Consumer drones have come a long way in a few short years. What was previously expensive hardware only bought by passionate hobbyists is now widely available to the masses… and the mainstream manufacturers have focussed much of their energy on making sure that the kids market is properly catered for.
Kids drones are designed to be easy to operate, giving aspiring young pilots the chance to have endless hours of fun as they learn the ins and outs of flying drones.
The best drones for kids are rarely expensive pieces of hardware. While there are higher end models suitable for children, most are affordable drones with limited but essential features, making them perfect for learning the fundamentals while having lots of fun at the same time.
Drone flying is a great hobby for kids as it gets them outdoors in the fresh air while learning something new. There are many outstanding drones that are ideal for young beginners, and today we look at four of the best valued drones suitable for kids.
JJRC H36
It’s usually a good idea to buy your child a cheap drone to begin with – just in case they decide drone flying isn’t for them!
The JJRC H36 is one of the cheapest kids drone on the market so is a great place to start. It’s a tiny drone that easily fits into the palm of your hand, while there are few cool features that help kids learn the basics of drone flight.
For instance, one-key return commands the drone to instantly fly back to the controller while roll-over mode makes it do a cool 360-degree roll, which are few cool tricks kids will certainly love to pull off.
Headless mode makes flying the drone much easier as you don’t need to focus on orientation to get the right direction, which is very useful for younger children that may struggle with more complex operation.
As a very small drone it may not perform too well outdoors during high winds but is to fly indoors should the weather be poor. This means your child can have fun learning to fly from the comfort of home!
The JJRC H36 is a low-cost kids drone that kids can have endless hours of fun playing with. For such a low price its hard to see much wrong with the drone, although limited features may make become obsolete after learning the ropes. Still, it’s a perfect first-time drone for kids of all ages.
Air Hogs Star Wars Millennium Falcon
The Air Hogs Start Wars Millennium Flacon drone is a fantastic drone for kids – although we’re sure plenty of grown ups will love it too!
Designed after the iconic Millennium Falcon, this quadcopter boasts one of the most appealing designs of any drone, with an awesome replica body, LED lights, and sounds that make it look like the real thing.
Suitable for children aged 8 and above, the drone features an impressive 6 to 8-minute flight time that gives pilots plenty of time to come to grips with flying. A remote controller is included with the drone, which has a 200ft range, so it’s suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
The body is impact resistant, which is a good feature for children as they are likely to have a few crashes and collisions, although we’re sure they will be capable of making the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs in no time!
Holy Stone F181W
Should your child really become passionate about drones then the Holy Stone F181W is certainly worth consideration. While a bit more expensive than a traditional ‘kids’ drone, the value for money is impressive considering the range of features included.
For example, not only does it have a few cool flight modes but is also fitted with camera that provides real time video feed during flight. This is such an awesome feature for younger pilots that enjoy flying and recording footage, as it offers the best of both for a very reasonable price.
The 720p HD wide-angle camera is a great feature as it’s sparingly good quality when considering the low price of the drone. It connects to a smartphone via Wi-Fi, you just download the free app, place the phone into the remote controller and it’s good to go.
It’s not too difficult to operate either. For instance, one button take-off and landing mean they can easily get the drone in and out the air, while headless mode and one-key return are other useful features that makes flying the drone far less complex.
While you’re paying a bit more for the Holy Stone F181W it does offer a lot more features, namely the impressive 720p camera and FPV mode, making it one of the best drone for kids that are really into the hobby.
Syma X5C-1
If you’re looking for a decent camera drone for kids but don’t want to spend too much, then be sure to check out the Syma X5C-1. Available for a very reasonable price, it comes with a good quality camera and selection of flight modes that make it fun and easy to fly.
Younger children under 12 may struggle to fly the drone on their own, so adult supervision is advised until they come to grips with it. Teenagers will certainly love this drone and it makes a wonderful gift, especially because it’s so affordable!
Equipped with a removable 720p HD camera, the Syma X5C-1 lets kids capture some awesome footage (which is saved onto the SD card), and while it’s not the most spectacular quality it’s certainly impressive when looking at the low-price of the drone.
Flight performance is great and designed to make life easier when operating the drone. The 6-axis gyro stabilisation offers plenty of stability and is very helpful when flying outdoors, as the weather often makes smaller drones difficult to operate.
Controls are simple enough to learn, while there are a few cool functions such as 360-degree rotations and continuous rolling, along with standard direction functions. LED lights are also fitted to the body, which makes for an awesome sight when flying in the dark.
The Syma X5C-1 is one of the best drones for kids on the market. It’s affordable, looks good, is easy to fly, and even comes with a HD camera!
For such great prices and equipped with all kinds of cool features, these are certainly some of the best drones for kids that money can buy! There should be something for everyone in the above list, so if you are looking for the best kids drone then these are all a great option.