Best Durable Drones under $200

A few years back, drones were so expensive that most people didn’t think of buying one. They were mostly used for commercial or military purposes. But now, apart from a wide range of prices, you can also find drones under 200$.

Now drone lovers use drones for making videos and carrying weight as well. Even farmers are so developed now that they are using drones for agriculture purposes like spraying fields. Besides this drones also have many other uses. Most of the time Drones, under $200 are considered toy drones or low quality.

But today, I am going to share with you TWO very amazing Drones for under $200, especially for folks with a tight budget. Flying Drone can be tricky, so these drones are a good start for beginners. You can use them for taking nice pictures and videos and sharing them on social media or with family and friends.

• Holy Stone HS120D. 
• Potensic T25 Drone.

Things to consider before buying a drone

Before you go and buy a drone, you need to know some basic features of drones that you must find in your drone. 

1. First of all, you should choose a Drone according to your needs and budget. If you want to have fun flying your UAV, choose a drone with good battery life. If you intend to take pictures and videos with it, having a gimbal drone can provide you best results.

2. Flight time and range is a prime feature of any drone. If a drone offers 20 to 30 minutes of flight time, it is considered a great Drone. In the range, you see how far you can fly your UAV without losing control.

3. Camera, if you intend to take pictures or videos, a good quality camera is a must.

4. Intelligent features are what you should find before buying a drone. Some features in a drone include GPS, circle around, RTH, and follow me mode.

5. Headless mode is another important feature for beginners. That allows your drone to stay in sight.

6.  Brushless motors are reliable, give durability, and are quieter as compared to brushed motors.

Now let’s discuss the drones that are best under 200$.

Holy Stone HS120D Review

Holy Stone is a very well-known name in the Drone industry. They provide a wide range of drones from beginners to professionals, also with different price ranges.

Holy Stone HS120D is one of their best drones, perfectly suitable for novice and intermediate pilots. It is a compact and very easy-to-use drone. 

Features:

Weight	7.8oz / 221g
Control range	300 m
Camera	FHD 2k
Battery life	15 to 20 minutes
Charging time	2 hrs.
FAA	certification not
Micro SD storage	required Up to 32 GB

As soon as you open the box, a beautiful black bag catches your eyes. Having a bag is an advantage now you can carry your UAV for traveling or outdoor adventures. Inside the bag, there is an HS120D Drone, Two batteries with a USB charger, a rechargeable controller, transmitter, extra landing gears, propellers, and a user manual. 

This quadcopter is so easy to set and ready to fly. HS120D comes with many cool features like a 2k Ultra HD moveable camera that you can adjust 120° FOV with the controller while flying. 

Follow me mode allows your drone to keep its sole focus on you and capture all activities while you move around. GPS module not only provides a solid hover to your quadcopter. Its Return to Home feature will bring your drone back if it loses connection, runs low on battery, or is out of range. 

You can draw a path for your UAV on your smartphone, and it will follow the direction so you could enjoy the aerial view.

The Headless Mode allows you to move it according to your desire and directions. Now your quadcopter will stay in line with your vision.

The One Key take-off/landing feature and altitude hold are also great for beginners. You have the option to change the beginner mode, speed, and other settings according to your desire.

Its foldable controller is rechargeable with two antennas, a folding mobile holder, and two control handles for better grip.

In Short, If you are new and don’t want to spend too much money, Holy Stone HS120D is the best option you can get for under $ 200. With two full charge batteries, you will enjoy 30-35 minutes of flight time which is a great deal. You may find the camera quality a bit lacking, but not much. Sometimes landing is not very smooth, but HS120D is sturdy and has landing gears to protect the camera.

Potensic T25 Drone Review

Potensic is another well-known name in the quadcopter industry. T25 Drone is one of their best-sellers, and that is not without reason. It is such a great Drone for new learners and with so many cool features at such a low price. That is why I added it to this list of under $200 best drones.

Features:

Weight	4.03 pounds (1.83 kg)
Control range	Maximum 980ft (0.3 km)
Camera	2k 120° FOV lens
Battery life	6-8 minutes
Charging time	50 to 60 minutes
Color	Black and White

Potensic T25 Drone Review

T25 Drone comes in a solid, portable aluminum case, pre-assembled and ready to fly. The bag also has two batteries, a transmitter, extra landing gears, propeller blades, protection guards, and a manual.

