Best Drones Under $300 – Who says that the best drones cost you pretty pennies? Whether you are a beginner or amateur drone pilot, the best drones under $300 are ready to upgrade your flying skills without draining your savings. Despite its affordable price, these drones come with impressive key features as well as durable construction. Not to mention they are efficient aircraft to explore the landscape from a birds-eye view.
Unluckily, choosing the best yet affordable drones can be trickier. With the many choices available on the market, you have to be mindful before making a purchase as low-quality manufacturers could rip you off. Check out the following list of the best drones available under $300 from trusted brands!
Best Drones Under $300 with Key Features
1. Contixo F24 Pro – Pro 4K Quadcopter UHD Camera
This quadcopter is value for your money, thanks to its versatile features and durable construction. The drone is quite easy to control, especially for pilots at intermediate levels. Coming with foldable shafts, this aircraft can slip easily into the bag. No need to install and uninstall propellers before each use. It makes no surprise that Contixo’s F24 Pro can be a traveler’s best friend.
The F24 Pro sports an adjustable camera with 4K Ultra HD quality. It manages to deliver a stunning picture with vivid color and deep contrast. The camera also supports 2.7K video for memorable video recordings from altitude. Additionally, the camera features a 120-degree FOV lens that enables a broad view. With such features, this camera drone is suitable for landscape photography.
When it comes to flight time, the Contixo F24 Pro boasts extended flight time up to 30 minutes! With control range up to 1.2 km, this drone allows you to explore hard terrain and take stunning photographs. And yet, the FPV distance only supports up to 500 m, so it’s not advised to let this aircraft fly too far.
The fully-featured quadcopter is specifically designed to enhance your flight experience. It features gesture control for ideal selfies, 3D view mode and GPS follow me. Auto return home capability allows you to fly the aircraft back home with one key return. This feature also enables the quad to fly back when it loses connection and runs out of power.
Pros:
- Highly portable
- Advanced features
- Extended flight time and control range
Cons:
- Short FPV distance
2. Holy Stone HS720 – Long Control Range
Holy Stone is among trusted brands that offer the best drones under $300. It presents the HS720 that delivers a compact design and robust construction. As with Contixo’s F24 Pro, this quadcopter is equipped with foldable shafts for easy transport. Additionally, every package comes with a carrying bag so you can bring this quad anywhere.
Despite its affordable price, the HS720 offers impressive camera specs for stunning photos and videos. It has a 4K UHD camera that features image stabilization. Shock Absorption holder ensures smooth videos and images without noticeable vibration. The camera also supports 5GHz FPV and 90-degree adjustable lenses for high quality and fast video transmission with a different angle.
What makes the HS720 worth choosing? It comes with smart features such as follow me that enables you to record the footage of your adventure. The quadcopter has an optical flow positioning feature which makes it a perfect choice for indoor. GPS return home allows the aircraft to return home automatically when the battery is low.
Compared to the F24 Pro from Contixo, Holy Stone drone comes with a shorter flight time. Without accessories, this drone can fly up to 26 minutes with the control range is up to 1,600 m. Additionally, the controller features a 2.4GHz transmitter that boasts up to 3,000 feet high range. Unfortunately, long charging time becomes a troublesome issue that you can find in this product.
Pros:
- High durability
- Impressive camera
- Affordable price
Cons:
- Expensive spare batteries
- Relatively slow charging
3. Parrot Bebop 2
Are you looking for the best drones under $300 with excellent FPV? Parrot Bebop 2 can be a good bet. The quadcopter is stylish and good looking with a black-white concept. It delivers smooth and stable performance, allowing beginners to control the aircraft easily. It makes sense that Parrot Bebop 2 is the most sought after quadcopter.
For the best FPV experience, this drone is able to transmit high-quality live video to your devices via Wi-Fi. It has a 14MP camera with a fish-eye lens for attractive aerial photography and amazing video recording. With this quadcopter, you can take perfect selfies and upload them to your social networks.
Powered by a 2700 mAh battery, the aircraft offers dependable flight time until 25 minutes. Compared to the flight time, Bebop’s control range is not that impressive. As you can only fly the device as far as 300 meters, it will be troublesome when you need to reach hidden places.
Apart from the drawbacks, this quadcopter offers unique features to enhance your flight skills. It has digital stabilization, giving you stable pictures and videos. It also supports the Flight Plan to point out your journey. Unfortunately, the least mentioned feature is not included in the package. Instead, you have to download the feature for an improved experience.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Reliable flight time
Cons:
- Flight plan not included in the package
4. Holy Stone HS100G – Drone with 1080p FHD Camera
This is an exceptional drone with a friendly price tag. Holy Stone HS100G is specifically made for kids or beginners who need to increase their flight time. The quadcopter is equipped with landing gears for easier takeoff and landing. Weighing around 1.7 pounds, the HS100G is quite lightweight so you need to be careful when flying during a windy day.
The HS100G features a 1080p FHD camera to capture amazing pictures and videos of your moments. An adjustable angle with a 120-degree FOV enables a broader view of amateur aerial photography. Additionally, the quadcopter is equipped with 5G FPV Wi-Fi transmission that offers a clear and latency-free live video from the altitude.
Despite its low price, the manufacturer embedded impressive key features to this quadcopter. It offers One Key Takeoff / Landing, allowing kids and beginners to take off and land the drone easily. Headless Mode helps control the aircraft when it is out of sight since it’s direction will be orientated to the pilot’s direction. GPS auto return is a common feature so you won’t lose the drone ever again.
Flight time is not the best thing you can expect from this tech toy. Holy Stone HS100G offers 15 minutes of flying time, which is quite short but acceptable for beginners and kids. And yet, its control range is much better than Parrot Bebop 2, as far as 500 meters.
