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5 top-rated drones for first-time flyers

We consulted experts on what to look for in a drone, plus flying tips for beginners.
You can take aerial photos and videos of landscapes with a drone.
You can take aerial photos and videos of landscapes with a drone.andres / Getty Images

I don’t know about you, but when I am somewhere scenic, I wish I could capture photos or videos of all of my surroundings, not just what’s in arms-reach. Getting field-wide footage of a sports game or an entire view of a rocky beach, all of these impossible aerial shots are suddenly possible with a drone.

SKIP AHEAD: The best beginner drones in 2024 | How to shop for a beginner drone | What to do before flying a drone | Your first flight

Drones are used for photography, videography, grocery delivery, surveillance and even speed racing. They come in many different models ranging from $100 to well over $1000. To help find the best drones for beginners, we consulted experts on what to look for when shopping and tips for flying safely and legally.


Selected.Our top picks

What is a drone?

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) calls any small, unmanned aircraft system a drone. Consumer drones are typically propeller-powered quad-copters with a camera or camera system in the center. They are most commonly used for photography and filmmaking, but are also useful in industries that work in large outdoor spaces like construction and public safety, says Alan Perlman, founder and lead course instructor of UAV Coach, a drone training group and program that has trained over 50,000 recreational and corporate pilots.

How we picked the best drones for beginners

We spoke to industry experts to better understand different types of drones and beginner-friendly options. Using their guidance, we selected drones based on the following criteria:

  • Category: Our experts listed three categories of drones: toy, consumer or professional and first-person view (FPV) (more on these categories below). We selected top-rated options from all three categories.
  • Rating: We only selected top-rated drones with at least a four-star average rating on Amazon.
  • Price: High-end drones for professionals can cost over $1500, according to our experts. We highlighted drones between $100 and $1000, as they are capable for beginners with different needs.

Top-rated beginner drones in 2024

Following our experts’ guidance and market research, our top picks largely came from DJI, which is a leading brand in consumer drones, and accounts for over 70% of the global drone market, according to a 2023 report by Drone Industry Insights. Our recommendations for toy drones come from smaller brands with thousands of positive online reviews like Ryze and Holy Stone.

Below each recommendation, we share specifications we think you should know, like weight, max flight time (battery life), communication range and video resolution.

Top pick: DJI Mini 2 SE

This is the lowest priced drone from DJI, but has similar battery life, speed and range to the brand’s more expensive models. It is also one of the highest rated drones under $300 on Amazon, with a 4.5-star average rating from over 3,000 reviewers.

It is a huge step up from cheaper toy drones, with longer battery life, a detailed camera and a longer range. It can shoot 4K photos and quad-HD videos, and has a wide lens that lets you more easily capture landscapes and vistas, according to the brand.

Like other DJI drones, you can control the drone by mounting your smartphone to the included controller and using the DJI Fly app. The joysticks on the controller let you pilot the drone while your phone screen shows a live view from the drone’s camera. The battery and remote controller are both USB-C rechargeable. Photos and videos are saved to the microSD card (sold separately) inside the drone.

Weight: 246g | Max flight time: 31 minutes | Max speed (horizontal): 35.79 mph | Obstacle detection: Downward | Controller: Included, smartphone mounts on | Communication Range (unobstructed): 6.21 miles | Camera: 12mp f/2.8 lens, 4K images | Video: Quad-HD at up to 30FPS, full-HD at up to 60FPS | Vertical shooting: No

Splurge pick: DJI Mini 4 Pro

This small and portable drone has a more advanced camera and piloting features than similarly-sized options under $1000. It has the highest resolution lens of our recommendations at 48 megapixels, which lets you capture more details in both photos and videos. It can shoot at a high frame rate, which means you can create slow-motion video more easily. The drone can also take shots in both landscape and portrait modes, unlike the other drones on our list. It has omnidirectional obstacle detection, and it can communicate from farther distances than DJI’s other sub-$1000 drones.

Like other DJI drones, it can be controlled using the included DJI controller, your smartphone and the DJI Fly app. Similar to the Mini 2 SE, the Mini 4 Pro has a 4.6 star average rating from over 1,000 reviewers on Amazon. The battery and remote control are USB-C rechargeable, and photos and videos are saved to the microSD card (sold separately) or the 2GB of internal storage inside the drone.

