Keith Ericksen 
If you are looking to start a new hobby or something to keep you busy and having fun. The drones are amazing and great hobby to have. When I first picked up drones as my hobby in 2015, I learned how to fly them. But not just only I enjoyed flying the drones, I also learned how to repair them and got an inside look of how these quadcopters work. I became the person to go to when my friends had drones-related questions to ask.
Soon enough, I had collected over 30 different drones (such as Bolt Bee and Night Elf) and gave away half of it to my friends who wants to fly them. No matter what type of hobby you are interested in, the drones can be both enjoyable and lucrative way to make a lifestyle out of it. Luckily, there are a wide range of drones that suits adults and kids. If you are looking to fly your drones as a simple hobby to keep yourself busy. I have gathered top 7 best hobby drones for beginners.
There are few things you should know before you start flying these top 7 best hobby drones for beginners. The hobby drones are meant to by flown for recreational purposes. If you decide to start flying these drones for money, you will need to take Part 107 exam and obtain remote pilot certificate. Other than selling pictures and videos for money, you are pretty much free to do whatever with these popular hobby drones.
Top 7 Best Hobby Drones for Beginners & Kids
Phantom 4 Pro
Amazon.com At the top list of 7 best hobby drones for beginners is the Phantom 4 Pro. This is easily one of the best because it comes with intelligent flight modes that allows you to create awesome videos and pictures. Plus, it is packed with big guns. What I am talking about the fact that the Phantom 4 Pro comes with a mouthwatering 20MP camera mounted on a 3-axis gimbal stabilizer. This drone beautifully captures stills and videos at 4K ultra high-definition resolution.
Also, it can record videos at amazingly 60 frames per second. Which makes the Phantom 4 Pro drone one of the best hobby drone to start with. It even comes with beginner mode so that you can learn how to fly first. On the top of it, this drone is built with number of flight safety functions such as collision detection systems and GPS module for stable flight experience. Plus, the Phantom 4 Pro drone’s appearance nicely fit the theme of simplicity, friendly and professionalism.
Specifications:
- Flight Time: 30 Minutes
- Remote Control Distance: 7,000 Meters
- Camera: Yes
- Camera Quality: 20 MP
- Sensor Size: 1-inch
- Image Quality: 4K
- Video Quality: 4K @ 60 FPS
- Video Bitrate: 100 Mbps
- Features: Intelligent Flight Modes, Collision Detection, Intelligent Flight Battery, Smart Return to Home, Automatic Takeoff / Landing
Mavic Air
Amazon.com | Price history for DJI Mavic Air Quadcopter with Remote Controller - Onyx Black | |
|---|---|
| Latest updates:
|
|
We think the Mavic Air is another top 7 best hobby drones for beginners and kids that is worth mentioning. If you thought that the Phantom 4 Pro is pretty good, but it is too big for your taste. Then meet the Mavic Air drone. This is a compact and portable quadcopter that features foldable motor arms. Which means you can easily fold this drone and store it inside your backpack, making it the perfect choice for traveling around the world.
The Mavic Air drone comes with intelligent flight battery that provides a maximum flying time of 21 minutes. In addition to that, it has a remote control distance up to 4,000 meters. Underneath the front, the drone is equipped with a 12MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor camera mounted on a stabilized 3-axis gimbal systems. Because the Mavic Air drone is simple, small and compact, we think it earns its place in the top 7 best hobby drones for beginners and kids.
Specifications:
- Flight Time: 21 Minutes
- Remote Control Distance: 4,000 Meters
- Camera: Yes
- Camera Quality: 12 MP
- Sensor Size: 1/2.3-inch
- Image Quality: 4K
- Video Quality: 4K @ 30 FPS
- Video Bitrate: 100 Mbps
- Features: Intelligent Flight Modes, Collision Detection, Intelligent Flight Battery, Smart Return to Home, Gesture Mode
Spark
Amazon.com | Price history for DJI Spark, Fly More Combo, Alpine White | |
|---|---|
| Latest updates:
|
|
Another popular quadcopter that makes into our top 7 best hobby drones for beginners and kids. The DJI Spark is only the size of your palm hand, which is incredible adorable combined with professionalism style to it. Unlike most hobby drones in this list, the DJI Spark is probably about the most affordable smart drone you can get your hands on it. The DJI Spark comes with collision detection systems and a 12MP camera on 2-axis gimbal systems.
