So, we are coming near to the holiday season and that means people will be looking for some nice Christmas gift ideas, and I am biased, but one of the best gift ideas for this coming Christmas season is drones. Now, the good thing is, there are plenty of options when it comes to choosing drones and below, I have compiled a list of the best drones for Christmas.

Now, before I go any further, I must mention that whether you are looking to purchase a toy drone for your kids or an expensive drone for a family member or friend who enjoys photography, you must familiarise yourself with the local rules and regulations regarding flying drones and make sure that the recipient of the gift is familiar with them as well.

Not following local rules and regulations may result in people getting in legal trouble and having to pay a hefty fee.

For those residing in the UK, you can visit the CAA website for more details on the UK drone rules and regulations and for residents of the USA, the FAA website is your go-to source for all things related to US drone laws.

For those from other countries, please make sure that you abide by the rules and regulations with regards to flying drones where you live.

 

Best Drones For Christmas

1. DJI Mini SE

Best Drones For ChristmasIf you are looking for a budget-friendly drone that comes with some good features, I believe the DJI Mini SE is the best choice and would make an excellent Christmas gift idea. The drone is small, lightweight, weighs less than 250g and is very compact. This drone costs less than $300 and is the best drone in its price range, it comes with several advanced features including an HD camera that is capable of capturing 12MP images and 2.7k videos at 30fps. The camera is stabilised by a 3-axis gimbal and has an intelligent video recording mode that will allow you to capture short HD videos at the click of a button. The drone has a flight time of 30 minutes, comes with GPS technology and has a transmission range of 4km. One thing to note and that is the Mini SE drone does not come with autonomus flight modes such as ActiveTrack, Point of Interest and Waypoint, however, you can access these features through a third party app such as Litchi.

 

Key Features

    • 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor
    • Records videos in 2.7k@30fps
    • 720p live video feed
    • 12MP images
    • Automatic return to home 
    • 4 Quickshots for short cinematic footage
    • 30 minutes of flight time
    • 4km control range

2. DJI Mini 2

Best Drones For ChristmasThe DJI Mini 2 comes with a few upgrades to the original DJI Mini drone, the main upgrade being its HD camera that can record 4k videos and capture 12MP images in both RAW and JPEG formats. This is a fantastic drone for beginners as it is very easy to operate and it’s lightweight and compact design makes it easy to carry around. Other features include 5 Quickshots, which is an upgrade to the Original Mini’s 4 Quickshots, a longer transmission range of 10km and a flight time of 31 minutes. However, just like its predecessor, the Mini 2 doe snot come with intelligent flight modes, however, you can access these through the third party Litchi app.

 

Key Features

  • 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor
  • 12MP images
  • Multiple photography modes
  • Records 4k videos at 30fps, 2.7k at 60fps
  • 100Mbps
  • 5 Quickshots
  • Automatic return to home
  • 31 minutes of flight time
  • 10km transmission range

3. DJI Mavic Air 2S

Best Drones For Christmas

The best drone in its price range and one of the best drones for photography, this is one of DJI’s flagship consumer drones and it comes with a host of stunning features. The Air 2S will make an exceptional Christmas gift, especially for photographers, the drone has a 1-inch image sensor that can capture 20MP images and record 5.4k videos at 30fps as well as 4k at 60fps. This is a powerful drone that comes with advanced safety features such as a 4-way obstacle avoidance system, automatic return to home and DJI AirSense. For such a feature-rich drone, it is surprisingly lightweight, weighing under 600g, which makes it a great drone to travel with. The drone has a flight time of 31 minutes, a transmission range of 12km and a top speed of 42mph.

 

Key Features

    • 1-inch sensor
    • 20MP images (JPEG & RAW)
    • Records videos in 5.4k at 30fps, 4k at 60fps, 2.7k at60 fps
    • 150 Mbps
    • AEB photography
    • Panorama photography
    • 8* digital zoom
    • 10-bit Dlog videos
    • 4-way obstacle avoidance
    • ADS-B receiver
    • Mastershots for hands-free cinematic video footage
    • 31 minutes of flight time
    • 12km control range

4. DJI Mini 3 Pro

Best Drones For Christmas

The Mini 3 Pro is the latest drone in the DJI Mini series and it is the most advanced mini drone on the market. The Mini 3 Pro comes with a range of impressive features that includes a large 1/1.3-inch sensor that can record 4k videos at 60fps and capture 48MP photos in RAW and JPEG formats. An innovative feature of this drone is its 3-axis gimbal that allows the camera to turn and capture true portrait photography. The drone weighs under 250g, which means that you will not be required to register it with the FAA. The drone has a flight time of 34 minutes, although this can be increased to 47 minutes if you purchase the intelligent plus battery. Other features include intelligent flight modes, autonomous video recording modes like Hyperlapse, Mastershots and Quickshots and a 3-way obstacle avoidance system.

