Safely storing and traveling with your drone can be challenging. After all, drones are fragile, and not inexpensive; you’ve probably made a significant investment when you purchased it. So keeping it safe and secure is important. Some drones come with a bare-bones storage case, but you’ll want to replace that quickly since a good case is easy to carry, helps you keep all the various parts of your drone separated and organized, and is shock- and impact-resistant for taking it out into the field.
So which drone case should you get? It depends on what kind of drone you have — cases are generally not one-size-fits-all — and what your particular needs are. Perhaps you need a rugged travel case for your drone; or you might need a backpack for getting around outdoors. And some cases can accommodate not just your drone, but also a DSLR camera or point & shoot camera that you’ll want to have with you at the same time. I’ve rounded up the best drone cases for traveling with and storing your drone. Pick one of these durable drone cases and you can’t go wrong.
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1. Case Club Pantom 4 Wheeled Case
Pros:- Extremely rugged
- Waterproof outside and moisture resistant inside
- Easy to roll around on wheels
Cons:- Case is quite heavy
- Storage compartments not re-configurable
- No exterior storage
Style: Hard case | Size: 24 x 16 x 10.1 inches | Weight: 15 pounds | Material: Plastic | Best for: DJI Phantom series
Case Club specializes in rugged, hardshell cases, and this model for the Phantom 4 is a good example of what the company has to offer. In fact, it might be the best hardshell case you can buy for a drone. The interior is smartly cut to accommodate the Phantom 4 (and other drones will fit the cut-out as well) along with the transmitter, more batteries than you are likely to need (which is six — it can hold six batteries), spare blades, and more. The case is even fitted with a pair of reusable silica gel packs on the top of the interior. When they’re saturated, you can remove them and try them out in the oven, then replace them in the case.
The case itself has wheels and an extendable luggage-style handle. It seals securely with two massive clamp latches, and is fully waterproof with an IP67 rating. For security, it can be locked with a padlock and is approved for use as checked baggage (though, hopefully obviously, it won’t fit in your carry-on compartment).
This case has an impressive amount of storage space — it can accommodate your tablet and personal items in addition to all of your various drone accessories. Yoiu can even pack in a ruggedized laptop so you can view and edit video in the field.
Find more Case Club Pantom 4 Wheeled Case information and reviews here.
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2. Go Professional Cases Phantom 4 Compact Carrying Case
Pros:- Extremely rugged
- Plenty of room inside
- Fits in overhead
Cons:- No wheels
- Not IP67 waterproof
- Can'ty hold full-size laptop
Style: Hard case | Size: 20.5 x 10 x 15.5 inches | Weight: 11 pounds | Material: Plastic | Best for: DJI Phantom series
No matter what drone you fly, you can probably get a case from Go Professional Cases with cutouts to securely store your drone for storage and transportation. The Go Professional Cases Phantom 4 Compact Carrying Case is designed to fit the Phantom 4 (and other members of the Phantom series should work just fine).
The generously oversized case can handle pretty much any Phantom gear you throw at it; it can fit the drone and controller, six batteries, a small tablet, and a wide range of accessories. But it’s not just the cutouts that are important here. GPC claims that the case is a high-end military spec case that can stand up to extreme punishment from shocks, drops, and other accidents. Even the foam is high quality: it’s a polyethylene foam that’s highly resilient, yet is lighter weight than similar high-density foam.
Despite the size of the case, it still qualifies as a carry-on for commercial flight. On the other hand, this case doesn’t have an extendible luggage handle or wheels, so it’s somewhat uncomfortable to travel with.
Find more GPC Phantom 4 Compact Carrying Case information and reviews here.
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3. Lowepro DroneGuard BP 450
Pros:- Large, configuable interior
- Comfortable ActivZone suspension
- Built-in rain cover
Cons:- A little heavy
- Limited shoulder strap adjustments
- Can't quite hold a laptop
Style: Backpack | Size: 13.39 x 10.24 x 22.05 inches | Weight: 6.2 pounds | Material: Nylon, Synthetic Fabric | Best for: DJI Phantom series and 3DR Solo
Lowepro has been in the camera case business for about a half-century, and the brand is well-respected by photographers, so it makes sense that the company would also fashion cases and bags for drones, which are equally fragile. The Lowepro DroneGuard BP 450 is designed to accommodate many common drones including the DJI Phantom series as well as the 3DR Solo.
The backpack is built around an armored FormShell exterior that, while not a rigid as a true armored case, can provide significant protection from accidents. The main compartment holds the drone with a pair of removable storage inserts that fit between the quad’s arms for holding the transmitter, battery, and other accessories. Spare blades slip into restraints designed expressly to hold them for easy access. The whole interior can be customized for your specific drone, and there are a number of mesh compartments and pockets on the sides for additional accessories and personal items. There’s also a tablet compartment in back.
