If you’re looking to buy the ultimate toy for your inner child (just kidding), you’ve landed in the right place, because today’s article is about the best drone for kids. Drones are the future of mankind, or so we’re told, but all jokes aside, drones are going to become an intrinsic part of our lives in the near future, as they’re currently in use almost everywhere.
If you think we’re exaggerating, you should know that the police and the military are already using them all over the place. The private sector does it too, just look at Amazon via-drone delivery and all that. Hence training your kids to become drone operators, how to fly them/land them safely and have massive fun in the process would be a great idea for any responsible parent, so keep reading.
Top Picks
Last update on 2023-09-22 // The links above are affiliate // Images from Amazon
How to Choose the Best Drone for Kids
If you have kids, you already know that the best drone is one that still works after you crash it a couple hundred times. Seriously speaking, kiddie drones often come in the form and shape of a mini drone, i.e. a small quadcopter which is also relatively cheap, yet full of cool features. Since we’re talking tech stuff, here are the essential features to look after:
Built-in stabilization and Altitude Hold
Built-in stabilization, which inspires confidence and works well for steadier flights, and then there’s the Altitude Hold mode, which is similar to an auto-pilot that keeps the drone flying even if you release the controls.
Wide-angle Camera
Having a wide-angle camera installed on your drone would be a nice addition if you’re into perfecting your kid’s aerial photography skills, but we’re already reaching.
Outdoor or Indoor
The next issue to address is outdoors or indoors? If you’re looking for an outdoor drone, you’ll have to go for a more powerful (as in bigger) drone that can withstand a gust of wind, that opposed to an indoor drone which can be smaller and not-so-feature-rich (also way cheaper).
And since we’re talking about outdoor drones, besides Altitude Hold and built-in stabilization, look for auto take-off and auto-landing functions, plus gyroscopic stabilization.
Price
Obviously, the more cash you’re ready to spend on a drone, the more features you’ll get, things like laser-equipped battle drones, racing drones, awesome design (think Millennium Falcon), crash-proof construction, live-stream view directly to your smartphone via the drone’s onboard camera, better “mileage” (as in more up-time) and the list goes on and on.
However, if you’re on a tight budget, don’t worry, as you won’t have to spend a fortune on a high-end drone to make your kid happy. Just buy the one you can afford, and trust us, a drone under 100 dollars is more than enough to boost your kid’s learning curve in terms of robotics, aviation, mechanics, programming, photography, and electronics.
Bottom line: before you go on a buying spree, make sure that the drone of choice is durable and lightweight (also look for spare parts availability), ready to fly out of the box, comes with a decent controller (some are controlled via a smartphone app by the way), and if it’s small/big enough to fit your specific needs (indoors/outdoors use). With all these in mind, check out our top picks from Amazon, right after a short commercial break.
Best Drones for Kids
Holy Stone HS190
The Best Mini Drone for Kids
If you’re looking for a foldable nano-drone (nano as in petite), take a look at the Holy Stone HS190, which is incredibly small, light and cheap. This mini-drone can be easily transported in the glove box compartment in your car, and it can even fit inside your pocket, yet it still makes for a true-blue pocket-rocket with Altitude Hold, one-key return, Headless Mode (doesn’t matter which end is what) and 3D flips capability, also known as aerial acrobatics.
Considering its size and price, the Holy Stone HS190 would make for the perfect gift for your kid, as it’s beginner-friendly, compact, cheap (read disposable/replaceable) and still perfectly capable of doing all the neat stuff to keep your little one happy and smiling. The Holy Stone HS190 can actually perform a 360 spin while flying, a cool trick that is not available even in more expensive models.
Speaking of size, this drone is highly versatile, i.e. it can be used both outdoors and indoors (yes, size matters), but despite its “smallness”, you will be surprised by its build quality and sturdiness. Flight time is limited to 5-7 minutes, which is to be expected from such a small drone, and interestingly enough, the battery is not replaceable, being built-in and easy to charge via a USB port. For night-fun, the Holy Stone HS190 comes with a few built-in LEDs, to make things more interesting, and the Altitude Hold feature along with the Headless mode makes it exceptionally easy to use.