 

Key Features

    • 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor
    • 48MP still images
    • Records 4k videos at 60fps
    • 150Mbps recording speed
    • Supports true portrait photography
    • Multiple photography modes
    • Hyperlapse, Mastershots and Quickshots intelligent video recording
    • 3-way obstacle avoidance system
    • 34 minutes of flight time
    • 12km transmission range

5. DJI Air 2

Best Drones For ChristmasThe DJI Air 2 is an impressive camera drone, its lightweight and foldable design makes it a good drone to travel around with and makes it an excellent choice for a Christmas gift. The drone comes with many of DJI’s innovative features such as a 3-way obstacle avoidance system, and autonomous flight modes that include ActiveTrack, Spotlight and Point of interest. Other advanced features include intelligent video recording modes Hyperlapse and Quickshots as well as an automatic return to home feature. The drone has a 1/2-inch image sensor that can capture images in 20MP and record high-quality 4k videos at 60fps. The drone has an impressive flight time of 34 minutes, a maximum speed of 42mph and a transmission range of 10km.

 

Key Features

    • 1/2-inch sensor
    • 12MP images (JPEG & RAW)
    • 3-axis gimbal
    • Panorama photography (48MP)
    • Records 4k videos at 30fps, 2.7k at 60fps
    • 120 Mbps video bitrate
    • HDR support
    • Intelligent flight modes
    • Quickshots for hands-free cinematic videos
    • 3-way obstacle avoidance system
    • 34 minutes of flight time
    • 10km range

6. Autel Evo Lite Plus

Best Drones For ChristmasA stunning drone from Autel Robotics, the Evo Lite Plus is a drone built for professional photographers with its large 1-inch sensor that is capable of recording videos in 6k at 30fps and captures stunning 20MP still images. With its adjustable aperture, high ISO range and Autels Moonlight algorithm, the camera can capture amazing nighttime photography. The camera comes with autofocus technology and has a 16× digital zoom feature. The drone comes with multiple photography modes and has support for capturing images and videos in HDR. One of the most impressive features is its flight time which comes in at 40 minutes, making it one of the best drones with the longest flight times. Other impressive features include an obstacle avoidance system, several intelligent flight modes and a transmission range of 12km.

 

Key Features

    • 1-inch CMOS sensor
    • Adjustable aperture
    • 20MP images
    • Records videos in 6k at 30fps
    • Moonlight algorithm for vibrant nighttime photography
    • HDR support for videos and images
    • Autofocus technology
    • 3-way obstacle avoidance system
    • Intelligent flight modes
    • 40 minutes of flight time
    • 12km transmission range

7. Autel Evo Nano Plus

Best Drones For ChristmasOne of the best drones under 250g, the Autel Evo Nano Plus is a mini drone that compares well against its competition, namely the DJI Mini 3 Pro and Mini 2. One of the best features of this drone is its large 1/1.28 image sensor that is capable of capturing amazing photos in 50MP and recording 4k HDR videos. The camera has an RYYB filter and a fixed 1/9 aperture that will help capture more details in low light conditions and produce crisp natural-looking images. The camera also comes with PDAF and CDAF autofocus technology to help you capture fast-moving objects and comes with an intelligent video mode that will allow you to record short videos from different angles at the click of a button.

 

Key Features

    • 1/1.28-inch sensor
    • 50MP still images
    • Autofocus technology
    • Multiple photography modes
    • Quickshot intelligent video recording mode
    • Records videos in 4k at 30fps
    • 100Mbps
    • Intelligent flight modes
    • Obstacle avoidance technology
    • 28 minutes of flight time
    • 10km transmission range