The best drones you can buy in 2022

For the longest time now the easiest recommendation for the best drone was one of the Mavic drones from DJI. That trend continues today, with multiple Mavic drones in our top ten list of the best drones on the market. We explore the ins and outs of many drones over on Drone Rush, but let’s just focus on the best of the best for you today.

If you are ready to take to the sky, let’s take a moment to get you the right drone. You may be wanting a toy for in the house, a racer to take to the track, or a superb camera drone to capture photos and video from the sky. There’s a drone or two for all of those tasks. 

Important update from July 2021: All pilots must now get their drone license before they fly!

Best drones you should buy today:

Editor’s note: We will regularly update this list with new and exciting drones as they launch. While the DJI Air 2S remains our top pick for most camera drone pilots, the new DJI Mavic 3 is the new best drone around.

People buy and fly drones for a number of reasons, so we’re going to look at the best machines in a number of categories. If these drones do not quite fit your needs, we’ve evaluated hundreds of others on Drone Rush.

1. DJI Mavic 3 Cine

Best camera drone

The DJI Mavic 3 is an impressive update to the Mavic drones series. The compact, folding design continues, but now you are flying a dual-camera setup, with a 20MP Micro Four Thirds camera that shoots up to 5.1K video, and a smaller 1/2-inch camera that shoots up to 28x zoom. We are most impressed with the new flight time, as pilots will see up to 46 minutes in the sky.

Two versions of the drone are available, the Mavic 3 standard comes with 8GB of internal storage, while the Mavic 3 Cine adds a 1TB internal SSD and the new DJI RC Pro remote control. With the SSD, the Mavic 3 Cine has fast enough storage to capture video with the Apple ProRes 422 HQ format, and the RC Pro has an HDMI port to enable external recorders or live production tasks using this powerful new drone.

---

DJI Mavic 3 features:

• Release date: November 2021
• Flight time: 46 minutes
• Camera: 20MP 5.1K Micro Four Thirds and 28X zoom 12MP 1/2-inch
• Top speed: 43 mph

---

2. DJI Inspire 2 with Xenmuse X7 camera

Best professional and camera drone

The very best of the best professional camera drones allow you to put your professional camera into the sky. They are simply vessels to fly what would otherwise be a handheld camera. The DJI Inspire 2 is an alternative to that, offering its own selection of cameras. Currently, the Zenmuse X7 is the best on offer. This is a 6K camera with interchangeable lenses. Yes, I said 6K video capture. The 24MP Super 35 sensor can shoot in 6K CinemaDNG, 5.2K Apple ProRes, and more. If I kept running down the spec sheet for the camera, you’d think I was talking about a high-end DSLR, and that’s exactly my point. 

The DJI Inspire 2 is easy to fly on its own. It handles and operates very similarly to most other DJI drones. However, the best way to operate it is with two pilots, with one person controlling the craft and the other controlling the camera. It can scoot along at nearly 60mph, stick to the sky for nearly half an hour and is one of the more capable video livestream drones around, perfect for a news crew.

The best of the best has a price tag, the DJI Inspire 2 is $2,999 for a basic flight package, no camera. You’re looking at around $3,100 for the camera, $1,200 each for lenses or combo with the Inspire 2 and Zenmuse X7 camera for around $6,249. Like these drones, the sky is the limit for the Inspire 2 packages, DJI even offers an Inspire 2 Premium package for $14,460, but you’ll still need to add some accessories if you want it all.

---

DJI Inspire 2 features:

• Release date: 2016
• Flight time: 27 minutes
• Camera: Interchangeable – Best: 6K – 30fps, 24MP Super 35 Sensor
• Top speed: 58 mph

---

3. DJI Mavic 2 Pro

Best camera drone under $2,000

Released in August 2018, the DJI Mavic 2 Pro is one of the best camera drones DJI has built. Considering DJI’s status in the industry, we’d say that makes the Mavic 2 Pro one of the best camera drones on the market, period. The Mavic 2 series includes the Mavic 2 Zoom and the Mavic 2 Pro, which only differ in their cameras. The Zoom model offers a 2x optical zoom from its 1/2.3-inch camera sensor and the Pro model rocks a full 1-inch sensor built by Hasselblad. 

