There are many resources claiming to list the best drones to buy, and while those drones are undoubtedly great, they may not necessarily be the best drone for you. Figuring out which drone to buy should come down to your own specific needs and budget.
So we decided to create this quick guide to present you with everything you need to know to make an informed decision when buying a new drone.
What drone should I buy?
Before even looking at a drone, assess your needs first. Why do you want a drone and what do you want to use it for? There is no single correct answer here, but it will give you a rough idea of what type of drone you’re looking for (toy, camera, or racing drone) and what pricing class you should look at as well.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the 3 main classes of drone:
- Toy drones: These are cheaper drones ranging between $20 – $200. They tend to be less powerful, and have a more limited flight range. These are great introductory drones and work best for beginners or people who just want to have fun with drones.
- Camera drones: These drones span a wide range of abilities and prices. The low-budget models usually start at around $200. These are suitable for more serious drone pilots who may also want to use them professionally such as for photography.
- Racing drones: As the name implies, these drones are built to be faster, more agile, and more powerful. They’re used in drone racing competitions. Racing drones usually go for around $300 and up.
Thinking about your needs will help you decide which type of drone you want. If you are excited by the prospect of flying around and don’t care about wowing everyone with your footage, then a toy drone should work well for you. If you want to shoot detailed panoramic shots then a racing drone is generally out of the question.
Budget is an important constraint as well, and will dictate which models you can look at. While the fancier, more expensive models do look exciting, it doesn’t make sense to spend all that money if you’re not going to use all of those features.
Popular Drone Brands
When it comes to buying a drone, the brand and model definitely matters. Many brands have made excellent names for themselves by producing exceptional quality drones made from durable materials. Along with providing great customer support and nice extras like handy drone apps.
Here are some of the most popular drone brands of today:
- DJI (continues to produce the most top-rated drone models on the market)
- Parrot
- Yuneec
- Altair Aerial (known for their high-quality toy drones)
- Hubsan (another great choice for beginner drones)
- Team Black Sheep (produces fantastic FPV racing drones)
- Force1
- Autel Robotics
- Airhogs (great for speciality themed toy drones)
- FreeFly (produces top of the range photography drones)
- SYMA
All of these brands are well-known for manufacturing some of the best quality drones on the market right now. They also cater to different types of needs, although some do specialize in specific niches like toy or racing drones.
