Thinking of buying a drone? It can be tricky to know where to invest your money, and it's worth doing your research before you commit. Our product testers try out every major release, and in this roundup I've gathered together all our reviews from the start of 2025 onward. Tap the View Details button to see a summary of exactly what we thought of each one, plus a link to read each full, in-depth review.
It might not come as a surprise that DJI is particularly well represented — every 5-star drone of the past 20 or so months is a DJI model. The DJI Mini 5 Pro is a compact drone that's beginner-friendly yet boasts features more in line with far pricier models (including "class-leading video quality"). It's no surprise this model takes the #1 spot in our general best drone ranking.
We also loved the DJI Avata 360, calling it "wonderfully versatile and surprisingly affordable", and dubbing it "the 360 drone to beat". Professional users, meanwhile, will struggle to find fault with the stunning DJI Mavic 4 Pro.
Other drone brands are of course available, and price-conscious shoppers should take a look at the Potensic Atom 3 — this compact drone delivers an excellent feature set for a very affordable cost, and proves it's not all about DJI. (Although in the UK it does face stiff competition from the fantastic DJI Lito X1.)
Scroll down for a full roundup of the new drones we've put through their paces in recent months, and to find out exactly what we thought of them. Note: you'll only be able to see product cards for the drones that are available to buy in your region.
Flying high
Pros
- Excellent price
- Feature-packed
- Impressive cameras
Cons
- Weight just exceeds 2.2lbs / 1kg
- More features than many people will need
- Subject tracking is not as varied as the DJI Flip or Neo
Pros
- New 1-inch sensor with detail rich 4K HDR video
- Versatile camera with a 225 degree roll rotation
- Class-leading flight and safety features
Cons
- Actual take-off weight could result in being the next class of drone, hit with restrictions
- Flight times typically not as long as advertised
- Pricier than entry-level models like the Mini 4K
Pros
- Great video quality for the price, especially with Lito X1
- Omnidirectional obstacle avoidance included
- Better battery life than the Neo 2 and Flip
Cons
- Camera doesn't rotate for 9:16 content
- Soft digital zoom
- No built-in storage on Lito 1 model
Pros
- Great 10-bit image quality from dual sensor setup
- Choice of control methods
- Agile, speedy and safe flyer
- Good value for money
Cons
- Other DJI drones beat it on image quality
- Buying both FPV and standard controllers could push up the price
- No manual FPV flight option
Pros
- Now has obstacle avoidance
- Improved camera performance
- More storage and faster transfer speed
Cons
- Still only shoots JPEG photos
- Limited battery life
Pros
- Excellent 360-degree capture and reframing
- Slick package with impressive features
- Easier to use than you might think
Cons
- It’s expensive
- Goggles require a spotter
- Motion controller has limitations
Pros
- The only waterproof self-flying camera on the market
- Solid 4K footage in good conditions
- Turtle flip and water-surface takeoff/landing work reliably
Cons
- Lighthouse-based tracking produces inconsistent subject framing
- Hydrophobic lens doesn't always resist water
- Expensive in comparison to competitors
Pros
- Multi-use functionality
- Several flight-control options
- Sub-250g folding design
Cons
- Image quality is good but not great
- Not as agile as the Mini 4 Pro
- Not great in wind
Pros
- Excellent feature set for the price
- Editing latitude thanks to the flat P-Log color profile for video and RAW format photos
- Huge touchscreen controller (included in pricier RC PTD 2 Fly More combo)
- Stable flight performance
Cons
- No obstacle avoidance
- Actual battery life less than expected
- DJI Lito X1 has the performance edge, especially its tracking modes
- Controller finesse for precise flight maneuvers requires lots of practice
- GPS signal issues within areas like forests can limit what flight maneuvers are possible
Pros
- Fun to fly
- Easy to set up
- Compact and lightweight
Cons
- The camera is limited
- More of a drone for flight than photography
- Battery life not as good as advertised
Pros
- Light and folds to a pocketable size
- 4K video is watchable when captured in good light
Cons
- Joystick dead zone makes smooth camera moves a struggle
- Camera routinely overexposes
- No obstacle avoidance of any kind
- No USB port makes accessing internal storage tricky