Drones are everyone’s favorite toys right now – as they become more advanced and affordable, they are delighting techies and casuals alike with their grace and potential for fun. If you want to join the party but don’t know where to start, or are just looking for a great Christmas gift for the geeks in your family, check this list where we list some of the coolest and most incredible drones on the market right now. If you like any of them, be sure to click the picture to check their prices or buy them!
DJI Phantom 3 Professional Quadcopter Drone
If you thought the Phantom 2 was amazing, wait until you see this. It sports a 4k UHD camera with fully stabilized 3-axis gimbal along with a Vision Positioning system to allow stable flight indoors. It streams 720p video live while simultaneously recording it in higher quality in its internal microSD card. You can control this model using the DJI Pilot app for iOS and Android and even control the camera via this app.
Haktoys HAK907 17″ Diagonal 2.4GHz 4CH RC Quadcopter
This baby here is top of its class when it comes to budget options. It’s capable of both indoor and outdoor flight straight out of the box in 3 speed modes. What’s more, it’ll be ready to fly with just under 90 minutes of charge for 10 whole minutes, all the way up to 300 feet. It’s the perfect drone for beginners.
UDI U818A 2.4GHz 4 CH 6 Axis Gyro RC Quadcopter with Camera
Another great drone for beginners, this baby uses a 6 AXIS GYRO with posture control for precise positioning during flight. This model includes a video camera FPV, which along with its efficient battery (it charges in just under 120 minutes to provide 7-9 minutes of flight) makes it one of those perfect grown-up toys.
DJI Phantom 2 Vision quadcopter with integrated FPV camcorder
The Phantom series is sort of synonymous of high-end drones, and no wonder, for everything about it is fantastic. Its integrated 14MP camera can record 1080p HD video to either Micro SD cards, or stream via Wi-Fi to our phones using the Vision app for iOS or Android, from up to 980 feet away. It can fly up to 25 minutes on a single charge.
Hubsan X4 Quadcopter
A more budget drone with fantastic capabilities for its price. This baby can up to 100 meters while filming, and even give users instant video preview on their transmitters. The videos have a 640 x 480 resolution which is recorded on its SD card video card – just under HD quality.
DJI Inspire 1 with Dual Remotes
Meet the ultimate drone. This is not a toy or anything like that, but a flying machine capable of travelling while streaming video to the user, and even be tracked with a GPS in case it goes too far away. And believe us, this model is so crazy, big and good that it just might. It’s made of carbon fiber, and has a bundled camera that can film 360 degrees unobstructed.
Still, the big star in this model is its control remote, with dedicated buttons for photos and videos, a gimbal control dial and integrated rechargeable battery for greater precision and accuracy. What’s more, you can use a second remote controller and fly with a friend if you want to share your experience – it allows unobstructed viewing and working in tandem to capture the best and greatest shots in 4K at some 24-30FPS, or 1080P at 24-60FPS. It really doesn’t get better than this.
Parrot AR Drone Quadricopter
This is a fantastic WiFi controlled drone, which users get to fly using an iOS or Android app (AR. FreeFlight) on their smartphones and tablets. It can record 720p high-definition video, and even share them straight to social media from this very interface. This drone is famous for being one of the most stable in the market, capable of standing still if users do not move its controls.
Holy Stone RC Drone
A rather cheap but fantastic drone. The controller will look familiar to gamers, and will allow them to fly it while instantly getting a sense of familiarity with it. It comes with two batteries so you can change them on the go and keep flying, and each one lasts in between 7 and 9 minutes, while getting charged in some 80 minutes.
Parrot Mini Drone Jumping Sumo
As opposed to mostly every other drone in this list, the Parrot Mini Drone Jumping Sumo excels at being a land machine, not a flying one. Still, that doesn’t mean it can’t do tricks as it is capable of jumping over 2.5 feet high while always falling back on its wheels, undamaged. As every other parrot model it can be used with the FreeFlight 3 app via WiFi and can stream video live. Because it doesn’t need to fly, it has a longer battery than most designs which gives it some 20 minutes of juice.
HB HOMEBOAT U818S RC Quadcopter Drone
This is another fantastic drone with its own dedicated controller. It’s one of the biggest designs in the market, and looks unbelievably cool. It can fly in many directions, while users check its POV with the dedicated screen streaming straight from its camera.
Parrot Bebop Quadcopter Drone
Don’t be fooled by its smaller size, for this guy is packed with real, unadulterated power. It sports a 14 megapixel capable of 1080p full HD in a 180° field of view, and can be controlled with the FreeFlight 3 app (iOS and Android) so you save on the controller. Also, it comes in a variety of colors so you can customize your drone.
