Best Drones Recommendation for 2023

One of the coolest gadgets on the market is the drone. Flying a small flying robot is great, and you might want to operate one for a number of different reasons. First of all, they are a lot of fun to drive. Second, if you're a passionate photographer, it can be a great partner for landscape shots. You can also take beautiful panoramas of wide areas and create compelling videos.

The best drone cameras can capture the most breathtaking views few have seen before, especially if you don't live in a metropolitan area. You're sure to wow your friends and family. Now, you can buy a drone with a camera for less than $500.

There are plenty of affordable options for drone owners, offering a variety of features, video quality, and price combinations to suit every drone enthusiast's needs. So whether you're looking to get into drone photography, or you just want to enjoy the thrill of flying, we've got some advice. Here are the best drones for beginners and intermediate drones.

We've outlined our top picks for the best drones for beginners, intermediate users, and "prosumer" enthusiasts, as well as drones for those interested in racing, which is a whole scene in itself. We will update this list regularly. We've also included a more in-depth buying guide and FAQs on the best drones below, as well as more information on key things to consider before buying, below.


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DJI Voyager 2S
The best all-around drone
With its large 1-inch image sensor, the DJI Air 2S is capable of capturing stunning photos and videos from the air. It will shoot video at up to 5.4k resolution, while stills can be captured in DNG raw at up to 20 megapixels. The drone also has several smart flight modes that make it easy to capture cinematic footage even if you're hiking alone, including a mode that follows you as you traverse hills and a mode that automatically orbits a point. interest.

One thing it doesn't do is flip the camera over to let you shoot in portrait orientation. That's a shame, because it means capturing vertical video for TikTok or Instagram Reels is more difficult because you need to crop the video in the middle, losing a lot of resolution in the process. If that's your priority, consider DJI's Mini 3 Pro.

It's just as easy to fly as the others in the DJI lineup, and it has an array of obstacle sensors to help it stay in the air and keep it from hitting headfirst into a tree or wall. Its maximum flight time is 31 minutes, which is good for a drone of this size, but for those who want to capture more footage from the sky, it can be used with a bundle of extra batteries buy together.

Its foldable design makes it easy to fit into a photography backpack, but it's larger and heavier than DJI's "Mini" line, so keep that in mind if you're after the lightest model for travel. But its combination of time-of-flight, automatic flight mode, and excellent image quality make it an excellent all-rounder well worth considering. Read our DJI Air 2S review.


$999 from Amazon

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DJI Mini 2
Best Beginner Drones
The DJI Mini may have launched back in 2020, but it's still available to buy today, and it's still an excellent option for those looking to take their first steps into the world of aerial photography. Its compact folded size means it's super easy to pop into your bag and take with you, while its 249g weight means you don't need to register with the FAA (USA).

It uses the same control scheme as other DJI drones, which we found to be easy for beginners to learn the ropes, while allowing more advanced flyers the flexibility to test their skills. It can fly for up to 31 minutes on a single charge and has a range of up to 6.2 miles (10 kilometers).

Its small camera unit is stabilized for smoother footage, and it can shoot 4K video at 30 frames per second. Still images are captured at 12 megapixels.

One of the reasons a foldable drone is so lightweight is that it has no sensors for obstacle avoidance. This means there will be a learning curve, and there may be some crashes. So while this is an affordable beginner option, those without existing flying skills should start practicing in the open space until you get the hang of it. Once you get more confident, the Mini 2 is stable, agile, safe to fly and quieter than other DJI models. Read our DJI Mini 2 review.


$450 at Best Buy
Crutchfield $449
Amazon $399

Andrew Lanxon/CNET
DJI Mini 3 Pro
Best Drones for TikTok Videos and Instagram Reels
While DJI's Air 2s and Mavic 3 offer excellent in-air image quality, they can't flip the camera around and take videos and photos in portrait orientation. So those who want to use your footage for TikTok pages or Instagram Reels will need to crop the video from the middle, losing a lot of resolution