Potensic T25 is an excellent choice for all drone lovers, especially newbies.

This quadcopter has many cool features like Headless Mode, Altitude Mode, and Return Home Mode. Through App, you can also use a built-in map that binds your Potensic T25 to your interest.

The T25 drone has 2k camera quality. The best part is you can bend the camera up to 75 degrees while flying and capture beautiful aerial images by using a 120 degrees FOV lens. Most models use a 6-axis gyro but not a T25. This quadcopter has a 9-axis gyro that provides stability and balance in rough weather.

Dual GPS will allow your drone to follow your cellphone. So you don’t have to worry about losing your UAV and missing the fun. One Key Take off / Land function gives novice users the advantage of flying their drone smoothly.

Its controller looks like a game console with all the buttons clearly displayed. That makes it very easy to use.

All in all, T25 is the best quadcopter under $200 and is not a toy drone. Use this drone for practicing and mastering the art of flying Drone. Meanwhile, have fun and good-quality pictures and videos. The only drawback and complaint about the T25 is its short battery life.

​When looking for a drone under 200, you want to make sure that it is durable enough to handle crashes. While learning to fly, it can crash into stuff fairly often. You do not want the little ones to be damaged in these instances.

The Syma X5C is an affordable quadcopter with great reviews. It has a built-in camera, a headless mode for easier flying, and a 2.4 GHz transmitter for a longer range.

Syma X5C Drone Review

The Cheerwing Syma X5C-1 Explorers 2.4Ghz 4CH 6-Axis Gyro RC Quadcopter Drone with Camera has been available on Amazon for around $59.00 and was given a price drop of nearly 50 percent during the Black Friday weekend sale at just $35.99 (prior to this, it had been priced at more than double that).

The Cheerwing Syma comes with an HD camera, is ready to fly out of the box, includes extra propellers in case you damage them by accident, has two joysticks for precise flying control instead of merely relying on accelerometers as many other low-cost drones do, and it feels fairly sturdy thanks to its primarily plastic construction. However, unlike many other low-cost drones, just note that you can’t detach the battery from this one.

The Cheerwing Syma X5C-1 Explorers 2.4Ghz 4CH 6-Axis Gyro RC Quadcopter Drone with Camera comes with a 1 Amp USB charger for the 5200mAh 3S Li-Po battery which takes around two hours to fully charge. The package includes an extra set of propellers for replacement purposes. At the time of writing, there were five spare props included in case you damage them all by accident.

Features:

• A 6-axis Gyro stabilization system makes the quadcopter more stable and flexible when flying. It has the characteristics of wind-resistant and can be flown indoors or outdoors.
• A modular design structure is applied, and a detachable and foldable frame makes it more portable.
• High capacity Li-Po battery included, offers longer flight time (7-9 minutes after 20mins charging).
• Easy to control, operate by 4 channels 2.4GHz remote control.
• Can be charged by phone plug or USB cable (USB cable included).

Pros:

• Ready to fly out of the box.
• Modular design makes replacement parts easy to find.
• The battery is very accessible and can be charged independently (no need to remove it before every charge).
• Adjustable camera angle, though not removable like some other drones in its price range that offer this feature.
• Provides headless mode, 3D flip mode, 6 axis gyro for extra stability during flight, throttle speed control, and 360°roll due to the high performance 6 axis Gyro.

Cons:

• Does not include a microSD or MicroUSB card reader with which you may use your smartphone’s memory card in order to store photos/videos captured by the drone; you can buy an inexpensive USB reader like this one on Amazon for around $7.
• The battery is not removable or easily interchangeable; you can’t carry spares with you while flying.

Verdict

The Cheerwing Syma X5C-1 Explorers 2.4Ghz 4CH 6-Axis Gyro RC Quadcopter Drone with Camera is indeed a good quadcopter, considering its price point.

You get what you paid for and it does feel fairly sturdy despite the mostly plastic construction.

It’s great for kids who are looking to practice before they graduate to more expensive -and potentially dangerous- model helicopters, just bear in mind that replacements parts are easier to find than most other drones in its range thanks to the modular design, but that the battery isn’t detachable or swappable.