- Compact foldable design perfect for both indoors and (limited) outdoors use
- Feels sturdy and reliable
- Comes with Altitude Hold, 360-degree Rotation, One Key Take Off/Landing, Headless Mode
- Charges via USB, up to 7 minutes autonomy
- The retail box contains replacement parts (extra-propeller blades, screws)
- Lacks built-in camera, which is to be expected from such a cheap drone
- The battery is difficult to replace
- Not so feature-rich as others
Potensic Upgraded A20 Mini Drone
The Best Cheap Drone for Kids
The “new and improved” A20 mini drone from Potensic retails for well under $50, but rest assured, as the upgraded A20 punches way above its weight. To begin with, we must mention the protected propeller-blades, i.e. the drone is very safe to use even for first-fliers, including little ones. Secondly, this cheap drone comes with the “must-have” features we told you about in the preamble of the article: altitude-hold, auto-take-off at a press of a button, as well as a cool 3-speed setting and led lights at the front and end, to make it easy to differentiate between front and back.
Autonomy-wise, the A20 comes with a non-removable battery, which can be easily recharged via USB in 30-40 minutes, and gives the drone between 5 to 7 minutes of “air-time”. Another great advantage of the A20, especially given its affordable price, is the build quality, as the drone is crafted from a tough durable plastic which seems almost unbreakable.
As we already told you, the propellers are “finger-proofed” and you can pull them off easily if you require maintenance/replacing or whatever. The controller is tiny but well-designed/built and it requires 3 AAA batteries to operate (not included). Bottom line, if you’re on a tight budget, the A20 from Potensic is one of the best mini-drones on Amazon, playing in the best bang for the buck category in the super-small bracket, provided you don’t expect fancy features and an on-board camera in a $30-ish drone.
- Small, light, cheap and well designed
- Very safe for kids (protected propellers)
- Above-average build quality
- Decent autonomy (7 minutes outdoors)
- Nice controller, easy to assemble components
- Gets in trouble at the slightest breeze
- Can’t perform tricks (flips)
Force1 Scoot LED Hand Operated Drone
A Perfect Drone for Kids
Force1 Scoot LED Hand Operated Drone is an affordable and easy-to-use drone that maybe doesn’t bring a ton of features; however, it offers great fun and good flying characteristics, as it should be with one of the best drones for kids.
To be exact, this drone brings a 360° flip ability; it is easy to launch by simply tossing it, while the powerful motors allow easy maneuvering in every direction. On top of that, this drone is equipped with obstacle-avoiding motion sensors, a protective shell design, as well as the auto-hover ability that certainly helps with its use.
Force1 Scoot LED Hand Operated Drone has a 4.75-inch diameter and offers some eight minutes of fly time, which isn’t much; nonetheless, it is more than expected for the price. Moreover, this drone is designed for both indoor and outdoor use, while the built-in super-bright green and blue LEDs make an exceptional lighting experience, as it expected from one of the best drones for kids, or to be exact, for kids over eight years old.
- Easy to use
- Affordable
- Good flying characteristics
- No camera
- It only has the basic functions
Ryze Tech Tello
One of the Best Drones for Kids
Ryze Tech Tello is a super-easy to use, feature-rich, lightweight (87 grams) drone that is perfectly suited for both kids and beginners. With this drone, you are getting some 13 minutes of action with one battery charge, and the ability to reach a decent speed of 28.8 km/h, which is more than enough for most uses.
In addition, there is also the 5MP camera that supports the creation of the pretty decent 30fps, 720p videos, as well as good quality 2592 x 1936 pixels images. Furthermore, the top height for the drone to reach is around 10 meters, and distance is around the 100-meter mark.
Ryze Tech Tello is built out of sturdy plastic and it provides stable performance; however, only indoors, because even the slightest wind can cause serious problems with its steering. Unfortunately, this drone comes without a controller in the package; nonetheless, it can be controlled over the dedicated app, or with many other Bluetooth compatible controllers, such as the PlayStation or Xbox controllers.
Ryze Tech Tello allows multiple tricks and offers commands such as the Circle and 360, Throw and Go, as well as the 8D Flips that lets you choose from eight different directional flips. Sure, it isn’t among the most affordable drones you can find. However, if you want the best drone for kids for the money and the best indoor drone in one, this one is certainly you should opt for.