We’ve seen some high-end camera blogs complain that the Mavic 2 Pro cannot shoot as high of quality photos and videos as a “proper” Hasselblad camera. All I got from that was the camera on this drone is worthy enough to be compared to cameras that cost thousands of dollars. It isn’t as good as those high-end machines, but it’s still quite good.

As for the drone itself, the Mavic 2 Pro is one of the fastest, most stable, and most agile camera-focused machines we’ve flown. The multi-direction obstacle avoidance sensors make it one of the safest drones we’ve flown as well. Don’t let the name fool you, a beginner can put the Mavic 2 Pro into the sky with great success. It offers a great selection of self-piloted flight modes to help get the best shots. On the flip side, experienced pilots can take manual control of the craft and really push the camera to new heights. 

Read next: DJI Mavic 2 Pro camera review

Check out the DJI Mavic 2 Pro for $1,449, our links here are to a $1,849 combo with the Fly More kit. Grab the Mavic 2 Fly More Kit for $323 to get extra batteries, accessories, and more. If the Mavic 2 Zoom for $1,245 is more your style, grab that instead. (Note: Prices on Amazon may be higher than initial launch prices for this drone.)

---

DJI Mavic 2 Pro features:

• Release date: 2018
• Flight time: 31 minutes
• Camera: 4K – 30fps, 20MP
• Top speed: 44 mph

---

4. Autel Robotics Evo Lite+

Solid camera drone

 

The Autel Robotics Evo Lite comes in two flavors, the standard model with 4K video, and the upgraded Evo Lite+ with a 1-inch sensor that shoots up to 6K video. The Evo Lite series are sturdy and stable folding drones, offering many of the same flight features as most modern consumer drones. The low light performance in the Evo Lite+ is the selling point, which is great for cloudy days, or for those few of us with the commercial license and clearance to fly at night.

The Evo Lite sits nicely in between the DJI Air 2S and the DJI Mavic 3, both in terms of capabilities and price, soundly rounding out your purchasing options.

---

Autel Robotics Evo Lite+ features:

• Release date: 2021
• Flight time: 40 minutes
• Camera: 4K – 60fps, 6K – 30fps, 20MP
• Top speed: 42.5 mph

---

5. DJI Air 2S

Best 5.4K camera drone

Launched in April, 2021, the DJI Air 2S was a welcome upgrade to a popular series of drones. Not just an update from the Mavic Air and Mavic Air 2 previous, but a fresh touch for the Mavic line entirely. The Air 2S rocks a 20MP camera with a 1-inch sensor. The first time we’ve seen this size of camera on a drone this small, and at this low of a price point. The camera shoots up to 5.4K video, offers up to 8X zoom, has an amazing 7.5 mile connectivity range, and includes all new flight features that they borrowed from the Osmo Pocket cameras.

While there are better camera drones out there, and more affordable craft to just enjoy flight, the DJI Air 2S is our recommendation for the best drone for the average pilot. The camera is superb, the drone offers enough of the best flight features to be worth the money, and the drone is small enough to consider packing on a journey. 

---

DJI Air 2S features:

• Release date: 2021
• Flight time: 31 minutes
• Camera: 5.4K – 30fps, 4K – 60fps, 20MP
• Top speed: 42.5 mph

---

6. DJI Mini 2

Best compact camera drone

Introduced in the fall of 2020, the DJI Mini 2 is the powerful update to the Mavic Mini from last year. Nearly identical in form and function, the newer Mini 2 offers an updated 4K camera, a vastly improved video data rate, more powerful motors, and Ocusync connectivity. The result of the updates is a faster, stronger mini drone that can fly further, take better photos, shoot much better videos, and stay airborne for longer.

