What’s up? No, literally. Christmas is over, but it is still helpful to know the 11 best cheap drones with camera for beginners and kids. Drones can be a perfect gift for anniversaries, birthdays or any other special occasion.
You are probably familiar with the concept of drones. They are remote controlled, are tons of fun to use and can be equipped with a camera. There are many types of drones, but for beginners and kids, RF (ready to fly) drones are the best pick. Ready to fly drones don’t require any previous knowledge and you can fly them straight out of the box. They are also sometimes called quadcopters since most of them have 4 motors. Other types of drones are more aimed at professionals.
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When it comes to buying drones for kids, many parents have doubts about the true educational value or other issues surrounding the use of drones for kids. Drones can have a major influence on your kids and that influence can be beneficial. They will be able to learn more about the new technology, stimulate their young minds and most important of all, they will have tons of fun using them. It’s a fun way to get your kid involved in learning and thinking about STEM outside of the classroom.
If you are thinking of buying a drone for a beginner or a kid, you are probably wondering which characteristics that drone should have. Well, the drone you are looking for is cheap, small, easy to use, equipped with a camera and with a decent flight time. We already mentioned some of them on our list of 7 easiest drones to fly with a camera.
Kids and beginners will probably not be skillful with drones, so drones will take a major beating or completely break. This is why it isn’t a good idea to invest much money for someone’s first drone. When it comes to size, pick a smaller drone because they are easier to handle, and most importantly, kids will not hurt themselves (or others) with them. Flight time is also important since you don’t want to recharge the battery every 3 or 4 minutes.
To find 11 best cheap drones with camera for beginners and kids we took 16 drones for kids and beginners recommended by drone-specialized sites like Drones Global, UAV Coach, and Drone Guru while making sure they all had a camera and were under $200. Then we ranked each drone according to the price and the characteristics that are offered for that price like the FPV (first person view), camera quality, flight time, etc. So let’s check them out.
11. UDI U818A WIFI FPV
Price: $149.99
Flight Time: 8-10 minutes
Minimalistic design and control simplicity are the things that make this drone very desirable. According to the reviews, it is easy and fun to fly and a pick for someone who wants a cheap drone with HD camera. Besides HD camera, this drone also has an FPV (first person view) controller and VR support.
10. Hubsan H502S FPV X4
Price: $176.70
Flight Time: 12 min
If you want a beginner’s drone that offers a bit more than the budget drones, than Hubsan has a model for you. Like the previous drone on our list of best cheap drones with camera for beginners and kids, this one also has an HD camera and FPV controller but offers a longer flight time. The flight range is around 150 meters.
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9. Blomiky JXD 510G FPV
Price: $129.99
Flight Time: 6 to 10 min
Besides having an attractive appearance, JXD 510G is praised for its durability and flight performance. If you are not ready to part with more than $100 and you like the look of this drone, then there is a less powerful version that comes without FPV.
8. NightHawk DM007
Price: $119.00
Flight Time: 6-8 min
If you are only interested in shooting photos and recording videos with your drone, then there is no better drone for you. The camera is considered to be better than in those who are a lot more expensive. Sadly, it lacks some other functions to be considered an overall good drone. The flight time can vary, but most of the drones in this price range offer FPV, and NightHawk DM007 can’t offer the same.
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7. UDI U842 FPV
Price: $125.00
Flight Time: 7-9 minutes
This UDI’s model is a bit cheaper than most of the best cheap drones with camera for beginners and kids already mentioned, but basically offers the same specifications. It has FPV, HD camera and is a perfect choice for those who want a bit bigger drone. Its size is not only helpful because it’s easier to spot it, but also because it is more stable in the air.
6. Holy Stone F181
Price: $109.99
Flight Time: 7-9 min
Holy Stone F181 is mostly praised for the ability to survive crashes from medium altitude and being easy to fly. The drone’s flight range is up to 100m while it needs around 80 minutes to be recharged. The only downside is that it doesn’t have FPV.
5. UDI U845
Price: $89.99
Flight Time: 6-9 min
We are now entering the below $100 zone on our list of 11 best cheap drones with camera for beginners and kids. UDI U845 is an interesting drone because it has 6 motors (hexacopter), unlike most budget drones that have 4 (quadcopter). Although it doesn’t have FPV, it gives you the ability to turn your smartphone into one.
4. DBPOWER X705C FPV
Price: $89.99
Flight Time: 8 min
This is one of those drones that may be great to some people, but junk for others. It has some great qualities like FPV and VR support paired with average flight time and flight range. On the other hand, the camera is really bad, coming at 0.3MP, so that VR and FPV may not be so tempting.
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3. MJX X400W
Price: $89.99
Flight Time: 8-9 min
Reviews we encountered about MJX X400W, next in line on the list of best cheap drones with camera for beginners and kids, describe it as a drone that is suitable for beginners but also offers enough features for those who want more from their drone. It also gives you an option to use your smartphone as FPV, alongside VR support.
2. Syma X5c
Price: $59.99
Flight Time: 7-9 min
Anyone who is remotely familiar with drones has heard about Syma X5c. This drone has a reputation of being ideal for beginners (and kids) and it isn’t hard to see why. Syma X5c is easy to fly, fairly durable, has a camera and looks like a toy. The only thing that doesn’t go into Syma X5c favor is long charging time and small flight range.
1. Hubsan X4 H107c
Price: $39.99 – $49.99
Flight Time: 8 min
If you have a tight budget, this is the best pick on our list of 11 best cheap drones with camera for beginners and kids. However, its low price doesn’t mean Hubsan X4 H107c is no good. It is a small but capable drone, perfect for both kids and beginners. It has respectable flight time, nice flight range, 2MP camera and it is capable of taking some beating. Trust us, this is a bargain.
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