- Easy to use
- Good battery life
- Software-stabilized video
- Very stable under no-wind conditions
- It comes along with three batteries
- A controller isn’t included in the package
- Easily affected by the wind
- No GPS
Holy Stone HS210
An Ideal Tool for Fun
Holy Stone HS210 is an affordable and, before anything else, fun device to use. It offers multiple tricks and abilities, such as the 3D flip, auto hovering, as well as headless mode. On top of that, it is fitted with three separate batteries that should give you 21 minutes of flight time in total (each battery delivers seven minutes of flight time), but it weighs only 44 grams, which drastically limits its usability outside and make it heavily affected even by the slightest wind.
Holy Stone HS210 comes with a low battery alarm, easy start/stop function, and allows for three different speed modes that include low, middle, and high speed. Its motors are fitted with a special protective feature that stops them when they hit an obstacle, while the propellers’ isolation, with a protection guard, prevents any damage to the propellers and keeps them from harming the kids at the same time.
Holy Stone HS210 is an easy-to-use device, with excellent overall characteristics, and it is ultimately an outstanding choice for kids and youngsters that are ready for a bit of flight action, yet don’t require the expensive features of the best drones out there.
- Easy to use
- Three-speed modes
- Affordable
- Lightweight
- Three batteries included in the package
- Good maneuverability
- Durable
- Not the best flight time
- No GPS
- No camera
- Weak wind resistance
DEERC D20
A Perfect, Feature-Rich Drone for Kids
DEERC D20 is a reasonably priced, lightweight drone (69 grams) that offers a ton of features and allows for any sort of tricks and functions that would make even the most demanding kids happy. To be exact, there are multiple flight modes, such as the headless mode, altitude hold capability, as well as the start/landing features that start or land the drone with one press of the button.
Moreover, there is also a 3D flips mode, FPV transmission features that allows you to watch the live video from the drone’s camera over the smartphone app, and the Tap Fly function that allows you to create a flight route through the app and command the drone to follow it.
DEERC D20 comes with two 500mAh batteries that deliver 10 minutes of flight time each, and more importantly, it features the 720P HD Wi-Fi camera that brings more than decent images and video footage. This, however, work only at up to 40 meters of distance, which is the drone’s transmission distance.
To make things even better, this drone also supports voice commands and follows instructions such as Fly, Left, and Right, and helps you make the selfies within three seconds of making the “V” sign, or “Palm”.
DEERC D20 also features protective features that involve a low-power alarm, emergency stop, and propeller guards, which make it suitable for every age, including kids. Therefore, if you are after one of the best drones for kids, for a reasonable price, DEERC D20 is more than a good option.
- Reasonably priced
- Voice-controlled
- FPV transmission
- Feature-rich
- A lot of flight modes and tricks
- A decent camera
- Foldable
- Gesturer selfie capability
- Unstable in the wind
- Short 40 meters distance
Air Hogs Star Trek U.S.S Enterprise
The Best Drone for Trekkies
Last but not least, we have the perfect drone for Star Trek enthusiasts. Enter the Air Hogs, which is built and designed to resemble, well, you already know: the USS Enterprise from the Star Trek series, and yes, this would make for the ideal birthday gift for your kid (or husband, same thing), provided he’s into Gene Roddenberry’s universe. To make a long story short, if you want to pilot a mini-version of the Starship Enterprise, complete with 10 authentic sounds and lights, this is the drone for you.
If you don’t have high expectations from a basic drone, which is nothing more than what it’s sold as, i.e. a realistic copy of the USS Enterprise, you won’t be disappointed. If you’re looking for performance, maneuverability, cool features, on-board cameras with live-streaming and all sorts of technological bells and whistles, well, this is not the drone you’re looking for.
Truth be told, this is a slow and clumsy flying drone, yet it looks pretty damn’ good while flying. However, if you’re a Trekkie, performance doesn’t really matter, right? Just go for it and have fun. Oh, we almost forgot: yes, this thing is very sturdy, especially with the “Shields: On”. Engage!
- Looks the part if you’re a Star Trek fan
- Actually flies (seriously)
- Sturdy and well built, can take a photon torpedo or maybe two
- Comes with protection for fan blades (1-up for kids)
- Can fly for 7 minutes on a single charge
- Khan not included
- Doesn’t do well outside