That being said, it’s very easy to fly for beginners, and does provide headless mode and flip function without needing extra controls, so you can start flying right away even if you’ve never piloted a drone before. It also comes with an extra set of propellers in case you damage them by accident.

The Holy Stone HS150 is a great beginner quadcopter for under 200 dollars. It has an HD camera with video recording capabilities. It also comes with some extra batteries so you can get those extra flights in! If the kids have been itching to get more involved in the controls, this one comes with a 2.4 GHz transmitter so they can try out being a pilot too!

UDI 818A Drone Review

The UDI 818A is a great choice for a drone under 200 dollars because it has “Altitude Hold”. This makes it so much easier to keep it in the air and learn how to pilot. The FPV camera also has a live stream of what it’s recording on your phone. For the price, you can’t afford to get this one!

The UDI RC 818A HD Drone with 720p HD Camera is a fantastic product from the leader in radio control products, UDI. This is a high-quality drone from top to bottom and it will be no surprise if you find yourself addicted to flying one of these around your house!

The packaging is very straightforward and easy to open without damaging anything. Inside this box you will find the following:

1 – U818A Quadcopter  with attached propellers 1 – Remote Control 2 – 3.7V 500mAh Li-Po Batteries 4 – Rotating Blade Guard 1 – USB Battery Charger  (Charges all four batteries) 8 – Spare Propellers 1 – Screwdriver 4 – Extra Landing Feet

The assembly of this UDI RC 818A HD Drone was easy to do and can be done within minutes. The supplied screwdriver will tighten the four screws which attach each propeller to its respective shaft. Once completed, you are ready to fly! Without fail, everyone who sees these awesome drones get their hands on them has the need to fly them around the house for at least an hour while showing off how awesome they are. They’re fast enough for people in their 20s but light enough that children could easily fly one if they wanted to. So many times I’ve seen a child stare at their parent wishing they were old enough to fly it around…now is your chance dad!

Features:

2.4GHz Transmitter

This UDI RC 818A HD Drone has a 2.4 GHz transmitter that is very easy to use, allows you to fly your drone without any interference and provides great range! There are two modes the beginner mode which makes it very difficult for anyone (even kids) to take off or crash into anything around them. And then there’s the expert mode which will allow anybody with experience to become an expert after only 5 minutes of flight time. The controller also includes an adjustable trim control on each axis make fine-tuning super simple!

On this remote, there are also four different speed settings depending on how fast you like your drones! And let’s not forget about the ability to take photos and record videos either! And with the ability to adjust each of these settings on your remote, you can fine-tune this drone for any flight.

Headless Mode

Another great feature of the UDI RC 818A HD Drone is its “headless mode” which allows anyone to fly it without worrying about orientation! If you have ever flown a regular drone before then you know exactly how difficult it is to keep track of where the front of your drone is compared to where your controller is pointing. You truly have to focus on every move so that you don’t crash into anything or lose sight of your front. This headless mode makes flying extremely simple and provides no worries about what direction it’s pointed in.

Altitude Hold Function/Auto Stabilization

Another awesome feature of the UDI RC 818A HD Drone is its altitude hold function. This mode allows you to release the throttle stick and this drone will hold its current height off the ground regardless. And for those who don’t want a drone following them around, there is a very simple switch on the remote which locks out this function so that your drone only moves when you command it.

Return Home Function

Finally, there’s also a return home function on this controller so if you ever lose sight of your drone or just lose signal entirely, this is an easy way to get control of it again. Simply press the “return” button and your drone will fly back to wherever you are at and either land itself or hover until you have it in sight again.

BONUS FEATURES

Another great feature of this UDI RC 818A HD Drone is the ability to perform flips! On any of the four-speed modes, you can press the “flip” button and watch your drone do all sorts of cool manoeuvres! And with their lightweight design, these flips are very smooth and graceful even during low speeds.

This quadcopter also includes a LED that helps light up your way when flying at night (or before sunrise). So often times I find myself flying around after dark…with my house, street lamps and all other lights turned off it’s really hard to tell exactly where everything is around me; having this bright LED makes all the difference by allowing me to see where I’m at and what’s around me.