Lowepro has made sure the backpack is both comfortable and secure with shoulder and waist straps, and the company’s own “ActivZone suspension” system which is a breathable, cushioned support for your back. There are also a number of loops for hanging accessories on the outside of the case if desired. Traveling weather? The case has a built-in rain guard which you can unfurl and use to cover the entire case.
Find more Lowepro DroneGuard BP 450 information and reviews here.
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4. Lykus M1
Pros:- Extremely configurable
- Compact and lightweight
- Lots of carrying options
Cons:- Doesn't provide a lot drop protection
- Rain cover not permamently attached
- Can't easily carry a full laptop
Style: Backpack | Size: 12 x 11 x 5.5 inches | Weight: 2.6 pounds | Material: Nylon, Synthetic Fabric | Best for: DJI Mavic series
Lykus offers an entire family of drone cases — both hardshell models named Titan and a variety of softshell backpacks. The Lykus M1 is a great example of the kind of bag that Lykus makes: professional, sturdy, and quite affordable. The M1 is optimized for the Mavic family. In particular, it can hold models like the Mavic Pro, Mavic Mini, and Mavic 2. Because the Mavic quads are fairly small — especially when folded, the entire bag is relatively compact. That makes it weigh in on the lighter side and it doesn’t take up much room; it’s significantly smaller than a bag like the Manfrotto MB BP-D1.
Like a photographer’s backpack, the M1 is entirely customizable thanks to padded dividers that are completely removable and can be arranged to suit your gear and accessories. The bag easily holds a folded Mavid surrounded by batteries, controller, and any other accessories you happen to have. The front has a large, deep interior pocket for a tablet and spare blades. That still leaves extra compartments on the inside and out for personal items like your phone and sunglasses. And there are a lot of exterior pockets, on the front, side, and back.
The bag comes with an integrated belt that slips over the handle of your other luggage. That’s a very thoughtful feature that makes it easy to cart around the airport. It also has a rain cover and a variety of handles and straps for using it as a backpack, shoulder bag, or messenger bag.
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5. Manfrotto MB BP-D1
Pros:- Comfortable backpack design
- Storage for drone and camera
- Lightweight
Cons:- No hardshell protection
- Limited battery storage
- Doen't fit prop guards
Style: Backpack | Size: 13.4 x 9 x 22 inches | Weight: 4.1 pounds | Material: Nylon, RipStop, Synthetic Fabric | Best for: DJI Phantom series
Manfrotto is a name that’s been known and loved by photographers for decades; the company has a lot of goodwill among professionals and enthusiasts with quality cases, backpacks, tripods, and other accessories. And so the company knows Howe to take that expertise and translate it to cases for drones.
There are a number of backpacks for drones in the Manfrotto product line, but the Manfrotto MB BP-D1 is a popular one both because of its great design and, while it’s optimized for the DJI Phantim series, it’s flexible enough that you can use it with a number of other quadcopter models. In addition, this isn’t just a drone backpack; there’s room here for a DSLR or other accessories as well — and it’s small enough to qualify as carry-on for travel.
The main compartment has room for the quad and remote control, with a mesh storage area for replacement blades and other accessories. You can also fit batteries in padded buffer zones. There’s a large top-access compartment for your DSLR or another large gadget, plus there are side pockets and a laptop or tablet compartment in back, between the straps and the main storage. If you’re traveling with a tripod, you can even connect that to the outside as well.
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6. Pelican Air 1615 Case With Foam
Pros:- Oversized case
- Easy to configure Pick N' Pluck foam
- Wheels and luggage handle
Cons:- Not pre-configured for a specific drone
- Somewhat heavy
- No exterior storage
Style: Hard case | Size: 32.5 x 18.4 x 11 inches | Weight: 14 pounds | Material: Plastic | Best for: Any drone
Pelican is the final word in rugged, waterproof cases, and while the company also makes a number of custom cases with foam cut-outs for specific drone models, the Pelican Air 1615 offers the ultimate in configurability — it comes filled with Pelican’s Pick N’ Pluck foam — essentially, strips of tightly arranged foam that you can cut or rip to fit any drone model and accessories you need. Because the case is built from four layers of these strips, you can create almost any arrangements of slots and cubbies easily.
The case is about 40% lighter than other polymer cases thanks to the fact that it is made from Pelican’s lightweight HPX resin. The case is built on rugged wheels and has an extendable luggage-style handle for carting it around crowded airports. Pelican guarantees the exterior of the case is crushproof, and it’s secure from theft thanks to stainless steel lock hasps. Measuring 32 inches long, it’s also among the largest cases you can buy in the class, able to handle all your gear — one or even two drones, along with batteries, charger, controller, adapter, and anything else you need to bring.
