For those trying to test the waters and see if they really want a drone or not, their best bet is to purchase a starter drone. These starter drones have a ton of features, most include a combination of the following traits.
You may also like DroneAddicts’ list of best drones under $400
Safety
For those wanting to learn to fly a drone, or teach their kids to fly one, safety is a big issue. Drones are powerful devices with fast spinning rotors. To prevent any injuries or accidents, both to people and to the furniture around, a drone needs to be somewhat safe. If you are looking for drones that emphasize safety, you should look at its programs as well as its overall design.
Price
The main concern for those interested in owning a drone is price. Not only for the initial purchase, but for the maintenance and repair that goes along with owning one. For those with tight budgets, having an expensive drone may not be all that appealing. Those wanting to break into the hobby should aim for a more affordable range of choices.
Easy to Learn
Another common issue when it comes to drones is their controls. Some may see the controller as a challenge, while some see it and head the other way. For this issue, some drones try to tackle it by having more user-friendly features.
DroneAddicts Guide to the Best Starter Drones of 2018
Air Hogs Supernova
Air Hogs is a very user-friendly drone that ticks off every item in our checklist. It is safe, having an orb shell that covers the rotors from external presence. It removes the risk or danger of kids holding the spinning rotors while it is in the air. It also makes sure it doesn’t get caught up in curtains or other furniture.
Controls are also incredibly user friendly, opting for a simpler ‘hand motion’ commands to guide its movement. As for the price, you can easily get one below $40, especially on sales. All in all, the Air Hogs is a very good choice if you emphasize more on safety, especially if you want kids to play with it.
SKEYE 2 Nano
The SKEYE 2 Nano is incredibly cheap for a camera drone. Only costing $20 (on sales), spending on one would barely make a dent in anyone’s budget. For some, food for one meal would actually cost more than this device. The SKEYE 2 is tiny, so it would not be a problem storage-wise. The controller is very simplistic compared to your usual drone device. For those who want to start learning controls, this can be a great choice.
Fairy Drone
The Fairy Drone is an excellent ‘starter’ drone for those wanting to pursue aerial photography. It has a powerful 1080 camera that, while may not be good enough for more ‘serious’ photography, can still provide you with great shots. This drone can be a good starting point if you want to test the waters on whether you want to be serious in photography/cinematography. Another good thing about the Fairy drone is that it is very small, so you can bring it along with you for photo opportunities.
Selfie Drone
EachineDirect E56, or more known as the ‘selfie drone’ is small enough to fit in your pocket. And, as the name states, it is more oriented towards taking everyday snapshots. The great thing about the selfie drone is its programming. It can follow you around while recording, freeing up your hands from controls. It can also be very cheap on sales, where it can go below the $50 margin. It is very user-friendly, while still teaching you about proper controls with its simplified controller.
Spectre Drone
Here’s arguably one of the most balanced drone based on our 3 criteria. The Spectre drone has a great 720p camera, easy controls, and has a sleek design for portability. Like the Fairy drone, Spectre can be an option (a cheaper one) for those wanting to take up aerial photography. The Spectre can go down to as low as $69 on sales, making it a great purchase if you get it during those periods. The drone is incredibly lightweight, and has a decent reach of up to 50 meters.
