Drones aren't just for paparazzi and film crews anymore. A simple beginner's model can cost less than $100, with camera drones starting at a few hundred dollars. More complex drones, starting at less than $1,000, offer customizable and programmable features, turning them into truly autonomous devices that can make their own decisions.
Read on to see some of the choices for different types of flying and budgets. Below the recommendations, you can find tips on shopping for a drone and what rules you need to follow.
1. UDI U818A
Best Drone for Beginners (USD 52.99)
Learning how to fly a drone begins with learning how not to crash. That process will involve a lot of mishaps, so a beginner needs a drone that is tough, but also cheap enough that losing it in a tree or river won't bankrupt them. The UDI U818A has a great range of features for the price. The four-loop style frame protects the large rotors in crashes, and the rotors are cheap (under $3 a set) and easy to replace if they don't survive. The UDI U818A includes a video camera that captures 640 x 480-pixel video, but it can be shaky as the drone vibrates. But for a beginner, this is a hard package to beat.
2. Blade Nano QX RTF
Best Drone for the Money (USD 59.99)
So you've bought a cheap drone, learned how to fly, and want more. The Blade Nano QX is for you, offering a great selection of features for the flier who wants more without spending too much. Prices start under $100 for the basic, no-frills Blade Nano QX RTF model, and go over $300 for the Nano QX FPV RTF model, which includes a first-person-view headset that shows you the drone's perspective of the world. The Blade QX is faster and more maneuverable than cheaper models, but won't break the bank if you do happen to misjudge the top of a tree and get it stuck out of reach.
3. Phantom 2 Vison+
Best Camera Drone (USD 999)
If you want to take pictures while aloft or get the first-person pilot experience, get the DJI Phantom 2. For about $1,100, you get a ready-to-fly quadcopter drone, complete with 14-megapixel camera with 1080p 30 fps or 720p 60 fps HD video capture. The camera is held under the quadcopter body and can tilt independently, allowing you to track an object while flying over it.
A remote control is included, and the Phantom 2 Vision+ can send video back to a smartphone or tablet over a separate Wi-Fi connection, so you can see what is being recorded. If you loose the control connection, the Vision 2+ will automatically try to return to where it took off. Plus, the large and easily swappable 5200 mAh battery offers a company-claimed 25 minutes of flight time: significantly longer than most. (An extra battery costs about $100.)
A remote control is included, and the Phantom 2 Vision+ can send video back to a smartphone or tablet over a separate Wi-Fi connection, so you can see what is being recorded. If you loose the control connection, the Vision 2+ will automatically try to return to where it took off. Plus, the large and easily swappable 5200 mAh battery offers a company-claimed 25 minutes of flight time: significantly longer than most. (An extra battery costs about $100.)
4. Air Hogs RC Helix X4 Stunt
Best Miniature Drone (USD 64.99)
Good things do come in small packages. A miniature drone can fly indoors or in a small yard, allowing you to practice in bad weather. The Air Hogs RC Helix X4 Stunt is cheap and simple to fly, with ducted fans and a foam-rubber coating to prevent it from damaging things if you fly into them. (You should still use caution, however: It can fly fast enough that it can knock objects over.) That design makes it a great pick for the novice or for a practiced flier who doesn't have easy access to the space that full-size drones require.
5. 3D Robotics Iris+
Best Drone for Pros (USD 750)
If you are constantly trying to shave a couple of ounces off your drone to fly for longer, or to reprogram it to automatically track your dog on a walk, the Iris+ from 3D Robotics is for you. It's easy to assemble and fly, but you can reconfigure it to do anything you want. The Iris+ includes a USB computer interface and open-source software for creating GPS-guided flight plans and controlling every aspect of the drone, such as keeping the optional GoPro camera pointed at a specific object, automatically compensating for wind, or even controlling external lights and other devices. It isn't cheap (starting at more than $700 for the base model, and rising to over $2,000 for the fully featured model), but the Iris+ offers the best features and flexibility for the serious do-it-yourself flier.
NOTE: All prices are based on Amazon listings.
