9 of the best drones according to Amazon reviews

If you're looking for a drone for your young child, the 818 Hornet from Altair Aerial is a good option for its easy-to-use controls, bright colors, short flight time, and slower speed. This drone is built with durability and stability in mind with a range of 110 meters (about 360 feet) and larger landing gear and thicker prop guards for safety. 

Even if your kid crashes this drone, it will still keep working until your child becomes an expert at flying it, as well as snapping great photos and HD videos.

According to Amazon customer Dan Capps:

"Great drone-flies well, sturdy construction and easy for young kids to learn. Cant wait to take it outside in the summer and get some video from the air. However there are two downsides... 1) It will drive most dogs to madness (at least indoors anyhow), and 2) The box is slightly too small for putting the drone away in once the landing gear and camera are installed.Overall, great product!"

The Altair 818 Hornet Beginner FPV Camera Drone retails for $219.99 on Amazon.

If you're looking to get into the wonderful world of drones and quadcopters, then the RC HD U818A Discovery Drone Quadcopter is a good place to begin because it's affordable, easy to use, and delivers the basics of droning without skimping on the fun and joy of flying.

The RC HD U818A features simple controls with easy takeoffs and landings, one-button 360-degree flips and tricks, and two speeds to get your feet wet. The drone is stable and durable, while also lightweight and solid with an assortment of safety features for smooth and steady flights.

On the camera side, this drone has a very decent camera system that can capture photos and videos in 720p HD with a six-axis gyro for additional smoothness while taking pics and vids. It also comes with a 4GD microSD card, so you can save all of your memories learning the ins-and-outs of piloting a drone.

While the RC HD U818A Discovery Drone Quadcopter is a basic and simple drone, the hours of fun you'll have flying it won't be.

Amazon customer Kelly writes:

"This is a really fun and user friendly beginner drone. I bought a mini drone prior to this which only lasted about 5 minutes. After reading all the great reviews here, I decided to give it another try. However, I didn't want to go too expensive in case I crashed and burned like the first one. This size is much easier to control! It actually does really well in the wind, but I would recommend using the higher speed mode when it's windy. This one took a couple of good crashes and it still performs perfectly. 

Now the camera... I was a little skeptical about the quality of the camera, but I have to say the pictures and video are really amazing. I would certainly recommend this drone for anyone looking for an inexpensive high quality drone to have fun with especially if you're new to this. You get a lot of really great features for the price."

The RC HD U818A Discovery Drone Quadcopter retails for $119.95.

The Phantom 4 PRO Drone from DJI is one of the most powerful drones on the prosumer market with its four quick-speed propellers, expert controls for detailed navigation and stability, and the drone's five built-in obstacle sensors for advanced crash detection and safety.

While the Phantom 4 PRO features some of the best flying and navigation specs out there, it also has a pro-level camera system with a wide one-inch shooter and 20-megapixel sensor to capture detailed, true-to-life bird’s-eye-view photos. The system also has a brilliant video camera that has the ability to shoot in 4K at a whopping 60FPS and ultra slow motion.

Need a second opinion? Amazon customer bill wentworth writes:

"Awesome Drone!!!I. I owned 2 other drones before purchasing the The Phantom 4 Pro. There is no comparison. The P4P did everything as advertised. I have also done extensive research on other drones and companies and DJI out performs them all. They are the 1000 lb Gorilla in the industry and they live up to their reputation. I did have to watch a lot of YouTube before even taking it out of the box, but it was worth it. It is a little complicated to master with all the upgrades to firmware(really not hard) and the different modes of operations. I took It slow and learned as I flew and have had no mishaps, crashes, or lost UAS. I live in a small no-fly zone and DJI makes it easy to unlock the UAS so I can fly around my neighborhood with no problem, as long as airport is aware. So, don’t hesitate to buy this baby, it will outperform anything out there and you’ll have all The support you need from DJI."

The DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone includes a Hasselblad camera, Swedish-made pro-level shooter with a 20 megapixel sensor for enhanced HDR and color sensitive photography. The camera can also film brilliant 4K 10-bit HDR video.

With flight time of up to 31 minutes at 45 MPH, this drone — which is also surprisingly compact and foldable — features intelligent flight modes with an omnidirectional obstacle sensor for crash prevention. Make no mistake about it, this drone is for professionals and not beginners or intermediate flyers.

In the box you get: the Mavic 2 Pro drone, intelligent flight battery, gimbal protector, remote control hub, three propeller pairs, battery charger with power cable, communication cable (USB3.0 Type-C), and USB adapter, as well as spare control sticks, RC cable (Lightning connector), RC Cable (MicroUSB connector), RC Cable (USB Type-C connector).

Amazon customer Ed Ricker writes:

"I make reviews on YouTube, and I've reviewed a lot of drones. The Mavic 2 Pro is one of my favorites and definitely takes the place of many of my older DJI drones.

It has a great camera with impressive low-light capabilities. The surround obstacle avoidance performs extremely well especially in ActiveTrack. I can also control not only the pitch but the YAW of the camera independent of the drone's body, a first for DJI drones at this price point. And I love the fact that it's a MAVIC with a controllable aperture. Combine that with D-Log M 10-bit video recording, and we have a winner."

The DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone Quadcopter goes for $1,499.00 on Amazon.

For less than $160, the AA108 Camera Drone from Altair features easy-to-use controls with three skill levels (beginner, mid-level, and advanced), which make it ideal for novice flyers and experts alike. Once you've mastered one level, you can easily move on to the next as you become a better and more confident pilot.

