Drones and everywhere and everyone wants to dive headfirst into this exciting world.
However, jumping into the world of drones without any prior knowledge can lead to confusion and have you with a ton of questions.
There are expensive drones and budget-friendly drones.
Then there are drones for racing, for taking photos and videos.
Where do you even start?
As someone starting, you want a decent quality drone without spending a fortune.
Identify your needs before making your purchase.
Today we’ll be taking a look at the best drones under 300.
These drones are durable, efficient, easy to fly and ready to help you in your drone journey.
Let’s get right to our drone reviews under 300.
Drone
Features
Price
- Control range: 1097 meters
- Flight time: 30 minutes
- Weight: 18.3 oz
- Control range: 300 meters
- Flight time: 15 minutes
- Weight: 9 oz
- Control range: 200 meters
- Flight time: 5-8 minutes
- Weight: 11.2 oz
Best drone under 300
- Control range: 500 meters
- Flight time: 30 minutes
- Weight: 18 oz
The Roku F11 drone is the perfect choice if you’re looking for a drone that offers great control distance and sufficient flight time.
It is also easy to operate and will not be a problem even for the beginner.
This unit is capable of transmitting video signals up to 300- 500 meters away.
It also supports image transmission up to 500 meters away and thanks to its powerful GPS positioning system this unit can fly steadily to capture clear quality images.
The 4K ultra-high Ultra HD camera produces running 4K Ultra HD picture quality and 2.9 K video for exceptional clarity.
What you get are images with deep contrast and bright colors that pop in the amazing beauty of ultra-high definition.
The camera is equipped with a 120 degrees Field Of View lens which gives you a wide view of the subject or area that you’re capturing.
One of the unit’s best selling points is its long flight time.
The unit comes with a 2500mAh battery which gives it a maximum flight time of 30 minutes.
Moreover, the drone comes with an extra battery which further extends its flight time to 60 minutes.
The flight performance is above average since the unit is equipped with a stable and efficient GPS.
Other functions of the Roku F11 include FPV, Auto Return, Headless Mode, Tap Fly and One Key Takeoff/ Landing.
- 【𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐓𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞...
- 【𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐩𝐩 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥】An...
- 【𝐃𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨...
- 【𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 & 𝐃𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞...
- 【𝟒𝐊 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐤...
- Control range: 999 meters
- Flight time: 22 minutes
- Weight: 21 oz
Holy Stone was known as a toy drone manufacturer in its early days.
However, they have moved up from that title to be one of the most budget-friendly high-quality drone manufacturers you’ll find on the market today.
The HS700D is no exception and is a budget-friendly drone that focuses on videography.
As such it has some pretty impressive specs that are quite a surprise for a unit in this price range.
This drone offers great video quality with its 2K FHD 90 degrees adjustable camera.
The camera covers almost every angle of the subject with its 110-degree Field Of View.
Aside from that, it provides a fast and accurate 5GHz live video transmission that gives you a look through the eyes of the camera on the drone in the sky.
In terms of the flight time of this unit, it can fly for 22 minutes, thanks to its 2800mAh battery.
Meanwhile, the control range lies somewhere around 999 meters and the FPV range is about 499-792 meters.
Not only is the control distance impressive but the best FPV drone under 300 also comes with a bunch of features that help the user to control it more efficiently.
You hardly require any skill to handle this drone since it is capable of doing pretty much everything on its own.
You can lock down its altitude with the click of a single button and record yourself, using the Follow Me feature.
Best of all is if the drone goes out of sight you can press the return button and the auto-return feature kicks in and ensures that the drone comes back to you.
You can also set a custom flight path for the drone to follow while the 1500KV brushless motors deliver a quiet and smooth flight.
- 4K FHD 90°Adjustable Camera with 5G Transmission: The upgraded camera (3840*2160P stored in TF...
- GPS Assisted Flight: With GPS location, the drone can hover stably and automatically return to Home...
- 22 Mins Max Flight Time: The High-capacity 2800mAh intelligent battery yields up to 22mins flight...
- Brushless Motor: It is so quiet but very powerful when running. Working life is much more longer...
- Simple Control: Quick launch by pressing one key; quick-Release propellers can be set up with no...
