Best Drones Under £50

The drone market is bigger than ever and thanks to lower priced drones now being available the market is more accessible for the general consumer than it ever has been. If you are considering purchasing your first drone or perhaps you are looking for a drone as a gift then the chances are you probably don’t want to spend a fortune but want to get the most for your money.

There are a number of drones on the market now that come in well under £50 and the sub £50 drone market is actually one of the most competitive in the industry. That is great news for consumers as there is plenty of choice – but it does mean that finding the best drone under £50 is a bit of a task. Luckily for you, we have compiled our top ‘£50 and under’ drones for you.

Drone	Image	Camera	Max Flight Time	Ease of Use	Overall	Price Checker
1. LBLA FPV Drone		2MP	8 mins	5/5	Best Overall	Check Price
2. SYMA X5SC-1		2MP	6 mins	5/5	Best Value	Check Price
3. Eachine E010		NA	5 mins	5/5	Best No Camera Drone	Check Price
4. Holy Stone HS170		NA	8 mins	5/5	Best For Beginners	Check Price
5. Elfie		2MP	7 mins	5/5	Best Under £50 Selfie Drone	Check Price
6. DROCON Scouter		NA	7 mins	5/5	Best For Kids (no camera)	Check Price
7. Hasakee H1		2MP	8 mins	5/5	Best For Kids (with camera)	Check Price
8. Hubsan H107L		NA	10 mins	5/5	Best For Basics	Check Price
9. Kingtoys XS809W		2MP	12 mins	5/5	Best Just Over £50	Check Price

A Few Points To Consider…

If you are completely new to buying a drone then there are a few key points that you want to consider when making your purchase. Although we have ordered our list 1-9 it may well be the case that our number one choice isn’t the best one for you – that’s because there will be so many different variables in play. What will be a deal breaker for one person won’t be important to someone else – that’s why we try to advise what the best features are about these drones and have labelled each as such.

A few of the variables that you should consider when buying a drone are:

Camera: Whether a drone has a camera or not is not something you have to consider with a more expensive drone, but when it comes to these cheaper drones you will have to decide whether or not you even need a camera. You won’t get much beyond 2MP or 720p HD video at this price point but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth having. If you want a real time video relay (FPV) from your drone then you will most likely need a smartphone to sync with at this price point.

Battery Life: The biggest issue with cheap drones is battery life. Typically you are going to be looking at around 5-6 minutes of juice at this level, although we have found some models for you that squeeze a little more flying time from a single charge. If you need more then you can always buy extra batteries (so long as the battery is detachable) so if flying time is important to you then you might want to factor this in to your costs now.

Controller: How the drone is controlled is certainly something to bear in mind when choosing a drone. Most will either use a smartphone or a separate controller to pilot the quadcopter. It’s not for us to say which is better (in truth both have their positives and negatives) but you may have a preference. Moreover, you may be buying the drone for someone who does not own a smartphone so in this case a separate controller would be vital.

Headless Mode: You may see the term ‘headless mode’ banded about quite a bit. In case you were wondering what this means, it basically means that there is a mode (known as headless) that allows you to control the drone directionally in relation to your own orientation and not the drone’s. Without this mode enabled the drone will respond in relation to the direction it is facing and not you. Some people use headless mode all of the time and others use it just whilst learning to build their confidence.

Other Key Features: Other special features that you might want to look out for (and that will be important for beginners) are ‘one key takeoff/landing’, ‘one key return to home’, multi speed settings and ‘stunts’ (also known as flips and rolls). You might also want to consider the control range of the drone and whether it is suitable for outdoor and indoor use.

Right… now that you know what you are looking for, let’s take a look at our favourite drones under £50.

Drones Under £50 In 2020

1. LBLA FPV Drone – Best Overall

We think this drone has the best all round attributes to take it straight to the top of the list. Not only does the LBLA look stylish and feel robust, it has a raft of features that you might expect to find on a more expensive model.

Headless mode, one touch key return to home and two speed settings make this a pretty easy drone to control. You will need to pilot the LBLA from your smartphone but this gives you the added advantage of being able to see where you are going. The app is pretty intuitive and we found the WiFi connection between phone and drone to be very responsive.

The camera is actually 480p HD but it performs well outdoors or in well lit rooms. The drone performed well in light wind and also features an excellent altitude hold function so you can maintain your position easily. You can store the videos and photos straight to your phone so sharing on social media is a piece of cake.

