10 Best Beginner Mini Drones in 2022

What are the best beginner mini drones in 2022? Drones have been popular in the last few years, and it’s no surprise. A drone can do anything from taking photos to keeping an eye on your property to helping with search and rescue operations. 

But there are so many options out there that it can be hard to know where to start looking if you want a drone that’s well-priced and reliable. Plus, if you need all the features and a good battery life looking into different drones is essential to understand which one works best for you.

But before we get started, some of the most asked questions about budget-friendly drones are answered below.  

What is the best drone for 150?

If you’re in a position where you have to ask, what is the best drone for 150? Then chances are you may want to consider staying away from purchasing a drone. It can be hard to discern what makes one drone better than another when there are so many on offer at such varying prices. 

But if you’re truly looking for a good investment, then we suggest checking out some of our top picks. Our best hand drones feature compact designs and great camera functions, which will provide hours of entertainment and relaxation for only 100 bucks or less.

These drones allow you to interact with your flying device as though it were right in front of you due to their small size and ease of use.

What’s A Good Inexpensive Drone?

If you’re looking for an inexpensive but decent camera drone, check out Parrot’s Bebop 2. This powerful little copter shoots stunning 1080p HD video from its 14-megapixel camera. It also has a 15-minute flight time, a max speed of 35 mph, and can get up to 400 feet in the air (though flying that high takes a bit of practice). 

Best of all, if you just want to take photos without dealing with a live feed or being connected to your phone, you can order a separate controller—the Skycontroller—for more precise flying. All in all, if you want quality video at an affordable price, check out Parrot’s Bebop 2.

Are 100-dollar Drones Good?

When shopping for a drone for under 100 dollars, it is important to do your research and make sure you know what you want in a drone. First, consider how often you will use it. A cheaper drone might be great for a beginner who does not plan on using it often but will fall apart faster than an expensive one. 

The best hand drone is designed for beginners looking to learn about flying drones as well as taking aerial photos or videos. If you do not need or want a camera attached to your drone, consider buying just a flying quadcopter without any attachments.

Before buying anything online, make sure you read reviews so that you can get accurate information on the quality, battery life, and durability of each product.

What Drone Should I Buy Under 100?

The best drones under 100 are usually pretty simple. They can carry cameras, or maybe they can’t. They might have features that make flying easy or hard to learn. But ultimately, if you want a drone for under $100 and don’t want something fancy, you should; just buy one that will help you improve your skills. 

With all of the details out of the way, here are 10 of the best beginner mini drones with a reasonable price tag that will help you get started on your way to flying high!

10 Best Beginner Mini Drones

The Parrot Mambo

Specifications:

• Weight: 0.1 pounds
• Battery life: 10 minutes
• Range: 100 m

The Parrot Mambo isn’t just a toy; it’s a full-fledged flying camera with a 0.3 MP camera, 1080p video recording, flight stabilization, and auto return. The price might give you pause — $149.99, but if you’re looking for an excellent flying camera that can shoot aerial video from several angles, this is it.

It also has an FPV (first-person view) feature that allows you to control it with your phone or tablet and watch what your drone sees as you steer it around. This is important to me because I hate my arms getting sore after trying to fly my various drones around on test flights and in races.

Moreover, this is a mini drone that almost feels cheap, but performance-wise, you will not be disappointed. However, you can not fly it in windy conditions as it is too small and light is a disadvantage against the wind.

Even the mildest breezes will blow this drone away in no time. Lastly, it comes with a battery life of 10 minutes which is not a lot, but for a mini drone like this one, 10 minutes will do. As it is not a drone for professional use, most people use it as a hobby and to learn how to pilot a drone.

DJI Spark

Specifications:

• Weight: 0.6 pounds
• Battery life: 16 minutes
• Range: 100 m

DJI Spark is the best camera drone under 150 that comes with a 2-axis mechanical gimbal and can shoot 1080p/30 fps video and 12-megapixel stills. It has one gesture control mode – PalmLaunch, which allows you to lift your palm while facing frontward and get it in the air.

When your palm is above head level, Spark flies upward on its own so you can grab it and shoot photos or videos from mid-air. As opposed to other fixed-focus digital cameras fitted on other best drones at a reasonable price, Spark’s 13MP camera features an incredible 1/2.3′′ image sensor capable of shooting crisp photos.

