Cheerson CX-20 Review [2023]

There are tons of drones available on the market today and it may be difficult to decide which brand to go with. 

You have big brands Like DJI and others dominating the market but their units can come at quite a hefty price.

So how exactly do you go about looking for a reasonably priced drone that has the features you need?

Today, we will be taking a look at the Cheerson CX-20 drone that has all the features you want except a camera.

However, the drone offers great range, flight time and is simple to operate, and includes a mount that is compatible with a GoPro camera. 

In this Cheerson CX-20 review, we’ll take a look at all the CX-20 has to offer so if you’re interested, let’s dive right in.

Drone

Features

Price

Quality Cheerson CX-20 Open-source Version Auto-Pathfinder...
  • Flight time: 15 minutes
  • Range: 300 meters
  • Weight: 1.52 pounds

Cheerson CX-20 review

Quality Cheerson CX-20 Open-source Version Auto-Pathfinder...
  • Flight time: 15 minutes
  • Range: 300 meters
  • Weight: 1.52 pounds

The Cheerson CX-20 is a great professional drone that is built well and packed with a ton of advanced features.

It is affordable and a lot cheaper than most of the big-name brands available.

In terms of features, price, and product quality you cannot get much better than this Cheerson CX-20 quadcopter that gives you value for your money.

If you need the drone for photography and videography purposes, you can mount a GoPro camera on the Cheerson CX-20 and start shooting.

For a mid-priced drone, it is one of the best on the market so it needs to be considered.

Let us dive into the features and talk about them a bit more to give you a fair idea of what you’ll be getting if you purchase this drone.

Cheerson CX-20 quadcopter features

Range

The Cheerson CX-20 comes with a maximum flight range of about 300 meters.

This means you can fly this drone far enough without worrying about losing it.

The flight range is far more than something you would find in a drone at this price point so the Cheerson drone is worth considering.

Build and Design

Qualities like flight range, time and speed, and others are important factors to consider when purchasing a drone.

Another factor that needs to be seriously considered is the build quality and design.

The Cheerson CX-20 quadcopter features an impressive design that helps you stand out from the crowd.

It is a full-size quadcopter with a white plastic finish featuring 4 wide blades and red highlights and closely resembles the DJI Phantom.

Although it is a full-size drone, this unit is compact and lightweight measuring 22.4 x 14.4 x 5.4 inches and weighs 1.52 pounds.

This allows it to be a very portable unit that can fit into any backpack for when you’re on the go

The unit is constructed from ABS plastic that offers a nice degree of durability.

However, the drone is still susceptible to damages if it crashes.

The landing gear on the unit is relatively big and offers enough protection when landing the drone.

While the Cheerson CX-20 does not come with a camera it does come with a camera mount that is compatible with the GoPro camera.

Simply attach your GoPro camera to the bottom of the drone and capture photos and videos as you would with any camera drone.

The unit also comes with some high-intensity LED lights which are extremely helpful in low light situations or at nights.

They help to guide the orientation of the drone against the night sky and help you bring the drone back to you.

Transmitter

The Cheerson CX 20 comes with a robust transmitter that is unlike any other transmitter from affordable drones that can feel a little bit cheap.

The Cheerson CX-20 transmitter feels tough and durable and is on par with some of the better transmitters on the market.

However, the transmitter is pretty standard, simple to operate, big and comfortable enough to fit nicely in your hands while operating the drone.

It comes with two joysticks, trim controls, a power switch, and buttons for activating the camera.

The Cheerson CX- 20 transmitter is not programmable and does not feature an LCD screen or mounting options for any smart device.

All the features of this drone are controlled with SWA and SWB switches that are on the transmitter along with throttle balancing.

Features include Altitude Hold, Return to Home, Orientation Control, and GPS Hold.

The only disadvantage of the CX-20 transmitter is that it does not come with batteries.

You will have to purchase the battery for the CX plenty transmitter separately which will incur additional costs.

Battery

This Cheerson CX quadcopter is powered by a 3S 11.1v 2500mAh Li-Po battery that is included with purchase.

The battery is fairly large and this can be a possible reason why it takes a long time to charge.

Charging time can run anywhere from two or more hours to complete a full charge cycle.

Once it’s fully charged, the battery will offer a flight time of 15 minutes which is above the average amount of time you’d get with a drone at this price point.

However, do note that many factors can affect flight time and reduce the amount of time the drone spends in the air.