The LBLA can also perform a range of stunts that are so easy to pull off you will look like an expert pilot within minutes. The final point that deserves praise is the battery life – the LBLA can sustain flight for around 7-8 minutes even when transmitting video.

If you can live with a control range of 50m and using your smartphone as a controller then this is by far our favourite on this list.

Check Latest Price of the LBLA FPV Drone

2. Syma X5SC-1 – Best Value

Syma is a well respected name in the drone industry and has become synonymous with good quality cheaper drones. The Syma X5SC-1 is a great all rounder at a very low price and what we love about this drone is its no fuss attitude. This drone ships with a controller that harks back to those 1980’s and 1990’s radio controlled car days and certainly has a retro feel. The drone itself looks very modern and will hold its own in terms of style even against some of the more expensive competition.

The camera on the X5SC-1 is a pretty solid performer. With 720p HD capability and a 2MP still image lens it is about as good as it gets in this price band. The camera records video and photographs to an onboard SD card (4GB card included) so there is no quick sharing with this drone and you won’t get any kind of video relay or FPV to the transmitter.

As the controller operates over 4 2.4GHz channels it is pretty responsive as it doesn’t have to rely on a Wi-Fi connection. Flight time with a single charge is around 6 minutes although we have had reports of people being able to fly the X5SC-1 for longer – we found the advertised 6 minutes to be accurate.

This drone has a headless mode for easy flight control and thanks to the large controller we found that beginner pilots found this one of the easiest drones to control.

If FPV is not important to you and you just want a good quality drone that is capable of outdoor and indoor flight then this is an excellent budget option – you can’t expect much more!

Check Latest Price of the SYMA X5SC-1

3. Eachine E010 – Best No Camera Drone

If the addition of a camera is making the cost of a drone too much then the Eachine E010 is the perfect choice. This pint sized drone may look like a small package – but you know what they say about size – in this case it really doesn’t matter as the E010 is a top performer.

Don’t be deceived by the diminutive figure of the Eachine E010, this drone has more features than you can shake a stick at. It also ships with a controller that works seamlessly.

This drone features a headless mode which makes flying a cinch, but it also features compass mode which works in relation to the direction of the controller – a pretty nifty feature. The Eachine can also perform some of the best stunts we have seen and has dedicated buttons on the controller to execute them. If you want to fly this UAV in the evening then no problem – the addition of flashing LED lights will not only give your drone a very cool look, it will also ensure you don’t lose it in the dark.

Battery life lasts around 5 minutes but the charging time is significantly less on this UAV than some of the others on this page with a charging time of around 40 minutes. High and low speed settings as well as altitude hold and one touch return to home buttons complete the feature list so if you really have to stick to a tight budget but want something that will provide hours of fun (in 5 minute bursts) then this is the drone for you.

Check Latest Price of the Eachine E010

4. Holy Stone HS170 – Best For Beginners

The Holy Stone HS170 (also known as the Predator) is another drone that does not have an inbuilt camera. It is however one of the best looking drones in this round up and one that is pretty easy to fly – hence why we have labelled it best for beginners. The lack of camera is either going to be an issue for you or not, so if you are looking for a drone under £50 with a camera then go to the next on our list. If however it is not an issue then the HS107 is a top choice.

Three speed settings mean that you are unlikely to get bored with this Holy Stone model with the ‘super fast’ setting being reserved for expert pilots. The 6 axis gyro helps this drone to perform some stunning 3d flips and rolls – all of which are controlled by the matching space-age white controller.

For those beginner pilots there is a headless mode and for those looking for extended fun you will find flight times of up to 8 minutes from a single charge. Charging time is around 45 minutes so this makes the HS170 one of our favourites in this price range for battery performance. Funky LED lights complete the drone’s list of top features and overall this is a winner in our eyes – so long as you don’t want a camera.

Check Latest Price of the Holystone Predator

5. JJRC H37 Eflie – Best Under £50 Selfie Drone

In stark contrast to the two drones above that don’t feature a camera, the JJRC Elfie drone is all about the camera. In fact… it is all about the selfie. Cleverly named the ‘Elfie’, this selfie drone is one that couples looks with functionality. With the Elfie you get an awful lot for your money – not least a 720p HD video and 2MP still camera.

If selfies are your thing then you will know all about beauty mode – this is the only drone on this list (as far we know) that has such a feature included as standard. This drone can be controlled via the included remote control (g-sensor) that uses motion technology to control the drone as well as via a smartphone over a Wi-Fi connection. The g-sensor remote is very clever in that it can be controlled with one hand and can be discreetly hidden on your person to allow for selfies or group shots without the controller being seen.

