Which is the best Quadcopter?

Taft question: Which is the best first Quadcopter?

Buying the second quadcopter is a much easier decision, you already have some basic knowledge and term of comparison. You know that you want something more performing with more features and you will invest in your hobby as much as your budget permits it. No doubt, the hardest thing is to find your best first quadcopter.

When I started my own blog about quadcopters, the goal was not just to promote new models and get a profit share from sales but to help others like me to choose their first multi-rotor.

In my case, choosing my first drone was limited hardly by its price. I had an approved budged by my boss (wife) of $100, amount considered as reasonable expense for such a “childish” hobby like this. In conclusion, married means always looking for inexpensive models.

When you are decided to buy your first multi-rotor or you only want to offer someone such a gift, take into consideration that even the smallest Cheerson CX-10 model comes with an important precaution: a quadcopter is not a toy and it is recommended to be used only by people in age over 14th.

Best Quadcopter – by price range

Expert pilots have a saying: “never spend more on a remote controlled aircraft that you afford to lose”. Pilot errors, motor failures or radio interferences can produce crash lands even when you fly a high-end gadget.

I don’t recommend for beginners and those who are not familiarized with remote controlled aircrafts to buy big and expensive models. They should always practice first with small and cheap Quads.

• $10-$20 price range is affordable mainly to everyone and they can choose between many small drones;
• $21-$69 price range contains beginner models, mainly you get everything with them but truly nothing because they are not reliable;
• $70-150 price range contains basic platforms for aerial filming – this price range includes big sized quadcopters with brushed motors like the Syma X8W and Tarantula X6;
• $150-399 is basically for GPS models, DIY quadcopter kits and racing drones;
• over $400 is the price from which the real game begins!

Best Quadcopter – by functionalities

Best Quadcopter – Nano, micro and small models

They are extremely affordable and perfect for indoor practicing. The price of the cheapest one starts from $12. Of course they come without camera or any other fancy features.

• Cheers CX-10 aka world’s smallest drone;
• Syma X12 Nano, very good flier for beginners;
• FQ777-124 pocket quadcopter it’s my favorite model, I own one and almost every time I go somewhere I take it with me in my pocket;
• JJRC H8 Mini, announced as to be the world’s cheapest multi-rotor.

Best Quadcopter – Basic models

With onboard camera for aerial videos, they are the favorite ones for most of the people. For only $50-$70 you can get a decent sized quadcopter with a 2MP or 5MP camera. Two of the most popular models from this category are the upgraded Syma X5C1 and the JJRC H8C.

Best Quadcopter – Intermediate models

Suitable for those with some basic piloting experience, usually these aircrafts are big sized (350mm) and few of them come with complete first person view system. From this category I can recommend the Syma X8 family which is known to be a very stable flying platform for affordable aerial filming. The X8 series has 3 different models: X8C with HD camera, X8W with WIFI FPV camera and the latest X8G with high quality 8MP camera.

Best Quadcopter – Racing quadcopters

Recommended only for those that love to fly at insane speeds over 100km/s. I’m far away to have the necessary piloting skills for such a racer so I will skip over to make a recommendation for the best racing quadcopter.

Best Quadcopter – Cheap GPS models

This category of quadcopters have features like return to home and mission planner. One of the most popular and probably the best affordable gps quadcopter is the Cheerson CX-20 open source edition as it is a highly upgradable and very customizable model.

Best Quadcopter – Professional range

These types are for those that can afford to spend more than $1000 for such a “toy”. Mainly this range was covered for many years by the popular DJI Phantom but recently appeared many new players on the multi rotor production market wishing to manufacture the best professional quadcopter. Not so many time ago I sow some outstanding aerial videos recorded with the latest model from Yuneec – Electric Aviation. The Typhoon Q500 4K is a truly amazing and versatile aircraft. The only thing holding me to order one is the price which starts from $1500.

During last year I tested many models and frankly is very hard to tell which one was the best Quad. Every model has its own advantage and disadvantage. I think the decision must be made according to your budget and the functionalities that you expect from your first drone. In my opinion everyone’s best quadcopter is highlighted among the hundreds of models that are currently on the market by these two essential factors: personal budget and required functionalities.