If you are new to the drone world and don’t have hundreds or thousands of dollars to spend then you should consider purchasing a micro drone.
These drones are packed with as much fun and excitement as regular-sized drones but at a fraction of the cost.
Drone technology has come a long way these past few years and despite what you may think about these units, they have gotten a lot more versatile and sophisticated.
You can use micro drones to improve your piloting skills, perform intricate mid-air stunts and race indoors.
While limited to some activities, these are the best units to buy if you’re an inexperienced drone pilot.
There is no better way to learn flying than with a microdrone as they have a quick learning curve and are cheaper so you can afford to crash a few times without worrying too much.
Once you’re confident in your flying skills then you can move on to buying the best drone for the money.
Drone
Features
Price
- Control Range: 30 meters
- Flight Time: 21 minutes(extended with included batteries)
- Weight: 1.02 oz
Best micro drone
- Control Range: 110 meters
- Flight Time: 10 minutes
- Weight: 4 oz
The Altair Falcon AHP is the best micro drone on our list today.
While being the best micro drone, it is also one of the most expensive but not overly expensive and provides great value for the money.
The APH in the unit’s name stands for Autonomous Hovering and Positioning System.
This is one of the most outstanding features that make this drone one of the easiest to fly.
It allows the drone to hover in place without calibration to give you a steady flight experience without you pouting in too much effort.
The unit is ready to fly right out of the box and comes with a simple remote that is easy to operate.
The Altair Falcon also comes with a 720p HD camera that allows live streaming via Wi-Fi.
The remote controller has a smartphone mount for FPV flying and custom flight routing.
However, you need to install the Fly Seeing App on your smartphone to take advantage of these features.
The best micro FPV quadcopter has a control range of 110 meters with a flight time of 10 minutes.
It is lightweight, weighs just 4 ounces but has a durable construction perfect for indoor flying
Moreover, the drone comes with removable propeller guards to protect the propellers in the event of a crash.
It also comes with extra parts like propeller blades and landing gear so if anything gets broken, you don’t have to buy replacement parts separately.
Overall, the Altair Falcon AHP is a great little drone that is reasonably priced.
- Falcon with AHP - Unique to Altair Drones - Autonomous Hover & Positioning system which keeps the...
- DOUBLE FLIGHT TIME - 2 Batteries included with 8-10 minutes of flight time each. Get to spend more...
- LIVE VIDEO CAMERA DRONE - The Falcon carries a 720p live video camera and allows for video as well...
- READY TO FLY! The Altair Falcon comes fully assembled and ready to go right out of the box. Just...
- The Altair Promise - All Altair products come backed by the Altair promise, out of Lincoln, NE. We...
- Control Range: 30 meters
- Flight Time: 21 minutes(extended with included batteries)
- Weight: 1.02 oz
Neheme may not be a well-known brand but they have been producing some wonderful quads for children and entry-level drone pilots.
This budget-friendly drone features a protective cage around the propellers that serves two different functions.
The first is to protect children from being hurt by the rotating propellers and the second is to protect the propellers from getting damaged on impact.
Although the design is fantastic it can make it harder to clean out the dust collected on the propellers.
Apart from this, the NH320 also comes with some fun features that kids are sure to love.
These include 360-degree tumbling action and LED lights that make it fun to fly in the dark.
Other features include the three-speed mode which allows you to change speed according to your skill level.
The remote controller is highly responsive which makes it a great drone for newbies.
It includes one key lift-off and landing sequence plus Altitude Hold.
The drone comes with three batteries that prolong its flight time to 21 minutes.
It is quick and zippy at high speeds and features a robust construction to survive a few crashes with little to no damages.
The Neheme NH320 is the perfect toy drone for kids and anyone who just wants to have some fun.
- ✈ULTRA-LONG FLIGHT TIME: NEHEME mini kids drone comes with 2 removable and chargeable batteries,...
- ✈EASY TO FLY: Just through a simple tap, kids can easily finish one key taking off/landing,...
- ✈EXCELLENT AIR SHOW: NEHEME highly responsive function - the 3D Flip and 360° Rotation that can...
- ✈COOL POCKET DESIGN: NEHEME flying drones for kids pack the propeller in a cage that protects kids...
