Best beginner drone: True Beginners Guide

Introduction

It is nearly impossible these days to run through a park or trek or around your local track without seeing a drone filming the landscape in great 4K resolution and hovering overhead. Drones have become very popular because they are fun. But if you think that they are difficult to fly and you did not get into this hobby yet because of that misconception, then we have some good news. In fact, most drones are so easy to fly that you may feel like a pro pilot even on your first flight. In order to help you choose we have come with this guide on how to select the best beginner drone.

We suggest you starting off first with a less expensive drone, so you can improve your skills before moving on to the more expensive and bigger drones like the Yuneec Typhoon H or DJI Phantom 4. The models that can make the best drone choice for beginners compiled on our list below can help you gain experience flying even if they do not have all the bells and whistles of other higher end models. However, even if they are included in the beginner drones range, you may get surprised of their advanced features.

Buying the right beginner drone

In order to be suitable for beginners, a drone should come with several particular features. If this is the first time when you would operate a drone, you need to know well what is the type of drone to look for.

The best drone for beginners should be very easy to use. Ease of use is the most important feature to look for when you are buying a drone for your kid or if you are a beginner. Drones may require a lot of training in order to fly them and they can be difficult to operate properly. For this reason, you have to ensure that your drone does not need complicated stuff and large operating manuals, but it incorporates intuitive controls instead.

You also need, in addition to that, to ensure that your first drone is made up of durable materials. Being a beginner, if your drone is built of cheap plastic, it will most likely end up destroyed when you inevitably crash it before learning how to control it correctly. Make sure that your drone has solid build quality and prop guards, in order to minimize the chances of breaking it during the very first crash.

These are just the two main aspects that you have to take into consideration when shopping for your first drone: built quality and ease of use. From them, you can build your way up towards some more precise features you would need in order to suite your particular needs.

Getting ready to fly

If you are a total beginner, you may consider using a drone simulator in order to learn how to fly. For instance, a good free one is the FPV simulator.

Since drone technology has evolved much over the past couple of years, now more capabilities are packed into less expensive and smaller packages. There are many popular and affordable drone models available on the market today that are good for a beginner who want to get some flight practice. However, we recommend you to consider regulations in your country before you fly a drone.

Best places to practice operating a drone when you are a beginner are open fields and parks. Avoid flying at night or flying over people. Also you need to be aware of the fact that safety is not as powerful in beginner and inexpensive drones as it might be in higher end models. The cheap drones do not come with safety features such as auto land or fly home. However, the good news is that in case that you crash your cheap drone it is likely to do less damage than a drone in the price range from $500 to $3000.

Price range to expect

The best drone choice for a beginner may cost less than $200. Drones for beginners do not have to be expensive since they do not come with the same features as the higher end drones. There are plenty of recreational drones in the entry level market that come with an affordable price and are still able to provide great fun. After you get accustomed to the controls you may go up a notch and aim for a drone in the mid to high end range.

Our top five picks on the list of the best beginner drone models are Force1 F100 Ghost GoPro Drone, Sky Viper Video Drone, SYMA X5C Explorers, Ionic Stratus Drone, and Holy Stone F181. Drones to consider after you had some practice include DJI Phantom 3,  DJI Spark, and Parrot Bebop.

Top picks of best beginner drone models

• Force1 F100 Ghost GoPro Drone

The Force F100 Ghost Drone is one of the best beginner drone models on the market. Among its best features are included the possibility to mount an onboard GoPro Hero model 3 or 4 camera. Another advantage for video enthusiasts is the fact that the drone is operating very quietly in flight. Coming equipped with brushless motors, this is drone is also among the best choices of budget-priced models for videography and photography fans. A quiet flight is enabled by the brushless motors, helping users to focus more on the subject of the video.

Due to its light weight design and its double LIPO battery, this drone features a long flight time of up to nineteen minutes. More time in the air, more pictures and more stunts are possible due to its long flight time. Thanks to its intuitive controls, this drone model is also able of 360 degree stunts. Beginner pilots can achieve a great deal of performance with this drone.