Plus, it is loaded with a lot of cool features such as palm launch and gesture mode. Not to forget to mention that DJI Spark is a great toy for kids. It doesn’t pack with that much power as professional grade camera drones does. So, the DJI Spark is a safe choice for kids — as long as there are adults to supervise them. This quadcopter is compact and is good choice for capturing simple shots / videos while you are traveling around the countries.
Specifications:
- Flight Time: 16 Minutes
- Remote Control Distance: 2,000 Meters
- Camera: Yes
- Camera Quality: 12 MP
- Sensor Size: 1/2.3-inch
- Image Quality: 4K
- Video Quality: 1080 HD @ 30 FPS
- Video Bitrate: 24 Mbps
- Features: Intelligent Flight Modes, Collision Detection, Gesture Mode, Palm Launch, Smart Return to Home
HS700 Ophelia
Amazon.com This is one of my personal favorite drone for beginners and kids. Meet the HS700 Ophelia, a heavyweight drone packed with superior flying speed and 1080P HD action camera. This drone can easily deliver quality images and videos from the skies. However, there is one thing I really liked the most about HS700 Ophelia drone is the ability to change action camera to a better one. If you have GoPro action cameras, you can switch the one that drone came with and get 4K aerial shots.
Aside from that, the Hs700 Ophelia has a maximum flying time of 20 minutes and can be commanded up to 1,000 meters away. In addition to that, it comes with built-in GPS module that makes it easy for beginners and kids to fly this drone around. Thanks to built-in GPS / GLONASS systems, the HS700 Ophelia can perform intelligent flight modes such as Follow Me, Orbit Mode and even customize your own flight paths. A great quality drone worth checking out.
Specifications:
- Flight Time: 20 Minutes
- Remote Control Distance: 1,000 Meters
- Camera: Yes
- Camera Quality: Action Camera
- Sensor Size: Action Camera
- Image Quality: 1080 HD
- Video Quality: 1080 HD @ 60 FPS
- Features: Intelligent Flight Modes, Follow Me, Orbit Mode, Waypoint Mode, Automatic Takeoff / Landing, Smart Return to Home
Mirage Pro
Amazon.com Introducing the Potensic Mirage Pro D50, one of the most advanced drone that is accessible and inexpensive for beginners and hobbyists. This intelligent drone comes with built-in 5GHz camera that delivers videos in real-time to your mobile device. Compared to other drones that uses 2.4GHz frequency, the Potensic Mirage Pro D50 drone uses 5GHz that offers reliable and smooth video to ensures you have the best first person view experience.
Plus, this drone is equipped with dual GPS / GLONASS system that brings precise positioning. In addition to that, the Mirage Pro D50 drone can perform intelligent flight modes such as Follow Me and Waypoint Mode. Beginners and kids will love to have this drone as a hobby quadcopter because of how easy it is to take care. Thanks to simple and modularized battery that makes it easy to replace plus it is packed with a lot of cool beginner-friendly features.
Specifications:
- Flight Time: 15 Minutes
- Remote Control Distance: 500 Meters
- Camera: Yes
- Camera Quality: 5 MP
- Image Quality: 1080 HD
- Video Quality: 1080 HD @ 30 FPS
- Features: Follow Me, Waypoint Mode, Altitude Hold, Smart Return to Home, Dual Positioning Systems
WiMiUS DR10
Amazon.com This has to be one of the easiest pick for the best hobby drones. Here is why you should check out the WiMiUS DR10 drone. This modern, stylish and smart drone is one of the latest release that has gathered a lot of popularity recently. As matter of fact, the DR10 drone is equipped with 1080P HD camera that brings you high-quality images and videos. Plus, the drone has a micro SD card slot that you can store these stills and videos in its true format.
And did I forget to mention that the WiMiUS DR10 drone is one of the best performing quadcopter? You have read it right, this drone comes with flexible speed adjustment that you can adjust to match your piloting skill. Which gives you a smooth learning curve to master from beginner to experienced remote pilot. Lastly, the WiMiUS DR10 drone is an all-round quadcopter loaded with whole set of functions like headless mode, altitude hold function, return to home and more.
