Best Drones for 2020 – CNET

Until we get to the point where everyone uses jetpacks, flying a drone is the closest most of us will get to personal flight. Though exorbitant prices once made them exclusive to Hollywood productions, the technology behind drone components — specifically cameras, wireless networking gear and lithium-ion batteries — has evolved in recent years. Now, for less than $500, you can get a drone that will pilot itself, shoot 4K video and fly for 30 minutes or more. And many drones will go on sale for the 2020 holiday season, making it a particularly good time to buy.

And even a cheap beginner drone can offer plenty of fun. For about $50 (about £40 or AU$80), you can get a basic quadcopter drone with an integrated camera that can fly for nearly 10 minutes on a charge. But there are plenty of options that fall somewhere in the middle, offering various combinations of features, video quality and price for every drone enthusiast. Below, we’ve got recommendations for the best drones for beginner and intermediate pilots looking to spend less than $1,000.

Best drones, compared

	Best drone for most people	Best beginner drone	Best camera drone	Best racing drone for beginners
Model	DJI Mini 2	Ryze Tello	DJI Mavic Air 2	Emax Tinyhawk 2
Buying info	See it at Best Buy	See it at Amazon	See it at Amazon	See it at Amazon
Price	$450	$89	$799	$138
Photo	12 megapixels	5 megapixels	12 megapixels	600 TVL
Video	4K at 30fps	720p at 30fps	4K at 60fps	600 TVL
GPS support	Yes	No	Yes	No
Flight time	31 minutes	13 minutes	34 minutes	8 minutes
Weight	249 grams	80 grams	570 grams	9 grams
Requires registration (in the US)	No	No	Yes	No

DJI is the undisputed leader in drone technology and dominates the market, thanks to a vast lineup of models (such as the Mavic, Mini, Tello and Phantom) for consumers, hobbyists and professionals that start at around $100 and exceed $20,000. (In December 2020, the US Commerce Department added the company to its Entity List, which restricts companies from exporting US technology without a license, but which is not not expected to impact product availability.) And there are other reputable brands making high-quality consumer quadcopters, including Parrot and Skydio, as well as countless upstarts making inexpensive drones you can buy at Walmart, Amazon and Best Buy. 

As with most things, the more you spend, the more you get. And while there are exceptions, most flying drones under $50 may frustrate you with limited features, primitive controls and just a few minutes of flight time. As you explore the options, here are a few key things to consider:

• Controls: Many drones come with a dedicated remote — they often look like game controllers — and can also be piloted using a smartphone app, or with a combination of the two. Some come with first-person view goggles that give you an immersive view of the drone flight as if you were in a cockpit. 
• GPS support: Support for GPS (or GLONASS, the Russian variation) will make your flights and video more stable, assist with taking off and landing and cut down on crashes. Drones with GPS often have a “return to home” feature that can recall them automatically if you get into a sticky situation.
• Sensors: Air pressure sensors that can help with altitude assistance or “holding” will let you concentrate on flying your drone instead of having to constantly adjust the throttle. 
• Batteries: The lithium-ion batteries that power most of the best drones run for 15 to 25 minutes on a charge, though an increasing number of midtier models, like the DJI Mini 2, can now fly for 30 minutes or more. Still, you’ll need spare batteries — they range from $45 to $70 for the DJI drone models included here — to extend your flight time beyond that.
• Rules and regulations: If your drone weighs 250 grams or more, you’ll need to register it with the FAA. And regardless of the weight, US national parks are off-limits — as are many state parks. Most counties and municipalities have their own regulations regarding remote control aircraft. 

We’ve outlined our top picks for the best drones for kids and beginners, intermediate users and “prosumer” enthusiasts, as well as an introductory drone for folks interested in racing, which is a whole scene unto itself. We’ll update this list periodically. We’ve also included a more in-depth buying guide on the best drones below, with more information about the key things to consider before you buy. 

The 7 things to consider before you buy a drone

New to the world of modern drones? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a quick overview of what any beginner needs to know in order to find the best drone for their money.

Cheaper drones aren’t necessarily for beginners

Like many things in life, you get what you pay for with drones: The more money you spend, the more features you get that make flying easier. For example, while the Hubsan X4 quad mentioned at the top isn’t a bad place to start, it lacks sensors found on higher-end drones to help it hover in place on its own or return to you if you get in a jam.

GPS is invaluable for new drone pilots. It’s worth paying more for if you’re looking for stable flying out of the box, especially for aerial photography and videos. You won’t typically find it on toy-grade drones, so new pilots might find toy drones to be frustrating even though they can be good to practice with.

Flight times are still relatively short

Battery life is the drone industry’s Achilles’ heel. Though there are a handful of models that can remain airborne for 30 minutes or more on a charge, that may be under ideal testing conditions in a controlled environment. The faster you fly, the more weight you add; the stronger the winds, the quicker a drone will sap its battery. Plus, there’s the time it takes to get up in the air and land — and that’s often not accounted for in the flight modes specs quoted by manufacturers.

