Drones are all the rage right now and the drone market is flooded with drones of all shapes, sizes and colors.
Nano drones are fun unmanned aerial vehicles that fit in the palm of your hand and can be flown indoors.
These small drones are affordable and easy to control which makes them perfect for someone now entering the drone piloting world.
A nano drone is also a great option if your kids have been asking for a drone for the longest while and you didn’t want to get them a regular-sized drone or spend too much money.
However, one of the major issues you’ll find with these drones is that some manufacturers just jumped on the bandwagon and started throwing out nano drones like crazy.
As a result, some of these drones are cheaply built and will break when crashed or become inoperable.
For this reason, we’ve done the research and give you the best nano drones on the market.
Drone
Features
Price
- Control Range: 30-50 meters
- Flight Time: 6-8 minutes
- Weight: 0.9 oz
Best nano drone on the market
- Control Range: 30-50 meters
- Flight Time: 6-8 minutes
- Weight: 0.9 oz
The Holy Stone HS190 is a foldable nano drone that comes with some surprising features.
You can fold the drone which makes it easier to take the drone with you if you’re planning to fly it someplace other than at home.
The best thing is that when the unit is folded, it fits inside the controller.
When unfolded, the drone is still small enough so it is perfect for indoor flying.
Some of its best features include Altitude Hold that allows you to ease off the sticks and the drone will continue to hover at its current height.
There’s also One key Take Off/ Landing that allows the drone to automatically hovers at a set altitude before taking off or when landing.
You also have Headless Mode and One Key Return that enables flyers of any level to operate the drone easily and bring the drone back to you with just the touch of a button.
Moreover, the HIgh-Speed Rotation function allows the drone to perform 360-degree circles and fly at high speeds.
Flight performance is awesome and the drone comes with a flight time of 6-8 minutes with a control range of 30-50 meters.
- Altitude Hold Function: Powerful air pressure altitude hold function allows you to release the...
- Foldable and Easy to Carry: This mini quadcopter can be folded into the controller, which is small...
- One Key Take off / Landing: Drone automatically hovers at a set altitude after take-off and before...
- Headless Mode and One Key Return: Enable players of any level to fly and operate the drone easily;...
- High Speed Rotation: New and interesting function. The drone can do 360° circle and fly at high...
- Control Range: 6 meters
- Flight Time: 5 minutes
- Weight: 10.7 oz
The Syma X12 is an excellent compact size drone that steps up safety with its tiny propeller guards.
It is sturdily built, easy to fly around the house and is protected from a direct collision.
This is the best drone for a child as its attractive colors are bound to catch the eye.
The drone offers 6-axis type flight controls and can perform barrel rolls with 360 degrees motion in the air.
Flight performance is amazing since the unit flies well with great stability and movement is easily established with the user-friendly remote.
Users can choose over low or high-speed movements while the 2.4 GHz radio supports spread spectrum technology so interference-free flights are possible.
This means you can fly other units at the same time and it will not interfere with the others.
The Syma X12 has a flight time of 5 minutes with a 30-minute battery charging time and a flight range of just 6 meters.
The unit is also equipped with a low voltage warning that will notify you when you should fly the unit back so that the battery does not die on you in mid-air.
- 2.4GHz technology adopted for anti-interference, you can fly more helicopters at the same time and...
- Very small and sturdy - Product size: 3.03 x 3.03 x 1.06 in - Easy to maneuver in the air in even...
- 3D 360 degree rotating functions give flexibility and perfect performance when in the air.
- Low voltage warning - don't let the battery die on you while flying in mid-air, the voltage warning...
- Easy and great for beginners - easy controls, easy to fly, protection guard to protect from minor...
- Control Range: 40 meters
- Flight Time: 4-8 minutes
- Weight: 3.2 oz
Cheerson is a brand that you’ll see popping up when searching for the best nano quadcopters.
The Cheerson CX10 is another perfect nano drone suitable for kids or anyone who is just starting their drone journey.
This particular unit was the one that created all the hype around nano drones.
