Drones

Airborne on a budget: The best drones for under $250

Airborne on a budget: The best drones for under $250
Flybrix's basic kit is priced at US$189
Flybrix's basic kit is priced at US$189
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The Vidius VR drone pairs with a tablet or smartphone from 100 ft (30 m) away
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The Vidius VR drone pairs with a tablet or smartphone from 100 ft (30 m) away
The Vidius Vr drone is among the first to pack VR features into a pint-sized quadcopter
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The Vidius Vr drone is among the first to pack VR features into a pint-sized quadcopter
The Vidius Vr drone in flight
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The Vidius Vr drone in flight
The Vidius VR drone and goggles are priced at $75
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The Vidius VR drone and goggles are priced at $75
Mambo seems designed purely for the purpose of pestering siblings
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Mambo seems designed purely for the purpose of pestering siblings
Fully loaded, the Mambo drone carries six balls that are said to be soft and safe to fire
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Fully loaded, the Mambo drone carries six balls that are said to be soft and safe to fire
Flybrix's drones come in the form of Lego kits that kids build themselves, crash and build again
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Flybrix's drones come in the form of Lego kits that kids build themselves, crash and build again
The Flybrix deluxe kit costs $249, and includes a dedicated controller
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The Flybrix deluxe kit costs $249, and includes a dedicated controller
The kits come as loose sets of Lego bricks, and it is up to the budding engineer to assemble the pieces into some kind of flying machine
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The kits come as loose sets of Lego bricks, and it is up to the budding engineer to assemble the pieces into some kind of flying machine
Flybrix's basic kit is priced at US$189
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Flybrix's basic kit is priced at US$189
The PowerUp 3.0 kit is not a drone per se, but offers a unique experience in a crowded unmanned aircraft market
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The PowerUp 3.0 kit is not a drone per se, but offers a unique experience in a crowded unmanned aircraft market
The PowerUp 3.0 has been around for a couple of years now
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The PowerUp 3.0 has been around for a couple of years now
The PowerUp 3.0 kit can be affixed to your finest paper airplanes to give them some serious hang time
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The PowerUp 3.0 kit can be affixed to your finest paper airplanes to give them some serious hang time
The PowerUp 3.0 kit makes for paper airplanes that can be controlled with a smartphone
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The PowerUp 3.0 kit makes for paper airplanes that can be controlled with a smartphone
We took the FPV X4 Plus for a test run earlier in the year
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We took the FPV X4 Plus for a test run earlier in the year
The FPV X4 Plus is the latest minidrone from RC toy-maker Hubsan
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The FPV X4 Plus is the latest minidrone from RC toy-maker Hubsan
The Hubsan FPV X4 Plus shoot 720/30fps HD video
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The Hubsan FPV X4 Plus shoot 720/30fps HD video
The Hubsan FPV X4 Plus from the front
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The Hubsan FPV X4 Plus from the front
Mambo is a quadcopter comes with a Nerf-like cannon
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Mambo is a quadcopter comes with a Nerf-like cannon
View gallery - 19 images

With their crisp 4K cameras and fancy autonomous flight modes, expensive prosumer drones are a pretty tempting path into the world of unmanned aircraft. But there are more than a few ways to get in on the action without shelling out thousands of dollars. Today, drones at lower price points offer a less risky way for novices to learn the ropes, while still including some bells and whistles to keep the fun coming once they're up and away, such as VR features and HD video. Here's our selection of the best drones available now for less than US$250 that offer a little something more than just the sheer thrill of flying.

Vidius VR drone

The Vidius Vr drone in flight
The Vidius Vr drone in flight

Drones that synch up to VR goggles and stream vision from the drone's camera are the backbone of the burgeoning drone racing scene, and are now featuring in mainstream models too.

The Vidius VR drone is among the first to pack this into a pint-sized quadcopter, which pairs with a tablet or smartphone from 100 ft (30 m) away to present a live feed of the drone's eye view. Sliding the device into the included VR goggles places the pilot right in the thick of the action, which should last for up to seven minutes per charge.

You can read our full review here, and order through maker Aerix's site now for $75.

Parrot Mambo

Mambo is a quadcopter comes with a Nerf-like cannon
Mambo is a quadcopter comes with a Nerf-like cannon

Parrot's efforts in the drone space tend to focus on the fun, rather than the practical, and this is best demonstrated by its long line of minidrones. Following models that can climb walls, leap onto surfaces and glide across water, the cannon-equipped Mambo seems designed purely for the purpose of pestering siblings.

Mambo is a quadcopter that comes with a Nerf-like cannon that snaps on via a Lego-like panel on top. Fully loaded, it carries six balls that are said to be soft and safe to use, and it can empty the chamber in nine seconds. What's more, it could even handle the cleanup, with a claw that can be fixed to its underside and grab onto objects weighing up to 4 g (0.15 oz).

Buy the Mambo now on Amazon ($119)

Flybrix Lego drones

The Flybrix deluxe kit costs $249, and includes a dedicated controller
The Flybrix deluxe kit costs $249, and includes a dedicated controller

Back in September, startup Flybrix launched DIY drone kits designed to teach kids about engineering and robotics, and hoped to capture imaginations by bringing a childhood favorite into the mix. The kits come as loose sets of Lego bricks, and it is up to the budding engineer to assemble the pieces into some kind of magical flying machine, sounds just like any old Lego-building session, right?

But with motors, propellors, battery and a flight board thrown in, users won't have to imagine their creation taking flight, they can actually fire it up to see how it fairs. The idea is that by seeing how their designs fly and crash, users can learn through trial and error how to build the ultimate aircraft.

Available now, Flybrix come in a basic kit which relies on smartphone controls for $189, or a $249 kit that includes a dedicated controller.

PowerUp 3.0

The PowerUp 3.0 kit makes for paper airplanes that can be controlled with a smartphone
The PowerUp 3.0 kit makes for paper airplanes that can be controlled with a smartphone

The PowerUp 3.0 has been around for a couple of years now, and is not a drone per se, but still makes our list because it's a clever idea and offers something different in an increasingly crowded market. Oh, and it's cheap too.

For $50, the PowerUp 3.0 kit can be affixed to your finest paper airplanes and give them some serious hang time. It uses a propellor, small tail rudder and throttle control to glide through the air at the user's behest, provided they've got a paired smartphone handy to control the thing.

The kit can be purchased now through the company's website.

Hubsan FPV X4 Plus

The Hubsan FPV X4 Plus shoot 720/30fps HD video
The Hubsan FPV X4 Plus shoot 720/30fps HD video

We've tried out a few of Hubsan's diminutive quadcopters over the years and have found these responsive and solidly-built devices to be great learner drones. The FPV X4 Plus is the latest from the RC toy-maker and packs a capable camera into a pretty small package, with the ability to shoot 720/30fps HD video and stream vision to a 4.3-inch LCD screen built into the remote controller.

We took the FPV X4 Plus for a test run earlier in the year and found that it stood up well to all of our crash landings. This, combined with what is a relatively high-resolution camera for a drone of this size might make it a good way for beginners to get a feel for aerial cinematography. You can read our full review here.

Buy now on Amazon ($117)

If you do treat yourself or a loved one to a new drone this holiday season, be sure to check out our Drone School series for some help in getting off the ground.

View gallery - 19 images
1 comment
1 comment
CraigConway
At the time of this writing (Dec 1 2016) You can get a real DJI Phantom 3 Standard refurbished for $350, free shipping, no tax. Direct from DJI. No cheap drone can compare to that value.