Best Small, Micro, and Nano Drones

1. Cheerwing Syma X20

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Editor’s Rating: 4.8/5.0

The Syma X20 looks like the perfect kid’s toy, and it is. But it’s also a great little mini drone for anyone to have fun with as they practice drone piloting skills. Prepare for a treat if this is your first time.

The only thing you won’t like about this indoor micro quadcopter is the short battery life. You only get around five minutes of flying time per charge. By the way, that’s pretty standard for most tiny drones.

The recharging time isn’t too bad at around 50 minutes. The Syma X20 has a control range of 20m in ideal conditions. This gives you plenty of distance for flying around in most indoor spaces.

I love this mini drone’s one-key takeoff/landing and its flight performance. Despite the low price, you get a smooth flyer with a pretty good altitude hold feature. This makes the X20 perfect for beginners.

With more experience, you can flip it (360° roll) and switch over to the high-speed mode. And the drone can rely on its headless mode and continue its flight if you lose track of the fuselage direction.

The fixed prop guards offer the blades some protection. That’s handy despite adding a little extra weight to the craft. And the red orientation light shows you which way the drone’s facing.

The pebble-shaped remote controller (RC transmitter) uses sliders rather than control sticks to navigate. Other than that, the RC is intuitive and self-explanatory. If in doubt, refer to the guide.

Some reviewers complain that the Cheerwing Syma X20 falls short on flight features. I think it offers plenty of everything for less than 30 bucks. The only real gripe I have is with the built-in battery.

Despite its tiny size you have a robust mini craft here that’s simple to fly and fun to practice with. Don’t make your mind up just yet, though. The other capable crafts on this page may suit you better.

2. Holy Stone HS170

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Editor’s Rating: 4.6/5.0

My second pick in this category is the RTF (ready to fly) Holy Stone HS170 Predator. It’s an entry-level mini drone and a great choice for beginners. Stick this one on your shortlist if you’re a first-time flyer.

This mini drone is a #1 Best Seller on Amazon with thousands of reviews and a high ranking. There’s no better endorsement for a product than that of real users who leave personal feedback.

The Predator certainly looks the part and it flies really well too. It has to be one of the best pilot training crafts around. It’s the perfect quadcopter to help prepare you for better things ahead.

The only downside—from a newbie’s perspective—is the absence of any actual flying tips. That means you have to learn how to do some stuff yourself. The good news is there’s no steep learning curve.

You do get all the essential information you need—it’s the little extra details that are missing. The remote controller (RC) is simple to use and responsive, but it too is void or any markings to guide you.

The RC function buttons can activate the headless mode. This means you don’t have to worry about the drone’s orientation. In other words, you get to concentrate more on the flight and less on the craft.

You can toggle the lights on and off from the RC controls and launch the return-to-home mode. You have control over the drone’s balance as well, once you’ve figured out how it all works.

The Holy Stone Predator Mini is big enough to enjoy outdoors as well as in. Considering its size and weight it copes pretty well in a wind. Its shockproof design means it can take a few knocks as well.

You can stay airborne for around eight minutes under ideal conditions. That’s not bad for a toy drone. It takes up to 80 minutes to recharge the battery. Unlike the first pick, this battery is not built-in.

My advice is to always keep a spare battery or two with you. It’s the only way you can enjoy more flight time. Extra batteries don’t cost much and they’re easy to install.

Once you become comfortable flying this impressive little drone you can take things up a level. There are a few nifty stunts to enjoy with the HS170, including the 360-degree flips in any direction.

It’s because of the unmarked controls that the Holy Stone HS170 Predator takes second place. It’s still a great toy drone all the same. It certainly offers a lot to the novice pilot.

3. Eachine E012 Nano

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Editor’s Rating: 4.4/5.0

Also called the micro tinywhoop, the Eachine E012 is the first of my nano drone picks and costs just over $21. It’s a tiny quadcopter and one of the smallest around. Don’t let its minuteness put you off.

There’s a lot to enjoy with the E012 once it’s in the air. Make sure you practice indoors or you risk losing it. This is a fun craft to fly whether you’re a complete beginner or an expert pilot.

The nano copter is almost ready to fly out of the box. All you have to do is fully charge the drone’s battery from a USB connector. Have a read of the instructions as you wait for the battery to power up.

The five minute flight time is disappointing but it’s also quite average for a nano-quadcopter. The average recharging time is just 40 minutes. At least you don’t have to wait too long between flights.