- Control range: 1097 meters
- Flight time: 30 minutes
- Weight: 18.3 oz
Contixo is another brand that is known for its reliable and effective drones that come with top-notch specifications.
The Contixo F24 Pro comes with premium quality specifications with its key component being its camera.
The 90-degree vertical adjustable camera is equipped with a 120 degrees Field Of View lens that allows you to capture stunning pictures in 4K quality.
It lets you record exceptionally clear 2.7 K videos filled with vivid colors and deep contrasts.
The drone can also take you on a different journey when used in 3D View Mode since it gives you a wonderful visual fidelity and awesome 3D experience.
When it comes to flight performance, the flight time of the best camera drone under 300 is around 30 minutes with its 2500mAh battery.
The battery comes with some LED lights that indicate its remaining power.
Flight performance is steady and steady due to the powerful GPS systems that connect and maintain a strong signal during flight.
This allows the drone to hover stably and catch clearer images and return to home in the event the drone goes out of the control range or loses signal suddenly.
The Contixo F24 Pro has a control range out to 1097 meters which is beyond what you can get for a drone at this price.
Another good thing about this drone is that it is foldable and compact so it is a great option for when you’re on the move.
- ✔ 4K UHD drone with camera - 90° vertical adjustable experience amazing 4K drone UHD picture...
- ✔ Stronger and stable GPS signal - The camera Drone can reach live video and image transmission...
- ✔ Foldable brushless motor - Comes with equipped Brushless Motors to ensure a smooth and powerful...
- ✔ Smart and powerful performance - Follow Me, Orbit Mode, and Gesture Control free your hands to...
- ✔ 30 Minutes flight time - Equipped with upgraded 2500mAh intelligent battery provides up to 30...
- Control range: 300 meters
- Flight time: 15 minutes
- Weight: 9 oz
The Altair Aerial Dagger excels in photography as it comes with a decent quality camera.
This makes it one of the best drones with camera under 300.
The drone itself is super durable, compact and well built as one would expect from Altair.
It provides hours of flying fun and the fact that it folds up makes it that much better.
This drone is great for beginners or experts who are sure to have a good time with it.
It has a control range of up to 300 meters and can reach top speeds of 32km/h while flight time lies somewhere around 15 minutes.
As mentioned before the camera is of decent quality so it can get the job done for normal captures to share on social media or any personal project.
The camera is also adjustable and you can adjust the wide-angle lens to tilt up to 90 degrees which allows you to get more creative with your captures.
Beyond that, there are a couple of beneficial features that are integrated into this unit.
You’ll find that the Dagger comes with an Optical Flow Stabilized System.
The camera is mounted under the drone to help stabilize the captured image or footage distortion-free imagery and make it easier to fly.
it also finds the fail-safe return home function that brings the drone safely home if you go out of range or lose signal
- ☑️ 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑: The Altair Aerial Dagger is compact and...
- ☑️ 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓: Weighing in at under 250g, the Altair Aerial...
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- ☑️ 𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐃 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒: The Optical Flow...
- ☑️ 𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐄: We believe in taking care of our...
- Control range: 200 meters
- Flight time: 5-8 minutes
- Weight: 11.2 oz
The Emax Tinyhawk is unlike any other drone mentioned on this list.
This is the ideal choice if you are looking for a unit that is small and fast.
These types of drones are more suitable for the drone racing world.
If you’d like to fly your drone in freestyle mode, then make the Emax Tinyhawk your first choice.
Ideal for racing, you enjoy time spent flying this speedy little unit.
First of all, let us take a look at the build quality of the drone.
Emax decided to use aerospace-grade carbon fiber material when building this drone.
This material is very strong and rigid so it can absorb shock pretty well which means that it can survive a few crashes at top speeds.
The carbon-fiber material is also extremely lightweight which is a necessary factor when looking for a racing drone as it helps with speed.
However, it is not something that some beginners will enjoy flying since it requires a lot of skills to handle the speed levels that the drone comes with.
The 1103 brushless motors deliver amazing output speed to its Avan Rush 2.5 inch propellers to provide an extremely superfast flight experience.
The Emax Tinyhawk allows you to enjoy the racing fun either through VR goggles in 3D or through the FPV transmission from its 600TVL CMOS camera.
