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Put the thrill of flight in their hands. Rc Fpv Drone
If you think drones for children are just toys that can’t perform well, think again. As drones have grown in popularity, the market has widened, and technology has trickled down to the mainstream, pushing manufacturers to make solid quality drones at kid-friendly prices to stay competitive. Believe it or not, you can buy a drone with a decent camera for as little as $60.
Generally speaking, drones are made for flying around, taking photos, and shooting video from a distance. Whether you aim to teach your toddler how to become a pilot, perform perfect 360-degree continuous rolls, or capture fun footage on vacations, there are great drones for kids and beginners on the market—and many of them are affordable, too.
Looking for more interactive kids’ toys? Check out our stories on the best RC boats, RC cars, and RC toys.
“If kids are supervised, a less-sophisticated drone with built-in safety measures should be fine,” says Best Products Senior Editor Cat Bowen, who specializes in parenting and toys. “Kids should never play with drones without supervision, and the drones capable of flying over stadiums or even just houses are too dangerous for kids to attempt to pilot because they could injure themselves or others.”
Bowen recommends sticking to smaller, toy-like drones that are easy to operate, fly low to the ground, and feature covered blades that prevent injury from the fast-rotating propellers. Be mindful of children and teens who may operate a drone without regard to the safety and privacy of others. “Teens may think nothing of flying over backyards of neighbors, but the neighbors may think otherwise,” Bowen says. When in doubt, check the age recommendation on the drone’s packaging to ensure it’s appropriate for your child.
Many children’s drones include cameras with 720p or 1080p cameras for aerial photographs and video, which is excellent for capturing that first flight. Of course, more expensive drones are made for adults and professional-level photographers and filmmakers—these often feature faster speeds, better cameras, longer battery life, and heavy-duty controllers, and piloting them has a considerable learning curve. Stick to a drone that hovers around $125 to keep things simple, and prioritize kid-focused safety features.
Attitude mode, or auto-hover, is when the drone maintains a stable height. This allows kids to practice switching speeds and directions without crash landings (though that, too, may be a goal) and creates stability for better photos and videos. For instance, you can hover above the backyard and take a family photo.
Headless mode means that regardless of which way the drone faces, it always responds to the remote control’s directions. Regarding safety for young kids, protected propellers are covered blades that prevent kids from getting their fingers caught and cut. Emergency stop buttons automatically halt flight and are usually found on controllers.
Another term to know is first-person view (FPV), which means the drone will send a live camera feed via Wi-Fi transmission to your phone, drone goggles, or another device included with the drone. Typically, pilots swap between looking at the FPV and the drone itself to make sure they don’t run into any obstacles.
Most drones are powered via rechargeable batteries that come with the original purchase. For kids’ drones, the flight time ranges from about 5 to 15 minutes, whereas recharging the batteries can take anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes.
Flight time is typically advertised as a total, but that’s usually split up over two or three batteries, which means you’ll have to land to swap your battery. This isn’t necessarily a drawback, though—even professional drones have this problem because the drone needs to stay light to fly well, and batteries are heavy.
Most drones we recommend across our site are too small to require registration. The Federal Aviation Administration requires registration for drones weighing 0.55 pounds (250 grams) or more. Almost all of the drones we cover in this story weigh less and do not need to be registered—they won't fly very high, either.
If you buy a drone that’s 250 grams or more, registration is $5 and valid for 3 years. You’ll also need drone piloting certification. Check the FAA website for more info.
During our research, we spoke with different manufacturers and consulted expert sources, including Senior Editor Cat Bowen. Our top picks are from reputable brands, including Holy Stone, which specializes in child-friendly aerial drones, and DJI, known for its reliable, professional-level consumer drones. We recommend options across price points, from $30 hand-operated drones to pricey models with great cameras and video capabilities that cost upwards of $150. It doesn’t matter your level of expertise: these options are great for children, beginners, and casual adult use.
DJI is considered a leader in consumer drones, so it should come as no surprise that it makes one of the best available for children. Created in collaboration with Ryze Tech, the Tello is a reliable, durable, simple mini quadcopter that is the perfect introduction for beginner pilots. Its 5 MP camera takes photos at a resolution of 2592 x 1936p and records video at 720p, while its dual antennas give it a robust signal strength. It also has a continuous flight time of 13 minutes, topping any other drone on this list.
In-app “EZ Shots” features like Circle, 360, and Up & Away record smooth flight videos with the tap of a button and, with another tap, make them shareable on social media. It can speed up to 17.9 mph, and advanced users and students can use the MIT-developed Scratch to program it, making it an educational tool, too.
Although it’s pricier than our other picks, it’s capable of much more and is a favorite of drone enthusiasts for being kid- and beginner-friendly.
This option is an excellent buy for beginners who want to get the hang of operating an RC drone. It’s mini—small enough for little hands to palm—and lightweight with three speeds so kids can practice positions at their own pace.
