcopters are also designed to regulate the speed of each propeller separately so that it can remain balanced and in place whenever it hovers.

Drone manufacturers supply the drones in different forms. Some drones require some assembling (Almost Ready to Fly) while others come completely assembled and ready for use (Ready to Fly/RTF). Other advanced users prefer assembling their drones from scratch. As a beginner, you should play it safe and go for the RTF.

Top Drones You Can Purchase Below $140

Since you mainly need this drone to help you learn the basics, or maybe you want to fly drones with your kids as a family activity, it would be best to keep its cost as low as possible. The following are the top five affordable drones you can choose from.

5. The Syma X5C
This drone comes with a set of rotor guards to protect the blade when accidentally bump it against any object. The guards allow you to worry less about damaging the propellers and more about learning the controls. When fully charged, the X5c can give you up to 7 minutes of flying time. That should be sufficient time to learn a thing or two. It is about $50. Of course, the prices will change with time.

4. The UDI U818A
Just as the X5c, the UDI U818A is a good fit for a beginner drone pilot. There are many upgrades available in the market for this drone. This drone can give you up to 10 minutes of flying times. It is currently around $60 dollars. It price to may change with time.

3. The Extreme Flyers Micro Drone
This is a step-up from the above two. The Extreme Flyers Micro Drone features a smaller and sturdier design. It can give you up to 7 minutes of flying time with a usable range of up to 50 meters. The advantages of this drone make up for it relatively higher price. It is currently sold at around $137.

2. The Hero RC V626
The Hero RC V626 is also a step-up from the Extreme Flyers Micro Drone and the other two above. It is built in with an LED display that illuminates it well in dark places. Just as the above drones, it comes with an inbuilt camera. The Hero RC V626 is currently sold at around $90.

1. The Nano QX RTF with SAFE
The Nano QX RTF is an award winning design that features a light and tough body with an airframe that comes with rotor guards. This minicopter is an excellent fit for any beginner drone pilot. This drone features exclusive SAFE technology with agility and stability.

Author: Stacey Miller
Copyright: 2016 BestDronesToBuy.org