These include weather conditions, how fast the unit is going, adding additional weight to the unit.

If you think you’ll need a longer flight time, you can always purchase an extra battery and keep it handy.

Ensure that you factor in the cost of the extra battery to make sure you are still getting the best value for your money.

The unit comes with a feature that turns on when the battery is running low and automatically lands the drone.

Flight performance

This unit performs quite well in the air, is easy to control, and transitions with smooth movements.

The CX 20 is a stable drone that provides fluid forward, backward and sideward transitions even in windy conditions.

It flies well and fairly fast with a maximum speed of 8-10 mph which isn’t the fastest but the unit was built more for stability than speed since it lacks a gimbal mount.

This drone is easy to operate and very responsive so you will have no trouble piloting the unit.

As previously mentioned, you can fly the CX 20 out of 300 meters and the transmitter will still maintain a strong connection with the drone to keep you in control.

The best feature during flight is the Low Voltage Protection System that helps the quadcopter from running out of power in midair or crashing due to low battery.

There are two levels to the Low Voltage Protection System.

In the first level, the device beeps to let you know that the battery is running out of power.

When this happens it means you have one to two minutes of flight time which you may use to land a drone.

If you don’t hear the beeps then you needn’t worry because the second level of the protection system will automatically land the drone when it detects the low battery power.

The Cheerson X20 also comes with a return-to-home function that many beginners find very useful.

It returns the drone to its original take-off location and is done by the simple push of a button.

Another feature that is worth mentioning is the Intelligent Orientation Control function.

This feature allows you to regain control of the drone if it ever goes into a spin,

You will be able to steer the unit in the direction of your choosing.

This advanced feature is something you will find in more expensive drones so it was surprising that the Cheerson CX-20 comes with this feature.

Camera Options

cx-20 cheerson with gopro

The Cheerson CX-20 quadcopter does not come with a camera but comes with a removable mount that is compatible with the Go-Pro camera.

The mount is located at the base of the unit and installing the camera is easy and quick.

After installing the camera, you can take videos and pictures and even record audio for your videos.

You can either save your photos and videos to your computer or Cloud account where you can edit, etc.

Don’t let the fact that the Cheerson CX-20 doesn’t come with a camera deter you since many cameras are compatible with this unit.

Quality Cheerson CX-20 Open-source Version Auto-Pathfinder...
  • Cheerson CX-20 Open-source Version Auto-Pathfinder Quadcopter RTF
  • Category : RC Toys & Hobbies, RC Quadcopters
  • Package Quantity : 1
  • Mode : Mode 1 (Right Hand Throttle);Mode 2 (Left Hand Throttle);
  • If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Pros: CX-20 Cheerson

  • Affordable
  • Reasonable flight time
  • Decent flight range
  • Compatible mount for GoPro
  • Sturdily built
  • LED lights for guidance in low light conditions and at night 
  • Lightweight, compact and portable
  • Responsive and user-friendly transmitter
  • Stable flight
  • Comes with a wide array of safety and protective features

Cons: CX-20 Cheerson

  • Does not come with a camera
  • The transmitter comes without a battery
  • Drone battery takes a long time to recharge

How does the CX-20 quadcopter match up to its competitors?

3DR Solo Quadcopter (No Gimbal)

3DR Solo Quadcopter (No Gimbal)

  • Flight time: 20-25 minutes
  • Range: 800 meters
  • Weight: 4 pounds

The 3DR Solo costs more than the CX-20 Cheerson but is one of the most favored drones for GoPro.

However again, cost plays a factor because, without a Gimbal for stabilization, your video will be extremely shaky and blurry.

Purchasing the gimbal separately will take the price higher or buying the bundle with a gimbal will also increase the price.

However, it may be best to buy the bundle since it comes with the gimbal, battery, and 8 replacement propellers.

Other than cost, the 3DR Solo is compatible with the Hero 3 and Hero 4 GoPro models.

The 3DR enables in-flight access to your Go-Pro which makes it easier to control the camera from the controller.

The device comes with a host of intelligent features that helps produce impressive stills and videos.

Features include Smart Shot for crystal clear and detailed photos, Cable Cam, Follow Me, and Selfie Mode.

This device offers wireless HD video live stream from the GoPro to your mobile device and has a range of up to 800 meters.

The 3DR Solo is simple to fly with its video game-style controller and push-button commands.

