Best budget drones for beginners, tried and tested: Soar high, pay low

Since the now distant days of the 2010s, hobbyists, businesses and the general public alike have come to embrace the idea of taking to the skies with their own drones, leading to the UK market in 2023 clawing in around £95 million in revenue.

Now, of course, the term ‘drone’ is quite broad, as some drones can cost thousands and require a licence to operate, whilst others of the much cheaper variety come classified as ‘toys’, meaning that, as long as your drone is below a certain weight, has a low flight ceiling and isn’t likely to be of any use in modern warfare, you don’t need to faff around with all the official stuff.

So, what do you need to look for in a drone?

In a buzzing nutshell: weight, camera quality, battery flight time, ease of use and range. Other things you may want to consider are hover stability so that it stays in place, waypoints flight so you can preset a route, headless mode that