Since the introduction of drones on the consumer market, we have all been in awe at what they offer.
We saw drones that can be used for racing, camera drones for professional photography and videography as well as those that can carry a GoPro camera.
However, these drones only allow you to capture footage to watch later after the drone has finished its flight.
Today, you can live stream videos from FPV drones or a VR drone to your phone, FPV goggles or an external display.
In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the best FPV goggles that provide an immersive drone piloting experience.
Drone
Features
Price
- Built-in DVR system
- Easy push-button control
- Mountable screen
What are FPV goggles?
FPV goggles are a drone accessory that can be worn on the face and acts as a portable screen that allows the pilot to view live video from an FPV drone camera.
They can be found in all different sizes, features and price ranges.
Using an FPV drone with goggles puts you in the pilot’s seat while you control the unit from the ground.
They are similar to drone VR goggles but are better suited for racing.
How do FPV drone goggles work?
Simply put, drone goggles work in the same way as your television but on a much smaller scale.
The drone’s camera captures video and then sends a signal to the video transmitter.
The transmitter then broadcasts a signal wirelessly as a television studio would.
In this instance, the FPV goggles work like a television set and pick up said signal.
However, to be specific, the video receiver picks up the signal and displays it on the screen inside of the goggles.
Normally, FPV goggles have an integrated video receiver or at least have the ability to plug one in via a module bay.
You can also find some goggles that may have a video input connected via an AV cable or HDMI port
This allows you to connect it to your TV or computer to provide that immersive flight experience.
To build your own FPV drone, you can read our fpv drone kit how-to guide.
If building your own isn’t for you, check out our best drone for the money post to find a drone to use your goggles.
Top FPV goggles
- Full HD experience
- 2x 1080p panels
- 6-hour battery life
Immerse yourself fully with the DJI goggles that offer a first-person view of your surroundings from above.
This unit offers a full HD experience and comes with two 1080P panels; one for each eye.
You can use these goggles with many popular DJI FPV drones.
Simply connect via OccuSync wireless connectivity and boom.
Meanwhile, several flight modes will allow you to observe or take over and fly the drone entirely through head tracking.
After your flight is finished, you can enjoy re-watching the videos in the headset at any time.
With a battery life of six hours, you can connect an HDMI cable and enjoy a movie as well.
These DJI FPV goggles are an excellent option if you’re looking for top-of-the-line FPV goggles.
Read this post for more on the DJI goggles.
- DJI Goggles support the Mavic series (except for Mavic Air 2、Mavic Mini and Mavic 2 Enterprise),...
- Country of origin : China
- Some functions have been adapted for different DJI products.
- A pair of 1920×1080 HD screens and a head tracking feature, enabling you to look at the world from...
- Suitable for racing
- Full HDMI port
- Records video at 1440×810
Moving on in our list, we have yet another top-of-the-line option from DJI.
The DJI FPV Goggles V2 is a feature-rich unit that is suitable for drone racers.
It comes with a full HDMI port that accepts any video signals while rocking a fun look.
These goggles display and records video at 1440×810 and have the ability to save the video independently of the video capture on the drone itself.
This is because both the goggles and the drone use a micro SD card.
- Package Dimensions: 200.0 mm (L) x 122.0 mm (W) x 168.0 mm (H)
- Product Type: Camera Other Accessories
- Package Quantity: 1
- Country Of Origin: China
- OLED screens
- 1280×960 resolution
- Impressive build quality
If you aren’t feeling the DJI goggles mentioned previously, then you can check out the Skyzone SKY04X.
These goggles come with OLED screens, 1280×960 resolution and a massive FOV of 46 degrees.
Aside from all this, it has an impeccable build quality and a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to navigate and configure.
If you want the best performance, it is recommended to upgrade the receiver module but these goggles do perform fairly well without the upgrade too.
- [ Focus Adjustment ] The SKY04X is First skyzone goggle with focus adjustment, and 46 degree Field...
- [ With Steadyview Receiver ] The receiver merge two signal to one,avoid image tearing and rolling,...
- [ 10 Language Setting ] Have no trouble with the menu system, with shuttle wheel and new user...
- [ DVR ] H264,30fps,MOV6Mbps,SD Card support up to128Gb. With Head Tracker 3-axis Accelerometer...
