Best drones of 2023

The best drones on the market are personal and portable flying machines that deliver a wide range of novel recreational and creative experiences to users everywhere. Drone technology has found extensive use in commercial, defense, and scientific research applications since its development in 1935. And more recently, they have burst onto the consumer market in the form of a variety of snappy devices that are essentially an aerial analog to remote-controlled cars. Among the most popular types of drones are drone cameras, which allow beginners and professionals alike to capture their own drone photography of landscapes, vistas, and weather systems from angles previously inaccessible by traditional means. Because they’re fully controllable and move in three dimensions, these devices can even be used outside creative situations to assess the state of roofs, foliage, and other hard-to-reach areas. There are drones for kids, too, that place emphasis on safety, portability, and flying tricks. If you’re looking to expand your possibilities and explore the sky like never before, a drone is your ticket to seeing things from a whole new angle.

• Best cheap drone camera: Potensic D88 Foldable Drone
• Another great budget drone camera: Dragon Touch DF01 Foldable Drone
• Best drone for beginners: Altair Falcon AHP
• Best drone for kids: Holy Stone HS450 Mini Drone
• Best mini drone: DJI Mavic Mini
• Best DJI drone: DJI Mavic Air 2
• Also great: Drone-Clone Xperts Drone X Pro LIMITLESS 2

Features to consider when shopping for the best drones

The best drones on the market offer a plethora of features to users of all kinds. Beginners, professionals, and even kids can get in on the fun, with wide applications that reach as far as a drone can fly. Safety features, portability, and video quality are all factors to keep in mind when shopping for one.

The best drone cameras integrate the most favorable features of portable high-definition cameras with a small remote-controlled aerial vehicle that flies and maneuvers at will with few limitations. These devices are equipped for capturing footage of vast areas from a high vantage point and are popular among nature enthusiasts and vloggers for the relative ease they bring to recording establishing shots and other wide-angle views. Drone cameras move freely in three dimensions to deliver perspectives that might otherwise go unseen, making them a good choice not only for capturing large areas and landscapes but also for close-up details of hard-to-reach places such as buildings and structures. They’re the favored choice for exploration due to their sheer flexibility and range. Video, photo, and media enthusiasts of any caliber will appreciate the ease at which a camera drone allows them to explore space, offering high-quality video and photo capture and doing the hard lifting while they sit back and steer.

4K video capture isn’t uncommon to see onboard the best professional drones, along with wide-angle lenses and wireless WiFi connectivity to maintain a signal between the drone and the operator for the safe transfer of data to any smartphone. Other significant features to keep an eye out for when choosing a drone camera include an operating distance limit that’s large enough to ensure you capture the footage you desire, as well as an automatic return function for when the device inevitably reaches this limit. By shopping for a camera drone that captures quality high-resolution footage and has an adequate battery life for doing the same, you can all but guarantee that you’ll be pleased with the results of your sky-high endeavors.

1. What budget do you have to work with?

Drones don’t have to be a difficult category to enter if you’re looking to enjoy your own aerial camera footage and remote-control fun on a budget. It’s easy to find an inexpensive model that doesn’t skimp on the basic functionality and flexibility of pricier options, with many models under $100 featuring 1080p video recording and battery times of around 20 minutes right out of the box. When shopping for the best cheap drone, look for a model that offers app control and one-touch or automatic return-to-home functions to make for an overall more flexible user experience. Extras are the key to look for in this category to ensure you get the most bang for your buck, so go for a model that includes replacement batteries or other crucial parts to extending the life of your device. Many cheap drones don’t include a gimbal for image stabilization, which may not make a huge difference in casual applications, but this is one of the biggest factors that can keep costs down.

2. Are you a novice pilot looking for the best beginner drone?

Drones stretch the boundaries of our imagination, allowing users to capture and experience a bird’s eye view almost anywhere. All this newfound freedom and flexibility does come with a bit of a learning curve, however, and piloting one for the first time can prove to be an awkward experience to the uninitiated. The best drone for beginners should have a stabilization or hovering system built into its interface to allow new pilots to adjust to the experience of flying a drone without needing to calibrate it first or constantly compensate for each movement while airborne. Much like training wheels on a bike, a hover system can take some of the pressure off of beginner drone pilots as they grow accustomed to controlling their new device.

The best options for beginners should also be constructed to withstand a reasonable measure of accidental bumps and drops to lower the risk of irreversible damage and to encourage users to get right back in the air after a mistake is made. Propeller guards are an additional favorable feature for beginners to look for, as they will limit the possibility of snags and tangles in foliage or hair and thus make for a generally safer flying experience. Ideally, propeller guards should be removable so that beginning pilots can grow with their drone when they’re ready, as they tend to put a dent in battery life, even if only slightly.

3. Drones for kids should be safe and easy to fly

You don’t have to be an adult to bask in the fun and fascination of flying a drone. When selecting a model for kids, go with a lightweight, durable, and easy-to-control design that places a large emphasis on safety features. A model with propeller guards can protect small fingers during handling and limit the likelihood of tangling in plants or hair, ensuring a stress-free play environment. Some models for kids also include infrared sensors to allow for enhanced collision avoidance, which can cut down on bumps and maneuvering accidents as well as prevent spills or furniture-related catastrophes if the drone is powered on indoors. This trait can be elevated even further if it is made from durable plastics or other tough materials.