The controller features an HDMI port to connect to any smart device for FPV flying.

For more on this unit, read the full 3DR Solo drone review.

3DR Solo Quadcopter (No Gimbal)
  • Solo’s video game-style controller will feel familiar the second you pick it up, even if you’ve…
  • In case you missed it in the picture…that’s a high-quality HDMI port directly from the…
  • Full-featured app for iOS and Android puts total craft control at your fingertips.

Holy Stone HS700D FPV Drone

Holy Stone FPV Drone with 4K FHD Camera Live Video and GPS...

  • Flight time: 22 minutes
  • Range: 999 meters
  • Weight: 1.3 pounds

The Holy Stone HS700D drone is another mid-price quadcopter like the Cheerson CX-20.

However, this unit comes with a 4K camera but the camera can be switched out for the Go-Pro Hero 2, Hero 3, or Hero 4 models.

The drone itself comes with a bunch of excellent features to help you capture the best aerial photos and videos.

Features include Intelligent Flight Assistance features like return-to-home which brings the drone right back to you if it gets lost or when the battery is low.

It comes with a Custom Flight Path feature that allows you to design a flight path for complex shots.

You can also get 5G FBV live video transmission which gives you high-quality real-life videos from up to 999 meters away.

This is impressive for a drone at this price and is a great choice if you are looking for a drone with a long flight range.

However, the live video transmission only works with the main camera and not with the GoPro camera.

Controlling the drone is easy, thanks to the simple and standard controller.

The Holy Stone HS700D offers a stable flight experience and provides easy direction control with Headless Mode.

The use of brushless motors also makes this unit operate quieter than most.

Holy Stone FPV Drone with 4K FHD Camera Live Video and GPS…
  • 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…

DROCON Bugs 3 Quadcopter

DROCON Bugs 3 Powerful Brushless Motor Quadcopter High Speed...

  • Flight time: 20 minutes
  • Range: 500 meters
  • Weight: 3.1 pounds

The Drocon Bugs 3 quadcopter Is one of the cheapest drones available today that is compatible with the GoPro camera.

Despite its cheap price, it is surprisingly good and is compatible with all the GoPro models.

It does not come with smart flight features like GPS and Wi-Fi but it offers a solid drone that is easy to use and fly.

This unit like the Cheerson CX-20 delivers stable flights even in high wind situations for clear camera footage at all times.

However, unlike the CX-20, this unit has a 6-axis gyroscope that allows it to remain extremely stable while in flight.

All you have to do is install your GoPro camera into the compatible mount and take photos and videos as you would with a camera drone.

This unit also features powerful brushless motors that make it particularly zippy to take fast action shots.

It also comes with LED lights like the CX-20 for guidance in low light situations or at night.

Other than its GoPro compatibility, stable and speedy flight, this drone will appeal to thrill-seekers.

The Drocon Bug 3 can perform 3D rolls and flips at the press of a button for a bit of fun.

The remote controller is pretty standard and easy to operate so you are always in control of the drone.

DROCON Bugs 3 Powerful Brushless Motor Quadcopter High Speed…
  • Updated Brushless Motor: Brushless motor won’t overheat and melt like plastic, so you get longer…
  • Fly up to 15-20 Minutes: Blue B3 lasts for 15 minutes at mid-to-high throttle, and up to 20 minutes…
  • Long Distance Control Remote Control Alarm: when your Blue B3 is a tiny Speck in the distance, you…
  • Fly Against High Speed Wind: B3 is made of durable nylon fiber material and the weigh T is up to 1….
  • 3D Rolls & Flip: this drone will amaze you by performing a cool 3D flip at the Press of button. Have…

Final thoughts: Cheerson CX-20

cx-20 quadcopter led lights

We hope that this Cheerson CX-20 review has helped you in some way to see that this is the best drone if you want the best value for your money.

The unit’s flight time and range make it well worth its price and when you add in the advanced features it increases the value further.

This device is also easy to use and operate even in windy conditions or in low light and night situations.

Don’t let the fact that it does not come with a camera deter you because the CX-20 is compatible with the GoPro camera and others. 

For more drones, check our affordable drones post.

Drone

Features

Price

Quality Cheerson CX-20 Open-source Version Auto-Pathfinder...
  • Flight time: 15 minutes
  • Range: 300 meters
  • Weight: 1.52 pounds

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