- ✈TRUSTED QUALITY ASSURANCE: Our rc flying drone is easy to learn by kids. At the same time,...
- Control Range: 30 meters
- Flight Time: 6 minutes
- Weight: 6.7 oz
The Potensic Upgraded A20 drone is another budget-friendly option and although it was made for kids, it is an excellent beginner drone for adults.
The A20 remote controller is one of the best you’ll experience in this microdrone category.
The controller is on the smaller side to fit comfortably in the hands of children.
It features 2.4Ghz which allows it to deliver a stable transmission and is highly responsive.
There’s also 3-speed modes, Headless mode and Altitude Hold to make things easier for newbie pilots.
Moving on to the unit itself, you’ll have a smooth flying experience but you will need to calibrate it every time you power it up which can be a bit of a nuisance.
On the plus side, the transmission performance of the controller makes the pairing an easy and hassle-free process.
Landing the unit is quite simple and the drone features a soft landing gear that protects it from heavy impact.
Another outstanding feature is the Emergency Stop.
This feature allows the quadcopter to land itself in the event you lose control.
Although the unit comes with Headless Mode that allows you to fly it in any orientation, it is equipped with an LED headlight and a red tail light for more experienced users.
- [Easy to Play]: -One Key Taking-off / Landing and auto-hovering function enable this mini drone to...
- [3 Battery for More Fun Time]: -Come with 3 drone batteries, this micro drone aims to extend your...
- [Headless Mode]: -Won’t lose direction, you can fly the drone without worrying about what...
- [A Great Gift for Kids]: -With more fun functions like headless mode, 3 speeds adjustable, remote...
- [Durable and Safe Guard Design]: -4 propeller guards design keeps the drone safe from damage when...
- Control Range: 100 meters
- Flight Time: 7 minutes
- Weight: 12.3 oz
While Hubsan has a wide range of micro-drones for sale, the Hubsan X4 H107L is one of the best-selling micro-quads out there.
This is because of its excellent features, high-quality build, modern design and flying capabilities.
This drone comes packed with four micro coreless powerful motors, a 2.4Ghz frequency with four channels, a 6-axis flight control system, 3.7V 240 mAh battery and so much more.
Considering all you get, at this price you are definitely landing a bargain.
The drone is fairly lightweight and weighs about 12.3 ounces and its 6-axis flight control system with adjustable gyro sensitivity provides a super stable flight.
The unit is equipped with four rubber feet for a soft landing as well as four small LED lights for easier flying in the dark.
You can expect a flight time of around 7 minutes and a control distance of 100 meters.
This means that you can fly the unit both indoors or outdoors but watch out for wind when flying outdoors as this can have an impact on the way the drone flies.
In the end, the Hubsan X4 H107L is a well-designed drone that offers a great learning experience to anyone wanting to learn the ropes of drone flying.
- Durable one piece main frame.
- Precision 6 axis gyro.
- Ready to Fly.
- 4 channel 2.4Ghz control.
- High capacity LiPO battery.
- Control Range: 40 meters
- Flight Time: 4-8 minutes
- Weight: 3.2 oz
If you are looking for an ultra-cheap and ultra-lightweight microdrone then the Cheerson CX-10 should be your number one pick.
It measures 1.65x 1.65x 0.79 inches with the main rotor being just 29MM in diameter.
This small drone is fairly durable and designed with a smooth appearance.
It comes in a bright orange or orange plastic frame and has great flying stability with three different flight modes.
Other features include the frequency of 2.4Ghz, 6-axis design and integrated speed control with a three-level speed flip function.
This drone requires a four-channel radio to fly and you’ll need to purchase this separately.
However, other than the unit itself, you get two main blades, a transmitter and a USB cable in the package.
The unit also requires a 3.7V 100Mah battery while the transmitter requires two 1.5 AAA batteries.
The flight time of the unit is around 4-8 minutes while the control range goes up to a distance of 40 meters.
This drone is so easy to control that even kids can use it and have a fun time lying it around indoors.
If cheap and small is what you’re looking for then the Cheerson CX-10 will meet all your needs.
- Suitable for: Ages 14+
- Model on Hubsan H111
- 6-axis design makes the gyroscope adjustable, promoting flying stability
- Flight time will be up to 4-8 minutes,3-level adjustable speed flip function
- Low voltage alarm
Buying guide to the best micro quadcopters
When thinking of purchasing a micro drone there are many things to consider since they are thousands of different models on the market.