It can also shoot high-quality 4K videos even in low light conditions due to its F2.6 large aperture size. Moreover, there are two modes for taking selfies on this device: Selfie Mode and Group Selfie Mode.

When using these selfie modes, all four arms of Spark fold down together around its body against a contrasting background making those shots incredibly fun! Furthermore, you will get a battery life of 16 minutes which is somewhat adequate as it is a small drone and a good option for beginners.

AirDog Auto-Follow Drone

Specifications:

• Weight: 4.38 pounds
• Battery life: 18 minutes
• Range: 250 m

The AirDog Auto-Follow Drone is a great option as one of the best beginner mini drones in 2022. The follow-me feature makes it easy to capture photos and videos of yourself or someone else without an autopilot system.

This drone comes with a GoPro holder along with a gimbal; so that you can shoot stable pictures and videos, making it one of the top drone cameras on our list. Most people who bought this love that they can adjust their flight altitude from low, medium, and high settings.

While flying at a low altitude might be best for beginners, others like being able to fly higher if they want to get better video shots. The drone weight around 4.38 pounds, which means even when the wind will pick up, your drone will stay in place until you are ready to land it safely.

One thing that might concern you is its price tag, as it is not the most budget-friendly drone you will get on the market. Nevertheless, you will get a battery life of 18 minutes which is adequate but not the best. However, as a beginner, this flight time will do the job for you as you can learn gradually how to pilot the drone.

Cheerwing Syma X5SW

Specifications:

• Weight: 0.26 pounds
• Battery life: 7 minutes
• Range: 50 m

One of my favorite drones under $150 is a sub-$100 camera drone called Cheerwing Syma X5SW. It takes high-quality stills and video with an easy-to-use controller, and it can also do flips in mid-air. Cheerwing Syma X5SW has a flight time of around 7 minutes, which isn’t bad for such a cheap drone.

You can also use it as a toy drone as it is quite small and lightweight. Fortunately, the drone comes with a 6-axis gyro and a 720P HD camera. The camera quality is adequate, and the 6-axis Gyro helps the drone to capture stable shots.

Moreover, the drone can perform some pretty interesting tricks like a 360 flip. Fortunately, this drone also features a headless mode. You will get a battery life of 7 minutes which is just fine but nothing too appreciable. Lastly, since it is a lightweight mini drone that you can carry around anywhere, it also has a disadvantage.

For outdoor use, you will have to make sure there is no wind outside, or else your drone will never have a stable flight. Apart from that, it is a pretty decent drone and one of the best beginner mini drones you can get if you are just getting started.  

UDI 818A HD+

Specifications:

• Weight: 0.8 pounds
• Battery life: 7 minutes
• Range: 300 m

The UDI 818A HD+ is a great camera drone for anyone who’s just getting started. It offers a 2 MP camera and an impressive list of features for an affordable price. It has three flight modes—beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

So, you can start with basic moves before moving on to more difficult tricks. But if you find yourself outgrowing its capabilities as you develop your piloting skills, don’t worry; just upgrade to a more capable model.

This is a mini drone, and like all mini drones, it is not the best option if you live in a windy environment. It does come with pretty interesting intelligent flight modes, including headless mode and 360 flips.

You can use this drone to train yourself on how to capture aerial pictures and how to pilot the drone and once you are good enough, move to other best drones that you find suitable in the market.

Holy Stone HS170 Predator Mini RC Helicopter

Specifications:

• Weight: 0.09 pounds
• Battery life: 8 minutes
• Range: 50 m

With a streamlined design and affordable price, it is easy to see why Holy Stone’s HS170 is so popular among drone enthusiasts. Plus, it can be used by both kids as a toy and by adults to polish their skills.

Equipped with a lightweight airframe, 6-axis gyroscope, and all-around great maneuverability, you will fall in love with its stability when flying. Being relatively low on battery consumption, you can play longer with your drone without worrying about bringing an extra battery.

However, the maximum battery life you gets is of 8 minutes but with toy drones like such that it a common flight time. If you have never flown before or are looking for a beginner-friendly drone, then Predator Mini RC Helicopter Drone by Holy Stone is worth considering.