Specifications:
- Flight Time: 10 Minutes
- Remote Control Distance: 100 Meters
- Camera: Yes
- Camera Quality: 5 MP
- Image Quality: 1080 HD
- Video Quality: 1080 HD @ 30 FPS
- Features: Flexible Speed Mode, Powerful Camera, 360-Degree Flip, Automatic Takeoff / Landing
HS150 Bolt Bee
Amazon.com | Price history for Holy Stone HS150 Bolt Bee Mini Racing Drone RC Quadcopter RTF 2.4GHz 6-Axis Gyro with 50KMH High Speed Headless Mode Wind Resistance Includes Bonus Battery | |
|---|---|
| Latest updates:
|
|
Finally, the most affordable and best performing drone that hobbyists and beginners should definitely check out. I want to itnroduce the Holy Stone HS150 Bolt Bee to you. This nimble, aglie and performance-packed drone has a top flying speed of 31 miles per hour. It doesn’t comes with a built-in camera, so if that doesn’t bothers you at all. I own this drone and I really enjoy flying the HS150 Bolt Bee a lot. In fact, I am still flying it after I got it in 2017!
So, here is why you should get a HS150 Bolt Bee. This drone is aerodynamically designed to reduce air resistance to maximize flying speed. Plus, it can do all of these awesome aerial stunts like 360-degree flips and navigating in close quarters. Not to forget to mention that it comes with a bonus battery which basically doubles your total flight time to 12 minutes. In the box, the HS150 Bolt Bee comes with a lot of cool stuff including accessories and even a notebook that you can scribble on.
Specifications:
- Flight Time: 6 Minutes
- Remote Control Distance: 70 Meters
- Camera: No
- Camera Quality: N/A
- Image Quality: N/A
- Video Quality: N/A
- Features: Superior Speed, Scrollable Speed Mode, 360-Degree Flip, Automatic Takeoff / Landing
How to Choose Drones As Your Hobby
As mentioned previously in the introduction section, if you are looking for a new hobby and want to start with drones. I will be first one to tell you that if you enjoy technology (i.e gadgets, smartphones, laptops, TVs or anything electronic-related). Then, there is a good chance you will love drones because they are basically electronic stuff. They are amazing gadgets and sometimes important tools to have in professional world like fighting the crimes and helping farmers take care of their farms.
My advice to you and those who are looking to start drones as their hobby is to go easy first. All these top 7 best hobby drones for beginners and kids that I listed in this guide are perfect choice. They are simple, fun, engaging and most mostly, beginner-friendly. It is hard to go wrong with these hobby drones when they are built to be smart enough for beginners with no prior flying experience. Start off small and as you gain experience over the time, you will become an experienced remote pilot that eventually you might decide to get Part 107 certificate.
Other Best Hobby Drones to Check Out
I hope you found my guide about these top 7 best hobby drones for beginners and kids helpful. If you are still looking for other drones under specific categories, I have several great guides that you should check out. Keep it in your mind that we update these guides’ content frequently to keep you in the loop with the latest releases. So, be sure to bookmark them for future reference if you ever need to find out what is the best drones to shop for.
Below are my guides that you should check out:
- 10 Best Cheap Drones Under $50 for Beginners and Kids
- Top 10 Best Drones Under $100 for Beginners: The Ultimate Guide
- The Ultimate Guide for Beginners: Top 10 Best Drones Under $200
Also if you need any flying tips or more guides, we recommend that you check out our guides page. You will find everything you need to know from flying your drones to learning how to interact with people as a remote pilot. If you have any questions about these drones, feel free to drop a comment in the comments section below. Happy flying and fly smart!
Keith Ericksen
Hello, welcome to UAV Adviser! My name is Keith Ericksen. I am a commercial licensed drone operator. Flying and talking about the drones is my passion. Whether it is toy-grade to professional-grade quadcopters. On my leisure, I enjoy socializing with friends, play video games, hiking, traveling and reading. If you have a project that needs our drone services, please contact us via Hire-A-Pilot page.
