Best Personal Drones – Top 5 Drones Reviewed
Table of Contents
- FAQ About Personal Drones
- #1 Altair AA108
- Force1 U49W
- Force1 F100 Ghost RC
- DJI Mavic Pro
- DJI Phantom 4 Pro
- The Best Personal Drones of 2019
Quick Review: Click here to Jump to Top 3 List
It’s no secret that drones are some of the coolest tech to be released in quite some time. When you have a drone the possibilities are practically endless. You can take pictures, record videos, race through FPV VR, and even go underwater depending on which one you have.
Personal drones are a must-have for photographers, videographers, adventurers, surveyors, you name it. Everyone can find use in a drone, which is why they’re so awesome. They bring everyone together and can show you things that you’ve never seen before. For example, a birds-eye view of your local forest.
There are a number of high-quality personal drones on the market that range in price, have different features, and multiple flight characteristics that anyone can take advantage of.
FAQ About Personal Drones
If you don’t see your question listed below in our FAQ section, get in touch with us and we’ll help you out!
Where can I fly my drone?
When you are preparing for a flight, whether it’s your first time or your hundredth time, you should always make sure that you are okay to fly before you take off. It’s important to check your state and local laws before you make any plans set in stone to ensure that you’re not breaking the law.
Trust us, this could save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in fines, so always make sure you’re in a safe flight zone before you take off.
Do I have to register my drone?
You may have to register your drone, yes. Following the guidelines in effect by the FAA, every drone that weighs between .55 to 55 pounds must be registered online.
For more information on what you need to do before you fly, feel free to click here.
Which features should I look for?
Because every drone has something different, looking for features that suit your style and needs is important. For example, if you want a drone that goes on your adventures with you, look for one that has Follow Me.
The Best Personal Drones
We’ve got the best personal drones right here, not ranked in any particular order, so you can get a good look at your options.
Altair AA108
See it on Amazon USA or Canada, UK, Australia & Other International Shoppers click here, see their International Shipping rates here.
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The AA108 by Altair may be somewhat of a newbie in the game, but it’s already climbing the popularity charts and hitting the skies by storm. It’s a great drone for both beginners and experts alike, is a lot of fun to fly, and the perfect choice to start our review.
Listed below are the specs and features:
- Uses a premium 720p HD camera with real-time video, a 120° wide-angle lens, and FPV capabilities
- Features Headless Mode, Altitude Hold, Custom Route Mode, One Button Takeoff, One Button Landing, Emergency Landing, Out of Range Alarm, and Low Battery Alarm
- Total flight time of up to 10 minutes
- It comes with 3 flight skill levels for all skill ranges
- Includes a bonus battery and a memory card reader
- Has a maximum range of 300 feet or 100 meters, as well as a video transmission range of 120-150 feet or 40-50 meters
- Weighs less than a pound with a total size of 7.2”x7.7”x1.6”
One of the biggest pros concerning the AA108 would have to be the simplicity of it. It’s in no way a regular, ordinary drone, don’t get us wrong there, it has its own attractive attributes to offer. It’s well constructed, has a lot of beneficial features and specs, and boasts durability.
One of the cons we have to note is the fact that it lacks GPS, which is, as we all know, a feature that one usually looks for the most.
The AA108 by Altair is currently going for around $130, which is a great price for all that you’re getting with it!
AA108 Video
Check out this Great Altair AA108 Review Video by Blue Collar Reviews
Force1 U49W
Read reviews and show for Force1 U49W
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For those who are beginner users interested in photography, or those who want a photography drone to bounce around with, this one is for you. It has much of what the Altair has to offer but with a higher price tag, so let’s dig in!
Listed below are the specs and features:
- Has a 720p HD camera with a 120° wide-angle lens and real-time video through WiFi with FPV capabilities
- Includes rubber damping to ensure smooth, steady footage every time
- Features Altitude Hold, Headless Mode, Low Battery Alarm, Signal Alarms and 1-Key Controls
- Uses 3 different speed modes that suit every skill range
- Total flight time of up to 15 minutes
- Comes with an extra battery and a spare motor
- Uses 2.4GHz transmission with a range of 150 m
- Takes a 1000mAh LiPo battery
The biggest pro that the U49W has to offer is the fact that the transmitter range is surprisingly quite long. In fact, a lot of users reported how surprised they were and made comparisons to other drones and their range.
The biggest con, however, is noted to be the camera. Once again, users have reported that the camera isn’t all that clear when the drone is in flight.
The U49W by Force1 comes ready-to-fly straight out of the box with a price tag of around $180.
Force1 F100 Ghost RC
Read reviews and show for Force1 F100 Ghost
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The F100 Ghost RC by Force1 is definitely one of our favorites, so leaving it out of our personal drone reviews was simply not an option! It has a lot of flashy features and specs that are easy to get hung up on, so let’s get down to it.