If using the smartphone app then you can get a realtime FPV feed from the camera that helps you to align your shots perfectly. The Elfie also includes a range of stunts that can be performed, headless mode and crucially altitude hold so your pictures come out much sharper than if this feature was omitted.

If selfies or group shots are your thing then you won’t get much better.

Check Latest Price of the H37 Elfie

6. DROCON Scouter – Best For Kids Without Camera

The DROCON Scouter is one of the cheapest drones in this lineup and is a best seller on Amazon with a raft of 5 star reviews. When we see mass feedback like that it certainly makes us sit up and take notice – although this is a drone that is not new to us at Drone Deliver and has been a firm favourite of ours for some time.

This super cheap UAV is again one that does not include a camera but if you are looking for something that is rock solid, fun to fly and suitable for the kids then you can’t go far wrong with the Scouter. The blocky design might not be to some people’s taste but it seems to be well received by younger generations (perhaps inspired by the MineCraft series).

This drone has altitude hold and headless mode to allow for super easy control and it also has a one key return to home as well as one touch take off and landing. There is also a very powerful LED light to the front of the quadcopter which actually serves a pretty decent purpose. The Scouter can spin at a set height and when this impressive move is performed with the light on it creates a stunning spinning LED effect.

The list of impressive features does not end there – with three speed settings the Scouter is perfect for newbies and those looking to hone their piloting craft. It is also a foldable drone which makes it one of the most portable UAV’s on this list. The Scouter is controlled by the the included controller (that the drone can fold in to believe it or not) and with up to 7 minutes of battery life there is plenty of fun to be had.

Check Latest Price of the DROCON Scouter

7. Hasakee H1 – Best For Kids With Camera

The Hasakee H1 is something a little bit different in terms of design in that it resembles a huge bumblebee. The bright yellow body with black stripes certainly means you will never lose this sub-£50 drone but despite its bumbling appearance it has a pretty nifty set of specs.

Aimed very much at younger people, the Hasakee H1 is probably the best in class for kids with a camera – this will makes it more expensive compared to the Drocon Scouter so if you don’t need a camera we’d still go for that over this. That being said, if you want a kid friendly camera drone then the Hasakee H1 could be the answer.

Three speed settings, headless flying mode and an excellent altitude hold feature allow for ease of control and with the bundled remote controller able to be used either on its or own or with a smartphone mounted to it, you get a sense of the versatility of this piece of kit. To get the most from the drone you will want to mount a smartphone to the controller as this gives you full FPV capability over Wi-Fi.

For photographs, you will be limited to 0.3MP stills so don’t expect to be winning any photography awards with this but it is a great introduction to camera drones. A battery life of up to 8 minutes (we like a lot) is impressive and the modular battery design makes it almost impossible to break.

Despite its round shape, this is actually one of the easiest drones to fly that we have experienced – so a very decent purchase.

Check Latest Price of the Hasakee H1

8. Hubsan H107L – Best For Basics

Hubsan is well known for making good quality drones and whilst this one is about as basic as they come it is actually based on a superior model that has essentially had the camera ripped out. If you are the sort of person that likes to go for a reputable brand and you don’t need a camera then the Hubsan H107L may well appeal to you.

Where the Hubsan H107L excels is in its battery performance. A full 9-10 minutes flight time can be achieved and all from a 30 minute charging time. You will also get super stable flight (even in light wind) and can perform a range of flips and stunts.

If you are looking for a top rated small quadcopter that does the basics really well then this could be for you.

Check Latest Price of the Hubsan H107L

9. Kingtoys XS809W – Best Just Over £50

The Kingtoys XS809W has long been one of our favourite cheaper drones and although we are being a little cheeky in including this in this list we think we can twist your arm.

This Kingtoys model is a foldable drone that has a 2MP camera, 720p HD and even ships with an additional battery – again, providing excellent value. This drone has everything you could ask for in terms of headless mode, one touch return to home, altitude hold as well as the flips and tricks that make it that little bit more fun.

A battery life of 10-12 minutes is mightily impressive and if you go for the package with the free extra battery you could be enjoying flying times of up to 24 minutes from a single outing! The camera is excellent and works brilliantly with the smartphone app that allows you to beam live video and photos from the drone to your screen. You can even use a cheap VR headset with your phone to provide a true FPV experience.

Overall, this is probably the most feature rich drone on the list but due to its price we had to relegate it to last position sadly.

Check Latest Price of the Kingtoys XS809W