These kids’ options will be used for play above all else, so go for a model that offers fun user-controllable features that might not be found on traditional models. Many drones for kids are capable of novel maneuvers such as toss-to-start, flips, barrel rolls, and more, offering an experience that’s about as close to flying a remote-controlled car as you can get. These models frequently include LED lighting as well, which makes them perfect for flying outdoors at night.

4. Looking for something travel friendly?

Drones are advanced devices that include sensitive instruments, and many models on the market aren’t easy to travel with as a result. Not every model is bulky, but their odd and cumbersome shapes need to be scaled down and reimagined with travel in mind if they’re to excel at the task. The best mini drones available are designed to be incredibly lightweight compared to their full-size counterparts, and when combined with a foldable and compact design, they can be perfect for stowing in backpacks or gear bags. Every user on the move can appreciate having access to some of the best features of drones without adding cumbersome weight, making mini-drones a viable option not only for commuting but for remote outdoor recreational activities like biking and hiking as well.

The best mini drones generally enjoy better battery life than their full-sized counterparts due to their lower weight, which makes them a good choice for traveling vloggers and content creators who might have inconsistent access to power. Longer battery life can potentially translate into more footage, which is never a bad thing when you’re out gathering clips. If you want to optimize your travel process, even more, look for a mini drone that offers app control: you’ll be able to use your smartphone to control it without the need to pack a dedicated controller.

Best cheap drone camera: Potensic D88 Foldable Drone

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The Potensic D88 is one of the best drone cameras all around thanks to its foldable fuselage and an auto-return function that ensures it doesn’t get lost upon losing battery or connection to the remote. It runs using four reliable brushless motors, comes with two batteries, and offers a 110-degree wide-angle camera to capture every detail that comes its way. An onboard 5G WiFi connection also allows images to be transmitted in real-time to users’ smart devices for precise control and environment assessment.

Another great budget drone: Dragon Touch DF01 Foldable Drone

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The Dragon Touch DF01 is among the best cheap drones available, offering 1080p video capture, real-time WiFi streaming, and 20 minutes of flight time per charge in an affordable package. It’s equipped with a headless mode for easy maneuvering and is capable of auto-hovering, gesture control, 360-degree flips, making it very capable and controllable for its price. It’s lightweight and fully foldable as well, allowing it to excel at portability. All in all, this is a fantastic drone for beginners that won’t break the bank.

Best drone for beginners: Altair Falcon AHP

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The Altair Falcon AHP features a useful proprietary autonomous hovering system to ensure all users can enjoy stable and stress-free flying, which makes this model one of the best drones for beginners. It shoots still photos as well as 720p HD video and is compatible with SD card storage up to 32 gigabytes in size. Thanks to added safety features like propeller guards and one-touch takeoff and landing, this is an impressive option to consider if you’re just starting out.

Best drone for kids: Holy Stone HS450 Mini Drone

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When it comes to ease of use and versatility, it doesn’t get much better than the HS450 mini drone from Holy Stone. This is the best drone for kids on the market thanks to its thoughtful safety features like fully enclosed batteries, permanent propeller guards, and five infrared sensors for collision detection. Tricks like throw-to-start, 3D flips, and barrel rolls are a breeze as well.

Best mini drone: DJI Mavic Mini

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The DJI Mavic Mini weighs only 250 grams and folds into an almost impossibly small 5.5 x 3.2 x 2.2-inch shape for easy travel. With a top speed of 29 miles per hour and a maximum flight time of 30 minutes, the DJI Mavic Mini is sure to be a flexible choice for all professional and casual applications that require packing and taking your setup with you. It shoots 2.7K video and uses its 1⅔-inch CMOS sensor for stunning still photography, impressive offerings that make it one of the best mini drones that you can buy right now.

Best DJI drone: DJI Mavic Air 2

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The DJI Mavic Air 2 is hands-down one of the best DJI drones available on the market thanks to an impressive feature set that includes a three-axis gimbal for stabilization and low-noise propellers. Shoot 4K video at 60 frames per second and take 48-megapixel photos, or use it to livestream in 1080p, all at a jaw-dropping transmission distance of up to six miles. It’s fully controllable via the DJI Fly app, has a top speed of 42.3 miles per hour, and has a battery life of around 34 minutes, making this a no-brainer for creating high-production value content.

Also great: Drone-Clone Xperts Drone X Pro LIMITLESS 2

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4K high-definition image capture and instant smartphone transfer of footage make the Drone X Pro one of the best professional drones on the market. It has a battery life of 25 minutes and a distance range that reaches to an astounding 800 meters, allowing users to enjoy flexibility and freedom. An auto-return function keeps your device safe when it’s running low, and this particular model sports an automatic follow mode and a hands-free gesture control mode, allowing it to excel in a number of critical applications where hand control isn’t possible.

FAQs

A final word on shopping for the best drones

The best drone for your particular needs will be determined by a number of factors that include budget, size, range, battery life, controllability, and camera resolution. Kids should be steered toward small and easy-to-use models with dedicated safety features, while commercial users will appreciate a professional drone that offers 4K video capture, high speeds, and long ranges. The best mini drones on the market will excel at portability and usually pack a long battery life. Keep these factors in mind, and finding the best one for your needs will be a snap.

Related: DJI’s new FPV drone allows operators to capture footage from a first-person view