Guys-drones are pretty sick. Something about them brings out the kid in us while also feeding that desire to pilot a cool, flying object. Drones are one of those things that can be used for hobby or sport, professional work or for your job (we are going to just leave that alone). 

When first starting out, picking the right drone can be overwhelming. Various options, price point, functions, user levels- you name it there is a review for everything. For us, we found that starting out with a price point of $50 or less was a good launching off point in getting your feet wet in the drone flying world. So before you stress anymore or break the bank- just find a drone that won’t break the bank and see how it flies.

#5. Mini Drones with Camera

The Mini Drone by Attop is a good jumping off point with some cool features. It comes with a camera that can capture video at 480P and sends the feed directly to your phone. The built in G-sensor allows easy vertical and horizontal adjustments with the remote or iPhone XT GO app. The AR feature is cool but not needed when you consider the game function is more geared towards a different crowd than we are interested in. The one button land and take off feature help easy flight starts and ends. When you are all done flying, the drone can be folded and easily stored. It can fit in your hand which is cool if you want to pack in a bag and bring it out wherever you go. Solid number 5 choice on our list.

Specs:

• Quadcopter (Drone)

• Mobile phone holder

• Controller

• 2 extra propellers

• Batteries for controller and USB charger

• No FAA registration needed

Price: $39.99

#4. DROCON Drone for Beginners with HD Camera 

The Drocon Drone makes us feel like we are flying a dragon from Game of Thrones. Must be the name- but we digress. This drone has a cool live video feature that syncs to your phone or tablet so you can watch all the in air action. While the quality is not 4K it is better than antenna tv, which is not bad for such a cheap price point. This drone flies nice too with headless mode, one-key return button, and mobile app control if you download the app on your phone. Our favorite feature is the 3D flip mode though, giving us some cool trick options and roll maneuvers.

Specs:

• Drone

• Built in camera

• Charger

• Mobile app download instructions

• No FAA registration needed

Price: $49.99

#3. SNAPTAIN Mini Drone

Ok so Amazon will tell you this drone is for kids- well we must be kids than because we had a blast flying this drone. The 3D flip function is on point, the headless mode (will fly forward regardless of drone head position) works great, and the one key return button gets the drone back to where you are in a flash. Initially we let it loose with the low speed setting but then increased to medium speed once we had the reigns. The pressure altitude hold mode made for a great hover option and controlling roll/pitch and angles were easy as well. We would say it’s for sure not a bad buy for under $25 on Amazon.

Specs:

• Drone

• Remote

• 4 blades

• USB charger for battery (not remote batteries).

• No FAA registration needed

Price: $24.99

#2. Holy Stone Predator Mini RC Helicopter Drone 

Holy Stone!- this drone is cool. This drone features a headless (doesn’t have to face forward to fly forward) security system that allows any level of drone flying skill to handle with ease. It includes a 6-axis gyro which boils down to more stability and flexibility than some other drones. We tested out it’s “wind-resistant control” and it seemed to handle the elements pretty well. The range is decent too with 30-50 meters and a flight time average of 6-8 minutes. While that seems short, many drones have same range of flight time. This drone was fun to fly and makes a great starter drone for any level.

Specs:

• Drone

• 1 ion battery

• 4 additional blades

• Remote control

• No FAA registration 

Price: 29.99

#1. Potensic Upgraded A20 Mini Drone

Our number one drone under $50 goes to Potensic and their upgraded A20 mini drone. This drone by far is the easiest to fly, hold at various altitudes, and take/off without jumping out of the way or worrying which direction it will take off towards. It’s really easy to fly, fast, and agile when navigating around big or small objects. As we got better we could navigate around tougher objects and fully through various trick setups we made. 

Specs:

• Drone

• 2 detachable batteries

• 3 adjustable speed levels

• Portable and is the width of an iPhone 5”

• Does not need to be registered with FAA

Price: $29.99

Godspeed out there, Captain.