You can expect a flight time of 5 to 8 minutes which is decent for the price considering it is way below the under 300 price line.
However, if you feel that the flight time is too low you can opt to purchase a spare battery to extend flight time since the cost of the drone is fairly cheap.
This drone can even fit into the category of the best drone under 200.
What to expect from a $300 drone and under
So what can you expect from a $300 drone and under?
When choosing a drone costing $300 or under, you need to pay special attention to certain things like the brand, purpose, size, and build quality of the drone.
This allows you to get the best bang for your buck.
Here are a few things you can expect from drones in this price category.
Flight time
The average flight time of drones in this price range is around 15 to 20 minutes.
That being said, some manufacturers focus solely on increasing their units’ flight time in hopes that they’d attract more buyers.
On the other hand, some prioritize features and specifications.
However, any unit at this price offering a flight time of 15 minutes is fine.
Anything below 15 minutes is below average.
Keep in mind that smaller drones will have a short flight time due to the power of the battery.
However, large drones can also have a short flight time but in this instance, it can be due to a high payload.
Control range
Everyone wants a drone that can fly out the longest distance possible.
However, drone laws clearly state that your drone should be in your line of sight at all times when it is in flight.
The average control distance for a drone under 300 is around 200 to 500 meters.
However, you may be able to find that some units have an even longer control range and may go as far as 1000 meters.
Performance
What is the point of having a drone that does not perform well in the air or do what you need it to do?
For drones in this price category, you can expect accurate controls, great flight performance when tackling windy situations and even a steady hover without any manual input.
However, you need to make sure you buy a drone under 300 from a reputable manufacturer to get these benefits.
Features
As technology advances, manufacturers are adding more features to their units to outdo the other and to increase sales.
This is why most under 300 drones come with GPS, Waypoint Flight, Follow Me, Orbit Mode, Headless Mode, Auto Return, Auto Takeoff and Landing.
They can even include a Low Battery Alarm, Altitude Hold, LED lights and can perform 360 degrees aerial stunts.
Camera Quality
The camera quality on these units varies and it will all depend on the brand.
However, you can still expect decent quality images and live video transmission from units at this price.
These images will be good enough to share with family and friends on social media while some may provide good quality for school projects.
Surprisingly, you may even find a unit in this price category that can carry a GoPro camera.
This is a win-win since you have a high-powered action camera that captures HD and 4K footage and don’t need to spend a fortune on a drone to carry the camera around.
Frequently Asked Questions: best drones under 300
1. Are the best drones under $300 good for learning?
The best drones under $300 are great for learning since they have steady hover and responsive controls.
Keep in mind that racing drones may not be suitable for first-time flyers even if they are easy to control.
These types of drones require some level of flying expertise to operate.
If you are interested in learning to fly, try these units in our best drones under 100 posts.
2. Can these drones be flown indoors or outdoors?
That depends on the type, size and purpose of the drone.
Some drones can fly both indoors or outdoors while others are only meant to be flown either indoors or outdoors.
Read the manufacturer’s description thoroughly and you’ll be able to tell if your unit can be flown indoors, outdoors or both.
3. Are these drones kid-friendly?
Some of these units are not suitable for children.
If you are looking for a kid-friendly drone, you want a unit that has a protective frame around the propellers and the motor.
Drones for kids should also have a steady hover and responsive controls.
Furthermore, these units should be small, lightweight, simple and have a plastic frame preferably.
4. Do I have to register my $300 and under drone?
Again, this will depend on the drone.
In the Us, the FAA states that unmanned aerial aircrafts weighing more than 250 grams or 8.8 ounces have to be registered.
Registration is a fairly easy process that does not take a long time and you are required to pay a small fee.
5. Do these drones come with FPV functionalities?
Some of the under $300 drones have FPV capabilities.
If you check our list you can identify the ones that provide a live video transmission feed.
Drone
Features
Price
- Control range: 1097 meters
- Flight time: 30 minutes
- Weight: 18.3 oz
- Control range: 300 meters
- Flight time: 15 minutes
- Weight: 9 oz
- Control range: 200 meters
- Flight time: 5-8 minutes
- Weight: 11.2 oz