In recent times, the world of drones has been blowing up and units are flying off shelves,
People are going crazy over the idea of owning their very own flying device.
So if you are thinking of joining the hype and getting yourself one of these cool gadgets, you’ll need to know a few things before making that purchase.
To get started it’s always as wise to select a drone that is perfect for beginners.
Beginner drones will be user-friendly and allow you to understand the basics of flying your unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV).
One type of drone that is great for beginners is a quadcopter due to its wide diversity which allows you to find one that meets your demands
Today we’ll take a look at the best quadcopters for beginners.
Click on the link to learn how to fly a drone and some of the best drone flying tips before you fly.
Drone
Features
Price
- Flight time: 16 minutes
- Range: 80 meters
- Weight: 1.55 pound
What is a quadcopter?
Drones are the broad term that all unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV) fall under.
UAVs mean that the device can be remotely controlled or controlled by onboard computers first stop.
Quadcopter, on the other hand, is a specific term given to a type of drone that is controlled by 4 rotors hence the name quadcopter.
These UAVs are also known as a quadrotor or a quadrotor helicopter.
They have four rotors with each consisting of a motor and a propeller.
These units are controlled remotely and bear a close resemblance to helicopters.
The difference between the two is that quadcopters can balance themselves by the movement of the blades and not by the use of a tail rotor.
Quadcopters are a type of drone along with the other types like tri-copters, hexacopters and octocopters that can all fall under the broad term of drones.
In the end, you will be able to recognize a quadcopter by its four rotors.
Best quadcopters for beginners review
- Flight time: 7-10 minutes
- Range: 50-100 meters
- Weight: 1.7 pounds
We start our list of best quadcopters for beginners with the Holy Stone F181.
It is a great quadcopter for novice and expert flyers due to its great value for the price.
This unit comes with several features including a 720-pixel camera and a hover feature.
The camera takes reasonable photos and videos from above and the hover feature stops the drone from crashing should your fingers come off the controller.
The Holy Stone quadcopter is extremely stable while in flight and durable enough to survive a few crashes even though it has no rotor guards in place.
The company has integrated both a key return and headless mode feature in this quadcopter.
The key return brings the drone back to the controller while the headless mode allows the drone to move to the position of the controller and not according to the position of the drone’s head.
The headless feature makes it easy for beginners by allowing them to identify where the quadcopter is going when they move the controller.
The Holystone F181 is favored by expert aerospace engineers because of its 360-degree four-way flip.
This allows both expert and novice pilots to test and show off their flying skills.
You can use this drone to perform flips and rolls with ease and even remove the camera on rotor guards to lighten its load.
With a flight time of 7 to 9 minutes on a range of 50 to 100 meters, this drone is the perfect choice for any beginner.
- Equipped with One Key Return & Headless Security System to assist beginners and help prevent losing...
- Altitude Hold Function: Powerful air pressure altitude hold function allows the drone to hover at...
- One Key 360° 4-Ways Flip (left,right,forward,backward), Continuous Roll For Perfect Action And...
- Come With Two Batteries (BONUS BATTERY) For Longer Flight Time.
- Range: About 50-100 Meters. Battery Flight Time: About 7-9 Minutes. Charging Time: About 80 Minutes....
- Flight time: 7-9 minutes
- Range: 50-100 meters
- Weight: 12.8 oz
This Hubsan X4 quadcopter is a bit pricier than the previous model mentioned and is a good beginner quadcopter to start with.
The drone features a sleek design that offers pilots and photographers a first-person view of images with its 480P camera.
It features a dynamic 2.4G and 5.8G transmitter and a 4.3-inch FPV LCD monitor that allows pilots real-time views of images and videos that are being captured.
This unit is also equipped with LED lights which makes it easier to spot at night and propeller guards that you can install for extra safety.
The small size weight of this unit is perfect to perform tricks in the air while its 6 axis flight control system with adjustable gyro sensitivity provides extra stability in flight.
This is one of the most stable quadcopters on the market for beginners.
It may be better to fly this drone indoors since it is rather small and is about the size of your palm.
Flying it indoors will give you some insane speeds and the ability to control the quadcopter very well.
However, in some cases, you may be able to fly it outside if there’s little to no wind, otherwise, the wind may toss it about in the air.
The flight time of the Hubsan X4 quadcopter is 7 to 9 minutes within a 50 to 100-meter range even for live video.
