There might not be a better gift to give this Christmas than a drone. They are a blast to fly, fun to race and can take awesome pictures and video. But finding the right drone to buy with confidence isn’t that easy. We thought we’d help you find the perfect drone for that special someone you are shopping for this holiday season. Drones are not a one-size-fits-all gift, so Half Chrome Drones has made it easier for you. Check out our updated BEST DRONES FOR CHRISTMAS 2018 here
Scroll down or use these links to jump to the type of drone you are looking for:
▪Best Drone for Most People
▪Best Drone for Photography and Video
▪Best Inexpensive Fun drone (everyone should own one of these)
▪Best First Person View (FPV) Drone
▪Best Inexpensive Beginner Drone
▪Best Stocking Stuffer
▪Star Wars Drones
Best Drone for Most People ($450/$149)
The DJI Phantom 3 Standard is an excellent drone and probably the best drone choice for most people who are looking to put a high quality camera up in the air. It has a lot of great features and takes excellent pictures and video. It won’t break the bank like some of the more expensive professional quality drones. Check out our full review here or its current Amazon price here.
A solid low cost alternative to the DJI Phantom 3 Standard is the Syma X8HG. It doesn’t have the features that the Phantom does and the picture quality is not as good, but for under $150 it is a hard deal to beat. The Syma’s altitude hold makes it much easier to fly than similar drones without this feature and it helps to capture smoother video. You can even upgrade the Syma with an action camera like a GoPro, we show you how in this article. Check out our full review here or its current Amazon price here.
Best Drone for Photography and Video ($999/$699)
If you are looking to take high quality photos and video in a super compact package then look no further than the DJI Mavic Pro. This awesome drone has a best-in-class range of more than 4 miles and takes great 4K video. DJI packed their new flagship consumer drone with great features including obstacle avoidance, new ActiveTrack object tracking modes, and even an indoor “tripod” mode. It is super portable and lots of fun to fly. Check out our article here or its current Amazon price here.
If you are looking to save a few hundred dollars you could opt for the Phantom 3 Advanced. The Phantom 3 Advanced also takes great pictures and is the drone of choice of CAVU, the world’s largest aerial photography company. Check out our review here or its current Amazon price here. If you want a no-compromises videography drone and you don’t mind spending a few more dollars then the DJI Inspire, the DJI Phantom 4 and the Yuneec Typhoon are all excellent options.
Best Inexpensive Fun Drone (everyone should own one of these $23/$20)
Whether you are a beginner or a drone professional you should own one or both of these drones. The Eachine H8S is a no-frills fun machine. It is quick and nimble and performs flips with the push of a button. It can fly upside down and will even take off inverted if you happen to land belly-up after a crash, so there is no need to get up off the couch when flying in the house. Check out our full review here or its current Amazon price here.
Another super fun alternative is the Eachine E010. This micro drone is best suited for indoor flight. Its ducted propellers keep it quiet and allow it to bounce off walls and keep on going. As an added bonus it can be converted to a Tiny Whoop first person view racer with a few small modifications. Check out our full review here or its current Amazon price here.
Best First Person View (FPV) Drone ($199/$99)
You’ve probably seen drone racing on TV. What’s the best way to get started? By picking a ready-to-fly First Person View (FPV) drone. We have found two inexpensive complete options for you to try, and we have tested them both. The Inductrix FPV is an all-in-one indoor “racer”. It is small, light and a lot of fun. The Inductrix comes with the same kind of high-quality wide field of view camera that you find on expensive racing drones. This little drone’s biggest drawback is that the stock super-light frame it comes with is not as durable as it should be. Don’t worry too much, we cover a few options on how to solve that problem. Check out our full review here or its current Amazon price here.
Another option is the Hubsan X4 FPV. It is an inexpensive alternative to the Inductrix. It doesn’t have the same super wide field of view as the Inductrix and its camera is pointed down, so piloting this mini drone is a little more of a challenge, particularly at fast speeds. Despite those drawbacks, the Hubsan is the least expensive way to get into high-quality FPV drone flying and it can handle crashes as you learn. Check out our full review here or its current Amazon price here.
Best Inexpensive Beginner Drone ($98/$50)
Syma recently released the new X5UW. This model adds altitude hold, a great feature to help beginners with level flight, as well as WiFi smartphone controls and a shiny red paint job. Check out our full review here or its current Amazon price here.
The older Syma X5C-1 is still one of the best beginner drones out there. It is stable and fun to fly. It carries a camera for on-board video and pictures. It has a few cool features but isn’t expensive. Check out our full review here or its current Amazon price here.
Best Stocking Stuffer ($30/$15)
If you want a tiny micro drone that is unique then the Mokasi Navigator Hexacopter is a great option. Do more propellers mean more fun? Yes, they do. Light up your holiday party with what we have called “Disco Mode”. Spin the drone and you will witness a super fast three-color LED yaw spin that will delight even the grumpiest of Scrooges. Dim the lights and check out our full review here or its current Amazon price here.
If you are looking for a tiny stocking stuffer drone for the price of a couple egg nog spice lattes, then pick up one of the Cheerson CX-10 micro drones that are no bigger than a gold chocolate coin. They are super small and fairly inexpensive. After the kids go to bed you can kick it into expert mode and get ready for a thrill. Check out our full review here or its current Amazon price here.
Star Wars Drones ($79-180)
Have you ever wished you were Hans Solo flying the Millennium Falcon? Did you ever want to destroy the Death Star as an X-Wing pilot? Air Hogs has put together some awesome Star Wars themed drones. Some of them can even shoot laser beams at each other in a game of aerial laser tag. Read more about them here or you can check their prices on Amazon by clicking on their names. Check out the Millennium Falcon, Speeder, X-Wing vs Death Star set or X-Wing vs TIE Fighter set.
Not sure if you have found the right drone yet???
No worries, Half Chrome Drones has you covered. Maybe you want an aerial photography drone, or maybe you want a fun toy. Want FPV? We’ve developed an advanced system to match you to the right drone. We call it our Half Chrome Drone Cipher™, go check it out. We also are constantly updating our Best Drones Now page to help you stay current.
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