- [ Dimentions] 185*75*67mm, Lightweight only 267g, easy to take anywhere.
- Built-in DVR system
- Easy push-button control
- Mountable screen
The Eachine EV800D is one of the most affordable goggles worth getting your hands on.
It comes with a built-in DVR feature as well as antennas and diversity receivers.
Considering the price of these goggles, the range of features offered is quite impressive.
The on-screen display shows the battery level frequency and signal strength so you always have an idea of what’s going on.
However, the most popular feature of this unit is the separable design which sees the front half of the unit splitting from the facepiece.
This way it can be used as a small external monitor or mounted on a tripod.
- Best for those with glasses
- Detachable design
- DVR
If you wear glasses, then the FXT Viper FPV Goggles are your best bet.
This unit is mounted to a headband so in a sense it kind of floats in front of your eyes instead of being pushed up against your face.
This innovative and creative design allows you to keep your glasses on while you fly.
You can remove the silicone sun shroud which can help maintain peripheral awareness while you fly as well.
The FXT Viper uses a mirror mechanism that helps to increase the focal distance, unlike other box goggles.
Other features include DVR, 800x480px resolution, both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratio and others.
- 【Ergonomic & Optical Design】New V2.0 Version FXT Viper FPV Goggles. Unique design even for...
- 【Detachable Parts】Detachable 5inch monitor, combine goggle, separate monitor all in one....
- 【More Choice for Channel】Menu for 5.8Ghz frequency table and 40 channels, the only one to DIY...
- 【Built-in DVR】Built-in DVR recording for up to 10 minutes one file, one key recording/playback....
- 【High Pixel】800*480px resolution AUTO/NTSC/PAL video format. Aspect ratio: 16:9/ 4:3 switchable....
FPV drone goggles buying guide
Form factor
These are low-profile slimline goggles and box goggles.
Slimline FPV goggles have two little screens up to half of an inch to display a duplicated image.
They are significantly smaller, lighter and more portable than box goggles.
This allows them to look better while wearing them due to their small size.
The only downside is that they are usually more expensive because of the high price for microdisplays.
Box goggles on the other hand are cheaper since the image is displayed on a single 3-6 inch LCD screen and magnified with a lens of some sort.
Some users may find that box goggles are more comfortable than slimline goggles due to the larger contact area between your face and the goggles.
Another benefit of box goggles is that they feel more immersive because of the larger field of view(FOV) that they provide.
However, they may also weigh more and may not be a good choice for racers that need a smaller FOV to maintain a tunnel vision-like focus.
Price
It is always good to remember that flying FPV doesn’t always have to be expensive.
You can find budget-friendly options but do keep in mind that if you want the best features and image quality your FPV goggles can cost quite a bit.
That being said, you can spend a little more on FPV goggles since they are a long-term investment and will not crash or physically break while wearing them.
They can possibly be one of the longest last thing accessories in your RC career and outlive many of your drones.
So why not splurge a little?
Resolution
Higher resolutions usually mean better picture quality but higher resolution goggles are also more expensive.
Relatively cheap goggles will have a resolution of 320×240 pixels which is usable but may not be what you are looking for.
Spend a bit more and get yourself some goggles that have at least 640×480 resolution.
However, with current technology and future developments, you may need a pair of goggles with at least a 720p resolution.
On the other hand, some HD goggles even support HDMI input so you can hook them up to your computer and benefit from higher resolutions.
Aspect Ratio
There are two common aspect ratios for displaying videos in FPV goggles.
You can choose between 4:3 or 16:9.
To make the right choice you will need to match the aspect ratio to your FPV camera to deliver the best viewing experience.
If not your image will appear distorted which is caused by excessive stretching or squashing of the image.
You may find that some cameras can support both these aspect ratios.
Most FPV goggles on the market have a native 4.3 ratio and if they do support the 16.9 mode, the top and bottom side of the image will be cropped.
This is what you’ll have to deal with since it is the best solution at the cost of screen field of view
If you cannot find the aspect ratio mentioned anywhere in the manufacturer’s specifications or description, you can identify it by looking at the resolution.
For instance, let’s say the resolution is 1280×960.