It measures just 6 x 3.1 x 3 inches and has great flying stability with three different flight speeds.
The unit performs well during flight and despite its lack of fancy features like other nano drones, this small unit is bound to impress.
It uses a 2.4Ghz connection and has a 6-axis design and integrated speed control with a three-level speed flip function.
This unit comes with a throw-to-fly function or you can opt to purchase a 4-channel radio controller to fly it.
It is also outfitted with LED lights and a low battery voltage alarm.
So this way you can fly in the dark without issues and land the drone before you lose all battery power and the drone crashes.
- 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
- Control Range: 40 meters
- Flight Time: 8-10 minutes minutes
- Weight: 3.2 oz
If you want to have a bit of fun then the Sky Viper Dash Nano Drone will not disappoint.
While the manufacturer may not be that popular, we’ve found that this drone is worthy of being on our list of nano drones.
As the name suggests, the Sky Viper Dash is incredibly zippy and fun to fly.
It can fly up to 25 mph using the same flight technology developed for racing drones.
Although this unit is small enough to fit into your hand, it is the perfect unit to showcase when size meets major performance.
It includes a one-touch stunt button as well as auto launch and land and two different flight modes; Auto and manual.
Auto Mode allows you to maintain the drone’s altitude hands-free and focus on simple forward, backward and sideways flight using just one thumbstick.
You can fly this drone indoors and outdoors but be wary of strong winds if flying outdoors.
The Sky Viper Dash is the perfect drone that is advanced enough to satisfy experienced pilots who want to have a bit of fun or new drone pilots.
- Improved Auto Hover Allows Easier Control In Between Commands
- Eight One-Touch Stunts Are Visually Impressive
- Auto Launch And Land For One-Button Stationary Hover And A Gentle Landing
- Dual Flight Mode Provides Choice Of Auto And Manual Mode
- Control Range: 90 meters
- Flight Time: 6-8 minutes
- Weight: 3.2 oz
It is highly unlikely that you’ll find a nano quadcopter with camera in this drone category.
However, the Hubsan H107C+ is probably the best nano drone with camera out there if you want to get into aerial photography.
Like the others on this list, this drone can fit in the palm of your hand and can be flown indoors and out when it’s not windy.
Although small, this unit packs quite a punch and is feature-rich and technologically advanced.
The Hubsan H107C is an upgraded version of its predecessor the H107 and this unit is far easier to fly, more stable and comes with a better camera.
It is equipped with a 720p HD camera that captures 1600x 1200 resolution photos and 1280×720 videos.
While the camera quality leaves a lot to be desired, overall this unit is the best that comes equipped with a camera in this nano drone category.
This unit also comes with Headless Mode and a one-button 360 degrees flip.
The flight time lies around 6- 8 minutes and you get an extra battery to extend the drone battery life.
The control range is at 90 meters or so which is fair enough for a nano drone.
- Newest Hubsan H107C Upgrade Equipped with a 720p HD Camera with Video recording
- Altitude Hold for smooth and stable flight - Left throttle stays in middle position for easier...
- 2 X 530 mAh battery included ($15 Value) - Bonus extra battery for double the flight time! 6-8...
- Headless Intelligent Orientation Control for easier flight orientation
- Latest 6 Axis Gyro for greater stability and stronger wind resistance
Tiny drone buying guide
Buying a tiny drone can be hard since the market is full of them.
This can make you end up with a unit that is not suitable for you which would be a total waste of money.
Although cheap, you don’t want to waste any amount of money.
For this reason, you need to know what to look for when purchasing one of these units.
Here are a few factors to consider when looking for a nano drone.
Size
The size of a drone determines quite a few things.
Small drones are compact which makes them ideal for beginners.
Since they’re cheap, they are designed in such a way that you can crash them as you learn to fly.
That is why when you are looking for a nano quadcopter be sure not to buy a unit that is too big since you are going to be practicing indoors mostly.
Another reason for flying the drone indoors is that nano drones don’t have a lot of power in terms of stability and throttle.