Related reading: DJI Mini 2 review

---

DJI Mavic Mini 2 features:

• Release date: 2020
• Flight time: 31 minutes
• Camera: 4K, 12MP
• Top speed: 36 mph

---

7. DJI FPV

Best cross-over camera-racing drone

DJI started off 2021 with a new machine that slightly re-invents the way you fly. To be fair, there’s nothing really new about the DJI FPV except that it combines the best of a camera drone with the thrill of a racing drone. Controlling the machine can be managed as if the FPV were a camera drone, jump up to sport mode to get a tease of what it’s like to fly a racing drone, then go full manual to really fly this new machine. Adding to the thrill, the DJI FPV clocks along at up to 87 mph, comes with the DJI FPV Goggles V2, a VR headset, and there’s an optional new one-handed Motion Controller. 

---

DJI FPV features:

• Release date: 2021
• Flight time: 20 minutes
• Camera: 4K, 12MP
• Top speed: 87 mph

---

8. DJI Mini 3 Pro

Redefining mini

Introduced in May of 2022, the DJI Mini 3 Pro is the next evolution in the Mini line. More than that, it’s a whole new take on DJI’s Mavic series design. Newly designed landing gear and propeller arms are of slight interest, but pale in comparison to the brand new camera gimbal configuration. Instead of hanging underneath the nose of the craft, the nose has been cut away, making room for the camera to point further upwards.

DJI also adjusted the flight attitude of the craft, tilting it nose up so that the body of the craft assists in aerodynamics when in flight.

What you really need to know is that the Mini 3 Pro packs a 4K camera that shoots 60fps, or 4K HDR at 30fps. It has a flight time of 34 minutes when the drone weighs under 250g, but they’ve also introduced a larger battery that weighs more, but provides upward of 47 minutes of flight time. A new record in the consumer drone market.

Delivery of the drone is slated for the end of June, but you can pre-order today. Get the standard model with the standard remote for $759, bump up to the new DJI RC remote with 5.5-inch display for $909, or even buy the drone without a remote for a reduced price. The extended battery is available alone, or as part of the Fly More kit Plus.

---

DJI Mini 3 Pro features:

• Release date: 2022
• Flight time: 34 or 47 minutes
• Camera: 4K, 48MP
• Top speed: 35 mph

---

9. Syma X5C-1

Best toy drone, a resilient trainer

We firmly believe every aspiring drone pilot should start with a drone like the Syma X5C. This toy-class drone has limited functionality, but it is true to the piloting experience of more expensive drones. Flying this machine will help you master the basics of flight, understanding which way is forward and managing to hit the video record button at the right time in that flight. Crashing is almost inevitable, but would you rather learn how to handle crashes on a machine worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars, or a resilient and fun Syma X5C?

---

Syma X5C features:

• Release date: 2015
• Flight time: 10 minutes
• Camera: 720p
• Top speed: 11 mph

---

10. Hubsan H111

Best Nano drone for flying indoors

There’s no single category for small drones, but we generally consider any machine that can fit in the palm of your hand to be a nano drone. One of our absolute favorites is the Hubsan H111. We respect Hubsan as a brand, we have many of their larger drones in various other categories on the site, but the H111 is one of the easiest machines to get your hands on, and safest to fly indoors.

Make no mistake, this is a toy drone. It has limited battery life and minimal flight capabilities compared to more advanced machines, but it lives on my desk and flies frequently. It’s challenging enough to hone my piloting skills, and super fun. It’s also priced right to be a great gift.

---

Hubsan H111 features:

• Release date: 2014
• Flight time: 5 minutes
• Camera: No camera
• Top speed: 7 mph

---

Special note

Our list here today is designed to take you on your drone journey. The plain truth is that the very best of the best drones have prices that start at over $150,000. There are many great drones on the market, and we hope you forgive us for making our list today reflect the best machines you should consider for a reasonable consumer-electronics price tag.