Weight: Under 249g | Max flight time: 34 minutes | Max speed (horizontal): 35.79 mph | Obstacle detection: All directions | Controller: Included, smartphone mounts on | Communication Range (unobstructed): 12.42 miles | Camera: 48mp f/1.7 lens, 8K images | Video: 4K at up to 100 FPS, full-HD at up to 200FPS | Vertical shooting: Yes

Top toy drone: Ryze Tello

This toy drone from Ryze is an affordable alternative to DJI’s consumer and professional drones. It is the smallest and lightest of our recommendations at 80 grams, making it well-suited for travel — It also has a 4.2 star rating from over 3,700 reviewers on Amazon. The drone has a 5-megapixel lens that can take quad-HD photos, higher than most other toy drones at this price. However, its video capabilities are limited to a lower 720p (HD) resolution.

Like most other toy drones, the Ryze Tello does not have obstacle detection, and can only be operated from a little over 300 feet away. It does have multiple flight modes though, including a flip mode where the drone will perform flips and a throw mode, where the drone will take off automatically when you gently throw it into the air, according to the brand. 

This drone is controlled with a smartphone through the Ryze Tello app — there is no separate controller. The drone is micro-USB rechargeable, and photos and videos are saved directly to your smartphone.

Weight: 80g | Max flight time: 13 minutes | Max speed (horizontal): 17.89 mph | Obstacle detection: No | Controller: Smartphone | Communication Range (unobstructed): 328 feet | Camera: 5mp lens, quad-HD images | Video: 720p at up to 30FPS | Vertical shooting: No

Most affordable toy drone: Holy Stone HS110D

The Holy Stone HS110D is larger than our other toy drone recommendation but takes wider-angled, full HD (1080p) video. It has the shortest flight time at 10 minutes but comes with two swappable batteries included. It has the most reviews of all the drones on our list, with a 4.2 star average rating from over 18,000 reviewers on Amazon.

It is controlled via the included remote controller, your smartphone (mounted to the controller) and the Holy Stone app. The drone is micro-USB rechargeable, and the remote control requires 4 AA batteries (not included) to use. Photos and videos are saved to the microSD card (sold separately) inside the drone.

Weight: 149g | Max flight time: 10 minutes | Max speed (horizontal): Not listed | Obstacle detection: No | Controller: Included, smartphone mounts on | Communication Range (unobstructed): 328 feet | Camera: megapixels not listed, f2.8, full-HD images | Video: 1080p, FPS not listed | Vertical shooting: No

For first-person view: DJI FPV

First-person view (FPV) drones are very different from consumer or toy drones — they are designed for a fast, skillful and manual flight experience with less automatic stabilization. FPV drones are used by skilled pilots for racing leagues, large outdoor events and creative fly-throughs of buildings, according to our experts.

The DJI FPV has a max speed of about 87 mph — that is well over double our other recommendations. To pilot, you use a controller to move the drone and wear goggles that show the drone’s view, similar to wearing a VR headset. Like the DJI Mini 4 Pro, the DJI FPV’s camera can capture 4K photos and videos at high frame rates, although it can only capture horizontal, not vertical, content. With a 120-degree field of view, it can capture wider shots than most of our recommendations.

The DJI FPV is much larger and heavier than our other top picks, and only has a 20-minute flight time. If you’re a beginner interested in an FPV drone this would be one of your best options — it has a 4.4 star average rating from over 1,000 reviewers on Amazon. The drone’s battery and remote controller are USB-C rechargeable, and photos and videos are saved to the microSD card (sold separately) inside the drone.

Weight: 795g | Max flight time: 20 minutes | Max speed (horizontal): 86.99 mph | Obstacle detection: Forward, downward | Controller: DJI FPV Goggles and remote controller | Communication Range (unobstructed): 12.42 miles | Camera: 12mp f/2.8 lens, 4K images | Video: 4K at up to 60 FPS, full-HD at up to 120FPS | Vertical shooting: No

How to shop for a beginner drone

There are two main categories of drones: toy drones and consumer or professional drones, says Perlman.

Toy drones range from $50 to $200 and are great as training drones or gifts for children, says Perlman. These drones are lower priced but have a short battery life, lower resolution cameras and are generally less stable in the air.

Consumer and professional drones range from around $300 to $3,000 and are appropriate for hobbyists and professionals, depending on the price. They have a much longer battery life, better cameras, more sophisticated flight software and offer a more stable flying experience, says Perlman. FPV drones would also fall under this category.