Charging time is around 45 minutes and can be done using the included USB charging cable from a computer or wall charger.
- Control distance: 50 - 100meters, Live video distance: around 100 meters
- Latest 6-axis flight control system with adjustable gyro sensitivity
- Lightweight airframe with nice durability
- Instant video preview on transmitter
- Battery: 3.7V Voltage, 380mAh li-po battery with auto cut off safety PCB
- 6 Axis Gyro Stabilization ,Immersive FPV Flight
- Record Flight Video to SD Card
- The quad copter comes with installed 3.7V 380mAh lipo battery but the battery for transmitter is not...
- kindly refer to the attached PDF file, troubleshooting page 23rd.
- Flight time: 5-10 minutes
- Range: 30 meters
- Weight: 1.81 pounds
The Heli-Max 1SQ V-cam RTF quadcopter is made by a company manned by top-rated drone professionals.
Hobbico is known to produce high-quality quadcopters and this creation is a shining example of that.
This starter quadcopter features a solid construction which means that it can survive almost anything.
Its strong and solid frame can survive crashes with any major damages and may sustain a few dings and scratches that will in no way alter its performance.
Additional safety features include spare parts which are easy to install to provide a safer and better flight experience for beginners.
The main feature of this quadcopter that beginners will love is its ability to remain stable in flight.
The smooth flying that you will experience is something that you probably wouldn’t get with any other drone.
This device teaches beginners many flight basics and comes with a durable transmitter that is more reliable than other quadcopters for beginners.
Experienced pilots are also in awe of this nifty quadcopter and use it to perform flips and rolls as well as its ability to soar to amazing heights.
This quadcopter is equipped with a built-in digital camera to shoot and record aerial videos with the transmitter.
If you are in the need of capturing stills, the RTF version allows users to capture images.
As the user, you will be able to control the unit’s sensitivity through its two modes which make flying the unit a whole lot easier for you.
The Heli_Max 1SQ V-cam RTF quadcopter comes with a flight time of 5-10 minutes and a flight range of 30 meters.
- Features: built-in digital camera lets user shoot and record aerial videos with transmitter...
- Includes: rtf 1sq quadcopter with 2.4ghz Radio, LiPo battery, USB charger, four extra blades,...
- Requires: device such as a personal computer with a USB port to power charger
- FEATURES: Built-in digital camera lets user shoot and record aerial videos with transmitter...
- INCLUDES: RTF 1SQ Quadcopter with 2.4GHz Radio, LiPo Battery, USB Charger, Instructions, 2 GB Memory...
- REQUIRES: Device such as a personal computer with a USB port to power charger
- Flight time: 10 minutes
- Range: 50-100 meters
- Weight: 5.2 oz
Here we have yet another quadcopter from Holy Stone that is great for beginners.
The Holy Stone HS110D is an entry-level quadcopter and one of the top camera drones in the beginners market.
It comes with a live feed 1080P HD FPV Camera with 120 degrees wide-angle lens to capture all of life’s memorable moments.
For the price, you can find a wide host of advanced features such as different flight modes such as Headless Mode, Altitude Hold, FPV and a whole lot more.
The Altitude hold is the key feature that beginners are going to find helpful since it keeps the drone suspended in mid-air should your hand come off of the joystick.
Another plus of purchasing this cool little device is the many ways in which you can control it via the App.
Through the App, you can navigate and maneuver the quadcopter by voice control, gestures control and trajectory flight and gravity sensor control also.
For a bit of fun, this quadcopter can do flips and barrel rolls to entertain you and others around.
In terms of durability, this quadcopter is pretty strong and with propeller protection.
The protection guards protect the unit if you hit an obstacle to keep the unit safe.
You can expect 10 minutes flight time and a 50-100 meters range with the Holy Stone HS110D.
- 1080P FOV 120° HD FPV Camera: You can capture memorable moments with distortion-free and view...
- Altitude hold: When you focus on shooting images, you may set your hands off the joystick and the...
- Headless Mode: The pilot will feel easier to control, especially when the drone is out of sight,...
- Mobile Control: Through the APP, multiple functions, Voice Control, Gestures Control, Trajectory...
- 2 Modular Battries: 2 batteries can support a 20 Minutes flight which makes it easy to replace...
