BEST STARTER DRONE UNDER $100
$100 bucks will definitely worth spending on this awesome easy fly drone. Meet F181, a miniature drone with a sleek design and solid physical controller that more like of console-style gamepads. For such a cheap drone, this birdie really does have an abundance of features. Let’s check it out and see what exactly can it do!
FEATURES
The F181 is an outstanding drone with a bunch of handy features such as headless mode, one key return, altitude hold and even one key 360 flips. Keep in mind though, one key return and altitude hold aren’t GPS-powered so don’t expect them to be as precise as those. Even despite that, I’m sure many will agree this is one of the best starter drones out there!
PERFORMANCE
As you will have the chance to see down below, Holy Stone F181 has a lot more features than the X5C by Syma, but to its defense, the F181 is more than double its price. In addition to all of these features, this little fella is equipped with an HD camera as well. It doesn’t have any form of stabilization which is not surprising at all… It is not the best beginner drone with camera, but it can still take solid shots and the occasional video. To top it all off, you will be happy to find out that HOly Stone F181 is able to fly for up to 9 minutes and can reach up to 100 meters.
BEST STARTER DRONE ? If you have never owned a drone up to this point, then there is no doubt that you need a good practice. You need to hone your piloting skills and truth be told, Syma X5C is one of the best drones for beginners. There are more than few copies of this birdie available on the market which just goes to show what a good job the hardworking folk over at Syma did with it. So, having that in mind, let’s take a closer look and see what’s this highly popular entry level drone all about!
CAMERA
Like I already said above, Syma X5C is a easy to fly drone that perfectly fits your needs if you’re a first-time flyer. Not only is it made out of decent quality plastic (can’t expect premium build quality for this price) but it also sports a pretty decent 2.0MP camera (If the camera is an important factor to you, check out our list of best camera drones) that can provide you with decent quality images… as long as you don’t expect any masterpieces.
FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS
It has a 6-axis gyro stabilization system for optimal stability along with one button 3D flips. Other than that, it is also important to add that you can fly it around for about 7 minutes and it can reach about 70 meters away from its transmitter. All things considered, we are talking about a dirt-cheap drone that serves great as flying practice for new pilots. Buy it, test it out and see for yourself.
Hubsan is an up and coming name in the easy to fly drones industry and they are making that fact well-known with a whole bunch of great models across all price segments. A prime example of that is their H107D model, a miniature FPV drone that can reach great speeds. Plus, it is also highly maneuverable making it a nimble flyer, great for learning the basics of FPV racing. So, without much further adue let’s see what’s Hubsan H107D made of and is it a good starter drone ?
PERFORMANCE
As far as the performance is concerned, Hubsan H107D is quite a little champ. As I’ve already stated above, this tiny little birdie runs on brushed motors and sports a sturdy frame which is crash resistant. It’s not crashproof so don’t go slamming it into walls or anything like that. In terms of numbers, Hubsan H107D can fly around for roughly 7 minutes and reach as far as 50 meters away from its controller. However, it is barely seeable at this range and without the FPV system turned on, I doubt you will be able to properly test it out.
CAMERA
Yes, this little birdie comes with an FPV system straight out of the box. It is not a high-quality one, just a 480p camera that. Luckily though, it works via the 5.8GHz connection which is, as you probably all know, far superior to WiFi.
Next up we have the Blade Nano. We are talking about a micro-sized ready to fly drone with awesome firepower. It sports tiny brushed DC motors and works on 1S batteries. However, those tiny motors are rather powerful and, due to Nano’s featherweight design, it allows insane throttle and speeds. But, is this little birdie good beginner drone?
BEGINNER-FRIENDLY RACING DRONE
Yes! Blade Nano is an excellent choice for beginners, even more so for beginners with FPV racing tendencies. This birdie is a fully stabilized model that can easily be equipped with a lightweight FPV camera. Something like the popular Eachine TX01 should do the trick for you. It’s a micro all in one FPV system (camera, vtx, and antenna) that will do you a world of good with these lightweight brushed models. Try it out and you’ll realize what I’m talking about. By equipping those tiny cameras (and combining them with a solid VR goggles) you will get to enjoy thrilling FPV experience that is bound to teach you the basics of flying.
SPECIFICATIONS
In terms of numbers, Blade Nano QX has half of the story right on spot. We are talking about flight time which goes up to 7 minutes thanks to the 1S 150mAh 25C LiPo battery. It provides quite the punch too, meaning it’s definitely worth stocking up. However, the range with this RTF package isn’t the greatest. It only goes up to 15-20 meters which is way too low for today’s standards. However, there is a BNF version too which can be connected to DX5E transmitter which boosts the range by A LOT!
This 100 bucks easiest drone to fly sports an HD+ camera which is, with help from its 6-axis gyro stabilizer, capable of shooting decent photos and videos. Combine that with headless mode and return to home functions and you will understand why this drone is so popular these days. It’s very popular during winter and rainy days because of its protective frame design which makes is one of the best drones for indoor flights.
SPECIFICATIONS
But not only is it popular, it looks cool as well. With 1 pair of black and 1 pair of white blades surrounded by built-in prop guards, this drone has quite a sexy look to it. Still, when it comes to flight range it is only capable of going up to 100 meters. Luckily, its flight duration improves its image – you can get around 9 minutes on a full charge. Get an extra battery and you’ll have close to 20 minutes of flight time (with 1 pit stop, needless to say) which is kind of crazy for such a cheap drone.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON THIS ONE
All things considered, UDI 818A Plus is a solid contender for the best value for money in “under $100” price range. Keep in mind that it’s a drone specially designed for beginners and will most likely disappoint more experienced pilots. Despite that, it’s still definitely worth trying out!