Our general rule of thumb is to take whatever the manufacturer claims and subtract 5 to 10 minutes for a midsize drone. Toy drones typically get between 5 and 7 minutes of good flying, though some can hit the 10- to 12-minute range.

The price of the drone is only the beginning

You’re going to want a couple extra batteries, some spare propellers, maybe some prop guards and perhaps a quick charger, so you’re not waiting hours to fly again. You’re more than likely going to crash, which could lead to repair costs — either for replacement parts or shipping it back to the manufacturer for repairs. (This is exactly why DJI offers crash insurance for new drones.)

Before you buy a drone, it’s worth spending a little time researching the price and availability of replacement parts, batteries and other accessories. And be cautious of third-party parts — especially batteries and chargers — which may be inferior to those made by the drone manufacturer.

Everyone will assume you’re invading their privacy

When you’re out flying in a public space, or even in your own backyard, anyone who sees you doing it will think you’re spying on them or someone else. You could be standing in the middle of a 20-acre field with no one in sight and your drone no more than 50 feet directly overhead and you might end up answering questions about being a peeping Tom. It’s happened to us. Repeatedly.

And along those same lines….

Everyone but you thinks they’re dangerous

It doesn’t matter if you’re the safest drone pilot around or that you could do more damage hitting someone with a baseball than a drone — onlookers may feel threatened. After all, nothing about plastic blades spinning at high speeds screams “safety.” 

As such, US-based pilots may benefit from an Academy of Model Aeronautics membership. Along with a whole host of benefits including access to AMA-member flying sites, the $75 annual membership protects you with $2,500,000 of comprehensive general liability insurance as well as $25,000 in accident or medical coverage, $10,000 maximum accidental death coverage and $1,000 fire, theft and vandalism coverage. 

Finding places to fly can be a challenge

In population-dense places like cities and metropolitan areas, it can be difficult to find places to safely and legally fly. US national parks are off-limits. Regulations differ among state, county and municipal parks. And then there are the no-fly zones, which puts many metropolitan areas out of bounds as well as just dangerous, because of buildings, people and cars.

Before you buy a drone — even a toy one, if you plan to fly outside — you’ll want to visit AirMap or download the FAA’s B4UFly app to check for no-fly zones. These don’t cover state or local ordinances, though, so you’ll need to do additional research on your chosen environs before you fly.

Any remote control aircraft except ‘toys’ need an FAA registration

The US Federal Aviation Administration is requiring anyone who wants to fly an unmanned aerial vehicle that weighs between 0.55-pound (250 grams) and 55 pounds (approximately 25 kilograms) for recreation or hobby to register with the agency. Civil penalties for not registering such an unmanned aircraft may include fines up to $27,500. Criminal penalties may include fines up to $250,000, imprisonment for up to three years or both.

Most sub-$100 UAS drones fall under this weight. For example, all of these toy drones weigh in under that half-pound mark. A kitchen or postal scale can be used to weigh your drone or you can check with the manufacturer. Also, this applies to both store-bought and homemade aircraft.

The registration cost is $5 and it can all be done online in a matter of minutes. You don’t have to register each aircraft you own — just yourself, and you’ll be given a number to attach to what you’re flying. That’s it. Essentially, it’s the FAA’s way of getting you to agree that you’ve read its safety guidelines including staying more than five miles away from airports and below 400 feet.

The UK has its own registration requirements. Essentially, owners of drones that weigh more than 250 grams must register as a drone operator, which costs £9 annually. And pilots of drones that weigh more than 250 grams must pass a free online education course every three years. Australia has promised that new rules are “on their way,” but for now there are no official requirements.

Glossary: Know your RTF from your FPV

Like any hobby or technology, there’s a whole lot of lingo and abbreviations that come with the territory. Here are some of the ones you’ll come across the most.

• Ready-to-fly (RTF): A drone that requires little to no assembly and is ready to fly out of the box.
• Almost-ready-to-fly (ARTF or ARF): These drones may require some minor assembly and additional equipment such as a receiver (Rx) and radio transmitter (Tx, also called a radio controller).
• Bind-n-fly (BNF): These are essentially RTF drones with a receiver, but not a radio controller (you must buy one separately). But you can then use that controller to pilot other BNF aircraft, saving you some money if you decide to grow your RC aircraft collection.
• First-person view (FPV): The video feed direct from a camera on the drone. It can be used for framing your photos or videos as well as piloting. With drone racing, pilots usually wear FPV goggles for an immersive experience.
• Return-to-home (RTH): A safety feature that allows the drone to autonomously fly back to the pilot’s location or starting point.
• Gimbal: A mechanical camera stabilization system that offers you smooth video and sharp photos even with fast movements or in high winds.
• Headless mode: Intended for beginner pilots. It keeps the drone traveling forward, backward, left or right when you move your remote’s stick in those directions, regardless of which way the front of the drone is pointed.
• Follow me: A feature that allows a drone to automatically follow a subject, typically using a GPS signal from a mobile device, remote control or a beacon attached to the subject being tracked.
• Brushless motor: Though more expensive than their brushed counterparts, brushless motors are more efficient, last longer and are quieter.