Listed below are the specs and features:
- Comes with a camera mount for an external camera, such as a GoPro
- Total flight time of up to 15 minutes
- Includes an extra battery
- Features High and Low speed modes
- Has LED lights for night or low visibility flying
- Able to perform 360° flips, stunts, and aerial tricks
- Uses brushless motor technology to ensure your flights are quiet, your footage is smooth, and audio distortion is a thing of the past
- Has a transmission range of up to 300 m
One of the main pros that comes with the F100 Ghost RC is the durability factor. It can take quite a beating, doesn’t feel like it’s made from flimsy plastic, and won’t give you anxiety overload when you’re flying it.
One of the cons is that it can take some time to figure out how to configure the transmitter. While this may not seem like such a big issue for some, especially avid enthusiasts who can pair and configure with their eyes closed, it definitely can be for some.
The F100 Ghost RC by Force1 is currently going for around $180, which is quite a bargain in itself. This is a great starter personal drone for anyone who wants to get serious with basic drone photography, so we definitely recommend it.
DJI Mavic Pro
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Who doesn’t love the Mavic Pro by DJI? For this portion of our review, we’re going to be focusing on the Fly More Bundle, which gives you a lot more bang for your buck. You get some neat extras with the drone that you wouldn’t if you bought it on its own.
Listed below are the specs and features:
- Folds into the size of a water bottle for easy portability
- Has a camera with True 4K and 1080p full HD with video streaming and 12MP still photos in RAW format
- Uses the new OcuSync transmission system that allows for up to 4.3 miles, or 7 km, of transmission range
- Able to fly at speeds up to 40 mph when you use Sport Mode
- Total flight time of up to 27 minutes
- Features Active Track, Tap to Fly, Vision Positioning, Flight Autonomy, Gesture Mode, and more
- Includes front-facing sensors for obstacle avoidance when moving forward
- Able to fly both forward and backward without compromising stability
- Vision Positioning pairs both GPS and GLONASS for better positioning both indoors and outside
- Uses 5 vision sensors
- Weighs 1.6 pounds with a total size of 9.5”x9.5”x10.5”
The biggest pro for the bundle is all the extras that you get. You’ll receive the Mavic Pro, 2 extra batteries, 2 extra propellers, a charging hub, a car charger, a battery for the power bank adapter, and a bonus shoulder bag for storage.
Bundle aside, the most important pro for the drone itself is that, though DJI warns against doing so, flying outside during a windy day is possible. Some users have flown in winds close to 22 mph and had no trouble staying in control.
The main con is that pairing can be difficult and cause problems during flight if it’s not done properly. Users have reported that, because of pairing issues, it can sometimes try to go off on their own, so be careful.
Even though the Mavic Pro Fly More Bundle by DJI is sitting at just over $1,100, don’t let that be your final say. The bundle, as you now know, has so much to offer, never mind the fact that the Mavic Pro itself is an absolute masterpiece.
DJI Phantom 4 Pro
Read reviews and show for DJI Phantom 4
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We all know and love the Phantom line by now, so you know we had to stick one of these in our review of the best personal drones. The Phantom 4 Pro brings classic DJI features and specs to an entirely different level.
Listed below are the specs and features:
- Has a camera with a 1” 20MP CMOS sensor that supports 4K and a 100Mbps bitrate
- Includes 5 directions of obstacle sensing technology
- Features Burst Mode, FlightAutonomy, Standard Draw Mode, Free Draw Mode, Trace, Profile, Spotlight, Return to Home, Gesture Mode, and more
- Uses a 5.8GHz transmission system with a maximum video transmission range of up to 4.3 miles or 7 km with Lightbridge HD
- Total flight time of up to 30 minutes
- Uses a 5.5” 1080p screen for video feed
- Weighs 10 pounds with a total size of 16”x14”x9”
The biggest pro that the Phantom 4 Pro by DJI has going is the adjusted powerful video processing system. The Phantom 3 Pro had great quality here, but the Pro 4 is an improvement. The system supports H.264 4K videos at 60 FPS and H.265 4K at 30 FPS with 100Mbps bitrate for both.
The biggest con is that there can sometimes be bugs with the firmware, such as the gimbal failing to calibrate.
The Phantom 4 Pro by DJI is currently running for around $1,400, but it’s no doubt very easy to see why. It’s the perfect drone for serious, avid users who want nothing but the best where aerial photography and videography are concerned.
The Best Personal Drones of 2019
What’s better than finding your perfect fit where the best personal drones are concerned? There’s a match for everyone out there, no matter what you’re looking for in a drone.
Kennedy Martinez
kennedy@dronethusiast.comKennedy Martinez is a resident writer who joined Dronethusiast at the beginning of 2019. She has years of experience reviewing drones and other tech products. When it comes to flying drones, Kennedy loves the ability to create artistic videos from a unique point of view. Kennedy enjoys researching new drones and other exciting products that are available to consumers which is why she is committed to creating the best buyer's guides for our readers.