Pros:
- Beginner-friendly
- Amazing features
Cons:
- Not so excellent flight time
- FAA registration required
5. Hubsan Zino
Hubsan Zino is among the best drones under $300 offered by Hubsan. The renowned manufacturer equipped its mid-tier quadcopter with plenty of features such as 3-axis gimbal, panorama, and brushless motor. The foldable drone is highly portable, thanks to the foldable design that allows the device to slip easily into your bag. Weighing around 4.19 pounds, it offers stability and easier control in the air.
Zino comes with a 3-axis gimbal camera that helps reduce blurring when recording video. The gimbal also detects horizontal lines and maintain even shots and recordings even when the device is tilted. Supported by a 4K UHD camera, it can deliver reliable aerial photography. The quadcopter allows you to record videos at 30 frames per second in high resolution as well as capture panoramic shots.
Flying this drone is exciting, thanks to the 5G Wi-Fi that enables live video transmission at a high speed. You can enjoy four different flight mode such as Headless and Obrite for a different experience. Auto return home ensures you won’t lose the drone. Designed with brushless motor, Hubsan Zino enables us to perform powerful flying.
The aircraft offers average flight times at 23 minutes in ideal condition. The manufacturer rates its control range at 2.5 km, which is quite impressive for a quadcopter in this price range. Unluckily, this excellent tech toy is not equipped with obstacle avoidance.
Pros:
- Excellent control range
- More than acceptable flight time
- 3-axis gimbal
Cons:
- Lack of obstacle avoidance
6. Walkera Rodeo 150
Specially designed as a racing drone, Walkera’s Rodeo 150 is one of the best drones under $300 to find on the market. This quadcopter boasts simple construction and powerful performance, allowing you to race with style. Thankfully, the drone is beginner-friendly so anyone can easily operate this tech toy without significant problems.
Rodeo 150 is tiny and lightweight as it weighs only 0.16 ounces.
The small aircraft is equipped with a 600TVL camera, allowing the pilot to get a clear and proper vision during the race. The mini camera enables you to watch real-time video on FPV Goggles or monitor. Now you can keep on track and win the race.
The Rodeo 150 offers a rather short flight time up to 8 minutes. This battery capacity isn’t impressive, especially if you are a serious drone racer. You might need to upgrade the battery in order that the drone can offer extended flying time.
The tiny size is not a reason to ignore the features. Walkera Rodeo 150 comes with brushless motors that support a forceful and powerful performance. It is also equipped with a DEVO transmitter, providing you with full control of the device. Rodeo 150 does not offer fancy features such as GPS and auto return home.
Pros:
- Easy to handle
- 600TVL camera
- Beginner-friendly
Cons:
- FPV monitor not included
- Not so fancy features
7. Altair Outlaw SE – 3 Return-to-Home Functions
Altair has released tons of drones with different specs and price ranges, one of which is the Outlaw SE. This small quadcopter has incredible features to offer a lot of excitement and it works well for beginners as well as amateur pilots. Weighing only 3.12 pounds, this drone is quite lightweight though it doesn’t feature foldable design.
The Outlaw SE features a built-in 1080p camera that lets you capture aerial photography in HD quality. It also supports 1080p live video, thanks to FPV features that allow you to stream video right from smartphones. The video transmission can be enjoyed up to 500 m away. To avoid blurring on photos and videos, the drone is equipped with a Barometer Altitude Hold system.
Affordable price doesn’t mean trivial features. This quadcopter features innovative GPS for an auto-return home so you don’t need to lose the aircraft. You can also enjoy various flight modes such as Follow Me, Waypoint Flight, and One-Touch Takeoff and Landing.
Outlaw SE by Altair has enough power to give you 15 minutes of flight time. It’s not the best rate but it’s sufficient to explore a specific area and capture amazing pictures. The control range is rated at 600 meters, which is more than acceptable for quadcopters in this price range.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- 1080p camera
- Affordable price
Cons:
No spare batteries included
8. Parrot AR 2.0 Elite Edition
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly drone but it must have a Parrot logo, AR 2.0 Elite Edition is a great pick. This is one of the best drones under $300 which can be easily controlled using your Android or iPhone tablets or smartphones. The slim design allows you to slip the device into the bag and start the exploration almost anywhere. Moreover, this drone meets FAA requirements so you have nothing to worry about.
The AR 2.0 Elite Edition sports a 720p HD camera that allows you to control the quadcopter as if you’re in the pilot seat. It comes with a self-generated Wi-Fi network that lets you stream video right from the drone. With an automatic stabilization system, you can enjoy stable images with excellent quality both indoors and outdoors. Simply download the app and you’re ready to take control.
Not only does it offer live video transmission, but it also boasts 3D Flip and app control. Thanks to Director mode that enables you to set automatic movements program to shoot videos like a real movie director. Enjoy setting color saturation, tune exposure, and white balance to meet your needs. After capturing photos or recording videos, a built-in USB plug allows you to share and save the files on USB.
The AR 2.0 is powered by a 1500mAh lipo battery, providing up to 12 minutes of flight time. Unfortunately, its control range is very short, up to 50 meters.
Pros:
- Easy control via smartphone or tablet
- Live video transmission
Cons:
- Lack of features
- Very short control distance
Conclusion
Drones are modern tech toys that offer tons of excitement as it enables you to capture aerial photography and record videos from a birds-eye view. Thankfully, this device is now available at affordable prices. You can find copious options for the best drones under $300 or best drones under $200. The shortlisted quadcopters above come from trusted brands, so they won’t let you down. Choose one that suits you best!
If you want drones with prices above $300, you can see the following link: Best Drones Under $500