What kind of drone you should buy depends on your goals, says John Moore, Getty Images special correspondent and a Pulitzer prize-winning photographer who has used drones to document the US-Mexico border and the war in Ukraine. If you are trying to capture quality photos and videos, look for drones that can capture 4K footage at a high frame rate, allowing you to get detailed imagery very quickly, reducing the chance of missing a split-second moment like a fast-moving person or object.

Also, look for a drone that shoots with a RAW file format, says Moore. Professionals prefer the RAW file format as it does not compress or degrade photos and video like other file formats do. 

If you are more interested in the experience of flying rather than photography, an FPV drone could be for you. FPV drones typically take less detailed photos and videos than consumer or professional drones. That said, they can offer a more immersive flying experience since FPV goggles bring the drone’s view directly to your eyes. FPV drones are also much faster and more agile than other drones.

What to consider before flying a drone

Whether you are a new pilot or have many years of aviation experience, rules and safety tips exist to help you fly safely in the National Airspace System (NAS), says Rick Breitenfeldt, a public affairs specialist at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Here are a few things you should do before flying a drone, according to Breitenfeldt and the FAA:

Determine if you are a recreational flyer or a commercial flyer

There are different rules and regulations you must follow depending on what type of flyer you are.

  • Recreational flyers fly for purely recreational purposes (personal enjoyment). All recreational flyers must follow the Exception for Limited Recreational Operations of Unmanned Aircraft (USC 44809) rules, outlined here, and pass the The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) online. (The test is free.) You must carry proof of test completion wherever you fly your drone.
  • Commercial flyers fly for reasons that could promote or further a business (regardless of any revenue earned). All commercial flyers must follow rules outlined in Part 107, including registering for and passing the Part 107 aeronautical knowledge test at an in-person testing center. (There is a testing fee of $175.) Some examples of commercial flyers include sports photographers, social media influencers or real estate companies.

If you are still unsure what type of flyer you are, the determining factor is your intent, says Breitenfeldt.

Register your drone

All types of flyers can register their drone online at FAADroneZone. Recreational flyers register under the Exception for Limited Recreational Operations, while commercial flyers register under Part 107. Both forms of registration cost $5 and are valid for three years. Wherever you fly, carry proof of your FAA registration with you and mark the outside of your drone with your registration number.

The only exception in which you do not need to register your drone is if you are a recreational flyer using a drone that weighs less than 250 grams. Though it can’t hurt to register anyway, says Breitenfeldt.

Find somewhere safe (and legal) to fly

Pilots must follow local, state and federal regulations on where it is legal to fly. The FAA recommends using its B4UFLY website and app. Commonly restricted airspace includes areas near airports, stadiums, sporting events, security-sensitive areas, restricted or special use airspace. Drones are also not permitted near emergency or rescue operations, including natural disasters like wildfires or hurricanes.

Your first flight

With your TRUST or Part 107 passed, registration filed and location sorted, you can fly your drone safely and legally. When flying for the first time, our experts recommend going to a wide open area with few people and buildings.

Start low to the ground, around 10 to 15 feet up in the air, says Perlman. Try making circular and boxed-shaped movements to help understand the controls. Many models also come with intelligent flight modes that can help with beginner learning. Reading the user manual and getting comfortable with the drone software can help too.

If you get into a crash, the propellers are most likely to break, but they’re cheap and easy to replace, says Perlman.

For taking great photos and videos, remember that it is not always better for your drone to be further away from your subject, says Moore. “Beginners tend to shoot too wide,” he says. “What you put in the frame of your camera should be what you want to see.”

Meet our experts

At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

  • Alan Perlman is the founder and lead course instructor of UAV Coach, a drone training group and program that has trained over 50,000 recreational and corporate pilots.
  • John Moore is a Getty Images special correspondent and a Pulitzer prize-winning photographer who has used drones to document the US-Mexico border and the war in Ukraine.
  • Rick Breitenfeldt is a public affairs specialist at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Why trust NBC Select?

Harry Rabinowitz is a reporter for NBC Select who covers technology and fitness, with recent stories on point-and-shoot cameras, wireless earbuds and hiking boots. For this piece, he spoke with drone experts for beginner tips and flying guidance. He also researched top-rated models that fell in line with our experts’ guidance.

Catch up on Select’s in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date.