Best Drones 2024

We evaluate a number of factors while flying the finest drones, including flight performance, video and photo quality, safety features, and cost-effectiveness. Because every drone we examine has a different set of outcomes, we propose different drones for different persons in this guide.

The DJI Mini 4 Pro is our personal favorite drone out of all the ones we have flown. It’s a feature-rich drone with a great camera and obstacle avoidance. It is a great drone for beginners since it is safe and simple for beginners to fly, and because it weighs less than 250g, it is subject to less regulations and legal requirements than heavier drones. But not everyone will find it to be the best option, particularly professional pilots for whom the weightier Mavic 3 Pro could be a better bet.

Our recommendations below include everything from entry-level drones to pro-grade models. Each has been tested by our expert team in the real world, who look for the benefits and drawbacks of every option. We’ve summarised the takeaways to make it easy for you to land on your ideal drone.

1.DJI Mini 4 Pro

Our favorite drone in the past was the DJI Mini 3 Pro, which has professional-grade functionality and a lightweight design. The Mini 4 Pro improves upon its features to provide an even better—though not fundamentally different—experience. It’s unlikely that upgrading is warranted if you currently own a Mini 3 Pro. However, it’s a great option if you’re upgrading from a different model or purchasing your first drone from the Mini series. Its compact, foldable design and its regulation-friendly 249g takeoff weight are nearly the same as those of the Mini 3 Pro. This also applies to the 1/1.3-inch sensor, which still produces very good images.

We discovered that it was even more adept at managing noise in low light because of processing improvements. The new D-Log will also be welcomed by serious videographers.M color profile, which offers greater consistency with the Mavic 3. Obstacle avoidance is now omnidirectional, meaning the Mini 4 Pro is even safer than its predecessor when it comes to operating indoors or near trees. We also found ActiveTrack 360° highly effective, making it an easy drone for beginners to fly confidently. If you can afford the DJI RC 2 controller option, you’ll have the best backpack-friendly drone bundle.

The DJI Mini 3 Pro, which debuted in May 2022 and was the best drone in its class by far, changed the drone industry by adding additional features that were professional-like to a sub-250g device. I purchased a DJI Mini 3 Pro after being so impressed with its capabilities, compact size, low weight, and image quality during my review. Building on those features, the DJI Mini 4 Pro raises the bar for what drones weighing less than 250 grams can accomplish.

The Mini 4 Pro is the closest Mini-series drone to the DJI Mavic 3 models and the DJI Air 3 in terms of flight and safety characteristics, but one feature that must be overlooked is that it has some camera functionality, it’s more of an incremental update over the Mini 3 Pro than a radical upgrade; it looks remarkably similar, performs pretty much identically in flight, and even uses the same impressive 1/1.3-inch sensor. And for current Mini 3 Pro owners there could be a sense of frustration, as many of the camera upgrades could likely have been delivered via firmware updates.

This raises the question of whether you should upgrade if you currently own a Mini 3 Pro. And the straightforward, if useless, response is that you alone have the last say. Despite having less features than the Mini 4 Pro, the Mini 3 Pro is still an excellent drone. However, the Mini 4 Pro is a great option if you’re switching from an older model or are new to the Mini series. The Mini 4 Pro is without a doubt the greatest sub-250 g drone on the market, regardless of whether you’re a professional drone pilot using it as a backup drone and can take advantage of the D-Log M video color constancy with your Mavic 3 or a hobbyist searching for something compact and light.

2.DJI Air 3

The DJI Air 3 is finally here after what seems like a very long wait, and it comes with some surprises in addition to better-than-expected features and functionality. As one of the best drones available and one of the best camera drones on the market, the DJI Air 3 is an exciting combination of the Mini and Mavic drones, which are typically placed between the DJI Air models.

In contrast to the Mavic 2 Pro, which was also on the market at the time of introduction and had a 1-inch sensor with an adjustable aperture in the camera, the Air 2S had a 1-inch sensor with a fixed aperture. However, the Air 3’s sensor size has decreased, utilizing the same superb 1/1.3-inch sensor as the DJI Mini 3 Pro, with two of these sensors in the dual camera offering 24mm and 70mm equivalent focal lengths.

The only downside of the cameras for video capture overall is that the apertures are fixed. But since they use the same sensor, image quality, features and functionality are consistent across the two. The list of features on offer is impressive beyond the dual cameras, with omnidirectional obstacle avoidance, vertical 2.7K video capture, 4K slow motion video and 48MP photo capture, to name but a few.