The control range is somewhere around 30m or just under 100 feet. You really don’t want it to be any further with a drone this tiny. And closer is also better with only five minutes of flight time.

The user manual has all the instructions for newbie pilots. Don’t worry there’s not much to take in. Nonetheless, you still need to know the essentials to get the most out of your new tinywhoop.

The transmitter or remote controller (RC) is pretty basic as you’d expect but then it doesn’t need sophistication. You can use it to perform some pretty nifty flips and turns once you get confident.

Fly it outside after sundown and watch it glow in the dark. I wouldn’t recommend trying to fly the E012 in a wind, though, as a sudden gust could make it disappear for good. It’s better as an indoor toy.

Stay on the slowest of the three-speed modes if you’re a novice. It’s a stable little craft, and it’ll sustain a good few knocks. Even so, it’s best not to tempt fate by going too fast too soon.

My only real gripe is that the battery can be fiddly to fit into position. This is significant as it affects the craft’s balance. Remember the importance of this if you have to reposition the battery after a crash.

Summing up, you get a lot of technology in a tiny package. It costs peanuts and provides heaps of fun.

4. REALACC H36 Mini

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Editor’s Rating: 4.2/5.0

The REALACC H36 Mini quadcopter is a nano drone despite its name. Manufacturers target these tiny crafts at beginners but most of them are fun to fly at any level. This one looks like a flying car.

It’s a tiny craft that provides any first time pilot with plenty of skills practice. Become an expert at flying this little beauty and you’ll be set to handle bigger, better drones in the near future.

Once you get a bit of practice you’ll be flipping, rolling, and whizzing around any space in no time at all. Those four-direction 3D-rolling special effects are certain to impress any onlookers.

There’s the standard 4-5 minute flight time and a 40-minute recharge time with the REALACC H36 battery. That means you’ll soon be airborne again, working on your 360-degree rolls.

The 30m maximum control range is also average for a micro drone. And its headless mode means you don’t have to adjust the direction of the craft before takeoff. It’s just one less thing to worry about.

You also have bright LED lights and 6-gyro axes for steadier flights and extra control. With this tiny drone comes a mini transmitter. Not all remote controllers (RC) share the same ergonomics.

There are complaints that the H36 transmitter is just too tiny for certain hands. It’s something to think about if your hands are on the big side of average or if you have overly thick fingers.

The key functions include:

1. Increase / decrease
2. Left / right
3. Front / back
4. Left side fly/ right side fly
5. 360°rotation
6. Return key (brings the H36 back to base whenever you command it)
7. Headless mode
8. Memory function

What a lot of reviewers love about the H36 Nano Quadcopter—aside from its flying potential—is its durability. There are lots of accounts of crashes and collisions with no reports of major damage.

The REALACC H36 is a good all-round flying robot whether you want it for yourself or as a gift for someone else. Twenty bucks—or thereabouts—and it’s all yours.

5. Virhuck Volar-360

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Editor’s Rating: 4.1/5.0

The Virhuck Volar 360 Nano is another incredibly tiny drone. This is a great starter craft at the entry-level. It’s also the cheapest in this category coming in at around 17 bucks (at the time of writing).

Even with its transmitter—which houses the drone when not in use—the whole package is smaller than a regular cell phone. Put it in your pocket and take it anywhere. It really is incredible value for money.

The 360 Nano gives you up to eight minutes flying in ideal conditions. What’s even better is the short battery charging time. It takes just 20 minutes to fully recharge before you’re back in business.

Don’t let the small size fool you. This drone is as mighty as it is minuscule. It comes with multi-colored LED lights, four powerful little motors, and their capable propellers. Flight stability is impressive too.

The remote control (RC) transmitter is just great. It has all the usual controls for a nano drone: left/ right, ascend/descend, forward/ backward. You’ll love the 3D rotation and 360° eversion mode.

You also have the one key return-mode for when it’s time to call the craft home. There’s so much to like about this little quadcopter. Kids love it, but dads and teens probably enjoy it just as much.

It doesn’t feel right to gripe about anything with this pocket drone, At least not at the price and with this much technology. But then I wouldn’t be doing my job if I skipped at least one or two minuses.

The tiny size proves to be too small for some reviewers. And a few complain that it’s not as easy to fly as the makers suggest. As the latter is a minority complaint, there could be a little impatience here?

From a personal perspective, I don’t think you could find a better or more enjoyable micro drone for this kind of money.