It won’t break the bank but offers plenty of fun and excitement! Plus, you will get a bunch of different flight modes including 3D flip, altitude hold, and headless mode which makes piloting this drone even more efficient and fun.

Syma X5C Explorers Quadcopter with Camera

Specifications:

• Weight: 1.38 pounds
• Battery life: 7 minutes
• Range: 50 m

The Syma X5C Explorers Quadcopter is one of our top choices for the best beginner mini drones in 2022. It features a camera, a four-rotor design, and a 6-axis gyro system for a smooth flight. The drones stay pretty stable throughout the flight and capture smooth shots, and their 1.38 pounds weight also helps.

It also includes a headless mode for those who want to learn how to fly with no risk of damaging its rotors. This drone has a range of 50 meters and a battery life of 7 minutes. Unfortunately, for the price the battery life is disappointing; plus, it takes 100 minutes to charge completely from scratch.

Nevertheless, the quadcopter also includes a 2 GB memory card as well as an extra battery and replacement propellers so you can enjoy your flights without interruption or worry. You can even use Syma’s FPV (first-person view) feature that lets you see what your drone sees as it flies.

DBPOWER MJX X400W FPV Drone

Specifications:

• Weight: 1.65 pounds
• Battery life: 15 minutes
• Range: 100 m

The DBPOWER MJX X400W FPV Drone is one of the best beginner mini drones for under 150 dollars. The camera drone comes with a built-in 720p HD built-in camera and transmitter and offers you an immersive first-person view flying experience.

The X400W also has Altitude Hold, Headless Mode, One Key Take-off & Landing, Real-time Transmission FPV (First Person View), and more features for an unrivaled flying experience. This drone has everything you need to start having fun in just minutes!

Great for beginners or those who would like to fly casually, learn how to pilot a drone first before going pro! Moreover, you will get a battery life of 15 minutes which is better than the 6 to 8 minutes that most other mini drones have to offer. Plus, it has a weight of 1.65 pounds which makes it pretty travel-friendly and portable; thus, you can carry it around anywhere you go.

JJRC H31 Waterproof Drone with HD Camera

Specifications:

• Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Battery life: 10 minutes
• Range: 80 m

Best drone under 150 dollars, JJRC H31 delivers an exceptionally stable flight for a price that’s easy on your wallet. Weighing only 1.64 pounds and boasting a streamlined, waterproof design, it’s best suited for indoor use—not that it won’t stand up to outdoor flights.

Surprisingly, it is one of the few waterproof drones that you can get on the market. This drone features a 720p HD camera and FPV transmission capabilities, so you can see exactly what your drone sees as it takes off and flies.

You can also connect an HD action camera via a USB connection to this drone. With a one-key return home function, you don’t have to worry about where your drone will land once it gets out of range—it will simply return to its take-off point.

Plus, it comes with a couple of other smart features as well. With a battery life of 10 minutes, you can’t explore too much with this drone, but the performance that you will get will be satisfactory. The body is pretty durable, and the drone does not feel cheap and is worth its price tag. 

Hubsan H107D FPV X4 Mini RTF Quadcopter

Specifications:

• Weight: 0.8 pounds
• Battery life: 6 minutes
• Range: 100 m

Hubsan H107D FPV X4 Mini RTF Quadcopter is one of the best beginner mini drones that you can get from the market. This mini drone is very light and can hardly stand in windy situations, but in clear weather, you will get a pretty decent flight.

This mini drone comes with a 720P camera that shoots photos & videos with just a press of a button. This is one affordable drone that will provide you with a decent experience. Moreover, this drone is recommended for both beginners as well as intermediate fliers.

This FPV or First Person View allows you to control your drone while seeing what it sees in real-time on your smartphone via Wi-Fi connection, with a virtual reality headset, just like how we control our RC cars and trucks with controllers in real life!

Conclusion

If you are looking for some good drones but do not want to spend much money on a hobby drone, I would recommend one of these top 10 best drones for under 150 dollars. The drones in our list have high-quality cameras, can travel long distances, and are great for both beginners and experienced flyers.

We hope that you found some good information and got interested in learning more about these drones. We believe that they will help improve your photography skills by giving you an amazing aerial view of any location on earth!