With its dark gray airframe and folding design, the DJI Air 3 is clearly a DJI drone. When folded for storage and transit, it measures 8.1 x 3.9 x 3.6 in (207 × 100.5 × 91.1 mm), and when unfolded for flight, it measures 10.2 x 12.8 x 4.2 in (258.8 × 326 × 105.8 mm). While it is undoubtedly smaller than the Mavic 3 versions, it is not significantly lighter at 25.4 oz (720 g). This indicates that the drone’s C1 rating will be visible to users in the EU and a few additional non-EU European nations.

The Air 3 has a maximum wind resistance of 27 mph and, when tested in gusts slightly lower than this wind speed, is significantly greater than the Mini 3 variants speed the drone didn’t miss a beat. Battery life has also been vastly upgraded, with a maximum advertised flight time of up to 46 minutes per 4241 mAh Intelligent Flight Battery in highly controlled wind-free conditions. During testing in warm and low wind conditions, flight times were averaging 35 minutes before Return to Home was suggested when the battery level reached 20%.

The DJI RC-N2 controller, which needs a smartphone since it has a built-in screen, is one of three controller alternatives. The more costly of the two smart controller options has the most functions. Fly More Bundles, which include two extra batteries, a carry case, a three-battery charging hub, and other practical accessories, are also included in the two kits that include smart controllers.

In addition to flight controls for operating the drone and switching between flight modes as needed, all three controllers offer direct access controls for gaining access to frequently used features. While the DJI RC-N2 controller is incredibly compatible with Android and iOS smartphones running the DJI Fly, the smart controllers are unquestionably the most convenient and expedite the setup process.

3.DJI Mavic 3 Pro

The DJI Mavic 3 Pro’s distinctive huge three-camera gimbal at the front of the drone pushes the series toward greater creative potential because of those three practical cameras for both photography and video. With all the amazing safety and flight capabilities that the Mavic 3 series drones are known for, this is the first triple-camera drone in the world and is unquestionably among the best drones on the market.

Similar to the original Mavic 3/Mavic 3 Cine, and Mavic 3 Classic models, the primary camera is the same Four Thirds 20MP Hasselblad. With an f/2.8-f/11 adjustable aperture and a dynamic range of up to 12.8 stops, this camera has the most features and the highest quality of images of the three.

Three Apple Pro Res options provide a noticeably greater bitrate for professional workflows, while the Normal, HLG (hybrid log-gamma high dynamic range), and 10-bit D-Log M profiles give video resolutions up to 5.1K at 200Mbps. DCI 4K (4096 x 2160 17:9 cinematic 4K) can shoot at up to 120 frames per second, 4K can shoot at up to 120 frames per second, and FHD can shoot at up to 200 frames per second. Additionally, images can be taken in JPEG and 12-bit raw formats.

The two telephoto cameras offer a 166mm camera with a 12MP 1/2-inch sensor and a 70mm equivalent with the same 48MP 1/1.3-inch sensor as the Mavic Mini 3 Pro. Both will capture raw and JPEG images in addition to a variety of video settings that can be manually adjusted. Because of this, they incredibly useful in a range of situations, although the main 4/3 is likely to be the go-to option most of the time.

Moving beyond the cameras, which are undoubtedly the jewels in the Mavic 3 Pro’s crown, the drone offers excellent flight and safety features, including APAS 5.0 collision avoidance, ActiveTrack 5.0 for subject tracking, GEO 2.0 geofencing, Advanced Return to Home and Quickshots automated flight patterns. It’s not cheap, though, and launches at a similar price as the original Mavic 3 / Mavic 3 Cine, which it supersedes to become the flagship model in the Mavic 3 lineup.

How to choose the best drone for you

How to choose the best drone for you

The first thing to consider when selecting your ideal drone is your budget. The largest sensors, the best video quality, and the newest pro-grade capabilities are typically found in flagship drones, but these typically cost thousands of dollars. The finest deals are frequently found in the center of the range, where devices like the DJI Mini 3 Pro strike a mix between cost, portability, and functionality, the Ryze Tello provides a respectable experience for beginners looking for an inexpensive drone to get started.

Drones with safety features like obstacle avoidance, which lessen the chance of crashes in midair, are a good option for novice pilots. Additionally, set-piece maneuvers can be easily executed without the requirement for expert flying skills thanks to automated flight modes. Likewise, drones with a follow-me mode take the effort out of tracking a subject.

Most drones allow you to use a smartphone as a controller, usually by inserting it into an included handset. If you’re a seasoned pilot with specific control requirements, it’s worth checking what remotes are compatible with a given model. Factors such as flight time, range and speed can also be crucial, depending on how you plan to fly.