- Flight time: 16 minutes
- Range: 80 meters
- Weight: 1.55 pound
The Snaptain S5C is a lean, mean and stylish beginner quadcopter that every newbie will find joy to own.
It features a unique design that makes it stand out from the rest and the blue and purple LED lights add a nice finishing touch when it’s flying around.
This unit is made from ABS plastic which is highly durable so you can fly this device with confidence because you know your unit will not receive too much damage if you crash.
To further ensure protection against crashes, this unit comes with four anti-collision barriers on the four corners where the propellers are.
Other than looking cool and being well constructed and protected, this device comes with a 720p HD camera for capturing crystal-clear images or videos for the beginner.
This quadcopter is user-friendly and can take off, land or return with the touch of a button.
You can also control the unit by voice or gestures using the Snaptain Era App for iOS or Android.
You will be able to control the gravity settings, 3D VR settings, trajectory flight and other functions through the APP also.
This helps to make controlling the quadcopter easier when you’re new to piloting a drone.
The Snaptain S5C is a great drone that can stay in the air for 16 minutes and provides video transmission within a range of up to 80 meters.
For more cheap drones that you can practice with, read these best 20 dollar drones and best drone landing pads post to help you nail your landing every time.
You can also check out another good beginner-friendly drone in this Propel Cloud Rider review by clicking on the link.
To fly your drone, check out the video below.
Beginners quadcopter buying guide
As a beginner, it may be a daunting task when it comes to choosing your very first quadcopter.
This type of unmanned aerial vehicle comes in a variety of sizes with many different features.
This is why it can be hard to pick the quadcopter that is right for you.
To make things easier, there are a few things you need to keep in mind to ensure that you are getting the best bang for your buck and a quadcopter that suits your needs.
Follow our beginners’ quadcopter guide and you should be fine.
Personal preference
Looking for your first drone may have you a bit excited and you would want a drone that looks cool.
The aesthetic appearance of your drone may be the first thing you want to consider
After all, nobody wants a dull monochromatic device to zoom across the sky.
But before you think about looks, you need to figure out what is the purpose of getting your quadcopter.
You need a drone that will meet your demands whether you just want to perfect your piloting skills or a camera drone to capture pictures and videos.
Today manufacturers are all in competition with each other so the hype on drones is peaking and you can find drones featuring a plethora of colors and designs that may appeal to you.
In addition, some come packed with tons of features so identifying the reason why you need a drone is the first thing to consider before buying a quadcopter.
You can either choose a quadcopter to simply practice flying or a camera quad to capture pictures and videos.
Cost
Some may disregard the cost but this can be crucial especially if you are now familiarizing yourself with piloting a drone.
You need to pay attention to the cost when buying your first quadcopter.
You do not want to be crashing an expensive quad and throwing your money down the drain.
However, you can put your money down on expensive quadcopters that come with multi-functional features once you have mastered the art of controlling a UAV.
So as a beginner you should settle for a cheap drone that you can use to learn to fly so in the event you crash it would not cost you a whole lot.
Training ground
To practice flying your new quad you will need an area that gives you ample space with no obstacles for you to crash into.
Outdoors may be your best bet but sometimes the wind can be a problem depending on the structure and size of the quadcopter.
So if you can, maybe a wide indoor space will be better for you to practice flying your quadcopter.
Your unit may come with the stabilization feature that helps to keep the unit in the air which makes flying easier for you.
Some quadcopters are specifically made to be flown indoors which makes them the perfect models for practicing.
Flight time/charging time
As a new quadcopter pilot, you need to know that most quadcopters will only fly an average of maybe 5 to 10 minutes.
The flight time can be rather disappointing but you can extend this by choosing a model that comes with spare batteries or batteries that can be swapped out.
This way you can replace the drained batteries with the new ones and continue flying.
Charging time can also be disappointing since most quadcopters require a long charge time.
Comparing charging time to flight time may seem unfair but it is simply the way it is, even with some of the pricier models that the pros use.
Range and durability
You need to choose a dependable quadcopter that has a solid frame so that it does not sustain major damage if it bumps into anything or crash lands.
Look for a unit that can fly within 100 meters to give you enough range to practice your piloting skills.
Read manufacturer specifications for the range of the quadcopter you’re thinking of getting.
Furthermore, read customer reviews to see how well the quadcopter survives crashes, bumps or mishaps, etc.