Looking for the best cheap FPV goggles for beginners? Fortunately, just like FPV drones, there are plenty of cheap FPV goggles that come with some decent features and provide an amazing flying experience.
FPV goggles allow people to get as close an experience as they will get to physically being inside the drone.
If you are a casual flyer and do not want to spend a huge amount of money on expensive goggles but would like a more immersive flying experience, then the following cheap FPV goggles are for you. These goggles can also, be used by beginners who are looking to get into drone racing or FPV drone cinematography.
FPV goggles come in two form factors, there are the box FPV goggles which are large, and box-shaped, they are usually a bit heavier but still comfortable to wear. Box FPV goggles come with a single LCD screen which ranges in size between 4-8 inches and is suitable for most people’s face.
The other type of goggle is the low profile or compact form goggles, these are slightly more expensive because they have dual LCD screens. The design also makes them lighter and the preferred goggles for drone racing. Many dual screen low profile goggles also come with a feature called adjustable IPD (interpupillary distance), which allows its users to adjust the distance between the two screens to match the distance between their pupils, which will provide for a better flying experience. These are the preferred types of goggles for drone racing.
A couple of things you may want to consider before purchasing an FPV goggle, they are:
DVR – Does the goggle have a memory card slot where you will be able to record your footage and play it back on an external device. Some of the cheap FPV goggles do have this feature, but most do not.
Diversity receivers – This is when the FPV goggle comes with two video receivers instead of one, each receiver has its own antenna, and the system will detect which antenna is getting the best signal for the best video feed. This is not to be confused with FPV goggles that come with antenna diversity, which is just two antennas connected to one video receiver.
If you wear glasses, box goggles may be the best option for you as most of them can be worn with your glasses, however, if you prefer the low profile FPV goggles, you may need to purchase diopter lenses so that the video feed is much clearer and not blurry.
Best Cheap FPV Goggles
#1. Eachine EV100
This is one of the most popular FPV goggles on the market, it looks similar to FPV goggles from Fat Shark but without the huge price tag. It’s perfect for beginners and is comfortable to wear thanks to foam around the detachable faceplate. The foam is stuck on via Velcro so it can be easily replaced, which is an added bonus. The googles are pretty light, weighing in at around 220g, it comes with a decent pair of screens and has OSD. It comes with dual antennas that can be upgraded (which is recommended) and has a good battery life. It has a built-in 72ch video receiver and has an auto search function that will select the strongest signal. You can adjust the focal length of the lens to sharpen the image which will be useful for people who may suffer from myopia/hyperopia.
Key Features
- 720*540 lens
- Antenna diversity
- 72ch video receiver
- 58-58mm IPD
- Integrated fan to defog lens
- Auto search function
- Adjustable focal length
#2. Fat Shark Recon V3
This is one of the cheapest FPV goggles from Fat Shark, It’s a decent unit that comes with a single 4.3-inch display with a 55° FOV. It has a single antenna so reception is not the greatest, so only use it in areas with low interference. The screen resolution is decent, especially for the price and there is a memory card slot which is a good feature for a cheap FPV goggle. It has an internal lithium-ion battery that is charged via a USB charger and has an on-screen display for channels, RSSI info and battery level.
Key Features
800*480 screen
- Single antenna
- DVR slot
- 40ch video receiver
- Auto search function
- OSD feature
#3. SJ RG01
One of the best FPV drones on this list, it comes with real receiver diversity and is installed with a good dual display screen that has a resolution of 960*240. It’s a nice compact box FPV goggle although a little on the heavier side. Still, it is comfortable to wear and comes with a DVR that can take a maximum 32GB memory card. It’s powered by an internal battery but you can also plug in an external battery via one its ports and make your FPV experience last longer.
Key Features
- Decent video resolution
- Big LCD screen
- Adjustable IPD
- Real diversity for a stronger video signal
- 48ch
- 40° FOV
#4. Eachine EV800D
This is a really good box FPV goggle from Eachine, it’s quite large but not very heavy and the padding makes it comfortable to wear. It’s a very popular FPV model as it comes with actual diversity, a very good screen resolution and comes with a micro SD card slot that takes high-speed memory cards. One of the cool things about this FPV google is that you can take it apart and use the large LCD screen as a separate device.
Key Features
- HD resolution
- Large 5-inch screen
- Memory card slot (class 10 or above)
- Real diversity
- 40ch receiver
- auto searching
- 82° Wide-angle FOV
#5. Eachine EV800
This is similar to the EV800D, the main difference being that it does not have real receiver diversity or even antenna diversity. It is cheap though and comfortable to wear and the screen size is pretty decent. It’s a 5-inch screen with a wide-angle FOV and has a good resolution, the goggles are powered by an internal battery, which lasts a few hours and you can also attach an external power source to extend its run time. Like the EV800D, this FPV google can also be taken apart and used separately as an FPV LCD screen.
Key Features
- 800*400px
- 5-inch LDC display
- 40ch receiver
- Auto search function
- On-screen display
- No built-in DVR
- No diversity
#6. Eachine VR009
One of the cheapest FPV googles on this list, it’s suitable for people who are a tight budget and are beginners to the world of flying drones via FPV goggles. It’s a box FPV goggle that has a small LCD display which has a decent resolution. It comes with antenna diversity, has a 40ch video receiver and is powered by a 3.7v 1200 mAh internal battery. The screen has a nice resolution and FOV is alright, it has an on-screen display that will tell you the battery level and the frequency channel.
Key Features
- 3-inch screen
- 480*320px resolution
- Antenna diversity
- 40ch receiver
- Simple on-screen display
- Auto search function
#7. FXT Viper V2
One of the more expensive FPV goggles on this list, although it still costs less than $200. The Viper 2.0 is a nice looking box FPV goggle, like many other similar types of goggles, you can take out the 5-inch LCD screen and use it as a small monitor. It has an integrated refractor that will help reduce eye strain that sometimes occurs when staring at a screen for a long time. It comes with real diversity for better signal quality and has a built-in DVR. It’s a comfortable box FPV goggle, even though it one of the heavier ones on this list.
Key Features
- 800*480px
- 5-inch TFT screen
- Integrated refractor
- Switchable aspect ratio
- 40ch receiver
- Micro SD card slot
- Real diversity
#8. Fat Shark Scout FPV
This is one of the more expensive goggles on this list but one of Fat Sharks cheaper FPV goggles. If you prefer box goggles, this may be one of the best on the market, it’s nice and compact and not too heavy. It has diversity receivers and a patch antenna for better video reception and also comes with a micro SD card slot. The faceplate has been designed to allow people who wear glasses to use them comfortably and it has a high-resolution 4-inch LCD screen with a 50° FOV. Other features include 40ch video receiver, a LED light on the antenna that flashes different colours for each race band and an adjustable fan to defog the display.
Key Features
- 4-inch display
- 1136*640 resolution
- 50° FOV
- Diversity receivers
- DVR
- 40ch receiver
- Adjustable aspect ratio
- Embedded fan