This drone has a number of safety features, such as an out-of-range alarm, emergency landing functions, and low battery alarm, to keep it flying in the skies instead of crashing on the ground. If you want to capture amazing HD photos and videos without a hefty price tag, then the AA108 Camera Drone is a good option for those who are on a budget.

But don't just take our word for it. Amazon customer James R. Blair Jr. writes:

"Great product! 100% pleased with this drone. It came recommended to me by a guy who flies a drone for a network news crew. His recommendation was trusted and rightfully so. The packaging is solid, easy to open and protects the unit when being shipped. The unit itself is very sturdy, light and easy to setup and get in the air. The manual is super easy to follow. Flying performance is great!!! The onboard camera is super clear and steady. I would recommend this to anyone interested in getting into quadcopter flying. It's good for a beginner and advanced enough to make it fun to fly for a pro. A++ all the way around."

The Redcat Racing Carbon 210 Race Drone is a speedy little monster with a durable carbon fiber frame and chassis. This is a pro-level drone with its full HD camera and real-time video transmission, so you'll always know where to navigate and how far ahead you are from the other racers.

The drone includes an 11.1V-1500Mah 25C 3S LiPo battery and charger for up to 10 minutes of flight time and a six channel 2.4GHz radio to stay in communication with others during the race. It also comes packaged inside a hard shell carrying case and includes a snazzy sticker sheet for style and customization.

Amazon customer A. Ellis writes:

"This is a great starter for drone pilots who want to learn to fly racers. The modular design appears to be easily upgradeable, and the build quality and materials are excellent for the price. The uncluttered controller has all the range I need for a drone that is this fast, and the spikes on the controller knobs are a nice racing touch. I like how easy it is to switch between the 3 flight modes; the beginner mode is quite forgiving (other modes are not!). Overall flight characteristics are very good, and the flight firmware is customizable."

The Redcat Racing Carbon 210 Race Drone goes for $359.99 on Amazon.

"The Force is strong with this one." Propel Toys created a drone that looks exactly like Luke Skywalker's T-65 X-Wing during the Battle of Yavin 4 from A New Hope. This drone features solid controls with a top speed of 35mph (about 56 KPH), up to eight minutes of flight time, and three speed settings for beginners to advanced Rebel pilots.

Each drone has been hand painted and numbered for collectors and drone lovers alike, while it also features the iconic sounds you know from the Star Wars Saga. There's also a companion app for iOS and Android smartphones that hosts virtual battles and flight simulators, and tracks stats.

Is the Force strong with this one? Amazon customer War Penguin writes:

"It truly is a collector's item. Hand painted so each is a little different. Definitely need a little drone flying experience before flying if you want to keep this looking great. Not difficult to fly, but not easy for first timers either. With a little practice though, it certainly is a blast to fly around! Honestly, the display box is the entire reason I bought this, but of course the x wing itself looks awesome. If you like Star Wars at all, even just a little bit, the moment you open the box you will forget any notion of buyer's remorse. I'm sure there are videos out there that you can watch to see what I'm talking about. Would buy again."

The ANAFI drone from Parrot is one of the most impressive options in this round-up. It's very small, foldable, and lightweight at only 10.9 ounces. While it's compact and portable, it's also one of the very few drones out there that can take photos directly above because it features a 180-degree vertical range.

Its camera quality is strong with its 21-megapixel shooter and f/2.4 wide angle ASPH lens attached. Feel free to shoot full HD videos at a 4k resolution and 2.8x digital zoom. The drone's camera even features burst mode, which can take 10 photos a second, so you'll never miss a moment.

This drone is small enough to pack in a backpack and take with you on your next hike or wilderness adventure. The ANAFI has a few flight modes built-in, while more can be unlocked via in-app purchase. However, the drone has a number of maneuverability skills and a durable build with 20 minutes of flight time, a two-and-a-half mile range, and a top speed of about 34 mph.

Not bad for a small and foldable drone that weighs only 10.9 ounces.

Need a second opinion? Amazon customer Storm the Penguin writes:

"A great video drone with all of the needed bells and whistles. Has GPS return to location, automatic shutoff, and all of the things you look for in the 'just in case' situations where the drone looses connectivity with the controller. The included controller is somewhat cheap, but the camera takes amazing video and still pictures. The drone is also very responsive and while the noise is very obvious, it's not quite as loud as others like the DJI series."

The ANAFI Parrot Drone retails for $599.99. Read Mashable's review here.

The Mavic Air Quadcopter from DJI is not just a high-end drone, but it's also a high-end camera with a 32-megapixel shooter, 180-degree sphere panoramas, and true 4K video capture at 30FPS. The Mavic Air also features a three-axis gimbal for spectacular photography with a three-directional environment sensor.

In addition, the drone is compact and lightweight at only 15.2 ounces with a foldable design that makes it a great pick-up-and-go option. The DJI Mavic Air features up 21 minutes of full flight, while the drone's range sits an an impressive four kilometers (about 2.4 miles) from its remote control, which also works with your smartphone. Since it's iOS and Android compatible, you can easily share your photos and videos in seconds via social media.

Amazon customer Osman writes:

"I bought this drone about a week ago and so far i been very pleased with the performance and video quality. This is my first drone and I been looking to purchase one for few years now. The reason I been waiting due to the size of the drones vs video quality. Until now you needed to get a large drone to shoot 4K but with Mavic Air this is not the case. I know the Pro was released prior to Air but Pro is still lot larger than Air. I do photography and usually carry a camera + lenses + tripod etc. So I have limited space when I travel. This product is exactly what I been needing."

The DJI Mavic Air Quadcopter goes for $798.99 on Amazon.