Specs:

• Camera – no camera installed but it is possible to mount a camera onboard (GoPro Hero model 3 or 4).
• Battery – LIPO model 2 × 3.7V 150 mAh with 120 minutes charge time.
• Age – recommended age is 14 years and up.
• Contents in the box – it comes with remote control and 4 spare propellers, 4 propeller guards, GoPro Hero 3 or 4 camera mount, 2 LIPO batteries, balance charger, 4 high landing gears, wrench, and small screwdriver.

This drone has a great price point, can perform 360 degree rolls, has responsive controls, can fly very quietly, it is easy to set up and take down, works well with most cameras, and works straight out of the box. All these qualities make it one of the best beginner drone models out there.

• Sky Viper Video Drone

While toy helicopters have become these days incredibly common, toy helicopters with cameras are less common. The Sky Viper is user-friendly camera-equipped drone that comes at a price under $100. The quadcopter comes equipped with a built in digital camera. It is fun and simple to use. This gadget is among the best beginner drone models.

It comes with four rotors that are each mounted on a plastic arm. The cylindrical center of the drone made of plastic holds the camera, rechargeable battery and micro USB port.

The drone is operated via a remote control powered by four AAA batteries. The remote control features 13 separate switches and buttons.

Specs:

• Camera – SlyPro 1-Touch Panoramic Video Capture (720p HD) camera included can capture stills and videos. It comes with MicroSD USB adapter VGA and 4GB MicroSD memory card.
• Battery – rechargeable 650 mAh 3.7V LiPothat provides five to seven minutes of flight and fully recharges in half an hour.
• Age – recommended age is 12 years and up.
• Contents in the box – it comes with MicroSD USB adaptor, 4GB MicroSD memory card, R/C transmitter, charging cable, rechargeable 650 mAh 3.7V LiPo battery, 4 extra blades and screws, instruction booklet, and screwdriver.

• SYMA X5C Explorers

The Syma X5C Explorers is an extremely affordable drone model for the features and specs you are getting. The drone comes equipped with a 720p HD camera. It is a well built and durable drone, stable enough to fly both outdoors and indoors. Its flight time is in the range between 7 and 10 minutes. The battery can fully charge in 90 minutes. This toy drone quadcopter is one of the best beginner drone models, providing better performance than its price suggests.

It comes with enough power and simple controls, being able to handle light wind. Its 720p HD camera can store video and still images on a 4GB microSD card. It is an excellent choice for beginners because it Syma makes every part available in case you crash the drone and would need something for replacement. You can learn how to break the drone down by yourself from the included print manual’s diagram.

If you want to get a FPV feature from the camera to an Android or iOS device, you can purchase an updated camera with Wi-Fi capabilities. This drone is an incredible deal for beginners who want to start grabbing aerial photos and videos with an inexpensive gadget.

Specs:

• Camera – 720p HD camera.
• Battery – rechargeable 3.7-volt 500mAh battery pack that provides about 7 minutes of flight and can fully recharge in around 90 minutes.
• Age – recommended age is 10 years and up.
• Contents in the box – it comes with 4 x Blades, USB chargers, Transmitter, and 3.7V 500mAh Li-poly Battery.

• Ionic Stratus Drone

The Ionic Stratus Drone comes equipped with countless features. The quadcopter is certified EN62115, EN71, and ASTM and comes with a mount for your GoPro. The mid-sized drone also comes with a lot of in-flight useful features, yet it is one of the least expensive models on the market. This beginner drone can offer both professional requirements and casual fun. It comes with an extremely versatile and light design that serves a multitude of purposes.

Due to a versatile gyro based 6-axis system, the drone provides super stability. Among its other useful features are included a headless mode, a customizable throttle control, and more. This drone is extremely easy to navigate and control.

Specs:

• Camera – no camera installed but capable of carrying a go pro Hero camera.
• Battery – rechargeable 4V 1200MAH, lithium battery that provides about 10 minutes of flight and can fully recharge in around 150 minutes.
• Age – recommended age is 14 years and up.
• Contents in the box – it comes with 3.7V 500mAh LiPO battery, 2.4G Remote Controller, 4 x rotating blades, USB charging cable, 4 x protection frames, GoPro Hero holder, 2 x landing skids, user manual, and screwdriver.

Read more on Scribble&Scroll.