If you buy a nano drone that is a bit too big, then you can’t fly it outside due to its weak performance and can’t fly indoors because of its bigger size.
To find the perfect nano drone make sure it fits comfortably in the palm of your hand.
Speed
The speed of the drone you choose depends on the user.
If you’re buying a drone for a kid then you do not want a unit that flies around too fast resulting in them losing control.
On the other hand, if you’re buying it for yourself or an adult, a drone with high speeds is ideal.
A high-speed drone will teach you how to fly a drone, perform complex maneuvers and hone in on your drone piloting skills.
Do keep in mind that speed is subjective because even the fastest nano drone will be pretty slow outside.
This is due to wind resistance as these units are on the smaller side and cannot withstand high winds since they don’t have a lot of power.
So unless you’re flying in the direction of the wind, you might as well say goodbye to your drone.
For this reason, it is much better to fly your nano drone indoors and not so much outdoors.
The speed of nano drones can be configured using the remote controller since most drones have their settings on there.
Look for units that come with different speed settings so you can start at a slow speed and then increase the speed as you go.
Durability
Durability does not always just refer to how strong a drone is but also includes how it’s going to stand up to the test of time.
These things do go together but they are a few exceptions.
Nano drones are built to get smashed and broken so they may not last.
Therefore, the durability of most nano drones is short and also explains why these units are so cheap.
Most times when people are looking for a nano drone, they look for an affordable unit.
Nano drones aren’t built to last so they don’t usually use high-quality materials in their construction.
Since they’re so cheap, the manufacturer probably wants you to buy another one soon.
When it comes to the durability of nano drones, don’t get your expectations too high because your unit may break in its first crash or it may surprise you and defy all odds and survive.
Controllability
Just like durability, controllability is another big problem with these small drones.
Bigger drones come with stabilizing gears and GPS that help them stay stable in the air and fly easily.
Nano drones, on the other hand, don’t even have the space for most of these.
That is why some tiny drones may be hard to control.
You have to be very selective when choosing your nano drone because you can easily end up with a unit that is hard to operate.
Even the slightest acceleration can send the unit flying in the wrong direction.
Another factor you want to pay attention to is the controller.
Oftentimes, the controllers of these drones are made of plastic and look cheap.
Look for units with controllers that have one-touch button controls and are user-friendly.
Features
Nano drones tend to be simple and basic so they aren’t packed with a ton of features.
It’s highly unlikely you will find a nano drone with camera stabilization settings or altitude hold.
However, some manufacturers decided to integrate these features into nano drones but, of course, these units are on the pricier side.
Another reason why nano drones do not have all these extra features is that putting all these components into a tiny drone will make it heavy.
When you combine the heaviness and the little power that nano drones are equipped with, the drone may not be able to fly well.
So keep your expectations fairly low when it comes to nano drones since most of them are very cheap.
One of the main features you should look for in a nano drone in Headless mode.
Fortunately, this is almost present in all nano drones.
Price
Again, nano drones are the most affordable drones you can find.
Most people confuse nano drones with mini-drones but they aren’t the same thing.
Nano drones fit into the palm of your hands while mini-drones may not.
For the best mini-drones, read the best mini drone review guide.
Nano units don’t come with extra features and do not have enough horsepower to perform well outdoors.
So when buying a nano drone go cheap and know that you will crash and probably damage the unit.
These drones are meant for learning so do not set your expectations too high and just have fun learning the basics of drone piloting.
FAQ’s about mini nano drone
Can I fly nano drones outdoors?
You can but make sure not to fly your nano drone when it’s windy outdoors.
You will have a hard time controlling the drone and the wind may blow your drone away since nano drones are lightweight.
Are nano drones any good?
The value of any drone depends on your intended purpose.
If you want a cheap drone to fly or just a tiny drone to have some indoor fun, then yes nano drones are superb.
They are also good for kids if they want a drone and you don’t want to spend too much money.
Drone
Features
Price
- Control Range: 30-50 meters
- Flight Time: 6-8 minutes
- Weight: 0.9 oz