10 Best Rc Drones 2025 in the United States

Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been used for military purposes, almost as soon as aircraft started to be a practical means of transportation. Remote-control drones for hobbyists are for more benign purposes. There are simple RC drones that are perfect for young adults to improve their hand-to-eye coordination. Also, an RC drone can take breathtaking aerial photographs, as well as record entire events in 4K video, such as a wedding or celebration. There are also RC drones that are intended for racing competitions.

There are certain features that all RC drones have in common. But, you’ll notice that the price of quadcopter RC drones can vary greatly, depending on the quality of their camera, their battery life, and their range and speed. We’ll look through some of the features of the MSN list of the best RC drones. Whether you’re just starting out, or have already acquired some dexterity in flying an RC drone, you’re sure to be able to find one that’s suitable for your own needs, or as a gift.

What Types of RC Drones Are There?

RC drones differ greatly in their functionality and number of features. For that reason, you can find RC drones for as little as $40, and other professional models that cost over $2000! But we can classify them by those RC drones with a dedicated controller, and those that run on a cellphone app.

• With controller: These will have a remote control with two joysticks, as in the DJI Mini SE.

DJI Mini SE Controller

• • The stick on the right controls the drone’s heading: up moves forward, down moves backward (known as pitch) and left goes to the left, and right goes to the right (known as roll).

  • Pushing the joystick on the left will control the throttle: Pushing the joystick up makes the drone ascend, and pushing it down makes the drone descend. Moving the left joystick to the left rotates it to the left, and moving the joystick to the right makes it rotate to the right. This is referred to as yaw.

(From the website http://fromwhereidrone.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/drone-remote-controls-yaw-roll-pitch-throttle.jpg)

• Controlled by cellphone: There are also drones that can be controlled using a cellphone app. An example is the Cheerson Mini Quadcopter Helicopter Drone. It can fly at three different speeds and displays a first-person view on your cellphone screen.

Cheerson Mini Quadcopter Helicopter Drone

However, experts say that it is preferable to select an RC drone that has a controller if it’s within your budget since a controller gives you more control and precision over the drone’s movements.

What Can I Do With an RC Drone?

• Still photographs and videos: Most RC drones can take still photographs as well as videos. However, the fact that it can record 4K video or Ultra HD movies, doesn’t mean that it can also take high resolution still shots. Check the specs on your drone’s camera, that it has the resolution that you want. (There are also expensive drones to which you can attach a high-quality camera, but that’s more for professional use.) Also look at the angle of vision of your drone, to see how wide an angle it can capture in the photos!

• Hook up to virtual reality lenses: You’ll find that even drones for young adults, such as the HolyStone HS240 Foldable RC Drone will have a feature that allows them to hook up to virtual reality glasses. You’ll be able to view things the way the drone’s camera sees them! However, it’s recommended that you have someone with you, to follow where the drone is going and to avoid any accidents.

HolyStone HS240 Foldable RC Drone

• Racing: It’s also possible to compete in drone racing. But, it takes a while before you learn how to properly maneuver the drone. You’ll use up the batteries a few times just learning how to take off, fly around, and land at the same spot! One tricky aspect is that, when the drone turns 90 degrees, the controls aren’t as intuitive anymore (if you turned 90 degrees to the right, then “right” will be towards you, and “left” will be away from you).

What Features Should I Look For When Selecting an RC Drone?

• Range: The range is the maximum distance that your drone can fly and still be within range of the controller or your smartphone app. A toy RC drone, such as the HolyStone HS240, has a maximum control range of only 100 meters. But you can also get a reasonably priced drone, such as the DJI Mavic Mini (available for as low as $329) that has a range of 4000 meters!

• Battery life: You’ll notice that RC drones will have different flight times. One of the modestly-priced RC drones, the Holy Stone HS175D GPS RC Drone has two modular batteries that will give you a total of 40 minutes of flight time.

• GPS feature: The better drones have GPS on them, so that they can return home automatically, as well as hover over a fixed location, stay at the same altitude, and navigate to specific locations, called “waypoint navigation”. Some controllers have the option for you to deactivate the GPS and fly the drone manually, for an extra challenge.

Are There Any Particular Issues With RC Drones?

• FAA registration: Any drone that weighs over 0.55 pounds (= 8.8 ounces, or 250 grams) must be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration as a “recreational pilot”, which includes passing an online test. Registration costs $5 for two years. You’ll receive a license, that you must carry with you when flying your drone.

• Safety features and precautions: When selecting an RC drone, there are safety features that you should look for:

  • -- Return-to-home: If the drone’s battery gets too low, you certainly don’t want to have to find where it crash-landed. Fortunately, many drones are equipped with the ability to fly back home before the battery runs so low that they can’t make the trip back. Also, there are drones that will head home if they lose contact with the controller signal. These are important safeguards so that you don’t lose your drone.
  • -- No-fly zones: We already mentioned having to register a large drone with the FAA. Another important rule is that there are no-fly zones with five miles of airports and control towers, where you’re not allowed to fly a drone. There is also a list of airfields that you can use specifically for drones. Also, you’re not allowed to fly a drone at an altitude higher than 400 feet, so as not to interfere with other aircraft.
  • -- Precautions around people: Keep a distance between yourself and the drone when the rotors are spinning. In general, it’s best not to fly a drone around or above crowds of people or stadiums, out of fear that an unforeseen accident might cause the drone to crash. Also, even if your drone has obstacle detection, you should try to keep your drone in sight, so that you don’t crash it into a tree or other tall object.

Wrap Up

We went through some of the features of RC drones in the MSN list, noting how you can get a lot more functions if you spend more money! (You can find other remote-control cars, boats, helicopters, planes, and more among the MSN buying guides.) Fortunately, you can buy an inexpensive drone at first, getting used to the maneuvering. Then you can move up to a drone with even better resolution and video capabilities. Drone photography can go from being a hobby to a veritable profession!