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7. SSE Backpack
Pros:- Inexpensive
- Carries four batteries
- Accomodates laptop
Cons:- Not very customizable
- Bag isn't super rigid
- Straps aren't very configable for comfort
Style: Backpack | Size: 16.4 x 12.6 x 7.9 inches | Weight: 3.5 pounds | Material: Nylon, Synthetic Fabric | Best for: DJI Phantom series
Most drone cases, whether you’re looking at a hard case or a backpack design, have one serious shortcoming: They’re expensive. Most drone cases and packs start around $100 and can go way up from there. The SSE Backpack for DJI Phantom quads, though, is a smartly priced budget backpack that won’t break the bank.
This backpack has a pretty simple design. The inside can accommodate any model Phantom and has storage on both sides between the arms, positioned to keep the drone from sliding around in the bag, for batteries and other accessories. If you need a lot of runtime, you should be able to pack as many as four batteries in this bag.
You can also fit a tablet or small laptop and accessories. The bag comes with a rain cover to protect it from the elements and has six outside pockets, including a water bottle holder. Don’t look for a lot of customization here, or the ability to carry a lot of accessories beyond what you need to fly your drone. But as backpacks go, this one gets the job sone on a budget.
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8. elechawk FPV Racing Drone Backpack
Pros:- Highly-configurable interior
- Strap for drone on exterior
- Rain guard
Cons:- Soft contruction not especially rugged
- No room for drone inside
- Only holds a single drone
Style: Backpack | Size: 17.6 x 13 x 7.6 inches | Weight: 2 pounds | Material: Nylon, Synthetic Fabric | Best for: Racing drones
FPV (first person view) drones are often quite different than most other kinds of drones, and both the experience and the accessories are pretty different. Rather than flying the drone with a tablet or phone providing the camera view from on-board the drone, FPV drones let you slip on a VR headset and experience the flight firsthand. FPV drone racing amps that up by a factor of ten, with small, fast drones. You’ll need a specialized case to accommodate that gear.
The elechawk FPV Racing Drone Backpack is a great choice for taking an PFV racing drone out for competition. Because the interior of the backpack is dedicated to bulky hardware, racers tend to clip their quds to the outside of the bag, and that’s how the elehawk bag is used. You can fit a large controller, VR goggles, batteries, blades, and other accessories inside, not to mention a laptop or tablet (up to about 15.6 inches). That still leaves room for a full-size drone on the front or side. If you put the drone on the front, there’s space to strap in a tripod on the side as well.
All of the padding and dividers are completely adjustable, so you can arrange the gear to suit your needs, and to accommodate incliment weather, the bag comes with a rain cover.
Find more elechawk FPV Racing Drone Backpack information and reviews here.
How to Choose a Drone Case
Drones cases fall into two main categories: backpacks and hard-shell cases. Even though they're radically different, they can both be used for storage and travel. Hard-shell cases are more rugged, and are safe for tossing onto the back of a pickup or sending as checked baggage on a plane flight. They're less comfortable to carry than a backpack, though, especially if you want to hike up a mountain to release your drone.
In addition, drones cases are generally made for specific models -- especially of the case has custom cut-outs or compartments to accommodate the drone and controller. While there's often some flexibility, the case for one kind of drone is unlikely to fit a completely different drone. In this article, I picked out great cases for popular model drones, and if you like the case but have a different drone, you might not be out of luck, because the manufacturer might make a similar case for your drone, especially if it's popular.
Once you know the kind of case you want, it's helpful if you can check it out in person, because the build quality is important. If it's a backpack, does it look like it'll survive rough handling? How is the stitching? Is the exterior ruggedized? It's also helpful if the backpack has some rigidity to protect the contents from rough shocks and drops.
Hard cases are, by design, supposed to be more rugged, so see if they go the whole nine yards or stop short of providing thorough protection. The case should be shock and drop resistant, and ideally waterproof -- especially critical if you plan to launch your drone from a boat. Does it accommodate a padlock for security?
Aside from those considerations, there are obvious things to look for, such as how configurable the interior is and if it can still work with a new drone if you buy a replacement. Can you customize the interior to suit your specific accessories and the way you like to work?
Which is the Best Drone for You?
If you're on a budget and using either the DJI Phantom or a similar model, the SSE Backpack is hard to beat. It's relatively feature-packed and won't set you back more than about $35 or so.
But if you have a little more flexibility when it comes to what you can invest in your case, the real question comes down to whether you want a hard-shell case or a backpack. Ideally, you might choose both, and use the hard-shell to get your drone to a destination -- such as if you're flying on vacation -- and then switch to the backpack to actually hike in-country.
In either case, the wheeled, rugged, and waterproof Case Club is the easy choice for a hard-shell, and I love the Manfrotto MB BP-1 for its comfort, flexibility, and lightweight design. But the Lowepro BP 450 is a great design as well.