Here is a list of all that you should look for when considering a micro drone.
Price
For the majority, the price is the main factor when buying any product and the same applies to these RC micro drones.
However, this does not mean that you should purchase the cheapest model you can find.
In this instance, it is better to purchase a cheap model to learn the basics.
A micro-drone that doesn’t cost too much is going to be able to get you acquainted with various flying situations and teach you how to overcome them.
They will also have you worrying less about crashing since you haven’t made a huge investment.
There’s no doubt that you’ll experience a few crashes during your first few flights especially if this is the first time flying a drone.
You do not want to buy an expensive drone with a camera as your first because you don’t want to break the camera on its first flight.
Only go for the more expensive drones after you have gained valuable flying experiences and have mastered the art of drone flying
Build, flight time and control distance
Typically, drones of this size can fly between 5 to 10 minutes while the control distance can be anywhere from 30 to 60 meters.
These are average values and some manufacturers may claim longer flying time or further control distances.
The best thing to do is to do some research online and read reviews from real users before making the purchase.
In addition to flight time, it is also important to have a drone that provides a stable flight and different flying modes.
You should also look at the build quality of the drone.
Take your time and look at every detail in the quadcopter’s specifications to get a fair idea of what the drone is like, can offer and what you should expect.
Pay special attention to features like the material used in construction, motors and propellers.
Design
Apart from technical characteristics, the design is equally important when buying a microdrone
The design mainly depends on the frame, blade and shapes and manufacturers aim to produce attractive and eye-catching models.
Some will be brightly colored so it catches your eye and so forth while some are designed to be safe for kids while others aren’t.
So depending on your preference, go for a design that best suits your needs.
Camera
As fun as micro drones are sometimes, you may want to capture photos and videos.
Not all drones in this category come equipped with a camera and at their cheap price points, one really should expect them to.
That being said, you may find a few that come with an onboard camera.
If you do want a camera on your micro-drone then look for a unit with a built-in camera that can shoot good enough photos and videos to share with family and friends.
It is unlikely you will find a drone in this category that provides high-quality aerial videos and photos.
Even the best micro drone with camera will not be able to capture professional-quality photos and videos.
For the best camera drones, check out the best drone with camera post.
Micro vs Regular drones
The biggest differences between micro and regular-sized drones are size and weight.
Aside from these two, differences lie in performance and technical characteristics.
They both have their advantages and disadvantages,
Micro-drones advantages include:
- They can be used in areas that are hard to access and where bigger drones cannot go.
- They use smaller blades so they produce less kinetic energy which reduces the possibility of damaging surrounding objects.
- Suitable for indoor use.
- Easy to control
- Best for kids and beginners
- Simple technical designs and mechanical simplicity as well.
- No need to register since they weigh a lot less than regular-sized drones.
- Affordable
Disadvantages include:
- Short flying time and distances
- Fewer advanced features
- Hard to fly outdoors
- Does not include a camera and if it does, camera quality is not as good as regular-sized units
Who should use Micro-drones?
Micro-drones are meant for those who want a ready-to-fly drone and have no intention of building one for themselves.
These units are ideal for beginner drone pilots but may also be used by experienced pilots who want a smaller unit to have some flying fun.
They are not hard to use or maintain and give you peace of mind when you’re just starting to fly.
Drones of this size come with great control systems and high-flying stability so you can get a hang of flying in just a couple of days.
When just starting to fly using one of these units, it is best to fly in an appropriate place.
Fly indoors in your home or find an empty room to do so.
If you do choose to fly outdoors, do so on a calm windless day or else you’ll have issues flying the drone due to its lightweight nature.
You can even opt for a unit that has an onboard camera that allows you to capture videos and photos to begin your journey into drone photography.
In some cases, even though the drone may not come with a camera, it may be possible to add a camera yourself and see the world from a different perspective.
These drones are perfect for both kids and adults so if you want a drone to practice with or to just have some fun, choose one of the micro-drones from our list.
Drone
Features
Price
- Control Range: 30 meters
- Flight Time: 21 minutes(extended with included batteries)
- Weight: 1.02 oz