The drone launches and lands with a one-touch button on the remote, or it can be tossed into flight. It has a range of 164 feet and stays airborne for about 7 minutes, with three batteries to swap for a total flight time of 21 minutes. It performs 3D flips to can circle an object with a single press. It has an auto-hover feature and responds to the remote’s directions, no matter which way the drone is facing.
There’s an emergency landing button, and the propellers have a protection guard to keep kids’ fingers safe and prevent the drone from getting damaged. Also, if the drone crashes into something, the motors switch off so they won’t burn out. The drone takes roughly 60 minutes to charge and comes with three lithium-ion batteries and two USB charging cables.
This foldable drone from Holy Stone is reasonably priced and offers a fantastic lineup of features for what you get. For starters, it has an approximate 30-minute flight time, with a short 60-minute charge, and an impressive 328-foot maximum flight distance.
Another major highlight is the drone’s 1080p FHD camera that adjusts 90 degrees, with gesture mode to snap photos and take videos from far away using hand signals. There’s also voice control and the option to draw your own flight path on your smartphone and watch the drone follow the trajectory.
The drone has two-speed and standard positions include 3D flips, auto-hover and headless mode, gravity control, and one-button takeoff and landing.
If you’re looking for an affordable drone with a great camera and decent flight time, the U52 is a solid value. You can pilot it with your smartphone for easy maneuvering, plus you can snap photos with it and save them directly to your phone’s album. There’s also the ability to share them with friends, family, and on social media.
A 90-degree wide-angle takes expansive landscape shots on its 1080p HD camera, and an LED light tells you when it has a low battery. The drone has a gravity sensor that follows the movement of your smartphone, plus it’s compatible with the Flyingsee app so kids can design a flight path and watch the drone perform it.
Other features include three speeds, auto-hover and headless mode, and an emergency stop button. The drone has a 60- to 90-minute charge time and comes with four extra propellers, two rechargeable batteries, and a USB cable.
This drone has several cool, notable features plus an excellent 1080P HD camera and FPV live video transmission at a distance of 196 feet. Most of the bells and whistles are accessed through the Holy Stone app, and voice control is one of them, a feature more commonly found in drones for adults only.
With gesture control, kids can have fun acting out “paper” to start recording and “scissors” to take photos, plus flight trajectory to map out custom flight paths for the drone to perform. There’s also a gravity-control sensor for navigating the drone with your smartphone, along with all the basic features including an emergency stop button, auto-hover and headless modes, and propeller protection.
You can expect about 20 minutes of flight time after a 120-minute charge, and there are tons of extras, including spare propeller blades, landing feet, and motor gears, along with two rechargeable batteries and a USB cable.
With the ability to climb up to 150 feet high and a controller that clearly indicates its functions, Sharper Image’s RC Glow Up Stunt Drone is the easiest device to pilot. Perfect for toddlers and anyone looking for a casual use toy, this drone performs stunts with simple button taps. It has a button for auto-orientation so it won’t topple over and crash, plus an emergency landing button quickly guides it back to safety.
It’s super affordable, although barebones, and a popular product for parents who want a safe, easy toy drone. While the quadcopter is rechargeable via USB, the controller, unfortunately, requires a whopping six AA batteries.
This quadcopter is much larger than most, suitable for kids who’ve played with beginner mini drones and are ready to move on to something that’s full-size, but still simple to control.
It has the same option of a single-button or toss launch, along with hovering attitude mode and remote-control responsive headless modes. It has an approximate 26-minute flight time—with the 360-degree flip capability.
Multiple functions such as voice/gesture control and trajectory flight can be activated through the smartphone app.
The drone comes with four extra propellers, two rechargeable batteries, and a storage box. However, this drone will need to be registered with the FAA because it weighs 306 grams.
Kevin Cortez is an editor for Runner's World, Bicycling, and Popular Mechanics covering reviews. A culture and product journalist for over ten years, he’s an expert in men’s style, technology, gaming, coffee, e-bikes, hiking, gear, and all things outdoors. He most recently worked as the Style Editor for Reviewed, a top product recommendation site owned by USA TODAY. He also helped with the launch of WSJ's Buy Side commerce vertical, and has covered the music and podcast industries for Mass Appeal, Genius, Vulture, Leafly, Input, and The A.V. Club. Equally passionate about leisure as he is his penmanship, Kevin dedicates his spare time to graphic novels, birding, making cold brew, and taking long, meandering walks.
Rachel Klein is a Senior Commerce Editor for Popular Mechanics, where she writes about everything from garden hose reels and patio furniture to mesh wifi systems and robot vacuums. She started her career as a daily newspaper reporter and was a travel editor for more than a decade before she started testing and reviewing luggage, noise-cancelling headphones, and other travel-related products. Fast-forward another five years and her area of expertise includes home decor, appliances, tech, and outdoor adventure gear. In her spare time, you'll find her planning her next trip, reading historical fiction, and seeing as much art as she can squeeze into a weekend.
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