Best drones 2024: Discover the ultimate drones

Hand reaches out for one of the best drones
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As the term suggests, the best drones are the best that money can buy. Prices can vary and this impressive category includes all types of drones including single-camera drones, multi-camera drones, sub-250 g drones, FPV drones and specialist professional models. It's arguably the most varied category, but the one where high performance is always delivered.

With such a wide variety of drones, there are many considerations to make when selecting one of these models. Camera features and performance, size, weight, flight performance and unique features will always weigh in on the equation. Not to mention, the way the drone flies can be important: are you looking for a camera drone or an FPV model?

This may make choosing the best option for you seem a little daunting, but it's not the case because navigating the intricacies of different drones is simple. Plus, they're all excellent so it's difficult to go too far wrong and our recommendations will undoubtedly point you in the right direction.

If you're looking for something more specific or would like to get an idea of what's available in the wider drone market, check out our other comprehensive buying guides. In these, we take a look at the best camera drones, best beginner drones and best FPV drones.

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Best drones we recommend in 2024

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Best drone overall

A stunning drone for visual creators

Specifications

Camera: 20MP 4/3 main camera, 70mm and 166mm telephoto cameras
Battery: 5000 mAh / up to 43 minutes flight time
Video resolution: Up to 5.1K
Frame rates: 5.1K up to 75fps / 4K up to 120fps / FHD up to 200fps
Foldable design: Yes
Weight: 33.79 oz / 958 g
Dimensions: 9.10 x 3.85 x 3.75 inches / 231.1×98×95.4 mm (folded) 13.68 x 11.44 x 4.24 / 347.5×290.8×107.7 mm (unfolded)

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent image quality with three cameras
+
Up to 5.1K video capture
+
Advanced safety features

Reasons to avoid

-
Expensive
-
Three cameras may not be required
-
Heavy compared to sub-250g models
Buy it if

✅ You're looking for versatility: The three cameras on offer on this drone give you the ability to shoot different perspectives and different focal lengths at the same time, which can help produce more creative content.

✅ You want to shoot high-quality slow-mo: With this drone, you don't have to choose between quality and frame rates. You can shoot 5.1K up to 75fps, 4K up to 120fps and FHD up to 200fps.

Don't buy it if:

❌ You're on a budget: With all the features on offer, this is quite an expensive drone and may be overkill for casual hobbyists.

The bottom line

🔎 DJI Mavic 3 Pro One of the best foldable drones on the market, this allows you to get stunning videos and offers great flexibility with three cameras that can film at the same time. The only real downside is the price, but we think beginners and pros would be pleased with this purchase. ★★★★★

If you'd like the best all-rounder with features, functionality and camera performance that will suit the requirements of most pilots, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro could be the drone for you. With three cameras, you're spoilt for creative choice and although this is a prosumer drone, it's a great option for beginners, too. Check out our DJI Mavic 3 Pro review where you can discover more about this impressive model.

It features a 24mm Four Thirds Hasselblad camera which captures images at 20MP. Its aperture is adjustable from f/2.8 and f/11, suitable for a wide range of situations and photographic effects, and you can also record video up to 5.1K. On either side of the Hasselblad, you'll find a 70mm medium telephoto camera and a 166mm telephoto, having a wide range of zoom lengths covered.

It features the hallmark Mavic folding design, and like the other models, we found it could provide around 30 minutes of flight time. It also comes with two different smart controller options, both featuring 5.5-inch touchscreens, so there's no need to hook up your smartphone.

The Mavic 3 Pro is very intuitive and easy to fly for a drone of this class since it comes with a number of flight and safety features such as Advanced Return to Home, AirSense ADS-B to detect aircraft, GEO 2.0 geofencing, obstacle sensing and automated flight patterns for video.

This is a high-end drone with many possible applications for both professional and enthusiasts. It's certainly not an inexpensive drone, but you're paying for the best available and it's priced similarly to older models at launch which is fair. So, if you're looking for a powerful and feature packed drone with fantastic cameras, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro is the one for you.

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Test results
AttributesNotes
DesignThree cameras and two smart controllers
FunctionalityEasy to fly, with obstacle sensing technology
PerformanceExcellent image quality and videos up to 5.1K

Best mid-size drone

DJI Air 3S

An amazing mid-sized dual camera drone

Specifications

Camera: 50MP 1-inch CMOS & 48MP 1/1.3-inch CMOS
Battery: 4276 mAh / up to 45 minutes
Video resolution: Up to 4K
Frame rates: 4K up to 120 FPS / 1080p up to 240 FPS / 2.7K vertical up to 60 FPS
Foldable design: Yes
Weight: 25.54 oz / 724 g
Dimensions: 8.43x3.96x3.51 in / 214.2×100.6×89.2 mm folded / 10.47x12.82x4.17 in / 266.1×325.5×106 mm

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent dual cameras
+
Advanced collision avoidance
+
Fantastic flight performance

Reasons to avoid

-
Larger and heavier than sub-250 g models
-
Not as regulator-friendly as sub-250 g models
-
Not all pilots require dual cameras
Buy it if

✅ You desire excellent image quality: The image quality produced by the two cameras is excellent, and the main wide-angle camera with the 1-inch sensor is impressive.

✅ You require advanced collision avoidance: Collision avoidance is an incredibly useful feature when flying in complex environments. This also assists with advanced Return to Home and subject tracking.

Don't buy it if:

❌ You'd prefer a regulator-friendly drone: With the weight of the Air 3S it's more regulated in the US, UK and other regions so for simplicity, a sub-250 g model may be more suitable for you.

The bottom line

🔎 The DJI Air 3S is a dual-camera drone providing excellent image quality across wide-angle and telephoto focal lengths. It also offers impressive features including advanced collision avoidance, advanced Return to Home and impressive subject tracking performance. ★★★★½

The DJI Air 3S is a folding medium-sized drone that sits between the sub-250 g DJI Mini 4 Pro and DJI Mavic 3 Pro in terms of price and camera functionality, but also manages to overtake the higher-end model with some useful new features. It's a fantastic drone overall and it's fair to say that it's one of the best available thanks to its features and impressive dual camera.

The Air 3S features a 50MP 1-inch CMOS in the 24mm equivalent main camera, while the 70mm equivalent medium telephoto uses a 48MP 1/1.3-inch CMOS. These provide a huge amount of versatility and image quality is excellent overall with the larger sensor naturally being the most impressive of the two.

Video can be captured in flat color profiles for color grading and a larger dynamic range, as well as the standard profile for straight-out-of-camera footage. Video can be captured up to 4K 120 FPS, 1080p up to 240 FPS and 2.7 vertical video up to 60 FPS. Photos can be captured in Raw and JPEG at 12MP and the full resolution of each sensor.

The Air 3S also features advanced collision avoidance including forward-facing LiDAR for night flying, impressive subject tracking, Off-state Quick Transfer and it can be connected to 4G using the DJI Cellular Dongle 2 and a SIM card for more secure and reliable connectivity in complex environments.

  • Our full DJI Air 3S review is coming soon.
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Test results
AttributesNotes
DesignTwo impressive cameras and a folding design.
FunctionalityExcellent all round features.
PerformanceImage quality from both cameras is fantastic.

Best single camera drone