That means the aspect ratio would be 4:3.
If the resolution is 1280x 720 then the aspect ratio would be 16:9.
Field of View(FOV)
Field of view(FOV) is the measurement used to tell how big the image appears to you on the screen.
In FPV goggles, this is measured as the angle from the center of your eyes to the diagonal edges of the LCD screen.
The FOV in most FPV goggles ranges somewhere between 25 degrees to 80 degrees.
There is no fixed or right field of view since it is a matter of personal preference.
A larger FOV gives you a bigger image which can help immerse you as the video takes up a lot of your vision.
That being said, you will have to move your eyes to see the edges of the screen if you need to, which is not ideal for FPV racing when traveling at speeds over 100 mph.
Another disadvantage of larger FOV is that the entire screen is not in the central “sweet” spot of the lens.
This makes the edges of the screen blurry if your eyes aren’t aligned correctly with each lens.
you will find larger FOV on box style goggles due to their larger LCD screen.
On the other side of things, smaller FOV can be found in low-profile goggles since the image appears smaller.
FOV in these units may range between 25 to 50 degrees which is ideal for FPV racing pilots.
Interpupillary Distance(IPD)
Interpupillary Distance(IPD) is the distance between the center of the two pupils and as such it differs from person to person.
This value is only needed if your goggles have a lens for each eye as in the case of low profile goggles.
Each lens will need to be aligned with your eyes so that you can have the very best viewing experience.
Lucky for us, most FPV goggles manufacturers allow you to make IPD adjustments.
You can move the lenses or screens so that they are perfectly aligned with your eyes.
You will find that most FPV goggles have an IPD adjustment range between 59 to 69mm.
If your IPD does not fit into this range then your viewing experience will not be that pleasant because your eye is not aligned with the focal point of the lens.
When in this situation, you can opt for box goggles or some other low-profile goggles with a narrower FOV that has a wider focal point range.
If you are a glasses wearer, your optometrist should be able to provide your IPD so that you can get an exact measurement.
Otherwise, you can measure it yourself by taking a photo in front of a mirror with a ruler across your eyes.
This can give you an indication if the FPV goggles you want to purchase suit your eyes.
Others
DVR
A DVR feature built into your goggles will allow you to record the video stream directly to an SD card.
While the quality may not be great, recording DVR footage can be valuable if you need to locate a crashed drone or review a race.
HDMI Input
HDMI input allows you to connect your goggles to your computer to use the screen as an external display.
This is awesome for FPV simulator practice since it takes you one step closer to the real thing.
Most goggles support analog video input but the signal offers a much lower resolution and most PCs do not support analog video output.
However, having that HDMI input on your goggles will allow it to stay relevant when digital FPV systems become more affordable and mainstream.
HDMI input is already required by some HD FPV systems so better safe than sorry.
Audio Output
An audio outlet will allow you to plug in headphones to listen to the audio from a microphone(built-in or installed) on your drone.
This ups the ante and further immerses you into the flight experience.
It allows you to hear the changing RPM of the motors to give you an extra sense to know how the drone is behaving.
Faceplate fan
Goggles tend to fog up in hot, humid or cold climates.
You do not want your goggles to fog up in the middle of a flight because you will not see and can crash into obstacles.
Fogging occurs more in low-profile goggles which is why you will find an integrated fan in many of them.
The fan prevents the optics from fogging up so that you can continue to fly in no matter where you are and the climate conditions.
Diopter lens support
Diopter lens support on your FPV goggles can be beneficial if you wear glasses and are long or short-sighted.
You will have the ability to insert lenses into your goggles to help with focusing the screen thereby eliminating the need for you to wear contacts.
3D FPV support
You do have the ability to add a stereoscopic camera to your drone for 3D support.
However, this niche is rather small due to its high cost but it may be something you want.
If so, then you need to know that Not all FPV goggles support 3D FPV.
If you have the budget then you can try this out but keep in mind that if you do crash, the 3D camera will be at risk of damages or being broken beyond repair.
This will lead to additional costs if you have to fix parts or replace the camera entirely.
You can check out other drone accessories by clicking the link.
Drone
Features
Price
- Built-in DVR system
- Easy push-button control
- Mountable screen