Top 5 best drones for beginners in 2021

The best drone for beginners gives new drone pilots the ability to upgrade their photography with a birds-eye view without breaking the bank. Alternatively, perhaps you're in the market for a great racing drone that's suitably affordable? Either way, we've rounded up the best drones for beginners right here.

Selecting the best drone for your needs can be a little confusing if you're a beginner. With lots of drone models to choose from, how can you be sure to pick the best beginner drone for you?

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Flying a drone can quickly turn into an expensive hobby, with professional high-end drones cost hundreds or even thousands. However, there are plenty of affordable drones that are perfect for beginners – and some of them produce videos so good that you would never be able to tell that they were shot on a beginner drone.

Whether you're a fan of aerial photography and videography or drone racing, starting with a more affordable drone is the best way to give yourself a vital experience. After all, you wouldn't want to accidentally drop a drone worth three times your pay-cheque into the sea! Give yourself some peace of mind and learn how to pilot a beginner drone before investing in something a little more expensive.

If you've got a youngster keen to learn how to pilot the best drones for kids, then an affordable drone is still a great option. However, you might want to spend a little more to invest in a drone with collision sensors to help prevent any unfortunate accidents.

DJI Mini 2

A drone with camera power to challenge prosumer rivals, but the cost, size, and weight for everyone

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Very portable

No registration cost

Beginner-friendly App

Some prosumer features

Susceptible to gusts

Price rise from predecessor

The DJI Mini 2 has arrived sooner than many expected to refresh what was already an excellent drone. It maintains its key positive features: it is under 250g, which is the weight for pilot registration in the USA & China, it has GPS-based return to home and other pilot-assist features, and it includes very share-friendly 'QuickShots.' Other than all-round object collision systems, the drone has almost everything you'd expect from a folding drone costing more than twice as much.

The accompanying remote control is also completely new. FAA areas offer up to 10km (6.2 miles) range via automatic channel switching, meaning you can confidently take the drone out in even 24mph wind and remain confident the drone won't be out of contact. The camera gimbal will keep images horizontal and vibration-free while recording up to 4K video, as well as a selection of other effects recently only known on DJI's prosumer models, like panorama (and even sphere panorama). Photographers can choose Raw, manual exposure, exposure bracketing, and other features they'd expect on the ground.

If you're thinking of the Mini 2 as your first drone, but you're already familiar with cameras, then this is the best choice. It's also pretty handy indoors thanks to downward-facing visual and sonar distance sensing systems, which can help it hover even without GPS, and the optional propellor guards (detachable cages to prevent any accidents while flying near obstacles). The App also makes getting the images to your phone quickly if you don't want to wait until you get home.

DJI Mavic Mini

Much of the appeal of the Mini 2, but at a lower price

Prime

₹62,490

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448 Amazon customer reviews

Very portable

No registration cost

Crisp stabilized video and stills

Beginner-friendly App

Susceptible to crosswind

Radio susceptible to interference

Noise in low light

Old-fashioned MicroUSB sockets

Launched at the end of 2019, this drone aimed squarely at the consumer market (specifically to avoid the 250g registration limit). It still packs quite a punch – 2.7K video, GPS, altitude hold, and a mechanical gimbal – meaning that images and video is recorded to its MicroSD card were of more than adequate quality for YouTubers or Instagrammers. Indeed the drone has been understandably popular (while equally predictable, DJI's attempt to brand it a 'FlyCam' has not caught on. Going into 2021, the only slight worry would be supply, but DJI is still selling it and supplying it for now while gently pointing out a newer model is on offer.

For consumers not confident learning to fly and shoot video at the same time, the automated QuickShots provide several striking orbiting or other dramatic swooping shots while keeping your subject in the frame – the DJI Mavic Mini makes use of its intelligence to do this from the primary camera rather than packing any extra scanners, which probably helps even this first model pull off 30 minutes of flight time (as with all drone official times, expect about 20% less).

