5 Best Drones Under $300 (Updated!)

If you’re looking to get into a new hobby, drones are a great option. However, there is a wide range of quality and price for drones, with the best drones, like the newly released DJI Phantom 3 being over $1000. Not everyone has that kind of budget for a hobby, but there are some great drones for sale under $300. You don’t have to break your budget to get into a new hobby like flying drones, which is growing in popularity. If you’re looking to buy a drone that is a bit more to it, you can check out our top 5 best drones for sale.

But if you’re in the market for a new drone but don’t want to spend a lot of money, here are the top 5 best drones for sale under $300.

1. Traxxas 6608 LaTrax Alias Quad-Rotor RTF Heli

Traxxas is well known among RC hobby enthusiasts, mostly for their incredibly fast Traxxas XO-1 RC supercar. But Traxxas also has their own line of RC drones, including the Traxxas 6608 LATrax Alias Quad-Rotor RTF Heli. This little guy has four rotors and an auto-leveling 6-axis flight system that make it easier to fly. Alias’ clean-sheet design focuses on the performance and design elements that make flying fun, including durability, speed, and responsiveness. New pilots are able to fly faster and perform aerobatic maneuvers sooner than ever possible with Alias’ unique flight control system. The 650mAh LiPo battery has about a 10 minute flight time, and has a high-output USB fast charger. The transmitter also comes with four AAA batteries. The LaTrax Alias comes pre-assembled and ready to fly, so you’re able to take it for a spin right when it arrives at your doorstep. The Traxxas LaTrax also has a cool glow for flying at night or in the dark, using bright and colorful LEDs.

Learn more about the Traxxas 6608 here.

Price: $149.95

Pros:

Cool design
Ready to fly
Auto Stabilization
Comes in 4 different colors

Cons:

Transmitter requires batteries
10 Minute flight time
Rotor design problems were prominent in the first wave of shipments (but has since been fixed).

Buy the Traxxas 6608 LaTrax Alias here.

2. Blade 180 QX HD RTF Quadcopter

The Blade 180 QX is one of the best drones for under $300 because of its HD video and image capture capabilities out of the box. Obviously, the video and images captured aren’t anywhere close to, say, the DJI Phantom 3’s 4K capabilities, but for less than $200, you’re getting good enough quality. It’s sleek and has a low profile body, and is agile enough to perform loops, rolls, tumbles and more. It’s small enough to fly indoors and powerful enough to fly outdoors. The Blade 180 QX HD has an EFC-721 flight camera that can capture video and still images while flying, and it can be activated at any time during flight. It’s ready to fly out of the box, but there’s also one you can put together yourself if preferred. The Blade 180 QX was awarded Model Airplane News’ Editor’s Choice for Innovation of the Year in 2014.

Buy the Blade 180 QX HD RTF Quadcopter here.

3. Dualsky Hornet 460 ARF Quadcopter

Out of all of the drones on this list, the Dualsky Hornet 460 ARF Quadcopter is the most fun to fly. It looks like no other drone you’ve seen before, and has LEDs going along the bottom of it for nighttime flying. Unfortunately, it usually doesn’t come pre-assembled and the directions can be a bit muddy at times. Still, once it has been put together — or you find an RTF model — you’ll love how it flies! It’s not for new pilots, since it doesn’t have any auto-leveling or auto pilot functionality. So if you’re a newbie, you might want to look at one of the other options on this list. Also, you’ll probably want to know how to replace certain parts, since the Hornet’s size and weight make it more likely to fall victim to Newton’s theory. The flight time is around 7 minutes with the 2200mAh battery.

Buy the Dualsky Hornet 460 ARF Quad here.

4. Hubsan X4 H107C

Hubsan’s X4 H107C uses the latest 6-axis flight control system available and has an adjustable gyro sensitivity. You’re able to flip it four ways (left, right, forward and backward), and there’s an advanced mode for experienced pilots as well as a beginner’s mode for newbies. This little drone packs a big punch, despite its size, as it has incredibly powerful motors. There’s an SD camera included, which records at 720 x 480 resolution, but obviously this drone isn’t intended for photographers. The battery capacity is 380mAh, but it has a flight time of around 7 minutes still because of its small size. The Hubsan X4 H107C has a control range of roughly 100 meters. There are other Hubsan X4 models available, like the Hubsan H107D X4 mini, but when you consider the bang for your buck facotr, the H107C is the best of the bunch. Plus, who doesn’t love mini drones?

Buy the Hubsan X4 H107C here.

5. Parrot AR Drone Quadricopter 2.0

The best Parrot drone for under $300 is the Parrot AR 2.0 Edition, which includes 3 sets of colored rotors, more powerful batteries for longer flying time of 36 minutes, two 1500mAh batteries and requires almost no setup time. The AR Drone has improved stability and performs flips better than most other drones, likely the result of the hardware version of the motors increasing from 5 to 6. The Parrot AR Drone 2.0 Power Edition has WiFi and HD recording, and comes with other extras like colored props and a “stealth black” hull. The Quadcopter has a built in front-facing 720p HD camera that streams live to your Android or iOS device while in-flight through Parrot’s own FreeFlight 3 app. It’s fun to fly, easy to use, and has a long flight time.

Buy the Parrot AR Drone here.

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