Syma X5SW Drone Review

The Syma X5SW is very similar to the X5C except that it comes with a 2MP camera and more features. It also has a stronger battery, larger blades for increased stability, and a longer range from the controller! The high-quality camera makes this one perfect for some aerial photography or just seeing what kind of fun stuff you can do around the house on your holiday break!

The Cheerwing Syma is a great drone for beginners and experts. As its name indicates it’s completely ready to fly right out of the box, just charge the battery and attach and you’re flying.

I personally enjoy this product because it keeps me occupied with my children as we learn about drones together. It allows us to interact with each other as we build, repair, and create new things all through the power of communication which is extremely valuable in this day and age.

Features:

1080P HD Video Camera: Capture high-quality video and photos from the sky. It records clear vivid photos and videos for you to share with your family and friends on social media, Whatsapp, WeChat, etc.

6 Axis Gyro: Adopts 2MP HD wide-angle camera stabilization system which provides extra smooth videos and photos, anti-shake performance gives the best shooting results.

High Capacity Battery: Syma X5SW comes with a 3.7V 500mAh lipo battery(one of the safest batteries in the industry) & equipped with an additional power bank function, allowing it has a longer service life! The USB charging cable is included so you can charge it via a computer or wall adapter.

Pros:

• Super easy to fly (FPV beginners will not experience any trouble flying this quadcopter)
• Can play online with a mobile phone (ios/android) via wifi.
• Foldable & flexible blade protectors make it safe to use (most important feature).
• Headless Mode, no need to adjust the position of the aircraft before flying.

Specifications: Flight Time 7~8mins Battery 3.7v 500mAh Li-po Motor 4*1512 Brushed Main Rotor Dia.35mm(13.8 inches) Takeoff Weight 32g Max Flying weight 80g Size 30*30*10 cm Accessories 2 blades,1 manual, 1 USB cable, 1 Mobile device holder,1 charger Package includes: 1× Syma X5SW-V3 Quadcopter

1× transmitter (mode 2)

1× USB charging cable

4× protection cover

2× Main Blade, 1× 3.7V 500mAh Li-po Battery,1x Phone Clamp, 1x Power Bank Adapter(Micro USB), 1x manual in English

Another great cheap quadcopter under 200 dollars is the Cheerson CX-10 mini. It’s so small which makes it easier to transport and fly indoors.

A lot of the cheaper models don’t come with a camera, but this one definitely does! It can be connected to your phone and has LED lights that make it easier to fly at night. This is also very affordable making it another great choice for beginners or those experimenting with drones under 200 dollars.

Cheerson is a Chinese drone company that has several popular micro-quadcopters. The Cheerson CX-10 Mini is one of their most successful models.

CX-10 Mini Size As you will see, the size of this quad is very small. It fits in the palm of your hand and weighs just 14 grams (0.49 oz). This makes it perfect for flying indoors. Size comparison with common items: 2 pieces AA batteries USB MicroSD card Cheerson CX-10 Mini Drone RTF version comes ready to fly (after battery charging).

If you buy an extra battery or two, you can maximize fun by having spare batteries charged for longer playtime without interruption. Transmitter / Remote Control First thing first — there is no remote controller included. You will need to buy one or use your own RC receiver with Cheerson CX-10 Mini (a good option), or control it with a smartphone app (discussed below).

CX-10 Mini package comes with 3 pieces of propellers, an extra battery and a USB charger for the flight battery. First Flight Make sure you charge both batteries fully before flying. This quad is very light and slow, so many beginners have been caught off guard by how quickly it can climb up/down/forward/backwards.

Cheerson CX-10 Mini Drone Review

Pros

• Low cost, small size, and lightweight.
• Very stable flight, even lower speed is better for beginners. Uses the same controller as Cheerson CX-30S. A great option if you want a larger platform to learn on.
• As with any quadcopter, going outside in moderate to strong wind will make it difficult to control.

Cons

• No included remote controller, use your own or smartphone app.
• Flight time is just ~5 minutes with a stock battery. You can buy spare batteries for more fun.

Conclusion

Both HS120D and T25 are not professional drones but these are the best drones under 200$. There are much better and bigger drones on the market. But the rule is simple, see your budget and your needs and only then buy.

If you are a beginner in drone fields and trying Drones for the first time and want to increase your expertise. These under $200 Quadcopters are worth your money.

Learn more about drones you can get for under $500