For kids, families, or just anyone interested in getting started in aerial photography/videography, the original Mavic Mini was and is a surprisingly capable machine, but the 'extended WiFi' radio system mean that, in bad conditions, the signal can become intermittent even before the drone reaches the legal range. Similarly, the motors can only compensate for a maximum of force four crosswinds, though, of course, you could play indoors with the propellor guards on bad days. There is also a great range of safety features (hover, return-to-home, tutorial, and geofencing to prevent you from getting into trouble near an airport).

Ryze Tello

A bit DJI, a little Intel. Feature-packed and fun.

₹15,990

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DJI software

VR compatible

Highly affordable

No SD card onboard

With more than half of the global market, DJI has kept its tech at the bitter end of the market. However, a friendly relationship with neighboring firm Ryze has led to the Tello, a compact drone that doesn't skimp on the tech. It beams 720p video back to a phone in WiFi range (100m), or 5mp photos, which the App records.

This data link also provides you a battery warning, and the drone is capable of taking off and hovering using its 14-core processor and in-built sensors. That power makes for fun features like the "Throw & Go" launching and flips and supports Scratch. This simple, block-based programming language means anyone (kids included) can have fun ordering the Tello about.

If you think your kids need a little more convincing that programming drones are as excellent as flying them, look out for the Ryze Iron Man Edition. Programming tech seemed to work out pretty well for Tony Stark, after all.

DJI Air 2S

Foldable, portable, and still equipped with a 1-inch sensor

Prime

₹1,79,999

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Portable

4K shooting a 60fps

Object avoidance with course correction

Great price for a 1-inch sensor

No side sensors

The DJI Air 2S – the successor to the Mavic Air 2 – brings a photography-grade camera into a reasonably compact drone that is well-equipped with features suited to first-time drone users, whether they specialize in video or photography. The 5.4K video gives the option to crop down to 4K without loss of resolution, while the 20-megapixel camera produces excellent wide-angle images.

In terms of safety, the drone has all the critical safety sensors – forward, backward, downward, and front-mounted upward-looking – with which the drone can sense obstacles and stop and plot and execute an avoiding path if appropriate (depending on the settings). Only the sides of the fuselage lack sensors, so caution is needed while exercising tracking shots; most of the time, this won't be a problem, and DJI's previous side sensors on the Mavic 2 series weren't worth the extra money. If you're flying around physical obstacles (sensors have a more challenging time with water), it might be better to get a drone with more sensors the first time out; you can always learn with caution. The controller is ideal. It is vital, has a good battery, easy access to speed modes, and the place the phone (which acts as your screen and menu) sits is just where you need it.

NOTE If time aloft is all that matters to you, the older DJI Mavic Air 2 has a lighter camera and up to 34 minutes flight.

Parrot Anafi FPV

This brilliant drone kit comes with goggles.

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4K camera with HDR

FPV system

Great bag included

No collision sensors

Parrot has done a fantastic job of straddling the fun and the functional aspect of the drone market ever since they essentially created it ten years ago. The Anafi (especially the new FPV kit) epitomizes that.

The Anafi is a professional drone with a 4K camera capable of zoom (at least in video mode), with a gimbal-stabilized camera. Some surveyors choose this over DJI products because it can tilt its camera up and down to create 3D models or, for mere mortals, get some unique angles for action shots. But, with the addition of First Person View (FPV) goggles, you can also flay it from inside the cockpit. Parrot's goggles are included in the FPV kit, and at first, they were the only ones supported, but a later software update means you can use other VR headsets.

The App is fully featured and great for 'Arcade mode' racing or settings-obsessed photographers. The only thing missing from a much more expensive craft (and admittedly, this isn't a cheap drone) is a collision sensing system. Still, the Anafi is surprisingly robust, especially the FPV version with improved legs. Compatibility with Pix4D tools offers an exciting route into 2D and 3D survey work should you decide to provide your services commercially.

Top 5 best drones for beginners in 2021